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How to craft and use a spear in Minecraft spear guide

The Lance has arrived in the Minecraft universe to change the rules of combat. It's no longer just about the brute force of a sword; now, range, speed, and cavalry are key. If you want to keep mobs at bay or charge an enemy from your horse or camel, this is the weapon you need. Welcome to this definitive Minecraft spear guide covering the different spear variants available for your single-player world or favorite Minecraft server.

Crafting a spear in minecraft

One of the great advantages of the Lance is its crafting recipe, which is surprisingly inexpensive and adapts to any stage of the game, allowing you to create any of the seven spear variants.

The recipe for the Spear is similar to that of any tool or weapon, but with a diagonal arrangement and only two sticks:

  • Open your Crafting Table.

  • Place 2 sticks diagonally: one in the lower left corner and the other in the center of the grid.

  • Place the material you want to be the tip in the upper right corner.

Upgrading a spear

The process for upgrading a Spear is the same as upgrading a sword or any other tool of that material.

  • The Standard Progression (Wood to Diamond):

    • You craft a new Spear directly using the better material on the Crafting Table.

      | Starting Tier | Target Tier | Material Required | Crafting Location | |-------------------|-----------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------| | Wood | Stone | 1 Cobblestone | Crafting Table | | Stone | Iron | 1 Iron Ingot | Crafting Table | | Iron | Gold | 1 Gold Ingot | Crafting Table | | Iron | Diamond | 1 Diamond | Crafting Table | | Diamond | Netherite | Netherite Ingot + Upgrade Template | Smithing Table |

  • The Ultimate Upgrade: Netherite

    To upgrade a Diamond Spear to a Netherite Spear, you must use the Smithing Table (Mesa de Herrería) and have a specific template, which is required for all Netherite upgrades since Minecraft 1.20 (The Trails & Tales Update).

    What You Need:

    • Diamond Spear (Lanza de Diamante): The highest-tier base Spear.

    • Netherite Ingot (Lingote de Netherita): Used as the upgrade material.

    • Netherite Upgrade Template (Plantilla de Mejora de Netherita): This template dictates the type of upgrade.

    The Upgrade Process:

    • Get the Template: You find the Netherite Upgrade Template exclusively in the Bastion Remnants (los restos del Bastión) in the Nether. You can also duplicate a found template using Diamonds and Netherrack.

    • Use the Smithing Table: Open the Smithing Table interface.

    • Place the Items:

      • Slot 1 (Left): Place the Netherite Upgrade Template.

      • Slot 2 (Middle): Place the Diamond Spear.

      • Slot 3 (Right): Place the Netherite Ingot.

    • Receive the Result: The resulting item will be the Netherite Spear.

    The Netherite Spear is the strongest, most durable, and highly fire-resistant version, making it the best choice for mounted combat and long-term use.

Obtaining a spear from mob loot

That's an excellent question! While most tools and weapons in Minecraft are obtained through crafting, the Spear is a special case as it is one of the few items that can only be obtained through crafting and cannot currently be dropped as loot by any mob in the base game.

Why Mobs Don't Drop Spears:

  • As of the current major updates (including the introduction of the Spear), no vanilla mob has been programmed to use or drop a Spear:

    • Pillagers/Vindicators: These mobs typically use Crossbows or Axes.

    • Zombies/Skeletons: These mobs use Swords/Shovels or Bows.

    • Drowned: While they use the Trident (a similar throwing weapon), they do not use the Spear.

Using a spear

The Lance is a melee combat weapon that differs from the sword in its attack damage mechanics and focus on mobility. Unlike a true ranged weapon, the spear utilizes different attacks to extend its reach in melee combat.

  • Basic Attack (Quick Lunge):

    • How to use it: Left-click (attack button) while holding the spear.

    • Mechanics: It is a fast, short-range attack, similar to that of a sword or axe.

    • Advantage: The Spear has a slightly longer range than the standard sword. This allows you to strike mobs first, keeping them at a safe distance while you close in.

    • Damage: The base damage is lower than that of a sword made of the same material, so it is better to use it for controlling distance than for serious, sustained damage.

  • Thrust Attack (Thrust / Speed Charge):

    This is the Spear's signature attack mode, where its greatest damage potential lies.

    • How is it done?: Hold down the right click (use button) to prepare it.

    • Mechanics: The player holds the Spear in a lunging position. When the button is released or when it hits a target, a powerful thrust is performed.

    • Key Damage: Speed: The damage inflicted in this mode depends directly on the player's horizontal speed at the moment of impact. The faster you move, the greater the damage.

Note: While holding the Lance in charged mode (right-click), your own movement speed (if you are on foot) will gradually slow down, becoming very inefficient. Therefore, it is always better to use the charge with a mount or use the Launch enchantment to gain momentum.

  • Ideal Use: Mounted Combat (Cavalry):

    The spear is the weapon of choice for cavalry in Minecraft due to the Charged Attack mechanic.

    • Mount a fast creature: Get on a horse or, ideally, a camel, which offers greater height and speed.

    • Accelerate: Run at maximum speed.

    • Prepare to Charge: Just before hitting an enemy (zombie, skeleton, etc.), hold down the right mouse button.

    • Massive Impact: When you hit the mob while running at full speed, the damage from your speed is added to the base damage of the spear. This often results in a critical hit or one-hit kill, even against stronger enemies.

    • Piercing: The charged attack can pierce through multiple enemies in a line, making it excellent for clearing groups of mobs crowded together in a hallway or cave.