If you’re excessively circle-strafing, or engaged in any kind of standoff, hurl a few snowballs to throw the bad guy off, then move in. Yeah, they don’t do any damage – but they interrupt movement, and can cause wear on armor and shields. Tip: Never underestimate the snowball as a weapon to throw your opponent off his game. If you end up circling and swinging swords for more than a few seconds, pick an alternate strategy: Back up and switch to your bow, or cut across the circle and wait for your opponent to walk into your sword. So, don’t let yourself get locked into this cycle. Skilled PvP players will try to get you into this cycle, lull you into a false sense of security, and then smack you with a Potion of Harming, Weakness, or Poison… or just change strafing direction and get behind you. Often, when two opponents square off (or “circle off” as the case may be) in Minecraft, it often devolves into a circular dance of death – with both spinning around each other, launching probing shots with swords, and blocking with shields, for long periods of time. Keep in mind, however, that every piece of equipment can only have a certain number of enchantments on it, and you may be sacrificing more damage or other advantages in order to keep Unbreaking.
Tip: Inventory management is really important, so if you find that you have too many backup or alternative items, consider enchanting your weapons/armor with Unbreaking in order to reduce the likelihood that they’ll suffer wear-and-tear when you whack someone with them. If you encounter this, make sure you have some key alternatives to rely on for maximum damage. Moreover, some foes may have armor that’s particularly susceptible to a certain kind of attack, or particularly resistant. Smacking someone in the helmet with your bronze sword might be fun… but if it breaks and leaves you barehanded, you’re in for a world of hurt. While we always want to keep inventory as streamlined as possible (see below), one thing you always have to keep track of in Minecraft is the durability of your stuff – particularly weapons – in a fight. Keep backup weapons (and other equipment) Remember, though, that Ender Pearls will damage you (this damage can be mitigated with the right armor), so don’t use them if you’re down to your last few hearts. These allow you to teleport quickly to where the Pearl is thrown, making you very difficult to predict – and possibly allowing you to bypass your opponent’s traps, or get the heck out of a tough fight if all looks lost. Tip: Bring Ender Pearls with you to the fight. A Speed Potion can make this much easier, but even letting up a little on the thumbstick when it’s not expected can make all the difference when it comes to throwing off a foe’s timing. But don’t run away in a straight line, either. That should be obvious, as it’s a good way to get shot or stabbed. Infinity enchantment is, all things being equal, the better choice – as not only do you only need to carry one arrow in your inventory (inventory mismanagement is a huge noob mistake, as we’ll discuss), but you can gather the fired arrows after the fight, and magically add to your total ammo!ĭon’t rush straight at your opponent. Tip: Either put an Infinity enchantment on your bow or carry a ton of good arrows, as it won’t be of any use without ammo. Still haven’t upgraded to Xbox One? Why not take advantage of our week-long promotion starting Monday and pick out a free, full-priced game with your new system? Or, beginning today, if you buy an Xbox One through the Microsoft Store, you’ll also get a $50 Xbox Gift Card with your purchase!Īs much as you might be tempted to bum rush the unsuspecting opponent(s) in your PvP match, a quality long-range weapon can be a lifesaver as either a standoff skirmishing tool – or a way to give a fleeing wuss a parting shot. Well, don’t worry! Here are a few tips to help you go from noob to elite killer status (or, you know, halfway decent killer status) in Minecraft’s player-versus-player (PvP) combat.
So, maybe you’re playing Minecraft: Xbox One Edition, using your iron pickaxe to get some ore, and you think, “Hey, I sure would like to test out my nifty new sword and bow on another real person!” But you might be afraid that you haven’t got what it takes to avoid getting ganked.