Java Edition Combat Tests

Combat Tests refers to multiple "snapshots" released with changes related to combat, which is currently in development. Six snapshots have been already released on Reddit, but they are not found in the launcher. While these snapshots are development versions for a future version, they are forks of 1.14.x, 1.15.x and 1.16.x releases and do not contain any features past the version it was forked from. These changes will be added to the main game when the new combat system is finalized.

Currently, they are only in Phase 1. When Phase 2 begins, there will be fewer system changes and more focus on number balancing.

Gameplay

 * Combat
 * New attribute: generic.attackReach.
 * Represents the attack reach of a player.
 * Only used by players.
 * Default base: 3.0 ; minimum: 0.0 ; maximum: 6.0.
 * Value is the number of blocks away the player can attack from.
 * Weapon modifier now modifies generic.attackReach with Operation 0 and UUID 26cb07a3-209d-4110-8e10-1010243614c8.
 * Added a "Combat Reach" parameter (using attribute generic.combatReach ) to swords, hoes and tridents.


 * Enchantments
 * Added the Cleaving enchantment for axes.
 * Adds damage and 0.5 seconds of shield stunning per level.
 * Maximum level in survival is 3, though the effects continue scale as expected if higher levels are applied with commands.
 * Mutually exclusive with Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods or Smite.


 * Shields
 * Added a "Shield Indicator" option that displays when the shield is active, similar to the (now removed) attack indicator.
 * Found in video settings, the available options are "OFF", "Crosshair" or "Hotbar".
 * Added an option to enable or disable the use-shield-on-crouch.
 * Located in the Accessibility menu.
 * Only works when in the off-hand.

Items

 * Axes
 * Increased attack speed for all axes to 2 (0.5 seconds).
 * All axes are weaker and deal more damage than their sword counterparts.
 * Always disable shields for 1.6 seconds, instead of having a 25% chance to disable them for 5 seconds.
 * Now take 1 damage point when attacking instead of 2.
 * Decreased reach, down to 2.5 blocks, was 3.


 * Eggs
 * Now have a 4-tick cooldown.


 * Hoes
 * Changed the attack speed for most hoes:
 * Wooden: 2 (0.5s); stone: 2.5 (0.4 seconds); iron: 3 (0.33 seconds); diamond and gold: 3.5 (0.28 seconds).
 * Changed the damage dealt for hoes of iron and diamond:.
 * Buffed attack reach to 3.5 blocks, was 3.


 * Pickaxes
 * Increased attack speed for all pickaxes to 2.5 (0.4 seconds).
 * Nerfed damage for all pickaxes by.
 * Nerfed reach, down to 2.5 blocks, was 3.


 * Shield
 * Removed warm-up delay from shields (0.25-second activation cooldown).
 * When in the off-hand, shields will activate when sneaking.
 * Attacking while crouching will disable the shield during the attack.
 * Shield is re-enabled after the weapon has reached 200% charge.
 * Shields no longer knockback attackers when they block.
 * The arc of available protection has been decreased to 100 degrees instead of 180 degrees (i.e., attacks from outside this arc of 100&deg; will not be blocked).


 * Shovels
 * Increased attack speed for all shovels to 2 (0.5 seconds).
 * Decreased damage for all shovels by.
 * Nerfed reach, down to 2.5 blocks, was 3.


 * Swords
 * Increased attack speed for all swords to 3 (0.33 seconds).
 * Nerfed damage for stone, iron, and diamond swords by.
 * Reach is unchanged.


 * Trident
 * Increased attack speed to 2 (0.5 seconds).
 * Decreased melee damage from to.
 * Buffed attack reach to 3.5 blocks, was 3.
 * Can now be shot from dispensers.
 * Tridents with Loyalty that fall into the void will return to its owner.
 * Tridents with Impaling now deal enchantment damage to all mobs that are in water or rain.


 * Snowballs
 * Now stack to 64.
 * Now have a 4-tick cooldown.

Non-mob entities

 * Projectiles
 * No longer trigger a player or mob invulnerability timer, which means that Multishot can hit and deal damage to the same mob with all three arrows.


 * Arrows
 * Arrow uncertainty value has been decreased from 1.0 to 0.25, increasing accuracy.


 * Players
 * Are now knocked back by less < 1 damage hits, including 0 damage hits such as snowballs.


 * Thrown eggs and snowballs
 * Not rendered for the first 2 ticks to prevent screen flickering.

Gameplay

 * Combat
 * Different weapons and items have different attack ranges, all separate from the block breaking reach. Weapon reach is always active.
 * Swords have a weapon reach of 3, tridents and hoes have a weapon reach of 3.5, and all other items have a reach of 2.5, all reduced from 3.
 * The attack timer can now be charged to 200%.
 * The attack timer reaches 200% after the recharging animation of the sword is fully complete.
 * A 190% charge is required for the sweep attack.
 * A 190% charge increases the player's reach by 1.25 blocks.
 * Weapons with shorter cooldowns give victims a shorter attack invulnerability time (invincibility frames).
 * The key can be held down to automatically attack when the attack meter is full.
 * Attacks occur at a 120% charge, slower than if attacks were timed.
 * It is now possible to hit through non-full-sized blocks such as grasses and flowers.
 * The attack timer is now unaffected by switching items, only resetting when the player performs an attack.
 * Changed the swing animation to emphasize the rhythm of the attacks.


 * HUD
 * The attack indicator has been removed.


 * Hunger
 * High saturation no longer gives a fast regeneration boost.
 * The player now naturally regenerates health starting at a hunger level of instead of 18.
 * The player now naturally heals every 60 ticks instead of every 80 ticks.
 * Natural healing drains food points half as fast.
 * Saturation is not used when healing damage, and is only relevant as a "pause" until food drains.


 * Knockback
 * Knockback resistance is now on a scale instead of being random.
 * Reintroduced upwards knockback when hitting players or mobs in the air.


 * Sweep attack
 * Performing a sweep attack now requires the Sweeping Edge enchantment.
 * Sweeping Edge can now be applied to any tool.
 * Now requires the attack timer to be at 190%.
 * Is now performed regardless of whether an entity is hit.

General

 * Attacking
 * Attacking with the player's bare fist now deals instead of, to match the behavior $$.