Minecraft 1.9 Preview

Minecraft, a popular sandbox game developed by Mojang, has announced a new update, known as the Combat Update. This update will change Player-Versus-Player (PVP) experience and The End, a world in Minecraft that contains the Ender Dragon.

As stated, the 1.9 update (with a release date not yet revealed) will change the PVP experience forever. Potions can be applied to arrows, as well as new Spectral Arrows that outline a player when hit. A new attack strength bar is added, which allows players to do more damage the more the bar is filled. This is great for axes, which now do more damage but swing slower. Mobs now emit particles when hit, which is useful to determine how much damage has been done. Also, Lingering Potions have been added, which are splash potions that create a cloud in the player's field-of view. To view your screen, go to third-person-mode by pressing the F5 Key.

The major changes in the game come down to the addition of a new “sweep attack,” shields, and the ability to dual wield. Sweep attacks can be done by attacking with a sword when crouching or standing, resulting in multiple enemies being knocked back. Shields have also been added in the 1.9 update. They can be crafted with any type of wool in the first column of the crafting table, three wood planks in the second, and one iron ingot in the middle of the third. Shields block attacks when right clicking, however they can be disabled for five seconds if hit by an axe. Finally, dual wielding also corresponds to the new addition of shields. Players can now control two hands instead of one, so it’s possible to hold a sword in your left hand and a shield in your right now. Sadly, you can’t function both hands at once. Type “f” to switch from your main hand to your idle hand. The new Minecraft 1.9 Combat Update is still developing. More information on the update is being released daily, and while no release date has not been specified players can’t wait to be introduced to these new additions once it is out.