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Minecraft is getting a new mob – but it's up to you and the community to decide which option makes the cut. Mojang's revealed two potential critters so far, and there's a clear winner (in my opinion) that could be a game-changer for farming.
The community will decide in the annual Minecraft Mob Vote which of three contenders should be added to the game. Mojang's only revealed two of the three options so far: the rascal, a hide and seek expert that holds enchanted tools, and the sniffer, an ancient creature that looks like a cross between a truffle pig and a turtle. But the winner is obvious, right?
The sniffer caught my eye immediately, as I need a handy farming companion. When the Sniffer’s by your side, it will snuffle through the undergrowth and discover all sorts of seeds and plant life. Never again will you have to spend countless nights searching for elusive watermelon seeds or stockpiling pumpkins. I can see myself building a very useful automatic Sniffer farm in the future that would mean I'd never run out of any seeds again.
Mojang also hinted that if the Sniffer is voted in, we may see more plant life and seeds added. As someone who is a sucker for creating farms, I’m already getting the new garden plots sorted in hopes of some additions to my automatic food production.
How can the rascal hope to compete with that?
Gardener extraordinaire
The Sniffer’s already made a big splash, and more splashes will come if it wins the contest. Sniffers are found in underwater ruins scattered among chests, so you’ll need to swim to the ocean's depths to collect their eggs if you want to get your hands on them.
But you aren’t only going to need your swimming trunks to find a Sniffer egg. Since they spawn in underwater ruins, you’ll be swimming with the Drowned – the rotting corpses of zombies that have sunk into rivers and oceans. They’re quick, quiet, and deadly. Fighting a horde of the Drowned while trying to catch your breath underwater is not a fun experience. So be sure to don your best armor and equip your sharpest sword.
Understandably, Sniffers would be so hard to find, though. According to Minecraft lore, Sniffers are an ancient mob that has only recently been rediscovered after going extinct. It’s up to you to bring these little gardeners back from the dead.
The Sniffer seems a cute and practical addition to Minecraft – my two favorite things. As sweet as it sounds, the Rascal does nothing for me and my farming dream. Maybe the third mob will find a place in my heart but it'll have to work hard to force the sniffer out.
According to the announcement post, voting will go live on the Minecraft site on October 14 at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm BST (or October 15 at 2am AEST). Who knows, maybe the Sniffer will stay extinct.