Changes

Built for 26.3 Currently as I've changed a lot of the original pack and the overall direction of the pack. The resource pack is still optional; every new mob and effect works without it.

Some people have suggested adding more unique content. While others prefer the vanilla style of the Wither so please let me know and for now I won't push this update for older versions. Let me know your opinions!

DIRECT CHANGES TO THE WITHER

• Brand new spawn sequence: the Wither turns into a black hole as it rises. It tears blocks out of the ground around it, which spiral into it on tilted orbits with black and white pulses, before exploding when the fight starts.
• The explosion at the end of the spawn sequence breaks fewer blocks but has a much bigger blast effect.
• Shorter darkness at the start of the fight, so you can actually watch the spawn sequence.
• The Wither now starts crumbling apart at 50HP shooting blocks representing the Wither in various directions.
• Skeletons summoned by the Wither are now immune to its attacks.

NEW WITHER SKELETON VARIANTS *

• Six new named variants can now spawn alongside the regular wither skeletons:
  • Hollow Bulwark - a tank carrying an Iron Sword and a Shield
  • The Soulpiercer - an archer whose Bow fires 3 arrows at once
  • Triskull, the Three-Mawed - shoots small skulls like the Wither that burst in mini explosions
  • The Withered Magus - catches fire like a blaze before throwing 3 fireballs, and slows nearby players
  • The Grave Shade - teleports around players and heals itself with every hit of its Scythe
  • Harbinger of Ash - rides Nightmare, a skeleton horse that can't die while its rider lives, and wields a Spear
• Variants get more common as the Wither weakens (20% at full health up to 100% at 50HP), and only one can be around at a time.
• Their names show in death messages, and the Wither's mobs can no longer hurt each other.

MULTIPLAYER SCALING

• New toggle in the settings menu (on by default)
• Every extra player within 64 blocks gives the Wither +25% effective health (up to 8 players)
• Skeleton waves get bigger with more players (up to 4 at a time)

FIGHT STATS *

• A fight report is shown after every kill: time, best time, deaths and a damage leaderboard.
• New challenge advancements:
  • Swift Wrath - defeat the Wither's Wrath in under 5 minutes
  • Untouchable - defeat it without anyone dying

PERFORMANCE

• Big optimisation pass; the fight logic now only runs while a fight is happening
• Skeleton waves pause while 12 or more of the Wither's skeletons are still alive (up to 24 in multiplayer)
• Blocks blown up during the fight now despawn after 1 minute instead of 5
• Fewer entities and smaller lag spikes than the previous version

OTHER

• New test commands to spawn the variants: /function wither:spawn/<name>, random, all and clear

Fixes

• Fixed the midpoint looping forever in some cases
• Fixed the fight getting stuck if the Wither disappeared without a player killing it (peaceful, /kill, the void...)
• Fixed every Wither after that turning into a normal vanilla Wither
• Fixed a second Wither summoned mid-fight replacing the boss
• Fixed the Fix button breaking parts of the datapack and leaving the day/night cycle off (same after a /reload mid-fight)
• Fixed the Wither being able to dash through bedrock
• Fixed skulls and fireballs knocked into the sky never despawning
• More bedrock checks when the Wither breaks blocks

Enjoy and Thank you all for continuing to support this Project I started over 5 years ago! 💖