Dungeons:Nintendo Switch News

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This page is devoted for archiving the various Nintendo Switch News articles about various subjects within Minecraft Dungeons.

Featured Mission

The following articles are about the various types of missions:

Abyssal Monument

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	June 28, 2024	"Once you've got your feet wet by paddling around the shallows of Coral Rise, it's time to progress to the real heart of the Hidden Depths DLC for Minecraft Dungeons. Abyssal Monument is home to a sunken temple as old as time itself, hiding forgotten secrets that remain untouched by the Orb's corruption. But beware, because the only reason those treasures have lain undisturbed for so long is that they're guarded over by an ancient and powerful creature. Like Coral Rise, Abyssal Monument requires players to explore while carefully managing their oxygen levels through the use of bubble columns, conduits, and Potions of Water Breathing. Adding to the challenge, however, are strong water currents that can drag you into dangerous spots, and pufferfish which carry a potent, poisonous sting. You'll need to be ready for anything. It doesn't help that the overgrown temple that lies at the heart of the level isn't easy to navigate. Many of its pathways have collapsed, or been blocked by coral over the eons. If you get lost, then don't be afraid to pull out the minimap to get yourself back on track, or navigate to the nearest waypoint. Knowing where you are is important, because you'll find that the temple is populated by a multitude of hostile creatures. As well as the drowned and tropical slimes that you encountered in Coral Rise, you'll also come across a collection of new threats to vanquish. First are the reanimated bones of fallen adventurers, encrusted with coral and armed with crossbows. They fire harpoons instead of arrows, which hit harder but travel slower, making them possible to dodge. Second are the Wavewhisperers, which look rather like the Jungle Awakens DLC's Whisperers, but entangle their enemies with anemones, rather than vines. If you can survive the twisted pathways, strong currents, and threatening inhabitants of the Abyssal Monument, then you'll find plenty of loot to take home. The Anchor is a slow-swinging but heavy-hitting melee weapon, the Eye of the Guardian Fires a laser in whatever direction you're facing, and the Satchel of Snacks will drop food when used - making it a handy bit of gear for hungry adventurers. That's important, because you won't want to face the level's final foe on an empty stomach. The temple has long been home to an Elder Guardian, but at some point the creature discoved a shard of the Orb of Dominance. The corruption transformed the creature into an Ancient Guardian, giving it tremendous power but great anger - and that rage is now boiling over into the surrounding seas. It's up to you to face the Ancient Guardian, quell its corruption, and claim its treasures for your own. Good luck."

Arch Haven

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	March 8, 2024	"Everyone knows where the Arch-Illager keeps his armies. The answer, of course, is "up his sleevies". But what's less well-known is where this dastardly do-badder keeps the Orb of Dominance, and to answer that question you'll need to sail to a small island output called Arch Haven. This town, located on an island off the coast of Pumpkin Pastures, was once a thriving trade hub, but the bucket-and-space merchants moved out pretty quickly when the illagers moved in. Since then, treacherous sea currents and rocky outcrops have made the island difficult to access without the aid of a map. Getting a hold of one of those maps is not easy. The only way is to patrol the coast of the Pumpkin Pastures and look out for shipwrecks. If you find one and head below deck, you might find that the navigator has left behind a scroll that points the way. Once you've located the place, it's time to set sail. Landing on Arch Haven at night, you'll notice that the place is heavily guarded. Vindicators, enchanters, and geomancers patrol the docks, while zombies, skeletons, spiders, and creepers lurk in the island's interior. Your mission is to find and steal all of the spellbooks and thin out his forces as much as you can, then return to your ship and sail away to safety before dawn breaks. While you're there, though, it would be a shame not to help yourself to some of his ill-gotten loot at the same time. Ranged fighters will find longbows and soul crossbows to take home, while melee enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on sickles and soul scythes (both no doubt pilfered from the poor farmers of Pumpkin Pastures). Mercenary armor is a common sight here, as well as guard's armor and even champion's armor at higher difficulty settings. Finally, artifact fans will want to keep an eye out for light feathers, love medallions, wind horns and llama-summoning wonderful wheat. Don't expect a walk in the park - the island is heavily fortified, and there are rumors of a cave filled with even more fearsome foes. But depriving the Arch-Illager of his spellbooks will undoubtedly set his evil plans back considerably, so the danger is worth it. The only question is: are you up to the challenge?"

Broken Citadel

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	September 27, 2024	"The Echoing Void DLC in Minecraft Dungeons takes you into a totally new dimension: the End. This strange and alien place is the home of the Endermen, and within it lurks an immense power. After first locating a stronghold, and then filling the portal with Eyes of Ender, you'll be transported to the End Wilds - which you must traverse before finally ending up at the Broken Citadel. This is the last bastion of the enemy's power - the final mission in the story of the Arch-Illager and the Ord of Dominance, so don't expect it to be easy. As you explore the Citadel, you'll be confronted by foes of every form. First, there are the Endermen, including their cousins, the blastlings, watchlings, snarelings and endersents. You'll also need to tangle with the illagers. These halls are home to pillagers, vindicators, enchanters, geomancers, iceologers, mountaineers, and even the fearsome royal guards. On higher difficulties, their ranks will be led by evokers and illusioners too. Slice and dice your way through them all, because the real enemy is waiting in the center of the citadel. As you approach the area, you'll see a pool of inky darkness - the home of the Vengeful Heart of Ender. This inscrutable being, filled with rage at its humiliation at the Obsidian Pinnacle, wants nothing less than your total and utter annihilation. If you can win this fight, you'll be richly rewarded - melee weapons on offer include the spear, cutlass and void-touched blades, while archers can secure the void bow, heavy crossbow, and exploding crossbow. Grim armor, reinforced mail, and teleportation robes can be found, and artifact fans can get hold of the wind horn, void quiver, boots of swiftness, tasty bone, toem of shielding, and the rare vexing chant. But do destroy the final remains of the Orb of Dominance, securing a lasting peace, you must prevail against the Vengeful Heart of Ender. Gather your strongest weapons, armor and artifacts, assemble a team of trustworthy allies, fight, and win - the future of the Overwold depends upon you."

Coral Rise

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	May 10, 2024	"The first mission that you'll encounter as you dip your toes into the Hidden Depths DLC is Coral Rise. Home to colorful corals and schools of playful tropical fish, this part of the ocean is full of life and breathtaking sights. As you explore its shallow waters, watch for the ripples on the surface casting beautiful shadows onto the sandy seafloor. There are myraid ruins and shipwrecks to explore here, packed with treasure. But you'll also have the opportunity to delve a little deeper, into the canyons between coral outcrops, where less light makes its way down from the surface. Instead, your way will by lit by bioluminescent coral and kelp. It would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security by the ocean's serene beauty, but be careful - the Orb's corruption brews beneath the surface. Hordes of drowned and sunken skeletons lurk in the depths, lying in wait for the currents to bring them fresh foes. The drowned will mostly assault you in melee, but a few come equipped with tridents that they'll hurl from a distance. Tropical slimes, filled with fish, are as adorable as they are deadly. But the most dangerous foes you'll face in Coral Rise are likely to be the guardians, which hang around ocean monuments. They move quickly, striking without warning using a laser attack. If you're not careful then you'll end up as a meal. If that wasn't enough, you'll also need to watch your oxygen levels as you bob about - keep an eye open for columns of bubbles scattered around, which you can use to refill your air supply. You won't want your first visit to the Hidden Depths to end in a trip to Davy Jones' locker. But the rewards, for those who can successfully navigate these dangers, are worth it. Adventurers will be albe to lay their soggy hands on several exclusive new bits of gear which are perfect for exploring the undersea enviroment. The Coral Blade is carved out of sharp corals, allowing it to swing with rapid shashes, even underwater. Turtle Armor, inspired by the shells of sea turtles, offers impressive damage reduction and a healing boost to the wearer. Finally, the Harpoon Quiver is an artifact that holds several harpoons, which can pierce through enemies and shoot particularly fast underwater. Give those drowned a taste of their own medicine. Coral Rise is just the start of your journey into the Hidden Depths DLC, so take the opportunity to have a paddle in the shallows and get used to your new surroundings. Gear up, harvest the ocean's bounty, and prepare yourself for the challenges that await you deeper into the blue."

Desert Temple

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	August 9, 2024	"Deep below the wind-blown sands of the Cacti Cayon lie the traces of a vast and ancient kingdom. Its riches were once staggering - but like all empires, the hubris of its rulers eventually led to its downfall. In the dying days of this kingdom, its enchanters attempted to resurrect its past glories through the use of necromancy - magic that summons the long-dead. Now, generations later, a band of illagers has arrived to loot treasure and artifacts from the ruins. Who knows what they might find? There's also something else that protects these dusty crypts: an ancient, long-forgotten necromancer, who wields an enchanted staff that holds the power to summon the undead. It's up to you to destroy it before the Arch-Illager gets his tiny, evil hands on it. As you stride through the halls of the desert temple, many foes will stand in your way. The remains of the kingdom's inhabitants (now husks, zombies, and skeletons) will assail you, alongside the spiders that have taken up residence in the ruins. But it's the necromancers that'll give you the most grief - they're capable of resurrecting yet more dead minions to fight you. You'll need to wade through them and slay the source of power if you want to be victorious. While you're there, why not help yourself to the ancient kingdom's treasures? Well, unless you want the illagers grab it for themselves. You'll find glaives, sickles and soul knifes, as well as bows and shortbows in the armories. From the bodies of the fallen, you can pry grim armor, thief armor, and even the puzzling mystery armor. Finally, artifact hunters will be able to acquire boots of swiftness, shock powder, a torment quiver, a totem of shielding, and even - on apocalypse difficulty only - a gong of weakening. Two last pieces of advice. The first is to tread carefully through the passageways of this ancient structure, as there are many crushing and slicing traps which await the foolish explorer. Second, when you do eventually find the enchanted staff in a treasure chamber deep below the surface, don't expect to simply walk away with it. An ancient and terrible curse protects this powerful relic. Be prepared for anything. Good luck!"

Frosted Fjord

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	September 5, 2023	"The Creeping Winter DLC for Minecraft Dungeons takes place in the island realms of the Overworld, on an island that has been afflicted by an eternal winter. Ice is spreading across the ground, enveloping a lonely fortress and a number of frozen settlements. Meanwhile, snow falls endlessly from the leaden skies. Traders who used to visit reported seeing a shard of the Orb of Dominance fall inside the walls of the fortress, and some suspect it's this aberration which is corrupting the weather of this once-lilely place. Until the shard is destroyed, the devastating frost will continue to spread - smothering all life in snow and shadow. The staring point for adventure is an old coastal settlement on the shore of a fjord. To reach the source of the corruption, you'll need to explore the town and locate a frozen river. You'll follow that river into the hinterlands of this chilly isle, to dark fortress that looms in the distance. The settlement has largely been abandoned by by its resicents, but that doesn't mean you'll pass through with ease. Instead you'll find that the place has been colonized by rather less friendly beings, including frozen zombies, icy creepers, strays and wraiths. As you probe deeper up-river, you'll also come across illagers - including geomancers, pillagers, vindicators, and even specialist iceologers. At the top of the river, a powerful illusioner awaits you. But the rewards for embarking on this artic adventure are impressive. Scale Mail, Shortbows, Snow Bows, and Pickaxes can be found on the lowest difficulty settings. Adventure difficulty can also yield Phantom Armor and Soul Scythes, and Apocalypse difficulty will grant you access to the coveted Battle Robe if you're up for the fight. At all difficulty settings, artifact hunters will able to acquire Fishing Rods, Lightning Rods, and powerful Ice Wands. You'll need fire in your belly if you're going to withstand the creeping chill of this unlucky land, as well as your wits about you. Wrap up warm, stick to the path along the river, and you'll likely make it through. The Lonely Fortress awaits..."

