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The winter game drop for Minecraft has arrived — and it brings with it the initial fresh armament introduced into the game since the heavy club made its debut. The lance is now available and it could very well alter your gameplay in Minecraft, especially if you enjoy mayhem.

An Armament Designed for Chaotic Rides

The Mayhem Mounts update also adds a host of fresh elements and enhancements centered around animal mounts in the game. That central theme made the spear the natural choice for this release, as the development team had already known it was time for a new weapon.

"We knew initially that we desired a fresh armament that would increase combat distance, and we wanted it to be fighting from atop a creature," explained a lead developer. "We prototyped a number of concepts, but the lance was the one that both felt great when we ran our trials and also was visually fitting for the intended purpose."

If you're wondering whether fighting from a saddle means you can joust against your companions on steeds, the response is a definite affirmative. In fact, there's even an attack excellently designed for it.

"[Jousting on horses is a primary functions for the spear, and it's incredibly enjoyable," the developer adds. "The spear has a dual attack system: You have the thrust, where you just stab your enemy. But you also have a charge attack where you lower your spear and get greater injury [with] the more momentum you have. So [it’s] ideal for mounted duels."

Sky-High Chaos and Underwater Adventures

The wild enjoyment isn't limited to there, though. If you're deep enough into the game that you've explored The End, the developers have an delightfully absurd idea. "If you are quite advanced, [spears are] perfect for equipping the wings and going out and making some real mayhem," she suggests.

In other words: Aerial lance combat is now a reality, and it deserves to be an Olympic sport immediately.

Another significant inclusion in this new update is the Nautilus. This aquatic being, which is based on the nautilus shells players have gathered for years, can be domesticated and mounted for underwater travel. Not only will it transport you through the water faster than swimming, it'll also preserve your breath meter, so there's no necessity to surface for oxygen.

The other inclusions are largely things that seek your demise, as is the nature of Minecraft. As expected, there's also a rotting sea creature popping up in the water, frequently with a Drowned on its back. If you are able to take care of the Drowned, though, you can befriend the undead mount — or the regular one, for that matter — with a spiky fish.

"We've pondered this problem for some time, and again, like with the spear and [adding] more mounts, it appeared to be the perfect moment to also introduce something for aquatic environments," the developer clarifies. "For the Nautilus specifically, we had a number of concepts for underwater mounts that we wanted to experiment with, but the Nautilus initial artwork looked impressive, and we have the connection to the Nautilus shell that was pre-existing in the game."

She also points out that there are actually two different types of undead nautilus: standard and coral-infested undead mount. "[The variants] provide diversity to what you encounter underwater."

Desert Dangers and Long-Awaited Tweaks

Further inclusions include the sun-proof skeletons, desert-exclusive skeletons that can survive in the sun, which means there's no refuge from them if you end up in that biome. Sometimes you'll see them on zombified camels, another new mob. These passive, zombified camels have an striking appearance that sees their skeletal frame exposed. The applies equally to zombie horses, who have a analogous exposed-rib aesthetic and can sometimes be encountered after dark with a lance-wielding zombie on their back.

The remaining updates on the drop's list are refinements, including some long-overdue changes to riding horses. Now, you can ford bodies of water while mounted on a horse. Additionally, high-tier barding is now craftable at the crafting table, so you can provide your steed with the top-tier safeguarding it is worthy of.

A Spicy Send-Off for the Year

In summary, the year-end release of the year is a solid offering. The spear alone — and the mayhem it enables — would have constituted a significant enhancement. Combine that with the Nautilus, and more things seeking your end, and Minecraft's definitely getting a bit spicier.

The Mayhem Mounts content drop is out now for all major editions of Minecraft.