Highlights

  • Minecraft 1.21 introduces intense challenges for players with the revamped mace weapon and ominous trials.
  • The mace now deals 8 extra damage per block fallen with unique enchantments like Density V, Wind Burst, and Breach.
  • Engaging in Ominous Trials by obtaining the Bad Omen effect will lead players to face tough combat events and earn valuable loot.

Minecraft 1.21 is shaking the game up in a big way, especially with everything it's doing for the trial chamber structure. Its latest snapshot has introduced a new feature for that structure, one that changes some of Minecraft's older features and adds a tough challenge for daring players.

The latest Minecraft snapshot focuses on the mace. The weapon received a small nerf in terms of the damage it gains as a player falls, but it's hugely buffed by unique enchantments—including Density, which adds extra damage per block fallen. With the mace now dealing 3 damage per block fallen, a maxed-out Density V mace will deal 8 extra damage (4 hearts) per block fallen, a huge increase in power. This is without mentioning Wind Burst and Breach; the first of which adds an explosion that propels the player up and enemies away, while the latter gives the mace a level of armor piercing.

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Ominous Trials Change Up Minecraft's Mace

How To Start An Ominous Trial

Ominous Trials are a new feature that adds an extra step of difficulty to attaining the mace. To start one of these trials, a player will need the Bad Omen effect that normally starts one of Minecraft's raids. However, snapshot 24w13a changes the effect; instead of gaining it upon killing a pillager captain, the captain will drop one of five types of ominous bottles. Drinking one will give the player the Bad Omen effect, which will become a Raid Omen when within a village and a Trial Omen when near a trial spawner.

After coming within 14 blocks of a trial spawner with Bad Omen and gaining Trial Omen, spawners will despawn any mobs currently on the field. It will also skip its cooldown unless it's cooling down from an Ominous Trial. The spawners will glow with blue skulls and begin the Ominous Trial, a new combat event that's far tougher than the regular challenges produced by Minecraft's trial spawners.

Fighting Through An Ominous Trial

The Ominous Trial has already been equated to a Minecraft boss, and it's easy to see why. Any mobs spawned that can wear armor will be donning anything from chain to even diamond. Whatever the case, they'll only be wearing a helmet and chestplate (with both pieces having a 50% chance of being missing). Mobs won't spawn in greater numbers, but they will be alongside a smorgasbord of harmful effects. Each ominous spawner can spawn projectiles from a set of 2. The first projectile can be one of a few lingering potion effects, while the latter projectile will be a tipped arrow, wind charge, fire charge, or a bottle o' enchanting.

The Ominous Trial brings with it new lingering potion effects. The creatures doused by these lingering potions will have different effects in their death throes. Oozing will cause a slain enemy to spawn slimes, Weaving will spawn cobwebs, Infested will spawn silverfish, and Wind Charged will produce a wind charge explosion. In addition to the loot typical of Minecraft's trial chambers, the ominous spawner will drop different and better loot upon the trial's completion. Not only does it have a 30% chance of producing an ominous trial key, but they're more likely to drop potions and golden carrots.

Ominous Vaults And The Mace

An ominous trial key can open a new variant of Minecraft's trial vaults, known as the ominous vault. This vault drops incredible loot, with a 25% chance of producing enchanted golden apples. Among its many resources, the most valuable is the heavy core. An ominous vault has an 8.3% chance of spitting out a heavy core, which can be crafted into a mace with the addition of a breeze rod.