Gale Sanctum

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	July 19, 2024	"The Howling Peaks DLC for Minecraft Dungeons takes heroes to the highest reaches of the Overworld. Along the way, you might stop by the Windwept Peaks, the Colossal Rampart, and the Gauntlet of Gales. But to destroy the shard of the Orb of Dominance that landed atop these mountains, you'll need to chamber up to the highest summit of all. There you'll find the Gale Sanctum - an ancient temple where the winds are woven into the very walls. Deep inside this sacred space, past many corridors filled with whistling whirlwind and deadly drops, you'll find the source of the peril that plagues this place - the Tempest Golem. When heroes first set foot inside the Gale Sanctum, it's not uncommon for their jaws to drop. The intricate decorations of jade and gold, the complex wind-powered machinery, and the astonishing views from the windows (not to mention the gaping holes in the floor) are a sight to behold. Don't spend too much time gawping, though, because it won't be long before the inhabitants of the Sanctum notice your arrival. The temple has been invaded by Illagers, and you'll quickly come up against Pillagers, Vindicators, Mountaineers, Ravagers, and Royal Guards, as well as magic users like Iceologers, Wind Callers, and Enchanters. That's not all. Spiders, creepers, zombies, and skeletons inhabit these halls too, as well as Squall Golems; ancient protectors which sit inert until activated by a hapless adventurer. Finally, there's the Tempest Golem itself, which you'll need to destroy to cleanse this place of its evil. What's in it for you? Well, there's a whole host of loot that heroes can find in the temple. The Claymore and Tempest Knife are ideal for melee fighters, while the Bow, Shortbow and Wind Bow are available to those who prefer ranged attacks. Emerald Gear and Mystery Armor will protect you while you fight, as well as Plate Armor and Phantom Armor on higher difficulty settings. Finally, artifact-lovers will be able to collect the Corrupted Beacon, the Harvester, and the enigmatic Satchel of Elements. Whatever weapons and armor you choose as you assault the Gale Sanctum, we'd advise you to choose your strongest and make them count. Because you're certainly not going to breeze through this one."

Gauntlet of Gales

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	February 9, 2024	"Life is hard for heroes. Once you've saved the world by shattering the Orb of Dominance and ending the Arch-Illager's reign of terror, you might be asking yourself: "what's next?" After all, reigns of terror don't come along that often. But there's good news - we've got a whole catalog of DLC for you to test your strength - and even when you're done with all of those, there's still one more trial. One more way to test your mettle against the strongest of the strong. It's called the Gauntlet of Gales. The Gauntlet of Gales is unlocked as soon as you complete Creeper Woods. You'll find it on the map for Howling Peaks, even if you don't yet own that DLC. It's a maze of puzzles and winding paths, which will test both your luck and your agility. Will you triumph over this blustery quest, or will you find yourself blown away by the challenge? The Gauntlet is primarily guarded by the local pillagers. Their ranks, which include mountaineers, enchanters, illusioners, iceologers, wind callers, and even royal guards, will bar your way and force you to show both strength and endurance if you want to make it through the adventure alive. Alongside the pillagers, you'll find friendly goats, wooly cows, and llamas. Oh, and rather less friendly zombies, spiders, skeletons, creepers, and their armored and frozen counterparts - which take a lot more punishment before they go down. But even these are not the most formidable foes you'll face. That honor goes to the squall golems - mysterious, ancient, semi-sentient beings created from stone, gold and jade which guard the Gale Sanctum. These monsters initially appear as an ugly statue, but when wind is directed to a nearby resonance crystal, then be on your guard. The statue will creak into life and attempt to crush any intruder it finds. That means you. If you can triumph over this fiendish menagerie of foes, then the rewards are plentiful. You'll find hunter's armor, plate armor, and scale mail, as well as claymores, daggers and soul bows. Looking for a new artifact to add to your collection? There's a chance of acquiring enchanter's tomes, scatter mines, updraft tomes and even the rare satchel of elements. Don't get ahead of yourself, though. Before you can lay your frosty hands on these goodies, you'll first need to run the marathon of puzzles and monsters. Are you ready for that challenge? Good! The Gauntlet of Gales awaits!"

Highblock Halls

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	May 24, 2024	"The seat of the Arch-Illager's powder is Highblock Halls. It's in this magnificent castle that his band of illagers gather to plan raids and celebrate their victories. You've heard word that a particularly large celebration is planned for tonight, so it's time to strike while the oven is hot. Stepping inside Highblock Halls for the first time, as a thunderstorm rages outside, you'll be amazed by the decor. It's stuffed to the rafters with fancy rugs, statues, and chandeliers. Clearly, the Arch-Illager has been splashing his ill-gotten cash on soft furnishins. Unfortunately, for you, Highblock Halls is also stuffed with illagers and they don't like party crashers. Royal guards, armed with a hefty shield and mace, are the most dangeroys foes that you'll tangle with. But you'll also need to deal with pillagers, vindicators, enchanters, and wraiths. Why not spoil the party while you're at it? Part of the way to the throne room leads through the kitchens where an enormous buffet is being prepared by vindicator chefs. Destroy it. Destroy it all! Leave no cake unturned in your quest to ruin the feast! If you succeed, you'll find plenty of loot to take home too. The Soul Robe, Power Bow, Scatter Crossbow, Axe, and Mace can be found on any difficulty setting. Upgrade to Adventure difficulty to get your hands on the rapid crossbow and defeat the level on Apocalypse difficulty to acquire the coveted Guard's Armor. Artifact fans will be able to pick up the Death Cap Mushroom, Fireworks Arrow, and Light Feather on any difficulty setting. If you play on Adventure difficulty, there's a chance of picking up a Love Medallion. But don't get too distracted by loot or party-crashing! The Arch-Illager is here, and it's time to bring him to justice. Keep your blade at the ready and your wits about you. Find the grand throne, and don't - whatever you do - let him escape."

Lone Fortress

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	February 23, 2024	"If you can survive the chill of the Frosted Fjord (the first level in Minecraft Dungeons' Creeping Winter DLC) then you'll eventually come to the sheer stone walls of an enormous ruined edifice, its turrets dark against the snow. This is the Lone Fortress, and the source of the biting frost afficting this island awaits within. Stop for a second before you enter - do you hear that? Something is screaming with rage and fury. It's a wraith, which has become corrupted by a shard of the Orb of Dominance. You'll need to free it from its agony if this land is ever to see a summer again. The Lone Fortress was once a grand castle, with ponds, a farm, a library, kitchen and dining room, and a grand chamber where unknown royalty entertained their guests. Today that era is long gone, the structure is crumbling, and local illagers have moved in - making a mockery of the castle's once-sturdy defenses. You'll find plenty of foes to challenge you as you explore the frostbitten halls of the Lone Fortress. Pillagers and Vindicators are a common sight, as well as skeletons, strays, and zombies - some of which have been frozen. Watch out, too, for icy creepers - which cover surrounding heroes with supercooled water when they explode, freezing them momentarily. Deeper inside the fortress, you'll also find Royal Guards, Iceologers, and armored versions of the lesser foes which take a lot more punishment. If you blunder into the kitchens, you might even come up against a crowd of angry vindicator chefs, who attack with cooking utensils. Oh, and be very wary of illusioners hiding in the shadows. If you can survive these dangers, you'll find a tempting selection of loot to collect inside the walls of the fortress. Snow Armor boosts health and damage resistance, while offering a very useful resistance against freezing. A rare frost armor variant also chills anything nearby. The ice wand is more aggressive - it creates huge ice blocks that can crush and stun your foes. You'll need all these tools at your disposal if you want to challenge the Wretched Wraith, which guards an icy crown, adorned with a shard of the Orb of Dominance. To emerge from the fortress alive and prevent this land from descending into eternal winter, you'll need to wrestle the crown from the wraith's icy grip and smash its shard. Good luck. You're going yo need it."

Nether Fortress

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	November 8, 2024	"As you're navigating the violent and volcanic Basalt Deltas in the Flames of the Nether DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, you might accidentally stumble upon a mysterious scroll on an equally mysterious pedestal. Pick it up and read it. This scroll contains the Nether's deepest, darkest secrets - like the recipe for magma cream, and the reason that Ghasts cry all the time. If only! it actually contains a map that'll point you towards a secret mission: the Nether Fortress. The Nether Fortress is located high above the lava sea in the very center of Minecraft Dungeons' Nether dimension. It was built long ago by unknown civilization, and much of it has fallen into the fiery depths below. But a dangerous path still exists through this ancient fortification - and it's one that you'll want to explore if you want a hope of finding the very best weapons and armor. The fortress is well-guarded. it has strong walls, and imposing fortifications. An endless supply of deadly lava cascades over its ramparts and crenelations. But that's not all that awaits you. You'll find plenty of piglins eking out a life in the ruins, and they won't be happy to see you. Most of them piglins are eqipped with razor-sharp golden swords, which they'll use to defen their territory with lethal force. Others carry crossbows, and some simply hurl explosive fungi. Armored variants are even more threatening, as they'll take a lot more effort to bring down. Tall and deadly wither skeletons and wither skeleton archers will also defend the Nether Fortress from intruders, alongside their conflagrant colleagues, the blazes - which generate endlessly from fiery spawners encased in cages marked with skulls. You'll need to destroy these cages, and put out the fire within, if you want to bring their assault to an end. Finally, if you explore every single hidden corner you might be lucky enough to find a powerful Raid Captain - a lost illager, bearing a banner on its back that can empower the foes in the rest of the fortress, or weaken your own abilities. If you can take one down and still survive, you'll be awarded extra loot. Speaking of loot, what other reason would you have for exploring this forsaken ruin? Reinforced Mail is common find - dropped by those who've come this way before you but fallen to the dangers of fortress. Broken sawblades, maces, cog crossbows and power bows round out the weapons on offer. And if you're looking for artifacts, you'll have a chance of finding flaming quivers, ghost cloaks, lightning rods and the mighty powershaker. Finally, as you're exploring, keep an eye out for something rather special - a statue of a foe wearing a tough helmet and surrounded by four shields. This unusual being, which is sometimes called the wildfire, has not been seen alive in Minecraft of the time of writing. But who knows what the future holds?"

