New Better Combat
by leeqia
New Better Combat changes melee fights in NeoForge worlds, adding off-hand weapon attacks and optional tweaks to reach, hit detection and critical hits.
What it does
Players who fight with a sword, axe, pickaxe, shovel or hoe in the main hand get enhanced melee attacks. Holding a weapon in the off hand and right-clicking triggers a separate attack, and the off-hand weapon list can be edited in the config file. Default off-hand attacks are enabled for the common tool and weapon categories, and the off-hand damage multiplier is adjustable.
Several combat options are off by default and can be turned on: longer melee reach, wider hit detection, random critical hits, and a requirement that attacks only land at full energy. Sweep attack options, extra combat sounds and protected entity settings are also configurable, and the config can be edited in-game. The mod is independent of other combat mods and was inspired by Better Combat Rebirth by SanAndreasP.
Installation needs NeoForge, and the mod is published for 26.1.2 and 26.2, with 1.0.0-beta.1 for 26.2 as the latest file. Because it changes combat behavior, the server and every player must install it, and server owners should make sure everyone uses the same version. The code is open source under the MIT License.
Key features
Enhanced main-hand attacks
Melee attacks with the main-hand weapon are reworked, with a configurable set of behaviors.
Right-click off-hand attacks
A weapon held in the off hand attacks on right-click, separate from the main hand.
Configurable off-hand whitelist
The list of items allowed to attack from the off hand can be edited in the config file.
Optional reach and hit detection
Melee reach can be lengthened and hit detection widened, both disabled by default.
Critical hits and full-energy attacks
Random critical hits and a full-energy attack requirement can be enabled, and the off-hand damage multiplier is set in the config.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
How it compares
NdRz's weapons adds weapon content for 26.1.2 under the Apache License 2.0 and is not open source. Aerial Combat covers 1.21 – 1.21.4 on NeoForge under the MIT License and is not open source. Mobs Use Shields is open source under the MIT License and works on Forge and NeoForge across 1.20.1 – 1.21.11, which does not overlap the 26.1.2 – 26.2 range of this mod.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Better Combat | NeoForge | 26.1.2 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-06-26 |
| NdRz's weapons | NeoForge | 26.1.2 | Client and server | 2026-09-01 |
| Aerial Combat | NeoForge | 1.21 – 1.21.4 | Client and server | 2025-01-09 |
| Mobs Use Shields | Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.11 | Client and server | 2026-10-02 |
Questions
Does New Better Combat need to be installed on the server?
Which loader does New Better Combat use?
Where are the combat options changed?
In the catalog
New Better Combat is one of 19,031 Adventure mods on ModsFinder, and one of 8,588 Adventure mods for NeoForge. 13,894 mods support Minecraft 26.2.
Similar mods
What the author says
New Better Combat is an independent NeoForge combat mod for Minecraft / NeoForge 26.1.2 and 26.2. It adds configurable melee combat improvements, including enhanced main-hand attacks, off-hand weapon attacks, optional wider melee hit detection, optional longer reach, random critical hits, sprint-friendly attacking…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/new-better-combat
- Owner
- leeqia
- Published
- 2026-06-26
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-06-26
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15