While the new Minecraft 1.20.5 update was noticed because of the adorable armadillo on the cover art, the launch itself didn’t make a splash. Namely, everyone was so focused on the major update which is incoming on June 13th that few bothered exploring what this minor update had to offer.
But, for a minor addition, the Minecraft 1.20.5 update brought in quite a bit of exciting changes. The armadillos are not the only new mob, as there is a whole set of new tamable wolves, one for each biome.
For dog lovers, where I wholeheartedly include myself, this is an amazing update. Not only are the doggos themselves coming in different colors, but now there is also the armor for dogs that can be painted in different colors. This opens an entire array of possibilities for the best PvP servers.
With additional health and armor, traveling with guard dogs now is becoming really viable and a good strategy for the Overworld.
Minecraft 1.20.5 is the Biggest Small Update
Most of the changes in the Minecraft 1.20.5 update are not visible to the naked eye. For the Java edition, much of the back end is changing to accommodate future updates. This is not essential to players, but is an interesting information for modders who will have a bit more liberty now.
The improvement of loot tables is supposed to change how puzzle dungeons will work in 1.21 and this difference alone has a lot of potential for multiplayer.
As for the upfront differences, the biggest ones are the armadillos and the wolves. Not only are both insanely adorable, they also change some of the strategies in the early to mid-game.
#1 Armadillos
Armadillos are the completely new mob that will be appearing in savanna and badlands biomes. Same as its IRL counterpart, it will close up in a ball (a cube, in this case) when it senses danger.
The Armadillo has only 6 health and will not drop anything but 3XP when killed, so there is no use to kill it. But, if you brush it, it will drop an “Armadillo Scute” that is used to make wolf armor.
#2 Wolf Armor
This is not the first time most players have seen this dog armor, as it was available via mods for a while now. But, not that it is vanilla it works even better. With six armadillo scutes it is possible to craft the armor and it will provide +11 armor for your tamed wolf.
If damaged, you will notice how the armor will crack similar to how an iron golem would crack. But, adding more scutes will repair the armor and you will get an advancement the first time you repair it. Alternatively, you can remove it with shears.
Finally, you will be able to color the armor multiple times. By using any dye, you will add colors to the armor and will be able to color-code your wolf pack.
#3 Doggy Heaven
Combined with the 40 health already available and the doubled regeneration from food for wolves, the tamed armored wolf will now become a formidable force in the Overworld. Basically, only a Ravager and stronger will be able to destroy an armored wolf 1v1.
And, because there are now nine different varieties of wolves which when collected give an advancement, there is a reason to travel with the full pack.
Mojang is really focusing on not letting tamed wolves to perish and making them beefier. I honestly think this might have an opposite effect as they can now be used offensively, but there is also a chance that you can travel the world with a dozen furry companions behind you.
#4 Shulker Farm Advancements
With this new update the Shulkers will no longer be able to open through armor racks. This might not sound like a lot, but it opens the possibility to make an effective Shulker farm in the end-game.
With enough shulker shells, it is possible to transport huge amounts of materials wherever you need them. And, since you can dye all of the boxes it’s possible to easily organize large projects in survival.
If stacked, you can hold 62.208 items in your inventory without even using your nine primary slots.
#5 No More Dirt Transitions
This is a small difference, but a noticeable one. Namely, from now on when you are passing to and from the Nether and End there will no longer be a “dirt wall” in front of you. The transition has been optimized for a while now, but the dirt.png has somehow survived.
Not, you will start seeing the other side just before you spawn. While the dirt wall will be remembered, I can’t say that it will be missed.
Sights and Sounds of the Minecraft 1.20.5 Update
Aside from the changes that were made front and center, there is a series of smaller changes that only those who pay attention will notice. There are some changes in the sounds, for instance removing webs now will sound less like breaking stone.
Similar changes are all over the list, but you would need to pay a lot of attention or have excellent hearing to notice all of them.
Overall, it is important that such changes are at least made and that someone is paying attention. Wrong sounds can really push you out of the game once you notice them and it is nice that the Minecraft 1.20.5 update is addressing this.
Conclusion
The Minecraft 1.20.5 update is a welcomed surprise. While not changing anything major, it brings a lot more than we are used to from a minor update. With one type of armadillos and eight more types of wolves, we do have something new to play with.
For those of us who like turning out MC world into a petting zoo, every such change is more than welcome. Not to mention that the new wolf armor might change some strategies, at least in the early game.
You can tell us what you think about the new update by joining our Discord server.
FAQ
Q: When is Minecraft Update 1.21 coming out?
A: Minecraft update 1.21 is expected to launch on June 13th 2024. This is sooner than the update was originally planned.
Q: Is Minecraft 1.20.5 Update available in Java?
A: Yes. The new small update was introduced primarily on the Minecraft Java edition, but it will be available on Bedrock and Mobile subsequently.
Q: What is update 1.20.6 for Minecraft?
A: This update is a hotfix for various bugs that have appeared with the 1.20.5 update. It was launched 4 days after the minor update and two weeks before the 1.21 major update.
Q: When will update 1.21. be available for Bedrock?
A: The update is planned to release starting Q3 2024, probably during late July.
