Updated 23 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Combat Update (1.9)
1.9, the Combat Update, is the major Java Edition update released on 29 February 2016. It added the attack cooldown, shields, dual wielding, tipped and spectral arrows, elytra, End cities and shulkers, and removed sword blocking.
What did the Combat Update change about combat?
1.9 added an attack strength meter. It shows after you attack or switch items and refills at a rate set by the weapon's new attack speed. Damage depends on how full it is, scaling from 20% up to 100% of normal damage. Swords have an attack speed of 1.6, pickaxes 1.2, shovels 1 and axes 0.8 to 1, so attacking again too soon deals much less damage.
Swords lost blocking; the job moved to the new shield, crafted from 6 planks and 1 iron ingot. Hitting a shield-blocking player has a chance to disable their shield for 5 seconds. Swords gained a sweep attack that knocks back nearby enemies and deals 1 HP to them.
What else did 1.9 add?
- Dual wielding with an offhand slot (swap with F by default).
- Elytra for gliding, found in End ships.
- End cities, End ships, purpur blocks, chorus plants and the outer End islands, about 1,000 blocks from the main island.
- Shulkers, whose bullets cause Levitation.
- Tipped arrows (15 kinds), spectral arrows, lingering potions and end crystals you can place.
- Enchanted golden apples could no longer be crafted.
Did 1.9 change healing?
Yes. With saturation left and a full hunger bar, health now regenerates 1 HP every half-second instead of 1 HP every 4 seconds, and healing costs more food.
Why is 1.8 PvP still played?
The older system has no attack cooldown and keeps sword blocking, so it plays very differently; minecraft.wiki keeps separate PvP tutorials for 1.8, modern Java, Bedrock and the Combat Tests. 1.8 vs 1.9+ combat explains both side by side.
Can you use 1.9 on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
When did the attack cooldown come to Minecraft?
In Java Edition 1.9, the Combat Update, on 29 February 2016.
Can you block with a sword after 1.9?
No. Sword blocking was removed in 1.9 and replaced by shields.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.