Redstone Mines

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	August 23, 2024	"Deep within the mountains of the Overworld lie rich veins of redstone ore. This miraculous resource holds much energy and is capable of powering heavy machinery. That makes it immensely valuable to whoever controls its supply, and so it's probably no surprise that the Arch-Illager wants all the redstone for himself. But it's hard work to dig the ore out of the rock of the mountain, and that's why the illagers have been raiding settlements across the region. They're enslaving villagers to dig in their Redstone Mines. What's more, you've heard unsettling rumblings that the illagers are using the redstone that they're mining to build monstrous war machines that could devastate their foes. A hero is needed to rescue the villagers and shut down the entire operation. That hero is you. As you're traversing the claustrophobic tunnels and precipitous ravines inside the mines, there are several hazards to watch out for. First and most obvious are the illagers themselves: you'll face pillagers, vindicators, evokers, and enchanters. Deeper in the caves, you'll also come up against skeletons, zombies, and creepers, as well as nests of both spiders and cave spiders. If you're particularly unlucky, you might even come up against spawners that generate more of these fearsome beasts. Best take those down quickly. But that's not all the dangers that you'll face. Lava runs through the area and fast-running minecarts won't stop for anyone crossing their path. It's even possible that you might encounter one of the redstone powered golems that the Arch-Illager's lackeys have been building as you hunt down and free the captured villaers. If you survife these twisting caverns, you'll be richly rewarded. Spelunker Armor and Wolf Armor sets are on offer, as well as Phantom Armor and Thief Armor at Adventure difficulty or above, and Battle Robes at Apocalypse difficulty. Weapons to be found include the Rapid Crossbow, fast Daggers, and the classic Pickaxe. Artifact hunters will unearth Harvesters, Firework Arrows, and Corrupted Beacons, as well as Tasty Bones at difficulty settings of Adventure or above. With the power of redstone at their fingertips, the evil illagers will be unstoppable. Time is running out to avert catastrophe, and only a hero such as yourself can brave the caverns and find out what's really going on deep inside the mountains. Grasp your sword, ready your bow, and head down into the darkness. Adventure awaits."

Soul Sand Valley

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	October 18, 2024	"The world of Minecraft Dungeons is packed with secrets. As you’re exploring its missions, you never know what you’ll find. Today, we’re talking about one of the most secret secrets of all – a secret mission that can only be accessed through another secret mission. How secret! If your tolerance for the word “secret” is not yet extinguished then step this way and learn how to access the extremely secret Soul Sand Valley, including what secrets you’ll find when you arrive. First – how to get there. You’ll need a copy of the Flames of the Nether DLC, which is available on its own or as part of the Ultimate Edition, Season Pass, or the Ultimate DLC Bundle. Then, you’ll want to hack and slash your way through the Warped Forest until you find a scroll that leads you to the Crimson Forest. Finally, in the twisting pathways of the Crimson Forest, you’ll need to hunt down yet another scroll, which gives its bearer access to the Soul Sand Valley. The haunted ground of the Soul Sand Valley is cold and often deadly to its infequent intruders. Ancient bones, both small and large, stick up through the sand and scraggly patches of netherwart grow atop it. Blue fire burns here and there on the surface, and a strange blue glow shines from its depths. In these dark corners of the Nether, you’ll find plenty of hostile foes to challenge. Piglins are common, as well as their hunter, armored, and fungus-thrower variants. Blazes and wraiths will assault you with fire; both orange and blue. Skeletons, along with armored skeletons, will pepper you with arrows as wither skeletons charge you down in close quarters. And the hoglins? Avoid the hoglins. If you survive that onslaught, there are plenty of goodies waiting for you. Hefty boneclubs and wild scatter crossbows will satisfy damage-dealers wile grim, sprout and thief armor offer protection from all that assails you. Hunting for an artifact? Boots of Swiftness, Harvesters, Soul Lanterns and Thundering Quivers can all be found among the dunes. This cornucopia of delights makes it well worth taking the time to hunt out the entrance to these sandy wastes. Gather your wits, hold your weapon close, and beware the foes that lurk within…"

Squid Coast

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	November 29, 2024	"Every adventure has to begin somewhere, and the grand adventure of Minecraft Dungeons begins on the Squid Coast. For years, this peaceful, pastoral landscape was home to a thriving community of fishermen and traders, making a living from rich seas beneath sunny skies. But the peace in this small corner of the Overworld has been shattered thanks to the evil Arch-Illager and his minions. They've set the town alight and are hunting down and capturing the inhabitants. They need a hero, and that hero is you. It's time to grab your sword and bow and come to their rescue. As Squid Coast is the first level of the game, it's used to teach new players the ropes. You'll learn how to swing that sword and fire that bow, along with other important mechanics like gates, ambushes, chests, and power-ups. In the process, you'll face zombies, skeletons, and the illagers themselves. The straightforward nature of this mission is mirrored by the drops that it's possible to find here. There's a chest where you can sometimes happen upon a fishing rod or fireworks arrow, but you'll otherwise be limited to consumables like arrows, potions, and TNT, and food like apples, bread and pork. At the end of the level, you'll arrive at a site just outside the village where you can set up camp and plan how to bring down the Arch-Illager. In the process you'll travel across the Overworld, and maybe even between dimensions, but you'll always return to your Squid Coast camp afterwards for some downtime. That's all in the future, through, and right now the village is burning. So grab your sword, steel your nerve, and heard off to rescue the villagers. An epic adventure awaits."

The Stronghold

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	September 13, 2024	"So you’ve thwarted the Arch-Illager’s evil schemes and destroyed the Heart of Ender. You’ve defeated the Jungle Abomination and the Wretched Wraith. You’ve knocked out the Tempest Golem and the Ancient Guardian. You’ve even been stuck in the Nether and found your way out again. But you don’t get to call yourself a true minecraft Dungeoneer until you’ve been to The End. The End is a strange dimension, with floating islands suspended in an echoing void. It’s packed with odd creatures – most notably Endermen, but also shulkers, blastlings, snarelings, and watchlings. You’ll even run into a whole tribe of illagers who are trying to mount an invasion of these barren lands. The first thing you need to figure out, though is how to get there – and you’ve heard rumors that a long-abandoned Stronghold beneath a small island has suddenly become a hub of activity. You’d better visit and find out what’s going on. When you first set foot into the Stronghold, you’ll need to clear out the skeletons, spiders, zombies and other monsters that have made a home in the place. Be wary of silverfish, which scuttle over the ceilings and drop down on adventurers that pass their way. Make a mental note to return later to any sealed passageways that you find, too. Eventually you’ll find what you’re looking for – an End Portal, suspended over a pool of bubbling lava. Unfortunately, it’s not active. You’ll need to return to camp and then hunt through the Overworld to find six Eyes of Ender which you can use to activate it. The Eyes of Ender are guarded by powerful Endersents, which look a little like Endermen but carry huge hammer-like hands. These enchanted beings must be located and defeated before you can oen the portal. To find them, look for purplish blocks, and if you see regular Endermen then you’re likely on the right path. Once you’ve collected the six Eyes of Ender, return to the Stronghold, and place them into the sockets of the End Portal. Take a deep breath. Steel yourself. And then step through into the inky blackness. A whole new adventure awaits…"

Warped Forest

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	January 26, 2024	"Exploring the Flames of the Nether DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, you'll eventually come across an area where mysterious green foliage blankets the fiery landscape. This is the Warped Forest - a dark, foreboding woodland, where danger lurks within the shadows. You begin at a broken Nether portal - but as there are only a few ways in or out of this fiery dimension, you'll need to hope that amongst the trees is another way to get home. The Warped Forest is uncannily alive - though you'll also come across patches of wart wart blocks and barren netherrack, which the fungal spread hasn't yet reached. In some places lava pours down from the sky, in others it bubbles up from below. Most of the inhabitants of this dark jungle are piglins. The piglins prize gold above all else, and some particularly high-status individuals have acquired golden armor to protect them. These larger beasts are tougher to take down, so be prepared. Many piglins carry swords, but some carry crossbows instead. These canny hunters stalk through the jungle in search of wild hoglins that they can domesticate. If you encounter a hoglin in jungle then beware of its charge and stay away from sharp drops - they'll be only too glad to knock you down into the lava. Others carry sacks full of the Warped Forest's finest delicacy - Blue Nethershrooms - which are highly sought after by piglin clefs. Unfortunately, they also happen to be extremely explosive and toxic to non-piglins - a fact that these collectors know very well and will happily exploit if they meet you amongst the trees. Be wary of these collectors, as well as the mushrooms themselves. One clue might be the presence in the ruins of Wither skeletons - which seem to coexist peacefully with the piglins. Some carry bows and some carry swords. but both are capable of inflicting the dangerous Wither status effect, which drains health over time. Luckily, these foes are fairly fragile and easily taken down. Finally, in the densest jungle - where even the piglins fear to tread - you'll come across a particularly fearsome foe. Endermen love the Warped Forest, and would be only too happy to end the life of any adventurers they come across. Stay alert, and remember that Endermen can teleport away just when you think you've got the upper hand. Take nothing for granted. If you can survide all these threats, then there's plenty of unique loot to be found in the Warped Forest. Melee enthusiasts will enjoy the Boneclub - which hits hard, if not fast, while ranged fighters will want to look out for the Twisting Vine bow, which leaves poison clouds behind its arrows. Artifacts on offer include the Powershaker, which allows you to detonate your foes with the Party Starter effect, and Blast Fungus - which can be thrown at enemies, dealing damage around them. Now it's over to you. Take a deep breath, face up to the Endermen, and see if you can make it home alive."

Windswept Peaks

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	December 13, 2024	"How do you feel about heights? That's an important question to ask yourself before you chamber up to the Howling Peaks DLC for Minecraft Dungeons. Some adventurers don't have the head for it - they like to stay in the relative flatlands of Pumpkin Pastures, or the Creeper Woods. But if you've got the guts, then you'll find that these hills contain riches beyond your wildest dreams. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. You're not here for riches, you're here to save the world (right?). A shard from the Orb of Dominance has landed somewhere in these mountains and now they're surrounded by dark, magical storms that bring wind and snow. Your task is to locate the shard before the hordes of illagers, who want to gain its power for their own. On the way, you'll need to contend with those illagers - as well as skeletons, zombies (some frozen), creepers, and spiders. But that's not all. You'll also need to survive the mountain itself - its strong winds and icy surfaces have swept many adventurers to their doom. If you can hang on, there are plenty of goodies to find - sweet berries will heal you up, while dense potions and climbing gear allow you to withstand the winds. Spelunker Armor will be your companion as you explore the mountain's caves, and the Updraft Tome and Wind Horn allow you to harness the power of the mountain for yourself. Weaponry to be found on these barren slopes include the Double Axe, the Battlestaff, Dual Crossbows, the Longbow, and the Tempest Knife - which slices through enemies like the wind that cuts between the mountaintops, granting a speed boost whenever a mob is defeated. You'll need to be brave, and come armed with the right equipment, before you scale these stormy slopes. But when the clouds part, and the sun shines on an astonishing view across the Overworld, it's really summiting special."

???

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	March 22, 2024	"For years, adventurers have told tales of a secret, special place in the world of Minecraft Dungeons. A place where all your dreams come true. Well, the ones that involve cows, at least. Getting to this special place is complex, the adventurers say, but the secret lies at the back of the church in camp. Inside the church you'll find portraits of some beautiful and talented individuals. The most beautiful and talented of them is a dog, whose portrait is key to the next step. Find the secret button, and you'll be challenged to collect nice different runes. Where are these runes? Well, if you ask the dog nicely, it might give you a hint. Once you complete your quest, a secret room will open, containing two obsidian chests and a map. These will point you to the island of Moo. The island is strange place, covered in mushrooms both small and large, pop flowers, and a collection of mushroom-cow hybrids called mooshrooms. The inhabitants of this island have a serious beef with you and will go to great lengths to drive you away - including kicking you or ramming you with their horns. To return home, you'll need to fend off these bovines and make your way across the island to a safe departure point. But there's one major problem standing between you and your goal: the remains of a Redstone Monstrosity, which has been contaminated by mushroom spores. Defeat it, and you'll be free to go. But wait! There's also treasure to collect here. Wolf armor, claymores, maces, scythes, and crossbows are common finds on the island, while artifact hunters will want to keep an eye out for a very special item that can't be found anywhere else. Collecting all the treasures of Moo Island is a long and difficult journey, but the steaks are high enough that it's surely worth it."

