Elytra Archives

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

How to Install Minecraft Shaders: A Step-by-Step Guide

A legal copy of Minecraft Java Edition is required to install shaders, as they are not supported in the Bedrock edition. A compatible mod, such as Optifine or Iris, must be installed to run shaders. The installation process involves three steps: installing a mod, downloading a shader pack, and running it in the game. To install a mod, download the appropriate version from the official site, execute the .jar file, and follow the installation prompts. To download a shader pack, visit trusted sources like Curseforge or Modrinth, select the desired pack, and save the zip file. To run the shader pack, launch Minecraft with the installed mod, navigate to Video Settings, open the Shaders Folder, and drag the zip file into it. Shaders can lower FPS in Minecraft, but many options exist that balance performance and visual quality.

AppWizard

December 25, 2025

‘Minecraft’ Enchanting and Gear Progression: Best Enchant Order for Tools, Weapons, and Armor

The enchanting system in "Minecraft" involves three main components: the enchanting table, anvil, and grindstone. The enchanting table uses lapis lazuli and experience levels to apply enchantments, while the anvil combines enchanted items and books, and the grindstone removes enchantments for XP. Enchantments range from I to IV or V and are specific to gear types. Players typically start with the enchanting table for initial enchants and refine gear using enchanted books obtained through various means. For armor, players should prioritize Protection IV, Unbreaking III, and Mending, followed by utility enchantments. Helmets often include Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Respiration III, and Aqua Affinity, while boots focus on utility with similar core enchantments. Weapons should be tailored to roles, with swords often featuring Sharpness V, Looting III, and Unbreaking III. Bows typically include Power V and either Infinity or Mending, while tridents have Loyalty or Riptide, Impaling V, and Unbreaking III. Tools, especially pickaxes, are prioritized for resource gathering, with common setups including a Fortune III pickaxe and a Silk Touch pickaxe, both requiring Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, and Mending. General rules to avoid high anvil costs include combining books before applying them to items and managing work histories effectively. Players often upgrade gear gradually rather than aiming for perfect gear early on, and many maintain separate work and display sets of gear. Repairing with raw materials does not incur a work penalty but cannot restore enchantments, while some sub-optimal enchantments can be strategically beneficial in certain situations.

AppWizard

December 10, 2025

Minecraft spear crafting recipe, uses, and more

Minecraft version 1.21.11, titled Mounts of Mayhem, introduces a new weapon: the spear. The spear features a standard jab and a charged attack, inflicting half the damage of an axe but allowing players to engage enemies from a mount. To craft a spear, players need two sticks and a mineral (diamond or iron) arranged in the crafting grid. The spear is compatible with mounts like horses, camels, and the new Nautilus, enabling mounted attacks. Various mobs can spawn wielding a spear, including Zombies, Husks, Zombie horsemen, Camel husk jockeys (with iron spears), Piglins, and Zombified piglins (with golden spears). Players can also use the spear while flying with Elytra wings.

AppWizard

December 9, 2025

Charge! Minecraft’s ‘Mounts of Mayhem’ Drop Arrives with Zombie Horses

The Mounts of Mayhem expansion for Minecraft has launched for both Java and Bedrock Editions, introducing new combat and exploration elements. In the desert biome, players encounter the Camel Husk, a passive mob that serves as transport for hostile riders, including a Husk and a new skeleton variant called the Parched, which thrives in sunlight. Players must defeat both riders to tame the Camel Husk. The Spear weapon has been added, enhancing combat dynamics with damage output increasing with player speed. The Lunge enchantment allows for increased speed during jab attacks. Underwater exploration is enhanced with the Nautilus, a neutral mob that can be tamed with a Pufferfish, providing speed boosts and air supply preservation. Players must defeat its rider, the Zombie Nautilus, to tame it. Horses can now swim in water, and players can craft Netherite Horse Armour by combining Diamond Horse Armour with a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template and an Ingot. Undead horses will appear at night with spear-wielding zombie riders, requiring players to defeat the riders to tame them.

AppWizard

December 4, 2025

First it was owls, but now I’ve become obsessed with adding baby dragons to my Minecraft world thanks to this mod

The My Pet Dragons mod in Minecraft introduces over 500 distinct dragon variations, including Ice, Fire, Demon, and Lucky Block types, each with unique characteristics and habitats. Players can tame and train these dragons to become allies, use them as mounts, and craft carriages for transportation. The mod features challenging bosses and quests, enhancing gameplay with a custom fire sword, flying armor, and various boosts. Additionally, players can customize their dragons with hats for 660 Minecoins, allowing for creative expression.

