Armor has always been important inMinecraft, but the June 2020 Nether Update in particular made equipment more relevant. For one, it introduced piglins, who provided players with a new reason to wear golden armor, since it would prevent unnecessary battles.Netherite armoralso joinedMinecraftin the Nether Update as an upgraded version of diamond armor. These updates are a great example of how Mojang is always building on the game’s foundations, adding new features to established content. However, in spite of this, Mojang seems to have neglected to bring chainmail armor up to date alongside the game’s other equipment.
Chainmail, once merely known as chain armor, is one of the oldest equipment types in the game. As far back as 2009, Mojang has been trying to integrate chainmail into the game, well beforeMinecraft’s iconic diamond armorcame to be. In spite of being one of the oldest categories, however, chainmail has always been a background player inMinecraft.Even now, it’s fairly hard to obtain and yet not particularly useful. The time may be right for chainmail to step out of the shadow ofMinecraft’s other armors and finally find some unique utility that makes players consider using it.
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Minecraft’s Chainmail and its Future
At the moment,Minecraftoffers unique functions for a lot of its armor. Diamond armor is often invaluable for its top-tier protection, while iron armor is affordable but durable armor. Aside from protecting players frompiglins in the Nether, gold armor is also notoriously good for enchanting. Even leather armor has unique uses, since it can be dyed and leather boots help players traverse snow. All the while, chainmail lacks uses. It offers less protection than iron armor, yet it can only be obtained from mob drops, loot chests, and villager trades. It simply doesn’t compare to the game’s other gear.
Chainmail armor is more of a collector’s item than a true utility right now, but even in this way, it falls short.Minecrafthas some much more enticing and useful collector’s items to offer players, such as theEnder Dragon’s Eggor a Beacon crafted from a Nether Star. After all these years, it seems like it’s time for Mojang to make chainmail armor a real part ofMinecraft,rather than peripheral gear. Even thoughMinecraft’s other armor types play a lot of special roles, there are still plenty of good directions to take chainmail.
In order to become relevant inMinecraft,Mojang should first and foremost upgrade its basics. Chainmail was once crafted with fire, of all things, but now it lacks a recipe; if Mojang keeps it weaker than iron armor, chainmail could be crafted with iron nuggets, while a stronger version could useMinecraftchains as components, since chains cost quite a bit of iron to make. Chainmail could also use some unique defensive traits based on the real armor type. For instance, it mightprovideMinecraftplayers with good protectionagainst melee attacks while leaving them slightly more vulnerable to ranged attacks and explosions.
Ideally, a chainmail rework would give it some other special traits. Chain armor has sometimes been worn with pieces of plate armor or combined with leather or heavy cloth across history; maybe Mojang could find a way to letMinecraftplayers don a chestplate of another type over chainmail, adding up to some extra protection at the cost of wearing down two chestplates at once. Of course, Mojang has displayed its creativity with gold armor’s special uses. It could certainly look for a more surprising way to make chainmail relevant. Whatever the case ends up being, though, chainmail has played a bit part inMinecraftfor too long. It’s time for the armor to have a meaningful place in the game after all these years.
Minecraftis available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