Gearing Up

The following articles are about the various types of gear:

Banner

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	May 31, 2024	"Do you wish Minecraft Dungeons was harder? Us neither - we can barely finish the game as it is. But there are some amazing players out there who've come up with innovative strategies for surviving pretty much anything we can throw at them. So we wanted a way to give them a greater challenge while earning greater rewards. Our solution? Banners! Banners are a consumable dropped by extra-hard vindicators and pillagers called raid captains. These feisty foes are no walk in the park - they behave like a regular illager, but have far more health and deal much more damage. They're easy to spot because they have a big banner on their back - and it's this banner that you'll be able to pick up when they're taken down. Banners come in two varieties with different effects. The one with an illager's face and a pair of crossed axes above a fire is a Threat Banner - this immendiately increases the threat level of a mission - boosting the damage and health of all the mobs you face. The one with a skull on it is a Mystery Banner - this immendiately applies a random modifier that makes life harder for players. Melee mobs could be given the Poison Cloud enchantment, for example. Or mob damage could be increased by up to 200%. Or every other mob could be turned into a creeper. You can collect up to three of each type of banner during a mission, making things increasingly harder. But at the end of the mission, you'll get a bonus chest known as a Raid Captain Bounty. The more banners you collected during the mission, the better the reward found in the chest - with the chance of getting a unique item increasing exponentially as you collect more banners. This means that if you want to acquire the very best items in the game, you'll need to select the tippety-top difficulty setting and then wander around seeking out raid captains, while fending off the harder and harder mobs that assail you in the process. Defeat them all, make it to the end of the mission, and you'll be richly rewarded. In the meantime, we'll cheering you on from the sidelines with a warm cup of tea. Much less stressful!"

Beenest Armor, Beehive Armor

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	October 6, 2023	"Do you ever feel that your life would be better if it included more bees? Of course you do, let's look at the peraks: Unlimited access to honey, calming buzzing sound at all hours of the day and night, and scaring away those foolish people who don't like bees. If that sounds like an attractive lifestyle, then you're not alone, and you're definitely going to want to check out a very specific set of armor in Minecraft Dungeons - the Beenest Armor. Okay, yes, let's get one thing out of the way early. This is a suit of armor literally made out of a nest of bees. There are holes for your eyes, and your arms, so don't worry about that, but you are going to have to put up with some strange looks from other players - and the occasional person who thinks it'd be funny to tell you to "buzz off". Whenever you get hit, there's a one-in-three chance that an angry bee within the nest will emerge and start flying aroung you. They'll attack nearby hostile mobs with their stingers and can sting up to three times before heading back in for a rest. Alternatively, if they've been flying around for 30 seconds, they'll need a rest too. Flying is hard work. You'll also get the ability to share health potions, and a health bonus. If you're an armor connoisseur, then there's a unique version of the Beenest Armor avaiable too. Beehive Armor functions exactly like Beenest Armor, but also throws an extra 35% damage reduction into the mix - perfect for those who enjoy wading into the thick of a mob of enemies before releasing the bees. To pick up either item, you'll want to go hunting in the Soggy Cave, Pumpkin Pastures, Lost Settlement, or Warped Forest missions. You won't be able to get it from merchants - they're not wild about keeping a nest full of bees hanging around, for some reason. While you're at it, why not pair the Beenest or Beehive armor with the Bee Stinger sword and Buzzy Nest artifact? The former has a chance to spawn bees every time it's activated. You'll be the most attractive player in the game, because as everyone knows - beauty is truly in the eye of the bee-holder."

Broken Sawblade and Mechanized Sawblade

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	October 11, 2024	"As you navigate the Flames of the Nether DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, it’s not unlikely that you’ll come across a rather special weapon  a broken sawblade, or if you’re especially lucky, a still-functioning, unique Mechanized Sawblade. Most are in broken form, damaged beyond repair – perhaps by the ravages of time, perhaps by a careless adventurer. Occasionally, though, you’ll find one that’s still in working order. While each hit from a sawblade  isn’t particularly powerful and they don’t have much of a range compared to a glaive or trident, they’re capable of attacking extremely fast. This means that a player wielding one can tear through a crowd of zombies with ease – but there’s a catch. You can’t run them for very long before they overhead and need to cool down again. You don’t want to find yourself in the middle of a pack of hostile creatures when it overheats, as you’ll be completely unable to attack. The unique Mechanized Sawblade variant last a little longer before overheating, but either way you’ll need to time your assaults carefully. The best place to find these remarkable weapons is the Nether Fortress secret mission but it’s also possible to find them in the Crimson Forest secret mission in Adventure difficulty – and from the piglin, mystery and luxury merchant. A gilded variant can be won from the Unstoppable Tusk ancient hunt, if you’re feeling particularly brave. Sawblades are the perfect weapon for nimble players who love to dart in, deal a ton of damage, and then get out again while their weapon recovers. If that sounds like you, then they’re sure to give you a lot of joy."

Elytra

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	March 29, 2024	"Getting around The End in Minecraft Dungeons isn't always easy. This alien dimension, which is featured in the Echoing Void DLC, is made up of islands floating in an inky darkness, populated by Endermen. They can teleport, but you can't - so how are you going to get from island to island? The answer comes in the form of a strange pair of blue wings - the Elytra. Found in End Ships in the End Wilds and the Broken Citadel missions, they can be used with firework launch stations to fire you high into the air and glide back down again. As you're hurled aloft by the power of pyrotechnics, the elytra will spread apart like the wings of a bird, and you'll gain control over your descent. Let's be real for a second - you're not actually flying here. All that the Elytra really does is let you fall more slowly and less painfully than normal. Less pain for you, at least - why not come down with a bang on top if your foes? If you time it right, then you can slam on top of mobs when landing, dealing some serious damage. Unlike most of the rest of what you'll find in the End, Elytra are a real thing in the real world, and when you learn what they are you'll probably be less keen on wearing them. They're beetle wing cases. They come in pairs, like trousers, and a single one is called an "elytron" which comes from a Greek word meaning "sheath" or "cover". When a bug wants to fly, they open up these covers and expose a set wings underneath. Imagine a ladybug's red-spotted shell casing. That's the elytra. But hey, this is Minecraft Dungeons, not the real world - and you're a hero, not a ladybug. So, you have Mojang Studios' full permission to snatch up a pair of Elytra, grab hold of a firework rocket, soar into the air and shout "wheeeeeeeee!" as you glide onward toward destiny."

Emerald Gear, Gilded Glory & Opulent Armor

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	August 16, 2024	"The high mountaintops of the Howling Peaks DLC are rich in resources - at least they are if you like snow and ice. But beneath that snow and ice, you'll also find something incredibly important to any adventurer. Emeralds. Emeralds are the main currency in Minecraft Dungeons - used to buy items and services in your camp. You get them by defeating buy items and services in your camp. You get them by defeating your enemies, opening chests, smashing pots, and salvaging items. Unfortunately, just like in real life, you never quiiitte get enough to buy all the things you want to buy. But what if there was a suit of armor made of emeralds that called more emeralds to you as you walked around? A suit of armor that enriches its wearer beyond their wildest dreams? It's true - it exists - and it's called the Emerald Gear. Emerald Gear consists of an emerald0studded breastplate and greaves, as well as a mask made of pure emerald. It has chance to spawn an emerald for every six blocks that you walk, which adds up to a lot of emeralds over the course of your adventuring career. It also adds health and boosts your melee attack speed by an impressive 25%. For the adventurers who really must show off their wealth with the finest outfits, there are two extra-exclusive, unique variants of the Emerald Gear can be acquired. The Gilded Glory is a dark blue cloak, inlaid with gold, and plenty of emeralds. It allows its wearer to cheat death by spending emeralds, potentially saving you from a sticky situation. The Opulent Armor, on the other hand, gives its wearer a brief period of invulnerability after an emerald is collected. Combined with its tendency to collect emeralds, you'll take far less damagee than normal. These lucrative sets of armor can only be found in a few places - the Gale Sanctum, and the Colossal Rampart at adventure difficulty. The merchants at your camp occasionally sell them too. You can bet that they'll want a lot of emeralds for it. But with the emerald gear equipped? That won't be a problem."

Evocation, Ember & Verdant Robe

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	August 30, 2024	"Different sets of armor in Minecraft Dungeons are suited to different purposes, allowing you to lean into whatever style of play you like best. Some are designed for battling in melee, some for players who prefer a bow and arrow, and some for pet owners. Today, though, let's look at a set of armor designed for adventurers who love their artifacts - The Evocation Robe. The Evocation Robe will immediately mark you out as a magic-user. It comprises a beautiful blue robe, with golden edging and potent magical runes woven into the fabric, as well as a huge and impressive wizard's hat, equipped with a golden buckle around the front. While this stylish set's true origins and powers are shrouded in mystery, it'll offer the wearer a boost in health, and two other important abilities. The first is that your artifacts will cool down 40% faster than they do normally, allowing you to really lean on magical attacks and defense. The second is that you'll mode 15% faster than other players - which is really handy if you end up in a tight spot, surrounded by enemies. Not a fan of blue? Don't worry - there are two unique variants of the robe out there in world waiting to be discovered. the Ember Robe comes in red, waning your enemies to stay away, and burning any that approach with a magical fire. Then the Verdant Robe comes in green, with silver edging. It boosts the number of souls you can carry gather - perfect for players who like to work with souls-powered artifacts. All three can be found in the Soggy Swamp, Soggy Cave, and Obisidian Pinnacle. You'll also find them in adventure difficulty on the Panda Plateau, the Crimson Forest, and the Stronghold on apocalypse difficulty. They occasionally turn up in camp too, sold by one of the merchants. If you're a fan of artifacts then the Evocation Robe definitely allows you to use them to their fullest potential. Give it a try. Shazam!"

Gauntlets, Fighter's Bindings, Maulers, Soul Fists

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	April 19, 2024	"Pow! Pow! That was the sound of you punching your enemies in the face - the most noble of all the ways to fight. Who needs a fancy bit of sharp metal, or big lump of stone, when you can just get in the bad guys'faces and hit them really, really hard? Today, it's time to talk about the Gauntlets - Minecraft Dungeons' very own version of boxing gloves. This melee weapon might not do quite as much raw damage as some other options on the merchant's table, but they're fast - you can deliver four punches, a left hook, an uppercut, and a lunge punch before your enemies can get their socks on. The first five of those attacks will deal your gauntlets' minimum melee damage, the uppercut does a bit more, and then the final lunge punch will deliver the maximum damage of the weapon. If that zombie isn't flat on its back by then, well, you can just keep on hitting them. You can pick up a pair of gauntlets in the Soggy Cave, Cacti Canyon, Dingy Jungle, Coral Rise, and Stronghold missions. But be on the lookout, because there are three unique versions that are worth scooping up - the Soul Fists, the Maulers, and the Fighter's Bindings. The Soul Fists allow you to collect the souls of your fallen enemies, and the more souls you have stored, the greater the chance that each hit will be critical - rising from 0% to 15% at maximum souls. The Maulers let you channel the power of a rampaging beast, giving you a chance to increase your attack speed every time you defeat a mob. That's right - a weapon that  already attacks incredibly fast, getting even faster. Your fists will be a blur! Finally, the Fighter's Bindings bring some serious martial prowess to your punches. These gauntlets are a favorite of speedrunners, and they come with additional attack speed and a guaranteed critical hit on every fourth punch that also triggers enchantments like shockwave and swirling. Try pairing them with a Death Cap Mushroom for insane attack speeds that allow those enchantments to trigger constantly. Gauntlets might not be subtle, but they are a fast and effective way to muscle through a crowd of foes and come out the other end still swinging. And if that's not a fun way to play Minecraft Dungeons, then what is?"