AppWizard

December 1, 2025

Crossbow vs Bow Minecraft: Complete Comparison Guide

In Minecraft, the bow and crossbow are two primary ranged weapons, each with unique characteristics. Bow: - Draw time: 1 second for full power - Damage: 5–10 hearts, varies with arrow type and enchantments - Ammo: Unlimited as long as arrows are in inventory - Enchantments: Power, Punch, Flame, Infinity - Strengths: Rapid fire, critical hits, Infinity enchantment - Weaknesses: Lower base damage, requires skill for maximum draw - Durability: 384 uses - Repair methods: Anvil + string, crafting a new bow, Unbreaking & Mending Crossbow: - Loading time: 1–1.25 seconds - Base damage: Higher than the bow - Ammo: Arrows and fireworks - Enchantments: Piercing, Quick Charge, Multishot, Unbreaking - Strengths: High damage per shot, special projectiles, reliable hit - Weaknesses: Slower firing, no critical hits, lower durability - Durability: 326 uses - Repair methods: Anvil + string, Unbreaking & Mending, crafting a new crossbow Comparison: - Bow has moderate damage and faster firing speed, while crossbow has high damage but is slower due to reload. - Bow can achieve critical hits; crossbow cannot. - Bow is better for rapid attacks and mobility, while crossbow excels in high-damage bursts and strategic use against armored enemies. Players often choose based on their playstyle: the bow for agility and rapid fire, and the crossbow for powerful, deliberate shots. Many players find value in using both weapons to adapt to different combat situations.

AppWizard

October 26, 2025

How to Make and Use Spear in Minecraft

The spear is a new weapon in Minecraft introduced in the Mounts of Mayhem update, positioned between the sword and the trident. It allows for both Jab and Charge attacks, providing versatility in combat. To craft a spear, players need 2 sticks and one of the following: wooden planks, stone blocks, or various ingots (copper, iron, gold, diamond, or netherite). The crafting process involves placing one stick in the bottom-left corner, another in the center, and the chosen material in the top-right corner of a crafting table. The Jab attack is a standard close-range strike with a cooldown period, while the Charge attack builds momentum for increased damage and can knock back or dismount opponents when mounted on an animal. Higher-tier spears deal more damage but have longer cooldowns. Players can also perform Charge attacks while using an Elytra or traveling in Minecarts or boats on icy surfaces. Various enchantments, including Lunge, can enhance the spear's capabilities.

AppWizard

October 25, 2025

What Does Lunge Enchantment Do In Minecraft?

The Mounts of Mayhem update for Minecraft will introduce a new spear weapon featuring the Lunge enchantment. Players can obtain the Lunge enchantment through an enchanting table or enchanted books. To use the enchanting table, players need to place the spear and Lapis Lazuli in the respective cells and select the Lunge enchantment if available. Enchanted books can be acquired through fishing or trading with Librarian villagers, with better chances when using a fishing rod enchanted with Luck of the Sea. The Lunge enchantment allows each Jab attack to propel players forward horizontally but reduces hunger and saturation. The distance propelled is (0.458 x Lunge level) blocks per tick, with hunger loss increasing from 1.5 points at Level 1 to 2.5 points at Level 3. The spear's dash attack does not activate while riding a mount, flying with an Elytra, or underwater.

AppWizard

October 16, 2025

Minecraft’s new spear has already been buffed, so now you can actually use its best move

Minecraft has released the Mounts of Mayhem update for the Bedrock edition, introducing the spear as a new weapon that allows players to knock adversaries off their mounts. The spear's lunge ability, which previously had a high durability cost, has been adjusted. Players can now use the lunge enchantment to enhance basic jab attacks into a powerful thrust, but it significantly depletes the spear's durability. At level one, the lunge costs eight durability points, escalating to 32 at level two and 128 at level three. A copper spear has 190 total durability, while an iron spear has 250. The recent update allows players to combine the lunge enchantment with mending, enabling repairs through experience orbs. Players can also leash zombie horses after removing their riders, and the nautilus mount can be used on land, though it risks suffocation. Minecraft snapshot 25w42a is now available, along with the first Mounts of Mayhem test release.

AppWizard

October 3, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Minecraft’s next epic, ‘The Ender Trials’, pits players against the ultimate quest

Dark Horse Comics will release the second volume of the graphic novel series Minecraft: Open World, titled The Ender Trials, in March 2026. The story follows best friends Sarah and Hector, along with new companions Ziah and Olivia, as they participate in a high-stakes competition introduced by a Quest Master. The goal is to collect four legendary relics to win an enchanted elytra that allows flight. The graphic novel emphasizes friendship and teamwork in overcoming challenges. The Ender Trials spans 88 pages and will be available for purchase on March 17 and 18, 2026, priced at .99, with pre-orders open through major retailers.