5 best things to do in Minecraft 1.20.5 update

Finding the wolf types will take players all around their survival worlds (Image via Mojang)
Finding the wolf types will take players all around their survival worlds (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft 1.20.5 is right around the corner, with the first pre-release being released recently. This update might be classified as a minor update, but the content and changes it's bringing are undeniably major. Armadillos, wolf armor, and the new wolf variants are among the best of these additions.

This begs the question though, of what to do once the update drops. Detailed down below is everything that players might want to do as soon as update 1.20.5 is officially released.


5 best things to do once Minecraft 1.20.5 drops

1) Make wolf armor

The recipe for wolf armor (Image via Mojang)
The recipe for wolf armor (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft's new wolf armor is one of the coolest 1.20.5 additions. Made of armadillo scutes, it can be put on adult-tamed wolves and acts as a shield for players, converting heart damage into durability damage. This means that wolves can be safely used to fight Minecraft's most dangerous mobs, as long as enough armadillo scutes can be used to keep the armor from breaking.

Since wolf armor is such a useful item, tracking down the armadillos needed to craft some armor for pet dogs is the best thing to do when 1.20.5 drops.


2) Make an armadillo farm

A badlands-themed armadillo farm (Image via Mojang)
A badlands-themed armadillo farm (Image via Mojang)

Armadillos are a new savanna and badlands mob. Much like their real-life counterparts, they will curl up into balls to protect themselves from potential danger, and peak out to see if the coast is clear. They are also the only source of armadillo scutes, which are needed to craft wolf armor.

This means that setting up an armadillo farm in 1.20.5 is one of the most important things to do. Having access to abundant armadillo scutes will ensure that wolf armor doesn't break and result in a tamed wolf being lost in combat.


3) Find the new wolves

The different biomes will make finding all the wolf types quite a journey (Image via Mojang)
The different biomes will make finding all the wolf types quite a journey (Image via Mojang)

Eight new wolf types are being added with update 1.20.5. These are all biome-specific, another way that Mojang is encouraging exploration. The nine total wolf types are split between cold and hot regions, meaning players will need to find many different Minecraft biomes.

The original wolf is now the pale wolf, found within regular taigas. Snowy taigas have the ashen wolf. Old-growth biomes are split, with old-growth spruce forests containing chestnut wolves and old-growth pine taigas having black wolves. The snowy wolf is found in mountain groves.

The warmer varieties of wolves start with the woods wolf, which is found in regular forests. Next up is the rusty wolf, which adds a bit of color to Minecraft's best jungle seeds. After this is the striped wolf, which can be found in wooded badlands biomes, and the spotted wolf, found on savanna plateaus.

There's also a new Minecraft advancement for taming one of each wolf type, which is a great reason to do it.


4) Set up some cartographers

While they won't be in the game as of 1.20.5, getting ready for trial chambers ahead of time is smart (Image via Mojang)
While they won't be in the game as of 1.20.5, getting ready for trial chambers ahead of time is smart (Image via Mojang)

1.20.5 might be the last update before 1.21 releases, which makes it the perfect time to set up a Minecraft villager trading hall to get cartographers ready for the upcoming trial chamber map trade. Since the trade doesn't unlock until the third tier of trade, players can also use their time on 1.20.5 to level up their cartographers to the point where one trade will hit Journeyman tier.

However, since the Minecraft trial chamber map trade isn't guaranteed, it would be wise to get a few cartographers ready, just in case RNG is feeling particularly spiteful.


5) Make an enchanting area

Doing the legwork in 1.20.5 can make a fully enchanted mace super easy to get in 1.21 (Image via Mojang)
Doing the legwork in 1.20.5 can make a fully enchanted mace super easy to get in 1.21 (Image via Mojang)

Similarly to how it's a good idea to set up some cartographer villagers in 1.20.5 ahead of 1.21, it is recommended to make an enchanting area in preparation for two of the three new exclusive mace enchantments. Only breach and density are accessible via the enchanting table; the wind burst enchantment is exclusive to the ominous variant of Minecraft's regular vault block.

If players prefer villager trading over enchanting, getting a few extra unemployed villagers isn't a bad idea. This will mean that as soon as 1.21 drops, they can start being trade-reset for the new Minecraft mace enchantments.

Obsessed with Crosswords, Wordle, and other word games? Take our quick survey and let us get to know you better!

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now