Harvester

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	February 16, 2024	"Some adventurers wield swords and armor. Some prefer a bow or crossbow, and a bundle of arrows. Some come with a pack of loyal pets to their bidding. But then there are those adventurers who... *checks notes* ...wait what? They harvest the souls of the dead and use them in dark rituals to slay monsters and acquire more souls? And we're supposed to count them as the good guys? Wow. Okay. These definitely-not-evil adventurers opt for phantom armor or soul robes, weapons like scythes and soul knives, and they pick artifacts which allow them to unleash the dark power of their victims' souls in a series of terrifying attacks. One of the most popular of these artifacts is the Harvester. The Harvester takes the form of a book containing forbidden magic, bound with leather and contraining the spirit of a dark mage from a long-forgetten time. Yes, that is the mage's face on cover, thanks for asking. When carrying it, you'll gain the power to see the souls of slain enemies, as well as absorb those souls. You can then use the artifact at any time to unleash a high-energy blast of forbidden magic, dealing huge damage to any mobs nearby. The greater the artifact's power, huge damage it'll do across a larger area. If it doesn't finish them all off, you can release another blast every four seconds until you run out of souls. And no - before you ask - any creatures slain by an artifact powered by souls do not drop souls themselves. Their souls are lost to the ether instead. You can acquire this fearsome artifact in a few places - the Soggy Swamp is where most adventurers will first encounter it, but it's also obtainable in the Redstone Mines, the Soul Sand Valley, and the Gale Sanctum on Apocalypse difficulty. Occasionally the village merchant finds one too. The Harvester isn't the only soul-power artifact in Minecraft Dungeons, but it's one of the first you'll get your gauntlets on. Try it out to see whether you prefer to slay things the old-fashioned way or whether you've got a taste for souls..."

Love Medallion

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	May 17, 2024	"There's more than one way of dealing with the hordes of enemies that populate every level in Minecraft Dungeons. Most players slaughter their foes with a sword, bow, or deadly artifact. And that works. But what if you could defeat mobs... with love? That's the promise of the love medallion - one of the most unusual artifacts to be found in the game. It contains an ancient and powerful spell which charms nearby creatures that it's cast upon, causing them to fall in love with the owner of the medallion and defend them at all costs. When activated, the love medallion seeks out the minds of up to three nearby hostile mobs, bewitching them into falling in love with you. They'll use whatever weapons they have to attack other enemies nearby, firing bows and crossbows, swinging swords and axes, or just bludgeoning them with their bare fists. These possessed creatures will serve you for ten seconds, and after that they'll realize what happened and immediately perish - their hearts broken forever. But before you go charging into a boss fight waving the medallion at them, be aware that it doesn't work on every creature. Some creatures' minds are too basic to understand the concept of love, like bees, chickens and squid. Some are too alien, like the Endermen, key golems, and wraiths. Finally, some creatures already have a broken heart - like witches, necromancers, raid captains and the Arch-Illager - you won't be albe to get them to fall in love with you, however hard you try. Obtaining a love medallion isn't too difficult. You'll find it in Arch Haven, Highblock Halls, the Underhalls and Panda Plateau, but only on adventure difficulty or above. Occasionally the mystery merchant and village merchant in your camp will have one for sale too. But before you employ the services of this powerful artifact, remember that love is a precious and special thing, and ask yourself: is it right to use it as a weapon?"

Rapid Crossbow, Auto Crossbow, Butterfly Crossbow

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	November 15, 2024	"Crossbows in Minecraft Dungeons are great, but they have one major drawback - the need to, er, literally draw back the bolt before firing. This limits the speed at which you can fire, which can be a problem when you're got a creeper bearing down on you. Luckily, Mojang's finest arbalists have been hard at work solving this problem and we're here today to tell you about their crowning archievement - the rapid crossbow. It's a modified version of a regular crossbow which - you guessed it - fires far more rapidly than most other ranged weapons. This triumph of technology is compensated for by a relatively low power rating, though that power can be increased through enchantments, the strength buff, and armor sets that come with ranged damage increases. It also comes with a big quiver full of crossbow bolts - you start with 133, and arrow bundles will add an extra 66 each time. In the market for something a bit like the rapid crossbow but a little more unique? Look out for the auto crossbow and the butterfly crossbow - two variants which are much rarer to find, but even more powerful. The auto crossbow comes with the "accelerate" enchantment, which increases its firing rate for every shot you perform within a second of the last shot. That makes it the fastest- firing ranged weapon in the game. Then the butterfly crossbow comes with the "bonus shot" enchantment, allowing it to target two enemies at the same time. The second shot won't do quite as much damage as the first shot, but hey - it's free. It pairs particularly well with the multishot, chain reaction, wild rage and ricochet enchantments, allowing you to sow more mayhem than ever. It's less useful in situations when you're only targeting one enemy at a time - like in many boss fights, for example. You can find these mechanical marvels in the Redstone Mines, Highblock Halls, Lone Fortress, Windswept Peaks, and Coral Rise missions, as well as occasionally from the merchants in your camp. So keep a lookout! Ultimately, if you're the kind of player who likes to stand at a distance peppering your foes with countless projectiles at insane speeds while shouting "PEW! PEW! PEW!", then the rapid crossbow will make you very happy indeed."

Root Rot Armor and Black Spot Armor

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	June 21, 2024	"Ever since we released the Jungle Awakens DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, there's been a type of player who can't resist its leafy aesthetic. They wear ocelot or shadow walker armor, carry corrupted seeds, and vanquished their enemies with vine whips. That's why, when it came time to release the Fauna Faire seasonal adventure, we knew we wanted to return to the jungle - if only to give these players a few more wardrobe options. We added Treetop Tangle, a new free mission which takes place atop the trees of Jungle Island. In it, you have a chance to acquire a new armor set: the Root Rot Armor. This verdant outfit is made up of a dark green sloak and pair of armored greaves, both covered in jungle vines and roots, as well as a set of shoulder pads and a belt forged from purple metal. It bears a superficial similarity to the Sprout Armor, found in the Nether, but rather than trapping your foes, it instead offers a powerful boon to the wearer. First, like most armor sets, it'll boost your health. The higher level you are, the more health you'll gain. Second, it'll allow any health potions you consume to heal nearby allies too - very powerful when playing with friends. Finally, and most importantly, it'll reset your artifact cooldowns instantly when you use a potion - allowing you to unleash your most powerful abilities all over again. If that doesn't make you hungry to acquire the Root Rot Armor, then I don't know what would. But wait - there's a unique variant which can hopefully satisfy that hunger by literally creating food out of thin air. That's right - the Black Spot Armor comes with the Food Reserves enchantment, allowing it to spawn food item whenever you use a potion. Yummy! Whichever variant of the Root Rot Armor you choose to don, rest assured that it'll keep you safe and healthy from anything the jungle throws at you. Just keep downing those potions..."

Satchel of Elements

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	July 12, 2024	"Ancient philosophers believed the world was made up of just a handful of basic elements that everything else was built from. The List varied between cultures, but it usually included some combination of earth, water, air, fire, and/or void. Today, modern chemistry recognizes more than a hundred different elements, from ones you've probably heard of like carbon, gold, oxygen, and iron, to more exotic choides like rubidium, cobalt, bismush, strontium, and krypton. However, we also now know that these elements are made up of a handful of smaller particles - protons, neutrons, and electrons, which in turn are made up of even smaller particles again - quarks, leptons, and bosons. All these elements and particles, and no doubt more besides, are contained within the satchel of elements - a Minecraft Dungeons artifact which is found at the top of the world. Go hunting for it in the Gale Sanctum and Gauntlet of Gales, bot of which were added to the game as part of the Howling Peaks DLC. Step into a group of mobs, open the satchel (careful, not too much!) and up to seven foes surrounding you will be afflicted with a random elemental effect - either zapped by lightning bolts, chilled with ice, or set ablaze by fire. You'll be able to repeat this every ten seconds or so - or even faster, if you're equipped with the right set of armor. It's not clear who created this primordial satchel. Its origins seem to stretch far back into the mists of time. But one thing is for sure - if you can find it, its power will undoubtedly boost your own."

Sickles. Nightmare's Bite & The Last Laugh

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	September 20, 2024	"Melee weapons in Minecraft Dungeons come in many different types – indicated by their stats. A high power rating means they deal a lot of damage. A high speed rating means they attack fast. And a high area rating means they have a longer reach – allowing you to take out foes form a distance (or even through a locked gate). Today, let’s take a look at the Sickles – a pair of curved, one-handed blades which are normally used to harvest grain. These weapons don’t hit too hard, and certainly don’t reach very far, but they do attack fast – and have a nasty combo, consisting of six different hits. The first four hits are fast, and deal normal damage. But the last two ramp things up considerably – doubling the attack power on the fifth hit, and then dealing maximum melee damage on the sixth. Consider finding a pair of sickles with the Committed enchantment, which deals increased damage against already wounded mobs, to boost the damage of these last two attacks even further. There are two rarer, but much more powerful variants of the sickles to be found. The Last Laugh combines a silver and a golden sickle, which emit a strange distorted laughter, and together weave a potent spell that causes mobs to drop twice as many emerallds as they normally do. A greap option for saving up for that big-ticket item you’re dreaming of. Then there’s the Nightmare’s Bite – these tiny green scythes drip with a deadly venom that causes clouds of poison to erupt from anyone you attack, dealing damage to enemies in an area before they dissipate. You’ll find all three variants in Pumpkin Pastures and Arch Haven, as well as the Desert Temple and Lost Settlement on adventure difficulty, and the Warped Forest on Apocalypse difficulty. You can also buy them from time to time from the merchants in your camp. For players who want to tears their enemies to shreds, but shill be able to head back to the farm and get the harvest in, sickles are just the ticket."

Soul Lantern

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	October 25, 2024	"Many companions can be recruited as you adventure your way through Minecraft Dungeons. There are wolves and llamas, bats and bees, sheep and iron golems. But today we’re looking at the strangest of them all – the soul wizard, which can be summoned by lighting a Soul Lantern. The Soul Lantern is an artifact that can be found in only a few places – the Creepy Crypt, Cacti Canyon, Underhalls, and the Soul Sand Valley in the Flames of the Nether DLC. As the name suggests, it enables the gathering of the souls of defeated enemies, which are then collected up and used to temporarily summon a soul wizard. These dinky little creatures are, honestly, kind of adorable. They wear purple robes and a lantern-shaped hat, and their eyes and hands glow bright blue. But they shouldn’t be underestimated – they attack with surprising ferocity, firing bolts of blue soul energy at your foes, and dealing a good amount of damage in a fight. That’s not all – as well as taking down your enemies faster, the soul wizard will attract aggro from enemies too, and tank a few hits that would otherwise have gone your way. Unlike some pets, it won’t stick around forever – you will need to summon a new one fairly often. But that’s a small price to pay for a helping hand in a busy battle. As long as the soul wizards are paid richly in souls, they seem happy to help, although nobody knows exactly why, and the soul wizards don’t seem inclined to explain. We also have no idea what they’re doing with all that soul power! We’ll keep investigating, and report back when we know more. In the meantime, let’s just keep feeding them souls – what could possibly go wrong?"

