I was really excited for Minecraft 1.9, or the Combat Update, and was hoping it would be worth the wait. I will be reviewing one of the biggest updates in vanilla Minecraft for you guys! (Sorry if this review gets a little long!)

One of the best items added in my opinion was the shield. Obviously, it would have been pointless if dual-wielding wasn't added as well, but it adds more depth into Minecraft, as you can attack with a sword and block with a shield, which also feels more realistic, as many people wouldn't block a Skeleton arrow with a sword. More strategy is also added with the 'cool-down' delay on swords, which makes it crucial to not spam the mouse while you are in a Hunger Games deathmatch! The special attacks on swords and axes are also quite cool, as they add more variety to attacks, because ti got a little boring just swinging your sword at someone's face.

The End probably received the biggest update, and the effort was no waste of time! Now that the Ender Dragon can be resummoned, players can now take on the Ender Dragon again with a more deadly arsenal of weapons. End cities and some much needed scenery to the End, and the new block (purpur) really fits in well with the End Stone. The End Rod is an unusual source of light, but it adds another alternative light source to your awesome creation you have been working on for the past 6 months. The Dragon Head and the Elytra are awesome, as the dragon head is the only head that will spawn in the world, and the elytra can negate fall damage if used correctly.

Natural structures and beetroots from the Pocket Edition have also been added. Igloos add scenery to the otherwise barren snowy biomes and the new enchantment, Frost Walker, goes well with this. The new arrows also add more strategy to fighting mobs or other players.

Overall, Minecraft 1.9 was a great update, and now the only way for Minecraft is up as we eagerly await the next major update.