Sterling

Sterling adds a collection of upgraded weapons, each with its own ability and fighting style. The author describes the design as keeping in line with vanilla style, so the new items sit alongside existing tools rather than replacing them. The melee set includes a parrying blade that is slower than a traditional sword but gives extra defense while held, with higher tiers providing more defense. A pike reaches farther than a longer sword and can be used to poke enemies at a distance; it accepts the Lengthening enchantment, which increases reach. A repurposed scythe is the heaviest of the weapons, with a slow attack that deals heavy damage and extra reach.

Upgraded bows come in two forms. Reinforced bows are made from gold, iron, diamond or netherite, and the reinforcements increase damage and durability. A stabilized bow is made with copper and a slimeball and keeps perfect accuracy. Four new arrow types have unique functions, such as the Amethyst Arrow, which is crafted with amethyst and creates twice as many arrows as flint does.

Sterling is released under a custom license and is not open source. It runs on client and server, so the server and every player need it, and its files target 1.20.1 – 1.20.4. The latest Forge file is 1.1.0 for 1.20.1, published on 2025-07-16.