Spelunker Armor, Cave Crawler

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	December 8, 2023	"Those who brave the darkest depths of the Overworld, exploring underground caverns and long-abandoned mines, are known as "spelunkers" - a word that comes from the Latin "spelunca", meaning "cave". These brave souls regularly come face to face with all kinds of subterranean dangers, requiring a tough but lightweight set of armor that keeps the bearer alive without hindering their movement. Minecraft Dungeons players often face a similar set of challenges, so it's no wonder that Spelunker Armor Has become popular among their ranks too. These armor sets are easily recognizable by the candle attached to the leather headband which lights up the darkness, accompanied by a jacket made of leather with steel sholder pads and large steel belt. Equip a set of Spelunker Armor and you'll gain three major advantages against your foes. First, a nice chuck of extra health that'll allow you to take more hits before going down. Second, a weapon boost aura that adds 20% damage to both you and your allies' attacks. Finally, a pet bat that'll flutter after you and both distract and attack your foes. Don't worry about it getting hurt; they're small and agile enough to dodge out of the way of most danger. There's a unique variant of the Spelunker Armor that's well worth seeking out if you want to boost your power further. The Cave Crawler armor set adds extra steel around the hat, and a fancy pair of leather suspenders to keep the whole thing up. Somehow, in the process, it'll boost your artifact damage by a whopping in the process, it'll boost your artifact damage by a whopping 50%. Both armor sets can be acquired from the Redstone Mines, Cacti Canyon, Lost Settlement, Windswept Peaks, and Stronghold missions. The Luxury Merchant and Piglin Merchant also sometimes have them in stock, and if you're feeling really brave then you can challenge the Haunted Caller ancient mob. Regardless of how you get hold of your Spelunker Armor, you can feel secure in the knowledge that it'll keep you safe no matter how deeply you delve into the Underworld. And that you'll always have your bat for company."

Swiftness Potion

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	November 22, 2024	"Walking is such a pain. So much effort, just to get from place A to place B. On top of that, Minecraft Dungeons levels are BIG! There's a lot of walking to be done. Trudge trudge trudge. But luckily, there's a consumable that seemingly offers a solution to this interminable problem. It's small, blue, and it comes with a cork in the top. It's the Swiftness Potion! Swiftness potions are fairly easy to come by - they'll sometimes drop when you defeat a mob, and sometimes you'll find one in a chest. If you've got the Surprise Gift enchantment on your armor, or the Looting enchantment on your weapon, that will sometimes create one too. Despite the cork, swiftness potions can't be saved for later. When you pick one up, you'll drink it immediately. But you'll be glad you did - with a WHOOSH sound effect, you'll instantly be granted the Speed buff. This dramatically increases your movement speed, allowing you to cover mush more ground in the same space of time and more easily dodge projectiles. The speed buff that you get lasts for about 20 seconds, but real speedsters will want to combo it with the Boots of Swiftness or Death Cap Mushroom artifacts - both of which also increase player speed. With both artifacts activated, along with the swiftness potion buff, you'll whizz along at double or even triple the speed of the Speed buff alone. There are downsides to travelling at this ludicrous speed, though. While you'll get through the level faster, you might miss valuable drops or other interesting things along the way. After all isn't the point of playing the game to play the game? Our advice to those addicted to swiftness potions is to slow down, take it chill, and just enjoy the ride."

TNT

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	January 19, 2024	"Boom! There's nothing more satisfying than a good explosion. That's why so many things in Minecraft Dungeons explode. There are explosive arrows, the harvester artifact, scatter mines, blast fungus, the fireworks arrow, the power shaker, the exploding, fuse shot, beast burst enchantments - and, lastly but by no means leastly, everyone's favorite item, the good ol'fashioned block of TNT. Getting hold of TNT is pretty straightforward. Like other consumables, it has a chance to drop every time you kill a mob. Unlike other consumables, however, you don't need to use TNT instantly - you can carry it on your head until you want to use it. In fact, you can carry up three at a time! You might think that your head wouldn't be the safest place to store TNT, but our explosive expert, a mysterious trechcoated developer, assures us it's totally safe and that we can definitely trust him. That's good enough for us. There is one problem though - carrying TNT on your head is a bit tricky, and so you can't fire your bow at the same time. IN fact, it's the same button to fire an arrow flying at that big clump of zombies shambling toward you when you could throw something more explosive instead? When you do throw TNT, it'll start flashing and a circle appears around it that shows the blast radius. Important tip: don't stand in the blast radius! when it explodes a moment later, it'll deal huge damage - about twice that of an exploding creeper - to anything nearby. That usually means mobs, but it also includes adventurers and their summons. You've been warned. In the real world, TNT stands for trinitrotoluene. Try saying that three times fast! It was invented in 1863 by a German chemist, and (incredibly) it was originally used as a yellow dye. It took about three decades before anyone noticed its explosive potential, mainly because it was kinda tricky to detonate. That trickiness works in its favor - making it easy to manufacture, store and transport without accidental detonation. Our explosives expert assures us that the same is true in Minecraft Dungeons. So don't worry about carrying TNT around with you. Just stand clear when you finally throw it."

Totem of Casting

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	March 15, 2024	"Do you love casting spells in Minecraft Dungeons? If the answer is yes, then you're going to want to pay attention, because our team of top artificers has developed something rather special. It's a way of using souls to reduce the cooldown of artifacts, allowing you to cast your spells much more often. Neat, right? Because coders love recursion, our developers imbued this power into a new artifact - the Totem of Casting, which was added alongside the Fauna Faire seasonal adventure. It looks a bit like a maraca, shaded in blue, with a screaming face on the front. Once found, you can activate the totem to immediately reduce the cooldown of all of your other artifacts. Its own cooldown is just ten seconds, which means that if you have enough souls you could use it to shoot just one. The souls of the foes you defeat using the shortened cooldowns go right back into your souls bar, meaning that the totem basically pays for itself when it comes to the soul economy. Best of all, the power of the totem isn't limited to you alone - it'll work for any friendly player within a range that increases at higher artifact levels. So you could have a whole team of heroes firing off spells at a rapid slip. What could be more beautiful and chaotic? I can see the question already on your lips - how do you get one? This nifty gadget can be foun in the Redstone Mines, the Fiery Forge, the Lower Temple, and the Treetop Tangle missions. You also have a chance of acquiring one from the village merchant, luxury merchant and mystery merchant - but only if you ask them very nicely. In summary: we heard you liked artifacts, so we put an artifact into Minecraft Dungeons that reduces your artifact cooldowns, so you can cast spells while you cast spells. You're welcome."

Trickbow, The Green Menace, The Pink Scoundrel

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	August 4, 2023	"Some Minecraft Dungeons players are blessed with perfect aim - they can hit an apple sitting on the head of a creeper at 50 paces. But with the trickbow, you'll find that aim is overrated. Trickbows come equipped by default with the ricochet enchantment, which gives a chance for any arrow fired to bounce off mob that it's targeting is necessary - just fine your trickbow in the general direction of a clump of enemies, and there's a good chance you'll hit what you were trying to aim at even if it's not the first thing the arrow strikes. Like other bows, trickbows can be fired immendiately or charged up - and the longer you hold the button down, the more damage it'll do. They come with a quiver full of 66 arrows and have relatively low power and low speed. That means that they're most useful for tagging enemies with a special effect. Speaking of which, there are two unique forms of the trickbow worth seeking out on your travels. The Green Menace is bright green and comes with the poison cloud enchantment already equipped. Nice! if you're going to try to fire through all those poison clouds, it's useful to have a bow that will hit its target in even the thickest fog. Similarly, the Pink Scoundrel is bright pink and comes with the wild rage enchantment that makes its target hostile toward other hostile mobs. This is perfect for causing total chaos in the ranks of an approaching horde. Fire the scoundrel into the enemy ranks a few times, and then sit back and have a cup of tea while you watch them all damage each other. You can find all three of these bows in the Cacti Canyon, Lower Temple, Overgrown Temple, Nether Wastes, Basalt Deltas, and End Wilds missions. They're also obtainable from the merchants in your camp. If you prefer to defeat your foes through cunning and subterfuge rather than martial skill, then the trickbow is unquestionably the weapon for you!"

Mob of the Month

The following articles are about the various types of mobs:

Ancient Guardian

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	May 3, 2024	"Deep in the briniest corners of the Hidden Depths DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, you'll find the Abyssal Monument - a sunken temple as old as time itself. This waterlogged structure hides innumerable treasures, some of which have lain undisturbed for generations. But as you float through its hallways on your way to loot these treasures, you'll notice something unnerving - piles of bones of fallen adventurers. Perhaps these unlucky souls merely drowned, or maybe they became lost in the twisted pathways of the temple. Far more likely, though, is that they fell victim to our mob of the month - the Ancient Guardian. The Ancient Guardian is the oldest and largest of all the guardians that inhabit the temple. Seaweed and coral may have grown upon its back, but that doesn't make its spines any less sharp and dealy. Worst of all, this powerful being has been corrupted by a shard of the Orb of Dominance, which has become lodged in its skull, driving it mad with fury. To cleanse the corruption, you'll need to defeat this terrifying monster. That won't be easy, as it has a multitude of attacks to contend with. First are its spikes - which it uses to attack nearby threats, creating a high-damage shockwave. Be wary as it can also extend those spikes in defense. Attacking it in this state will mean taking damage from the sharp points. The Guardian's enormous eye is capable of firing a highly dangerous yellow laser, from which you'll need to take shelter. This requires a lot of the Ancient Guardian's energy, however, and it will usually retract its spikes afterwards to recover. This is a great time to leap forward and attack. It can also summon biomines, which are egg-like structures that explode into poisonous gas when popped. And the beast is not too proud to summon its friends if it finds itself overwhelmed. Be prepared to face down additional guardians (and even elder guardians!) during the fight. If you can survive the full onslaught of this fearsome monstrosity, you'll be rewarded with all manner of loot - from battle robes and squid armor, to anchors, hammers, scythes, bows, crossbows and even harpoons. Artifact hunters may be rewarded with a harpoon quiver, a Gong of Weakening, a Satchel of Snacks, or even the beast's enormous eye - still capable of firing its deadly laser. Go bravely into battle, and you'll come home a champion. We wish you luck."

Enchantsmith

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	March 1, 2024	"Sometimes it can feel like everyone in the Overworld is out to get you. After enduring waves of zombies, illagers, endermen, redstone golems, royal guards and slimes, you might think there's no one on your team, no one to back you up, on one to help when things get rough. But it's not true! In your camp, there's a whole team of specialists who want nothing more than a world free of the Arch-Illager's menace, and will stop at nothing to assist. Sure, they charge a fat stack of emeralds for that assisstance, but everyone's got to eat, right? Let's introduce your team. There's the Blacksmith! The Luxury Merchant! The Mystery Merchant! The Village Merchant! The Piglin Merchant! The Gift Wrapper! Big round of applause for all of them. But wait, who's that new face over there? The one wearing purple, leafing through a stack of old books? It's the Enchantsmith, and they're gunna make all your dreams come true! The only condition is that your dreams need to involve re-rolling enchantments. To recruit this useful merchant, you'll need to head to the courtyard of Highblock Halls and look for the Enchantsmith in the area close to the golden gate. Rescue them, and they'll set up their stall in your camp to the lower left side of the Adventure Hub. Once they're ready to trade, you'll discover that this high-class retailer only accepts payments in gold. Pay the fee and you can change a random enchantment on any weapon or piece of armor. Didn't get the one you want? Bad luck. Pay some more gold - a little more each time you roll on the same item - and you can have another try. Getting the exact enchantment you want could be expensive. But dropping the one you hate? That's cheap. So here's some free advice - don't get too obsessed with achieving the perfect single setup on your weapons and armor. Instead, try out a bunch of different strategies using the equipment that Lady Luck sends you. You might be surprised at how effective an unconventional strategy can be..."

