Tutorials/Dual wielding

This tutorial will help you become familiar with dual wielding, a mechanic added in the Combat Update.

Main hand & off-hand
Before we begin the tutorial, it is important to recognize these two terms: "main hand" and "off-hand". In default (and before 1.9), your main hand is your right hand. Respectively, your off-hand is your left hand in default. Keep in mind that there is an option located in Skin Customization labled "Main Hand" to swap your main hand and off-hand. This option may be helpful (or handy) for players with left-handedness.

What is it?
Dual wielding is when you hold two things, one in each hand, for the purpose of more convenience and efficiency. Dual wielding in gaming is common, but many are restricted to weaponry or applied strictly for a single use. In Minecraft, dual wielding also has its limits, but its use can be employed not only in combat but also in other everyday gameplay, such as mining, building, and even something as simple but exhausting as eating. Mastering this skill and applying it into practical use can give you a large boost in productivity, achieve feats that were not possible with single handling, and a much greater advantage above other players in PvP combat.

How to equip something to your off-hand
In the inventory, there is a slot on the bottom-right side of the player avatar that looks like an outline of a shield. This is called the off-hand slot. When you put something in it, you should see it being held on your off-hand (your left hand on default). Your other hand should also appear on the screen in first person view (you should see two hands on the screen). You should also see an extra slot with the off-hand item appear beside your hotbar; this should be on the opposite side of your main hand.

For easy equipping to the off-hand slot, press by default. This is configurable in the Controls settings. Using this, you can quickly equip something into your off-hand slot in your inventory and switch between the items on your hotbar and off-hand. Practice using this key until you are able to fluently swap between items in your hotbar and your off-hand.

How the off-hand is used
The off-hand can (right-click) the item it holds when there are no items in the main hand, or the item held in the main hand is not usable (not right-clickable), e.g. swords and pickaxes.

Limitations
The main hand always takes priority when trying to an item. For example, if you had stone on your main hand and dirt on your off-hand, you will always place the stone. The item on the off-hand will only be used if the item on the main hand lacks a, or if it's holding nothing.

The main hand is also the only hand that can (left-click), even if there are no items in the main hand. This means that the off-hand cannot left-click ( or ) with an item. This makes most weapons and tools unusable in the off-hand, with the exception of ones that have a right-click function.

Weapons that can be on the off-hand:


 * s
 * s and s
 * (with a flint and steel)
 * (with a flint and steel)

Tools that can be on the off-hand:


 * (right-click on dirt to turn it into farmland)
 * (right-click on a sheep)
 * (right-click on a grass block to turn it into a path)
 * (right-click on a sheep)
 * (right-click on a grass block to turn it into a path)

Players also cannot use both hands at the same time. For example, equipping two swords on your main hand and off-hand and then swinging will only swing the sword on the main hand (right on default).

Summary

 * Players can now use both hands at the same time to do different actions with the left and right mouse buttons.
 * For example, if a player has a pickaxe on their main hand and a torch on their off-hand, right-clicking will place the torch.
 * This happens because because a pickaxe lacks a right-click use, and therefore the game tries to then treat the other item as if it's being right-clicked.
 * The player cannot click both buttons at the same time.
 * This is achieved through an extra inventory slot called the "off-hand" slot.
 * Pressing (by default) will switch whatever item is selected in the hotbar with the item on the off-hand (including no item).
 * The off-hand slot is displayed next to the hotbar when it's not empty (left for right-handed players and vice versa).
 * It's available on the main inventory screen.
 * It is distinguished by an outline of a shield like symbol.
 * Only the main hand can be used for attacking.
 * An exception is items which do damage upon them, such as bows or splash potions.
 * Bows determine their arrow type based on the off-hand.
 * Arrows on the off-hand take priority over arrows in any other slot.
 * If the bow is on the off-hand, the selected hotbar slot takes priority.
 * If there are multiple arrow types and none held on the off-hand or main hand, the arrow on the first hotbar slot will shoot first (how it used to be ordered before 1.9).
 * The off-hand model is invisible in first person view while it's empty.
 * Some attributes and enchantments will apply to the offhand item, while others will not.

Things to note

 * You can only use one sword at a time in your inventory.
 * Arrows in the offhand always take priority over arrows in the inventory.
 * Otherwise, the closest stack of arrows to the first slot is used.

