5 best features in Minecraft snapshot 24w13a

Being able to make a god mace is the best part of this snapshot (Image via Mojang)
Being able to make a god mace is the best part of this snapshot (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft's 24w13a is another significant snapshot for 1.21 content. It brings with it an overhaul of the bad omen mechanic, a secondary optional way to play through trial chambers and get better loot, as well as new potions, among other updates and additions.

Detailed below are the five best, most impressive, or downright amazing additions that snapshot 24w13a is bringing to the game.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.


Minecraft snapshot 24w13a's 5 best additions

1) New mace enchantments

Minecraft's new mace enchantments are by far the snapshot's coolest feature (Image via Mojang)
Minecraft's new mace enchantments are by far the snapshot's coolest feature (Image via Mojang)

Snapshot 24w13a is coming with three powerful, unique new enchanments exclusive to Minecraft's new mace weapon.

The first, and most common, is Density, which increases the damage dealt per block fallen. The second and slightly less common enchantment is Breach, which decreases a target's armor effectiveness. The last is Wind Burst, which can pogo players back upwards.

Density and Breach are both obtainable via a level 30 enchanting setup or trading with a villager that has the librarian profession for an enchanted book. However, Wind Burst can only be obtained via ominous vaults, as mentioned previously.


2) Ominous events

The trial omen effect starts trial events (Image via Mojang)
The trial omen effect starts trial events (Image via Mojang)

Ominous events are an optional way to tackle trial chambers, triggered by entering the upcoming structure while under the effect of the bad omen status effect.

This turns the bad omen effect into the trial omen status effect. While the player has this effect, trial spawners become deadlier but give better loot. This includes a chance at a better key, which can open ominous vaults. These vault block variants also contain better loot than regular ones.


3) General mace updates

The mace's base damage might be lower, but the weapon is still amazing (Image via Mojang)
The mace's base damage might be lower, but the weapon is still amazing (Image via Mojang)

The first thing that needs to be mentioned when it comes to the mace's updates is a downside. The weapon's base fall damage was decreased from 2.5 hearts per fallen block to 1.5 hearts. However, the three mace enchantments mentioned earlier more than make up for this.

The other updates include a new particle effect when doing a smash attack, increased range and power of the utility AOE knockback effect, and a second, even stronger blast for players that attack after falling more than five blocks.

Additionally, there are a plethora of powerful non-experimental Minecraft enchantments that can now be placed on the mace. These include:

  • Mending
  • Unbreaking
  • Smite
  • Bane of Arthropods
  • Fire Aspect
  • Curse of Vanishing

4) New potions

These new potions mean players have more reason to start brewing (Image via Mojang)
These new potions mean players have more reason to start brewing (Image via Mojang)

Snapshot 24w13a is also coming with four new Minecraft potions, which is exciting, as alchemy is an often underdeveloped feature.

The first of these new potions is Wind Charged, which will cause affected entities to create a burst of wind when killed. It is crafted with an awkward potion and a breeze rod.

The second of these potions is Weaving. This potion will cause affected entities to spread cobwebs on death, and non-player entities will also gain the ability to freely walk through cobwebs. It is brewed with an awkward potion and a cobweb.

Next is the Oozing potion. This is brewed with a slime block and an awkward potion. When an affected entitie dies, two slimes will spawn in their place. It's strange to see slime pop out of a zombie, but the last potion is even stranger.

That is the Infested potion. This potion causes affected entities to have a 5% chance to spawn one or two silverfish when hurt. It is crafted within a brewing stand with an awkward potion and a stone block.


5) Bottle O' Bad Omens

Bad omen also has a fancy new status icon (Image via Mojang)
Bad omen also has a fancy new status icon (Image via Mojang)

This change isn't as major as some of the others listed, but it's a major quality-of-life and convenience change that's deserving of a mention. The bad omen effect is no longer immediately applied to players that kill an illager raid captain. Instead, these captains drop a new item called the ominous bottle. This is a consumable that applies a level of the bad omen effect.

This lets players control when the effect is applied, removing the risk of accidental raids destroying entire Minecraft villager trading halls.

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