Enderlings

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	September 6, 2024	"When you first set foot into the End, everything is new. The strange yellow terrain, the weird purple chorus trees, the inky darkness of the Void surrounding you. You know it won't be long before you're set upon by the inhabitants of this wretched dimension - the endermen. But not all endermen are alike! There are several different sub-species of these alien beings, collectively known as the Enderlings. Before you step through the End portal, it's worth being aware of how they differ, so that you don't fall afoul of their deadly tricks. The toughest are the blacklings, which you'll recognize by their thick arms and bright purple fists. Oh, and the fact that their heads are perpetually on fire. These beasts have the highest health of all the Enderlings and assault and intruders by shooting blobs of purple goo from their hands. the watchlings are next. These creepy creatures look like mutated Endermen, with hundreds of eyes covering their torso and head. These sentries aren't equipped with any unique attacks, but upon spotting a hera they'll teleport to them and clobber them with tehir muscular arms. Finally, you'll want to be particularly wary of the snarelings. These arachnoid creatures carry around a cobweb-like material in a bright yellow sac on their body, which they'll use to ensnare any foes that come close. Once one snareling traps something in its web, it'll call out to others nearby who'll teleport in and begin to feast upon the prey. All three enderlings can prove slippery to get a hold of. They'll teleport away if a hero gets too close, making them though to pin down. Attacking at range might be a good option for players with strong ranged weapons. If you want to put an end to the Orb of Dominance once and for all, you'll need to steel yourself and push forward through theenderlings to make your way to the Broken Citadel. That's where the final fight awaits you."

Ghasts

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	November 1, 2024	"You’ve probably noticed that some of the foes you face in Minecraft Dungeons are tougher than others. Anything with armor is tougher than its non-armored equivalent, for example. So is anything large – like the Redstone Golem, the Skeleton Horsemen, and the Elder Guardian. In the Flames of the Nether DLC, there’s one tough mob in particular that you’re going to want to keep an eye out for as you’re navigating the Basalt Deltas and Crimson Forest. It’s the ghast – and it just so happens to be our Mob of the Month. Ghasts are instantly recognizable. They’re huge white floaty things, a bit like a cross between a ghost and a jellyfish, which will aim fireballs in your direction as soon as they spot you. Those fireballs are deadly – not only do they burn on contact, but if they miss you then they’ll explode and leave behind fire which you’ll need to avoid/ So how do you take down this mighty beast? Well, unlike in Minecraft, where a ghast will drop to a few well-aimed arrows, the ghasts in Minecraft Dungeons seem to have been working out (how!?) and can take a lot more punishment before going down. That means you’re going to want to be prepared with your best weapons, armor and artifacts if you want to stand a chance of coming out on top. Then there’s another problem – getting close to a ghast isn’t easy. Like other ranged enemies, they’ll retreat when you apprach, making it difficult to take one on in melee. A ranged strategy can sometimes be more effective, but that means playing the very same strategy that the ghast is best at. Pro tip: get good at dodging fireballs. Oh – and one more thing. Did you know that baby ghasts are a thing and you can get one? Yes! Squeeeee! If you’ve bought the Flames of the Nether DLC, Ultimate Edition, a Season Pass, or the Ultimate DLC Bundle then you’ll be able to recruit one of these tiny lil things as your companion on all your Minecraft Dungeons adventures. Adorable. It doesn’t do anything except keep you company and offer moral support. But ultimately, isn’t that all that anyone really wants in life?"

Gift Wrapper

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	December 20, 2024	"Who's the happiest NPC in camp? It's not the blacksmith, who always seems to have a grumpy expression on their face. It's not the piglin merchant, who's carrying a huge and heavy load. It's not the village merchant, who's generally too busy to enjoy themselves, nor is it the mystery merchant - because who knows what's going on with them? Wait, who's that villager at the back there, doing a jaunty little jig? Is that a present on their head? That's right - it is. The happiest NPC in the camp is the gift wrapper, and the only way you're going to make them happier is to ask them to gift-wrap something for you. The gift-wrapper is easily recognizable. For starters there's that ridiculous hat - it seems like at some point they got bored and gift-wrapped themselves. Underneath the hat, they're wearing a red suit with black stripes on the sleeves, a brown apron, olive trousers, and some very fancy red shoes. You'll first encounter this happy-go-lucky villager in the Soggy Swamp, where they've been captured by the Arch-Illager. Once rescued, they'll move into your camp - perhaps it's their new-found freedom that's the source of their boundless positivity? Either way, this NPC has a particularly useful role then you're playing with others. Every time you complete a misson, you can visit the gift-wrapper to gift one weapon, armor or artifact to another hero in the camp. The gifted weapon will keep any enchantments applied to it, but enchantment points will be removed and refunded, and its power level will be re-rolled based on the recipient's recommended difficulty. The whole process costs 100 to 250 emeralds, which pays for all the fancy wrapping paper and ribbons. One thing to be aware of is that once you've gifted an item, it'll be given a "gifted" tag and you won't be albe to gift it again. No re-gifting! So, think carefully before you give up a beloved with horn, mace, or tasty bone. You won't be getting it back. Ever. That's a small price to pay for seeing a smile of delight spread over the face of not just the recipient of your gift, but the NPC who wraps it too. Where else in camp can you generate such happiness with just a couple of hundred emeralds? Nowhere! So, love and appreciate your gift-wrapper, and you'll get nothing but joy back from them in return."

Guardian

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	July 5, 2024	"In the darker corners of the Minecraft Dungeons' Hidden Depths DLC, something stirs. An ancient intelligence, wary of intruders and ready to unleash a ferocious assault on anything that disturbs the dark tranquility of the Abyssal Monument. It's the Guardian - our Mob of the Month. You'll want to be prepared as you explore the underwater enviroments of the DLC's watery levels, carefully managing your oxygen alonsige your health. As you hunt for the shard of the Orb of Dominance which landed in these seas, it's inevitable that you'll come across one of these monstrosities. For starters, you'll need to recognize them. Younger Guardians are a dark grey-green color, with razor sharp orange spikes pushing outward from their body. They have a single, huge, unblinking eye that keeps watch on its surroundings, and fires green beams of energy when enraged. Keep clear of that beam if you want to survive an encounter with one of these soggy sentinels. It's rumored that a particularly strong Guardian named Abyssal Eye can be found by skilled hunters, guarding unimaginably powerful gilded weaponry and armor. If you dare to seek it out, a good starting point would be the Piglin Merchant in your camp. Guardians which survive long enough will grow in power as their skin fades to a bone-like color. These Elder Guardians are much more dangerous, sometimes even lunging at their opponents in an attempt to impale them upon their bodily spines, and will take a lot more punishment before succumbing to your attacks. But the oldest, most dangerous Guardian of all lives in the very center of the Abyssal Monument. This Ancient Guardian has been corrupted by a shard of the Orb of Dominance, lodged in its skull. Not only can it attack with its own spines and eye beam, but it can also summon additional Guardians to aid it, as well as explosive biomines. To cleanse the reef of its corruption, you'll need to defeat this terrifying master of the Abyssal Monument and its inhabitants. Come prepared with courage, strength and the will to succeed, and the treasure of the sunken temple will be yours."

Iceologer

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	January 5, 2024	"As you trek through the icy wastes of the Creeping Winter DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, you'll want to keep your eyes open. There are illagers aplenty in these parts, and they don't welcome visitors. Most of the unfriendly inhabitants of this frostbitten land eke out a meagre existence, but a few have acquired great power through magical means. Enchanters use ancient knowledge to strengthen their allies, evokers summon aggressive otherworldly beings, geomancers wield the might of nature, while illusioners clone themselves to confuse their opponents. But perhaps the most sinister of all are those illagers who tap into the power of the cold itself, and attempt to entrap their foes beneath an avalanche of snow and ice. These dangerous and powerful enemies are called iceologers, and they're our mob of the month. Unlike their illager siblings, iceologers can be easily recognized by their long blue cloak with a hood and cape. This cloak, combined with their grey skin and lighter blue underclithes allow them to easily blend into the frosty landscape. But watch for their bright red eyes, which burn with a fire that you might not expect from such a worshipper of the cold. If one sees you, you'll want to move fast. Cast your eyes toward the heavens and you'll see an enormous chunk of snow and ice forming above your head. If it lands on you, you'll be stunned for several seconds and then subsequently chilled for another few seconds as your body slowly returns to normal temperature. Luckily, iceologers are not the most resilient of the illagers. Their robes allow great freedom of movement for spellcasting, but offer little protection from an arrow, or the swing of a hammer or sword. Smart players will either close the distance fast between them and the iceologer, or take them down with a hail of arrows from range. Either way, consider them a priority target. You'll inevitably encounter many of these chilly spellcasters as you battle to free the land of its icy curse. But if you keep your wits about you, act quickly and take out any iceologer you see before it can complete its summoning spell, then you might just survive their onslaught. This wintery kingdom needs you - we hope that you can prevail."

Key Golem

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	August 2, 2024	"There's a time in every adventurer's life when they come across a door which won't open. They push it, kick it, swear at it, but it stays closed. Faced with such an insurmountable obstacle, some would-be heroes give up their adventuring career, return home and take up a life of farming instead. But others know that the solution is rarely far away and go hunting for our mon of the month: the key golem. Let's take a moment to be thankful for key golems. After all, they're definitely the least dangeous foe you'll encounter in the very dangerous world of Minecraft Dungeons. They spend most of their life asleep, waking up only when an adventurer passes by. There are two kinds of key golem - one made out of gold, and one made out of diamond. Bring them to gold and diamond locks respectively to get them to open it. But beware - key golems don't actually like adventurers very much. and honestly, it's not too difficult to understand why. Adventurers tend to take them to scary and dangerous places and will generally abandon them in those dangerous places when they're no longer useful. Tha's why the key golems quirm and scream then picked up and try to run away if the hero gets hurt and drops them. When a key golem is running away, it's possible for another mob to pick it up instead, and then they'll carry it, still screaming, until that mob gets hurt and drops the golem. Honestly, it's a pretty rough life being a key golem. So next time you see one, treat it kindly by clearing out all the danger from the area before you pick it up. The golem will be happier, you'll be happir, and you'll be able to continue on your adventuring career knowing that you've been a good person."

