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The winter game drop for Minecraft has landed — and it features the first new weapon introduced into the game since the mace made its debut. The lance is finally here and it could very well revolutionize your approach to Minecraft, particularly when you love chaos.

A Weapon Forged for Mounted Mayhem

The Mayhem Mounts update also incorporates a host of fresh elements and enhancements centered around riding animals in the game. That driving concept made the spear the ideal addition for this update, as the development team had long felt it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we wanted a new weapon that would add some more range, and we envisioned it for fighting from atop a creature," noted a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the spear was the one that both handled superbly when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the use case."

If you're asking yourself whether fighting from a saddle means you can tilt at your allies on horseback, the response is a resounding yes. In fact, there's even an offensive action excellently designed for it.

"Mounted lance combat] is one of the biggest applications for the spear, and it's a blast," the lead continues. "The spear has a pair of offensive moves: You have the quick stab, where you simply impale your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and get more damage [with] the more speed and velocity you have. So [it’s] perfect for jousting on horses."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The chaotic fun doesn't have to stop there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've visited The End, the developers have an even more ridiculous idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] ideal for equipping the wings and flying forth and making some real mayhem," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now possible, and it deserves to be an competitive event immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this fresh content is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is modeled after the seashells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for submarine exploration. Not only will it transport you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also preserve your air supply, so there's no requirement to return to the surface for fresh air.

The remaining new features are largely things that are out to get you, as is the way of Minecraft. Unsurprisingly, there's also a zombie Nautilus popping up in the water, often with a zombie villager on its back. If you succeed in defeat the Drowned, though, you can tame the zombie Nautilus — or the regular one, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've pondered this issue for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it felt like the perfect moment to also unveil something for aquatic environments," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus in particular, we had a number of concepts for sea mounts that we wanted to try out, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked compelling, and we have the tie-in to the Nautilus shell that was found within the game."

She also points out that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: standard and coral zombie Nautilus. "[The variants] add variety to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the Parched, biome-specific skeletons that can withstand the sun, which means there's no escape from them if you end up in that region. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an excellent design that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a comparable exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a spear-carrying undead rider on their back.

The final pair of items on the drop's list are smaller gameplay updates, including some long-overdue changes to equestrian travel. Now, you can traverse waterways while atop a horse. Furthermore, high-tier barding is now obtainable at the workbench, so you can give your horse the best defense it deserves.

A Fittingly Chaotic Finale

All told, the year-end release of the year is a notable addition. The spear on its own — and the pandemonium it invites — would have seemed like a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things trying to kill you, and Minecraft's definitely getting a little more dangerous.

The Mounts of Mayhem content drop is live for Java and Bedrock editions of Minecraft.