Highlights
- Minecraft is adding the bogged mob, a skeleton variant with poisonous arrows, to swamps and trial chambers.
- The bogged is the first zombie or skeleton variant in some time and proves the power of iterating on these classic Minecraft enemies.
- More variants of zombies and skeletons are needed in Minecraft to provide players with new threats and experiences.
Minecraft‘s next big update is bringing a new mob to the game in the form of the poisonous bogged. This swamp-stalking skeleton is the latest entry in a line of monsters that Minecraft ought to do more with.
The bogged is one of Minecraft‘s latest mobs, an overgrown husk native to swamp biomes and trial chambers. This skeleton is different from typical undead not only because of its design, laden with moss and fungi, but its poison-tipped arrows. Just like the stray before it—a skeleton that shoots slowness arrows—these poisonous projectiles have a chance to drop from the creature when it’s slain. This is great news for those looking to use poisoned arrows, as harvesting bogged is far more efficient compared to crafting said arrows through a recipe that requires bottled dragon’s breath.
Palworld’s Base Mechanics Offer the Perfect Blueprint for a New Minecraft Golem
Palworld’s base mechanics have been praised for how they work with the game’s AI, and this is something Minecraft could easily borrow in the future.
The Bogged Proves That Minecraft Needs More Skeleton And Zombie Variants
While it’s simple in concept, the bogged is one of Minecraft 1.21’s best features. The new hostile mob is a great way to add some more danger to swamps, not to mention how its ghoulish appearance enhances the environment. However, it also proves a point made by one of the game’s more overlooked updates. 1.10, the Frostburn update, added the stray and the husk, variants on skeletons and zombies respectively. These aren’t the only variants of these mobs, with wither skeletons, drowned, and baby zombies among the others, but there should still be many more. Both basic undead are a great model for other mobs to be built off of.
Zombies And Skeletons Are Perfect Bases
Minecraft‘s basic undead are great common mobs because they’re as simple as they could possibly be. Zombies walk up to players and hit them with a melee attack, while skeletons stand at a range and shoot the player. Despite this, they also have a great deal of depth. Skeletons and zombies are both undead, meaning that healing effects harm them and vice versa—not to mention how they’re both affected by Smite. Zombies break down doors, infect villagers, and turn into drowned after staying underwater too long. Skeletons can be tricked into fighting other mobs and can wear armor (just as zombies can).
With a core simplicity underlined by a strong foundation of interesting mechanics, these undead Minecraft mobs are great for variants. Husks are great proof of this, with their ability to survive the day and attacks that inflict hunger adding greatly to the barren desert. A unique version of a common enemy tied to a specific location helps create a specific atmosphere through design and mechanics. Zombies and skeletons are great for this purpose, especially considering their plurality, and more versions of these mobs in Minecraft would breathe new life into many disparate corners of the game.
Minecraft Always Needs New Threats
One of Minecraft‘s recurring problems has been the lack of serious threats, especially as players reach the upper echelons of power. Players decked-out in netherite armor and totems of undying don’t go down easily, something that might get even more out of hand with Minecraft‘s new mace. Luckily, the bogged’s poison is a potent ability; poison will reduce a player to half a heart, regardless of armor. It’s what makes a swarm of cave spiders such a deadly threat—and the range of the bogged makes this even more of a challenge.
Mojang shouldn’t stop here, though. Other biomes, like jungles or forests, could do with their own variants of these monsters, in a similar vein to what the game is now doing with dogs. Better yet, a new boss should come to Minecraft to top off an expanded bestiary. While the Wither is a fun boss, a creature that more directly mimics its fellow undead would be an interesting challenge—perhaps something like the mutant skeleton and/or mutant zombie from the classic Mutant Creatures mod.
Minecraft
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , PS3 , PS Vita , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , 3DS , PC , Android , iOS , Wii U
- Released
- November 18, 2011
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- How Long To Beat
- N/A
- X|S Enhanced
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1 GB (December 2023)
- Metascore
- 93
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Number of Players
- 1-4