Necromancer

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	October 4, 2024	"Below the baking sands of Cacti Canyon, in the depths of the Desert Temple uncovered by the Arch-Illager’s minions, you’ll fing traces of an ancient civilization. This civilization flourished thousands of years ago, but its ultimate downfall was spurred by attempts to reclaim past glories through the use of necromantic magic. Today their kingdom lies in dust, but deep inside the sacred halls of their Temple, husk-like beings capable of raising the dead still stir in the darkness. These foes are called necromancers and they’re easy enough to regognize – tall, skeletal underneath their ragged purple robes, and carrying a staff adorned with a glowing blue orb. Their eyes glow with the same blue light, beneath a golden crown that marks their noble origins. The glowing staff is what allows them to summon zombies and skeletons to carry out their dirty work. Often, approaching a necromancer means wading through a mob of these summoned creatures before you’re able to get at their leader –and while you’re wading the necromancer will likely unleash its second attack – a hail of damaging laser orbs. These have the ability to knock back any assailants, so be prepared to dig in. Taking down a necromancer successfully is a matter of strategy. Keeping your distance is wise – a bow or crossbow can be very helpful, ideally one enchanted with multishot so you can hit both the necromancer and its minions at the same time. If you can’t avoid melee combat, then seek our a corner so that relatively few of the summoned zombies can attack you at the same time. Luckily, if you do wipe out or rush past the minions then the necromancer itself is usually pretty brittle, falling apart easily under a sustained onslaught. As the necromancers originate in the Desert Temple, they’re most often found in this region of the overworld, but it’s not unheard-of to see them elsewhere. They’ve also been sighted in the Woodland Mansion and Woodland Prison, in the Stronghold and the Tower, and on higher difficulty settings in Creeper Woods, the Creepy Crypt and Cacti Canyon. If you do encounter one, then keep your wits to you, retreat to a safe distance, and then pepper the necromancer with arrows before cleaning up its summoned minions. It won’t be easy, but they don’t call you a hero for nothing. Good luck."

Ravager

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	December 6, 2024	"As you're hacking and slashing your way through Minecraft Dungeons, you'll undoubtedly run into a lot of illagers. These cruel folk are members of a society where the strong rule over everyone else, and the weak are punished. Until recently, the illagers were few in number. But the rise of the Arch-Illager has given their empire much strength, and now they assault villages with a mixture of swords, bows, magic, and fearsome beasts. Speaking of which... In the Howling Peaks DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, you're likely to come face to face with the illager's most terrifying creature. You'll hear it before you see it - its thungering steps echoing through the Windswept Peaks, The Gauntlet of Gales, and the Colossal Rampart. It's the Ravager, and it's not pleased to see you. This enormous beast poses a threat to even the strongest adventurers. Its horns are razor sharp, its feet are bound in steel, and its back is a saddle, allowing it to be ridden by raid captains and other high-ranking illagers. It was originally designed by Minecraft developer Jens Bergensten, who says was inspired by the Manticore from Persian folklore. In fact, early versions of the beast featured an enormous crossbow mounted to its back. "We decided not to with that because it was a bit much," he said. In Minecraft Dungeons, the Ravager will come at you with three main attacks. After sighting a player, this beast will first paw the ground with its legs and then charge forward. Once in melee range, the Ravager bites its foes - dealing a lot of damage and causing knockback. Finally, as you're scrambling back to your feet, the Ravager will unleash a mighty roar, sending any nearby mobs or players flying. If the greatest challenge for players facing a Ravager is merely staying upright, then the second greatest challenge is taking it down. Ravagers have ten times as much health as most other mobs, and they can't be stunned by normal attacks either - only by using a Stunning enchantment or Shock Powder. Oh, and as they're not illagers, genetically speaking, they won't be affected by the Illager's Bane enchantment either. So next time you're picking your way through the Howling Peaks, stay on high alert and have your sword close at hand. The heavy hoof-stomps of Ravager are never far away."

Skeleton Vanguard

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	November 3, 2023	"Inside the dark tunnels of the Desert Temple, built and destroyed many millennia ago, one would expect the dusty bones of its guards to lie in peace. However, the ancient civilization that constructed this edifice dabbled in necromancy, and some of that power still remains hidden in the sands - raising skeletons and causing them to rattle through the halls once more. These warriors, known as skeleton vanguards, may no longer have a stomach for battle - but they definitely still have the ribcage. What's more, their shield, glaive, and armor are still in tip-top condition, ready to strike down any beings that make their way into the Temple ruins, whatever their intentions. That means you, dear adventurer. So, here's a short guide to surviving your first few encounters with these bony brutes. First things first: skeleton vanguards are single-minded and as soon as they spot you, they'll immediately try and chase you down. If they get in range they'll attack with their glaive, which has a surprisingly long range, longer than most other mobs. Their large golden shield will always block the first hit they take before breaking. Tactics to take them down differ depending on whether your character is more tanky or more ranged-focused. If you're feeling brave, wade in close with a fast-attacking weapon and break the shield quickly before putting the hurt on the vanguard. If your character is more fragile, or you're playing on higher difficulty settings, it might be worth sitting back and peppering the skellies with arrows instead. Either way you choose to approach the skeleton vanguard, you'll quickly learn that they're a formidable foe - not to be taken lightly. What else would you expect after thousands of years patrolling the Desert Temple?"

Tower Guard

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	April 5, 2024	"As you battle your way through the Arch-Illager's stronghold in Highblock Halls and Obsidian Pinnacle, you'll undoubtedly end up tangling with the royal guards. These dangerous defenders are clad in steel and wield a mace and enormous shield. They're not only heavily armed, but heavily armored too - making them difficult to take down. But these fearsome foes are a cakewalk compared to the illagers, which have been promoted from the ranks of the royal guards to defend the Tower. The tower guards come equipped with an intimidating array of weapons and armor, and they're all set to ruin your day. The first thing you'll notice when you come up against a platoon of guards is their enormous red-and-gold shields, which depict the tower and deflect ranged as well as melee attacks. You'll also spot their yellow-friged hood and extravagant cape, which combine to conceal their identity from any onlooker. But what you need to worry about most is the diamond tipped spear that they wield to handle any intruders. These formidable weapons allow them to charge down anyone they don't like the look of, before dealing heavy damage in close quarters. To overcome these well-equipped enemies, you'll need to turn their weakness to your advantage. The shield spear and armor in combination allow the tower guard to take and deal heavy damage, but it also weighs them down - and as a result they're not the most aile of foes. If possible, try to dart in and out of range, breaking the shield before taking down its wielder. Whatever happens, you'll need to figure out some way to handle these fearsome illagers, because they're standing between you and the stairs leading to the top of the Tower. If you want to earn your place among the most elite heroes, that's the only way to do it."

Tower Wraith

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	February 2, 2024	"Have you ventured into the Tower yet? This mysterious, vertiginous structure appeared one day next to the camp, but somehow it feels like it has always been there, looming into the clouds above. Inside, you'll find perhaps your greatest challenge yet - thirty floors which you'll need to hack and slash your way through to emerge victorious. Easy, right? But there's a catch... you'll be starting fresh. That mens you can't take any of your painstakingly-obtained gear in with you. You'll need to work with what you find inside the structure if you want to come out on top against the Tower's denizens. Inside the Tower, you can expect to encounter many of the hostile creatures that roam the Overworld. Skeletons, zombies, creepers, spiders, illagers, and all manner of other beasts. But there are a few nasties that you'll only find in the Tower, and today we're focusin on one of them floatiest: the tower wraith - our Mob of the Month. Tower wraiths bear a passing resemblance to the wraith, which seasoned players will know from its blue, fiery area-of-effect attack. Wraith attacks are not too tricky to avoid if you're paying attention - just don't stand in the fire. But tower wraiths are a rather more fearsome proposition. The key thing you need to look for is the color of their robe. A green robed wraith attacks with green flames, a black-robed wraith attacks with soul fire, while a magenta-robed wraith attacks with purple poisonous clouds. Their attacks do more damage, and the area you'll need to escape from is much larger than that of a regular wraith. Some adventurers have even reported seeing wraiths change the color of their cloak in an attempt to deceive players - a claer sign that these menacing monsters have truly mastered their terrible abilities. As with the regular wraith, the best strategy is usually to these foes down as a priority target - so that you can clean up the rest of the pack without needing to worry about where you're standing. But in the rush of combat, that's easier said than done, and you'll often find yourself dodging poison and flame while trying in vain to reach your enemy. Will you survive? Who knows. The only way to find out is to walk boldly into the tower under the watchful eyes of the tower keeper and test your skills to their limits."

Whisperer

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	June 7, 2024	"As you're slicing through the undergrowth in Minecraft Dungeons' Jungle Awakens DLC, you might be surprised to find that some of the undergrowth slices right back. There are quick-growing vines which block your escape, poison quill vines which spit toxic barbs, and the terrifying Leapleaf, with a fist the size of a tree trunk. And then there's the Whisperer, our mob of the month. The Whisperer is tall and slender, with a body made of thick green leaves and flowers given sentience by the Orb of Dominance. Where its head would be, there's simply a gaping maw with razor-sharp teeth, and its long arms givee it both a surprising reach as well as total control over nearby plant-life. From a distance, the Whisperer likes to confuse adventurers by surrounding them with quick growing vines, which will need to be hacked through before you can reach the creature. Their second line of attack is to punch the ground, summoning poison-quill vines for further distraction. A third strategy is to lay down entagle vines on the floor. These small pyramids of foliage are difficult to see unless you're looking for them, but when stepped on they'll erupt into action and trap you for several seconds. Finally, when approached at close range, the Whisperer will use its long tendril-like arms to attack with surprising ferocity. Defeating a Whisperer, therefore, requires a careful dance - stay at a distance and you'll be trapped in vines and attacked with poisonous quills. Get too close and you'll be battered by the Whisperer's thorny limbs. The best strategy is to close the gap between you and your opponent fast, then dart in and out of melee range with quick attacks, jumping back before it can respond. That strategy works well one-on-one. But woe betide any adventurer who confronts several of these dangerous plant-beasts at the same time. In those situations, you'll need to rely on your wits and weaponry to come out on top. Good luck - you're going to need it."

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Entangled in Vines

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	June 14, 2024	"When the Orb of Dominance was shattered at the end of the main campaign of Minecraft Dungeons, many small shards were scattered across the Overwold. One of Those shards landed in a thick jungle, full of dangerous creatures, which have only grown more dangerous as a result of the Orb's corruption. That's where you come in. In the Jungle Awakens DLC for Minecraft Dungeons, you'll need to hack your way through the undergrowth to destroy this source of corruption. You'll visit ancient ruins, an overgrown temple, and perhaps even the home of a community of friendly pandas. But you'll start your journey amidst the think foliage of the Dingy Jungle. The first thing you'll notice as you venture into the jungle is how wet it is. Half of the time it's raining, and the other half of the time the sun can't penetrate the forest's thick canopy. As a result, moss grows on every surface - including some of the area's more threatening fauna. Many of the foes you'll face in this area of the jungle are zombies and skeletons. Some with armor, and some without. Creepers lurk in these woods, too, along with skeletons, spiders and slimes. There are many ways to meet an untimely end amidst these hostile jungle inhabitants. But that's not the worst of what you'll face, because the Orb's corruption has created monstrosities out of some of the area's verdant flora too. Poison-quill vines will shoot poisonous darts at you, and Whisperers will summon vines to attack or entangle, while using their long powerful arms to try to tear you limb from limb. But the most fearsome inhabitant of the Dingy Jungle is the Leapleaf - a monstrous, rampaging fiend with enough power behind its glowing pink fists to crush you like a leaf. If you can survive all these dangers, then there are plenty of unique treasures to be found in the jungle. Ocelot Armor will boost your health and reduce damage taken, while still allowing you to roll like an acrobat to avoid danger. The whip hits hard from a distance, and comes in a rare variant made of vines that also inflicts poison damage. If you're going to free the Overworld of the Orb's corrupting influence, then you'll need to use the power granted by these artefacts to face up to the horrors lurking amongst the Dingy Jungle's leaves. Olny then will you discover what mysteries are hidden deeper within Jungle Awakens' dark, green embrace..."