Download Minecraft Snapshot 12w36a - Scary block, Spawnable Wither mob, Carrot on stick

The latest Minecraft snapshot 12w36a is now available to download. Mojang have a serious case of PAX jet lag but they've still released a decent update. 12w36a comes with the new scary decoration block, spawnable wither and even the carrot on stick device.

Most of our predictions from last week still stand. You can view all of them here

New features

New Scary block

The new scary block has been officially added. The skeleton head forms part of a ritual which will spawn a Wither mob without the need for hacks of mods. This technique was recently revealed at the Minecraft PAX panel. We've got a video explaining the ritual process below.

Wither mob now spawnable

The Wither mob was added in a previous snapshot but it was a hidden (and buggy) feature which could only be accessed using hacks of mods. Now, you can perform the ritual using the new scary block and spawn a Wither on demand. The Wither can spawn anywhere and there's no limit on the number of Withers at any one time.

Wither mob ritual

Now that the Wither mob is spawnable you can combine several items together to summon the boss mob. You'll need:

4 x soul sand
3 x skeleton heads (wither ones)

Place the 4 soul sand in a T shape with one block below the top row of 3. Then place each of the heads on top of the T in a line. It'll look something like a Wither mob. If placed correctly, the Wither mob will be incarnated and start flashing. You've got a bout 5 seconds before he starts bombarding the landscape with explosive heads! Good luck!!

If you manage to kill the Wither then you'll be rewarded with a Nether Star that you can use to craft the new Beacon block.

Nether Star

The Nether Star is a new item dropped by the Wither mob. It is a constituient part of the new beacon block crafting recipe. If you combine:

1 x Nether Star
5 x Glass Block
3 x Obsidian

You will create the Beacon block.

Carrot on stick

The secret device which will let you control mountable pigs has been included. The carrot on a stick is in fact a carrot dangled from a fishing rod. Use the rod to control the direction of the pig. Just combine your usual carrot with a fishing rod and away you ride..

Wither Painting

There is a new painting included in the snapshot and you guessed it – it's a painting of the Wither mob. This guys getting a lot of publicity!

Other new features

New mob variant in the Nether - possibly the skeleton wither which is a darker texture to the normal skeleton mob
Work in progress block (Beacon) is now craftable
Bug fixes