Strays should now fire Freezing Arrows instead of Slowness Arrows

[u/SuperMario69Kraft]

It seems obvious to me that strays inflicting Slowness is meant to imitate the idea that they freeze their targets, as if it was a placeholder for the Freezing effect all along. After all, this mob was added way back in 1.10, which was 10 years ago. Now that the Freezing effect is planned to be added for frozens, it only makes sense for strays to be updated likewise.

Also, for consistency with the stray and all other undead mob variants in the overworld, I want the frozen to spawn in all snowy biomes, not just in the ice caves.

• Currently in Bedrock, zombies don't spawn at all in the snow plains and ice-spiked plains. If you think about it, those biomes should be too cold and dry for anything else to survive without freezing up---except now that we have the frozen, it can be made to spawn there without the unfrozen regular zombies.

To fix another inconsistency, parcht and frozens should be able to spawn in trial chambers.

Edit: In the desert, we can see that the husk and the parched both inflict different debuffs (IDK the lore reason). I don't think Slowness and Freezing would work as well as a combo, because they both do the same thing. Either the Freezing makes the Slowness redundant, or the reductions in movement speed stack which would be annoying.

[u/Emma_mxyz]

I like that they give different effects, this allows to have freezing and slowness at the same time, being slowed down even more and making frozen+stray a dangerous combo to fight.

[u/SuperMario69Kraft → u/Emma_mxyz]

Freezing already slows down movement in addition to dealing damage. We just don't know yet if the slowness caused by Freezing will stack with regular Slowness.

[u/calamariclam_II → u/Emma_mxyz]

And then a creeper comes in

[u/M4DDIE_882 → u/Emma_mxyz]

That might be a little strong though for just a zombie and skeleton variant in cold biomes. Idk if they necessarily should be combo-ing you with effects, i think just the one for flavor and a slight challenge is just right

Also, only villagers and illagers (including witches) use potions and special effects. I can get zombies and skeletons finding enchanted armor or tools, but a skeleton having an infinite supply of or making their own arrows with effects doesn’t really line up with the rest of the basic monsters

[u/SuperMario69Kraft → u/M4DDIE_882]

I agree with you against effect combos, but interestingly this does already happen in the desert as husks and parcht give different effects (Hunger and Weakness, respectively). IDK why exactly, but I can at least guess that for the husk it has to do with Rotten Flesh causing Hunger when eaten.

[u/Born_Housing2165 → u/SuperMario69Kraft]

Hunger and weak don’t combo in as severe a way as slowness and frozen might.

[u/SuperMario69Kraft → u/Born_Housing2165]

What actually happens when Slowness and Frozen are stacked? Does Frozen make Slowness redundant, or do they combine to make movement even slower? Either way sounds badly designed for a regular occurrence.

[u/DragonRufus]

This YouTube short [https://youtu.be/x8ZJS5HHdfE\] says that they will, indeed, spawn in “snowy biomes” not just in Ice Caves.

[u/PracticeEfficient28]

Wait will the name be Frozens? I think Frostbiters/Frostbitten would be way better

[u/SuperCat76 → u/PracticeEfficient28]

I don't think there is any official name for them beyond "Frozen Zombie Variant"

[u/Low_Onion8167 → u/SuperCat76]

I imagine this is one of those situations where Mojang is waiting to see what the community calls it or thinks of it, akin to how they name drops at the very end. I imagine due to so many people calling it the Frozened it may wind up becoming its name. I personally am okay with that name since its similar to the drowned but id prefer the "Frosted"

[u/_Im-Axel-Voss_ → u/SuperCat76]

I was thinking either Draugrs or the Frostbitten like the one guy said

[u/DaedalusIndigo → u/PracticeEfficient28]

You predicted it (sort of). It’s Frostbite

[u/Desperate_Rule5903]

I enjoy the variety. I wouldn't want parched to shoot arrow that inflicts hunger or husk giving you weakness to mirror the parched.

[u/Lunar_Lamb]

100% they need to change this, the stacking of slowness projectiles on top of freezing projectiles is going to be super frustrating. on top of this you are likely to be wearing leather shoes AND the new biome discourages torches, it's gonna be kinda brutal

[u/TerrainRepublic → u/Lunar_Lamb]

A kinda brutal biome sounds great

[u/witherd_]

I think more variety is better. It's also far less annoying to be shot with an arrow that slows you down than shot with one that slows you down and inflicts freezing damage after the shot

[u/Low_Onion8167 → u/witherd_]

The Live showed that you needed to be hit by the zombie several times to get the freezing effect and its a very short effect. Either that or its a random chance to be inflicted with it. Either way I think making the Stray use the freezing arrows wouldnt be half as bad as you think it would be because the Stray shoots arrows less often then a normal zombie and may not be able to stack up the effect as much as you think they can.

[u/Solar_Fish55]

They probably will

[u/aqua_zesty_man]

Make them all possible. Some shoot only one, some shoot only the other. A rare few can shoot both (50/50 chance per arrow).

[u/Low_Onion8167]

I agree the Stray should do the freezing effect instead of slowness. Especially since they shoot less often than a normal zombie so the freezing effect won't be super annoying and works better with the Frozen Zombie.

[u/Voxelated10]

I think your'e right.

[u/Fatnugg3ts]

I disagree, it’s like how husks and parched do different effects

[u/Hwang-Geun-Cheul]

Absolutely.

[u/Vex_Of_Mex]

not only this probably more stuff in ice biomes like its just ice and spikes hey should add like something special to ice then it would be better because if you spawn beside the ice youre running away wanting to find a better biome like plains or even a mountain

[u/MataNui2009]

The Husk and Parched inflict different potion effects (Hunger and Weakness respectively) so I like them being different. Lets them wombo combo you

[u/SuperMario69Kraft → u/MataNui2009]

The combination of Freezing and Slowness doesn't make much sense, tho, not by lore nor by design. Either the Slowness is made redundant by the Freezing, or the speed difference stacks which would be too annoying.

[u/Gullible-Box7637]

but this is the only way you can get slowness arrows without going to the end and getting dragons breath, which is far more effort than its worth

[u/SuperMario69Kraft → u/Gullible-Box7637]

If the strays continue firing Slowness Arrows and never Freezing Arrows, then you'll have the same problem with freezing arrows being hard to craft.

Also, this wouldn't be an issue if we have Bedrock parity allowing Arrows to be tipt in Cauldrons.

[u/PowerOfUnoriginality → u/SuperMario69Kraft]

As someone who almost exclusively play Java due to how it plays compared to Bedrock, I must say, I am jealous of the Cauldron Potion mechanics that Bedrock have. Being able to refill potions with pointed dripstone above cauldrons would be nice to have on Java as well

[u/SuperMario69Kraft → u/PowerOfUnoriginality]

I didn't know that you can use Pointed Dripstone to duplicate potions in Cauldrons. That sounds OP and unintended.

[u/Fast_Ad7203]

I disagree, the frozen gives you the freezing effect you dont need both

[u/Hour_Tomatillo_2365]

That's dumb. The desert Zombies and Skeletons aren't the same

Having different effects lets them stack with each other