Uses
Here are several simple uses that dual wielding can provide.

Eating on the move

 * Tool/Weapon on main hand
 * Food on off-hand

Tired of constantly having to switch to your food to fill up the hungerbar? Having the food on the off-hand can cut a large amount of time on this tiring and annoying routine. Simply right-click when your hungry while your main hand is either holding a tool/weapon or empty. Food is not wasted as you can't consume food when the hungerbar is full. Having your food on the off-hand also frees a space on your hotbar, so you can put an extra item to use.

Equipping a golden apple on your off-hand allows you to quickly eat your apple before going immediately into combat with your opponent, but do note that you can consume a golden apple while your hunger is still full, so this method may be reserved until you are certain that you will go into combat soon.

Pillaring up

 * Ladder on main hand
 * Block on off-hand

Ladders can only be placed next to a block, so your off-hand will place a block on the ground first before you place the ladder on it. Holding the forward key and the right-click button will repeatedly place blocks and ladders while simultaneously climbing up.

Starting a farm

 * Hoe on main hand
 * Seeds on off-hand

Players can right-click and hold to hoe dirt into farmland then instantly plant a seed on that block. Since seeds cannot be planted on anywhere else except farmland, players don't have to worry about accidentally misplanting elsewhere.

Planting crops

 * Seeds on main hand
 * Bonemeal on off-hand

If players already have a patch of farmland, then players can similarly plant then instantly grow their plants if they hold seeds on their main hand with bonemeal on the off-hand or vice-versa.

Insta-fast destruction

 * TNT on main hand
 * Flint and steel on off-hand

Create swift devastation around you with TNT and flint and steel in both hands. Run around your objective while right-clicking, and once you can't place anymore or run out of TNT, you'll proceed to ignite them.

Standard knight

 * Sword/Axe on main hand
 * Shield on off-hand

Players can equip a shield on their offhand for protection while having a weapon equipped on their main to attack. Shields are specifically used to be held on the off-hand. Left-click to hit and block attacks by right-clicking.

You can find more in-depth information regarding shields on its own page.

Melee-ranged advantage

 * Sword/Axe on main hand
 * Bow on off-hand

You can fire a bow on your off-hand and hit mobs and players with your melee weapon at close range, giving you dominance throughout the entire battlefield.

Arrow swapping
or
 * Bow on main hand
 * Arrows on off-hand
 * Bow on off-hand
 * Arrows on the hotbar

As stated earlier, having an arrow on your off-hand is used first when you fire your bow, so you can switch between different arrows by selecting them in the hotbar and pressing to swap. The alternative method works as well, since any arrow on your main hand (selected on the hotbar) is prioritized like your off-hand. This method is actually more effective as you can simply scroll between the arrows in your hotbar to select your desired ammunition.

Exploring in the dark

 * Pickaxe on main hand
 * Torch on off-hand

Having a torch on the off-hand saves a considerable amount of time by eliminating the need to switch back and forth from your pickaxe and torch when lighting up dark caves. It also saves a slot on your main hotbar for another item.

Mining near lava

 * Pickaxe on main hand
 * Water bucket on off-hand

Players can quickly dump and refill water above pools of lava when mining in the lower levels of caverns without having to constantly switch from their tools in the hotbar.

Nether mining

 * Pickaxe on main hand
 * Block on off-hand

Mining in the Nether is already dangerous enough until the player encounters one-block lava pockets. Lava in the Nether flows much quicker than in the Overworld, so players need to act fast when blocking it before it comes to contact. Having a block already equipped on your off-hand can potentially save precious seconds from a possible fiery death.

Final reminder
Dual wielding is a useful addition to Minecraft with multiple benefits. However, there is one more thing players should note: dual wield is not required. It is completely optional whether or not players want to use them or not; players can completely ignore the off-hand slot and continue to play exactly as it was before 1.9. Players who do utilize dual wielding may experience more efficiency and comfort, but others may only experience more distraction or confusion. Some may use dual wielding, but only to its minimal extent. Ultimately it is up to each player and their own style of playing to apply this mechanic into their gameplay. Those who are interested in learning dual wielding hopefully learned to start employing its basics by reading this tutorial.