Minecraft PVP Tips

Tips and tricks for you to use when fighting other players on Minecraft PVP servers!

Overview

In the Minecraft 1.9 update, PvP received a massive overhaul. Many game functions were changed and many more PvP strategies were released. This blog post is focused on guiding you through these Minecraft PVP tips, and making you a pro!


Shields

One of the most important PVP changes in the Minecraft 1.9 update was the addition of shields and the entire concept of 'the off-hand'. This has had a huge effect on PvP in Minecraft. Before we go into shields themselves, the following section will give you a little preview on the Minecraft 'offhand' which is needed to use a shield.

How do I make a shield?

The necessary materials to make a shield is relatively simple. It takes 6 wooden planks, and one iron ingot arranged into the following pattern:
Crafting a shield in Mineraft

Where do I put the shield in order to use it?

In 1.9, one of the greatest overall changes was the addition of the 'off-hand' which allows you to be holding two items. This is specifically meant for the shield in most cases, however you can also place most Minecraft items into it [and of course, MCRPG artifacts!].

How does the shield work? What can I do with a shield? How does a shield help me with PvP?

Alright! On to the good stuff, in order to use the shield, while holding any item in your main 9 inventory slots, all you have to do is right-click. This will activate the shield, which can prevent up to 66% of all incoming melee [sword] attacks, and all projectiles [bows], meaning the way Minecraft PVP works has been greatly changed and fights can now last much longer and be much more fun!


Arrows

Bow dynamics received a huge change in the 1.9 update. Now, you can add different effects onto your arrows! I'm sure at SOME point or another during your Minecraft experience, you've been around some potions before. While they can be very effective in a close range fight, when your opponent is far away from you, it can be extremely difficult to use them. Fear no more!
Arrows used in Minecraft PVP There are now 38 different arrows you can shoot that will give the target of your arrows various effects! There are two different 'branches' of effects you can give: positive and negative. An example of a positive effect could be healing, regeneration, fire resistance. Negative effects are: poison, weakness, instant harm. Basically, the various arrows contain all of your vanilla Minecraft effects.
Minecraft PVP Bow

How do I craft these arrows?

Arrange these ingredients in the following order:
How to craft an effect arrow in Minecraft Note: The potion in the middle is a lingering potion, not a regular one.

How do I use these arrows in a fight?

As mentioned above, the best use for these is at a long range, before and after a fight to give you an advantage during the melee battle. I'd use the negative effects like I would any old arrows, whereas you want to use the positive effects for boosting your teammates.


Hit Delay

Hey guys, the final Minecraft PVP tip in this blog, will be explaining the notorious hit-delay. Basically, the quicker you swing your weapon, the less damage it will do. When you swing the sword a small animation will show up. Like this:
Minecraft PVP Hit Delay Indicator The sword icon shows how much 'charge' your sword has, while the image is still there and filling up, your sword (or any weapon) will do less damage. When it is gone, it will do full damage.

How am I going to PVP with this?

The best strategy to PVP with this hit delay is to wait for the delay to cool off before hitting someone. Since you can't use your sword the entire fight now alone, try and add different styles of PVP to your fighting style. So, when you are waiting try and use the shield to block, use lava, flint and steel, bows. If you do not wait for the delay, you will do a much less damage.


Hopefully this blog helped you improve your Minecraft PVP skills. If you have any questions, feel free to tweet us @mcrpg_, post on our forum, and of course, ask in-game on mcrpg.com.

Have a good day!