Hey again! Here's an update on the test snapshots for combat mechanics. It's pretty much the same as the previous test, but there are a number of edits that I'll describe below, and a few clarifications.

Old post here, with nearly 5,000 comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/c5mqwv/a_custom_java_edition_snapshot_to_test_new_combat/

These are the edits in this version:

• Decreased attack speed of swords
• Attacking while crouching will now disable the shield during the attack
• Shields protect against critical attacks again
• Removed auto-attacking by holding the button
• Fixed creative mode bugs
• Fixed scale of the hotbar attack indicator

Some clarifications:

• The theme of the next major update will be announced at MINECON. These combat tests are done in parallel and will be included when they're good enough (i.e. the next theme is not "combat update")
• Weapon reach is always active (not only for special attacks), but during special attacks the reach is increased by an additional half a block
• Hold to auto-attack will always be enabled for controller and touch

Installation instructions:

• Download this zip file: https://launcher.mojang.com/experiments/combat/d164bb6ecc5fca9ac02878c85f11befae61ac1ca/1_14_combat-0.zip
• Unpack the folder into your "versions" folder of your local Minecraft application data folder (see below if you are confused)
• Create a new launch configuration in the launcher and select the "1_14_combat-0" version
• Start the game and the remaining files will be downloaded
• Play in a new world! This version is not compatible with other snapshots!

Finding the Minecraft application folder:

• Windows: Press Win R and type %appdata%.minecraft and press Ok
• Mac OS X: In Finder, in the Go menu, select "Go to Folder" and enter ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft
• Linux: ~/.minecraft or /home/<your username>/.minecraft/

Once you have the launcher set up you can download the server files from there as well.

Cheers!