Minecraft Update Mounts of Mayhem: Spear, Nautilus, and New Mobs

Since Minecraft switched to smaller drops some time ago, players can look forward to new content every quarter. After “Chase the Sky” and “The Copper Age,” the final update of the year has arrived. It’s all about new mounts, monsters, and even a new weapon! You’ll also get a few new features that make exploring underwater worlds much easier. As always, the update packs in plenty of mechanics—here’s a quick overview, and we’ll dive deeper in upcoming posts.

Minecraft spear explained: reach, charge attack, and enchantments

Let’s start with the spear, the new weapon added to the game. It offers greater reach than your sword or axe, which makes it especially handy early on. You can keep mobs at a distance and defend yourself more safely.

You can craft spears from any material, from wood all the way up to a Netherite upgrade. So you can make one right after chopping your first tree! You can also find spears in certain structures, including bastions, ocean monuments, and even villages. They can also drop from some mobs that now carry them, such as zombies and piglins, as well as the new desert zombies and zombie horse riders.

Damage depends on the material and how you attack. The spear gives you two ways to attack and make the most of its power!

• Thrust attack: This is the standard attack when you hold the spear and strike. Press the attack button for a hit that applies light knockback to your target. Like all weapons, it has a short cooldown.
• Charge attack: Hold the button to charge your strike. Damage scales with the spear, your speed, and your angle. It’s a kind of running attack where you need to rush your target—on foot or using any movement method. Don’t hold the spear up too long though, or your arm will tire and the attack will miss!

On top of that, spears can be enchanted. They support all common weapon enchantments, such as Looting, Sharpness, and Unbreaking. There’s also a new enchantment, Lunge! It comes in three levels and lets you leap toward enemies from a distance. It does consume your hunger bar. Combined with the charge attack, you can deal serious damage.

Riding the Minecraft Nautilus: taming, Breath of the Nautilus, and armor

The second major highlight of this update is the new Nautilus, which you can now find in your world’s oceans. We’ve had nautilus shells in the game for a while—now you get to see where they come from! You’ll encounter them in all ocean biomes, though they’re more common in cold waters. They also often spawn in groups, making them easier to tame.

The nautilus isn’t hostile toward you (as long as it isn’t zombified), so you can tame it. You’ll need pufferfish, either in your hand or in a bucket. As with other animals, wait for the hearts and feed it several pufferfish. You can breed two nautiluses with any fish once they’re tamed and fully healed.

Even better, you can ride a nautilus! Have a saddle ready and mount a tamed one. Press E and place the saddle on the creature to control it. You can then steer the nautilus underwater as you like. You’ll notice another great effect: while riding a nautilus, you don’t lose air. That’s thanks to the new status effect Breath of the Nautilus, which pauses your oxygen bar—extremely useful for ocean exploration!

Together with the spear, the nautilus is also excellent in combat. Use the new nautilus armor sets to protect the creature. You’ll need to find these in various structures—they can’t be crafted.

New mobs in desert and ocean: zombie camel, desert skeleton, and zombie nautilus

The update introduces three new monsters you’ll have to face. Some existing undead have also been reworked to make things even tougher.

• Zombie camel: These dark-colored camels are a new desert mob. They aren’t hostile by default, but they can be ridden by desert zombies and desert skeletons. They behave surprisingly similar to normal camels, but they can’t be bred.
• Desert skeletons: The counterpart to the desert zombies that have been in the game for years. Wearing tattered clothing, they can ride zombie camels to pressure you from range. They shoot arrows of Weakness.
• Zombie nautilus: There’s also a zombified nautilus variant, which is rather rare. It can be ridden by Drowned and stands out with moss on its shell. In coral reefs, though, it’s colorful! They aren’t hostile toward you and can even be ridden and equipped with armor.

Minecraft horse update: water, Netherite armor, and zombie horses

Since this update is all about mounts, horses got adjustments too! We already have a full post if you want more details (Minecraft Mounts: Faster Travel with Horses, Camels & More) . The changes are welcome to many players and open up new options for long trips.

Horse changes:

• Mounted horses no longer sink in water! That makes it much easier to cross rivers and large lakes. The same applies to mules, donkeys, and camels.
• There’s now Netherite horse armor. You obtain it by upgrading a piece of diamond armor, just like other tools and gear.
• Although they’ve existed for years, zombie horses can now spawn naturally. They’ll be led by a zombie with a spear. Watch out for these new threats on plains and in savannas!

Mounts of Mayhem conclusion: mounts, spears, and adventure

The new Mounts of Mayhem update lives up to its name, focusing on both old and new mounts with a fresh twist. Alongside the new nautilus for underwater adventures, there are new variations for camels and skeletons that make deserts much more challenging. Out on the plains, you’ll encounter zombie horses and spear-wielding zombies. But you can turn this new weapon to your advantage and experiment with its versatile attack options!

Rent your own Minecraft server from us now and play the new update together with your friends. Tame the nautilus or challenge each other with spears in a jousting tournament!