Java Edition Combat Tests

Changes to combat mechanics are currently in development. Four snapshots have been released on Reddit and are not found in the launcher. While these snapshots are development versions for a future version, they are just forks of 1.14.x and 1.15 releases and do not contain newer content. These changes will not be a major focus of any future major update but will instead just be added when the new combat system is finalized.

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 Chopping enchantment for axes.
 * Adds and 0.5 seconds of shield stunning per level.
 * Maximum level is 3.
 * Mutually exclusive with Sharpness.
 * All damage enchantments can be applied to axes in the enchanting table.


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

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 decreasing from 1.0 to 0.25, increasing accuracy.


 * Thrown snowballs
 * Now have 4-tick cooldown.
 * 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.
 * 3.5 blocks for all swords.
 * 4 blocks for tridents and hoes.
 * 3 for all other items.
 * The attack timer can be charged to 200%.
 * The attack timer reaches 200% after the recharging animation of the sword is fully complete.
 * A 200% charge is required for critical hits and the sweep attack.
 * A 200% charge deals higher knockback while sprinting and increase by 0.5 blocks the reach.
 * Attacking with a 200% charge now adds +1.0 to the attack reach, up from +0.5.
 * 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 only happen when it is at 120% charge, slower than if attacks were timed.
 * It is now possible to hit through non-full-sized blocks such as grass.
 * The attack timer is now unaffected by switching items, only reseting when the player actually performs an attack.
 * Default attack reach has been decreased from 3 blocks to 2.5 blocks.


 * HUD
 * Changed how the attack indicator works.
 * When on crosshair mode:
 * The meter only appears after the attack is 100% recharged, showing the progress of reaching 200% charge instead.
 * The "+" now only appears below the attack indicator when at 200% charge.
 * When on hotbar mode:
 * Only appears after the attack is 100% recharged, showing the progress of reaching 200% charge instead.


 * Knockback
 * Knockback resistance is now on a scale instead of being random.


 * Sweep attack
 * Performing a sweep attack now requires the Sweeping Edge enchantment.
 * Now requires the attack timer to be at 200%.
 * Is now performed regardless of whether an entity is hit.

Items

 * Axes
 * Increased attack speed for all axes to 2 (0.5s).
 * All axes deal more damage than their sword counterparts.
 * Always disable shields for 1.6 seconds, instead of having a 25% to disable them for 5 seconds.
 * Now take a damage point when attacking instead of 2.


 * Hoes
 * Changed the attack speed for most hoes:
 * Wooden: 2 (0.5s); stone: 2.5 (0.4s); iron: 3 (0.33s); diamond and gold: 3.5 (0.28s).
 * Changed the damage dealt for all hoes.
 * Wooden, stone, and gold: ; iron and diamond:.
 * Increased attack reach to 4 blocks.


 * Pickaxes
 * Increased attack speed for all pickaxes to 2.5 (0.4s).
 * Increased damage for all pickaxes by.


 * Shield
 * Removed warm-up delay from shields (0.25-second activation cool down).
 * 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 (0.5s).
 * Decreased damage for all shovels by.


 * Swords
 * Increased attack speed for all swords to 3 (0.33s).
 * Increased damage for all swords by.
 * Increased attack reach to 3.5 blocks.


 * Trident
 * Increased attack speed to 2 (0.5s).
 * Decreased melee damage from to.
 * Increased attack reach to 4 blocks.
 * 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