In the past two weeks, the snapshots, betas, and previews of Minecraft 1.21 have been exciting! There's a new weapon (with its parts and special powers), a new tough challenge in a trial chamber, and also new designs for armor, banners, and pottery pieces! There's so much to talk about, so let's get started right away.

The Mace & Its Enchantments

Charge into combat with the latest weapon addition: the Mace, a powerful weapon coming with a unique smash move that knocks your enemies away. However, there's a twist – you need to strike while falling from a great height. The longer your fall, the stronger your hit will be! But be careful with your timing, as you'll only avoid fall damage if you connect your strike.

The Mace Minecraft
The Mace, a powerful weapon coming with a unique smash move that knocks your enemies away.

If you want to get the Mace in Minecraft, you'll need to collect two key items. Start by taking down a breeze to grab a Breeze Rod, which will serve as your mace's handle. Next, you'll need a Heavy Core to form the business end of your mace. You can find these cores in vaults, which are opened with an ominous trial key.

As if the mace wasn't powerful enough already, it can also be enchanted in three special ways! First up is the Density enchantment, which boosts your damage even more based on how far you fall before landing a smash attack. Then there's Breach, which lets the mace break through armor, dealing extra damage depending on the level of the enchantment. And lastly, there's Wind Burst, which propels you upward when you are hit with a smash attack, while also pushing back enemies farther than usual. Whether you prefer dealing heavy damage or leaping into the fray, you can now enchant your mace to suit your playstyle!

How To Craft The Mace In Minecraft
How To Craft The Mace In Minecraft

As of now, Mace enchantments are available in Java snapshots only.

>>> Also check out: Minecraft Snapshot 24w11a Introduces The New Mace Weapon & More

New Armor Trims, Banner Patterns & Pottery Sherds

Looking for some new styles or decorations for your build? Now you can experiment with two banner patterns, two extra armor trims, and three pottery sherds. Find the armor trims and banner patterns in vaults, and collect the pottery sherds from the trial chambers. These make for some fantastic souvenirs! 

Bolt And Flow Armor Trims Minecraft
Bolt And Flow Armor Trims
Flow And Guster Banner Patterns Minecraft
Flow And Guster Banner Patterns

Ominous Events In Minecraft 1.21

And now, let’s check out ominous events as the grand finale of Minecraft 1.21!

You may already know about Bad Omen, but in this update, it's being expanded to offer an optional experience in the trial chambers. These optional experiences triggered by Bad Omen are now referred to as ominous events. They're designed for daring players who seek more challenging (yet rewarding) adventures in the game.

To get the Bad Omen in Minecraft, you are forced to consume the contents of an ominous bottle, a new item introduced in the 1.21 update. These bottles can be obtained by defeating a raid captain or found in a trial chamber vault. You will no longer automatically receive the Bad Omen status effect upon defeating a raid captain, so drinking from an ominous bottle is now the only way to obtain it. What occurs after drinking the contents of a bottle called "ominous,"? Hmmm…

Vault Ominous Minecraft
To get the Bad Omen in Minecraft, you are forced to consume the contents of an ominous bottle.

In the 1.21 update, we have two types of ominous events as follows:

1. Village Raids 

Village raids might sound familiar to many players, which were introduced a few years ago as part of the Village & Pillage update. These will now be classified as ominous events, and there will be some minor adjustments to how they function. They are still activated when a player with the Bad Omen status effect enters a village. At that time, the Bad Omen transforms into a Raid Omen, and when that expires, get ready because the raid will begin!

2. Ominous Trials 

Ominous trials are now open in Java snapshots, adding a new layer of challenge to trial chambers.

To initiate an ominous trial, first, you need to get the Bad Omen effect and then head to a trial chamber. Once you're near a trial spawner, it will become ominous, converting your Bad Omen into a Trial Omen and starting the ominous trial.

While you own the Trial Omen, any trial spawner you approach will also turn ominous. Ominous trial spawners let out tougher mobs with better gear, and they often create potions and projectiles above nearby mobs and players.

After dealing with these challenges and the spawner goes into cooldown, you may receive an ominous trial key. Locate an ominous vault and use the key to access rare loot as a reward for completing the gauntlet.

How To Test Minecraft 1.21 Features? 

Right now, you can try out these new 1.21 features by enabling snapshots for Minecraft: Java Edition or beta/previews for the Bedrock Edition. Nevertheless, please be aware that ominous events are only accessible in Java snapshots, as we stated. To install Java snapshots, open the Minecraft Launcher and navigate to the "Installations" tab.

In addition, players have the option to play the latest snapshots, previews, and betas on their Realm. If you have an active Realms subscription, you can definitely create a free testing Realm, allowing you to explore the new features with your pals.

Please note that testing versions have the potential to corrupt your world, so it's crucial to back up your data and/or run them in a separate save folder from your main worlds.

>>> Read more: How To Make A Minecraft Server (2024 Guide)