Overview
Armored Paws, numbered 1.20.5, looks like the smallest release on this list and is quietly one of the most consequential. On the surface it gave tamed wolves a chance of surviving anything: Wolf Armor is crafted from armadillo scutes, absorbs damage on the dog's behalf, can be dyed, and is repaired by handing more scutes to the wolf wearing it. Anyone who has watched a tamed Wolf charge a creeper understands exactly why that mattered. The armadillo that supplies the scutes is itself a well-judged mob — it rolls into a ball when startled, and you brush scutes off a living one with a Brush rather than killing it, which is the same non-lethal harvesting idea as shearing a sheep. Eight new wolf coat variants tied to the biome a pack spawns in gave wolves regional identity for the first time. Underneath all of that sat the item data component system, a wholesale replacement for item NBT and the foundation every later release builds on; command syntax, data packs and mod APIs all changed shape here. The scute item was also renamed to turtle_scute to make room for the armadillo version, which broke a number of older data packs.
Survivable pets: wolf armour that takes the hit instead of your dog, repairable with the same scutes it is made from. For technical players it is the release where item NBT became data components, which changed every command and data pack that touches item data.
A small but well-loved drop that finally made tamed wolves survivable. Wolf Armor, crafted from armadillo scutes, absorbs damage and can be dyed and repaired, and nine coat variants gave wolves regional identity for the first time. Under the surface it was a much bigger release than it looked, replacing item NBT with the data component system that every later version builds on.
How to get it
Java Edition 1.20.5 was released on 23 April 2024. It is a normal launcher release, but note that it was followed within days by 1.20.6, so most servers from that window run 1 version later while the content remains identical.
Tips
- Brush a live armadillo for scutes rather than killing it — the scutes regrow, so 1 armadillo supplies armour indefinitely.
- Wolf Armor takes 6 armadillo scutes and can be dyed any of the 16 colours, then repaired by feeding more scutes to the wolf.
- The old scute item is now turtle_scute, so any data pack or command referring to minecraft:scute needs updating.
- Wolf coat variant depends on the biome the pack spawned in, so collect them by travelling — see animal breeding and food production for feeding them.
Version notes
Released 23 April 2024. Added the armadillo, armadillo scutes, wolf armour and eight wolf coat variants, renamed scute to turtle_scute, and replaced item NBT with the data component system.
What it added
- The armadillo, found in savannas and badlands, which rolls into a ball when startled
- Armadillo scutes, brushed from live armadillos rather than dropped on death
- Wolf armour, craftable from scutes and repairable with more of them
- Eight new wolf coat variants tied to the biome the pack spawns in
- The scute item renamed to turtle_scute to make room for the armadillo version
- The item data component system, a large technical rework of how items store data
Properties
Minecraft 1.20.5 was released on April 23, 2024 as a point release. It added 1 mobs, 0 blocks and items the site documents, and 0 generated structures.
- New blocks and items
- 0
- New structures
- 0
New mobs
Armadillo arrived in this release.
Where it sits in the release line
1.20.5 sits 6 of 28 in the release list this site covers, with 1.21 after it and 1.20 before.
Worlds always upgrade forwards and never downgrade: a world opened in a newer version cannot be opened in an older one again, so back it up before the first launch on a new release.
| Version | Name | Released | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Minecraft 1.21 | Tricky Trials | June 13, 2024 | Major release |
 | Minecraft 1.20.5 ← | Armored Paws | April 23, 2024 | Point release |
 | Minecraft 1.20 | Trails & Tales | June 7, 2023 | Major release |
Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you get armadillo scutes?
Brush a living armadillo with a brush, or wait for one to shed naturally. Killing an armadillo does not drop scutes, which is deliberate.
How many scutes does Wolf Armor need?
Six, arranged in the crafting grid. Damaged armour is repaired by feeding additional scutes directly to the wolf wearing it.
What broke when data components replaced NBT?
Any command, data pack or mod that read or wrote item NBT had to be rewritten against the component system, and the scute-to-turtle_scute rename caught many of them as well.
What did Minecraft 1.20.5 add?
The armadillo, found in savannas and badlands, which rolls into a ball when startled Armadillo scutes, brushed from live armadillos rather than dropped on death Wolf armour, craftable from scutes and repairable with more of them
When was Minecraft 1.20.5 released?
Java Edition 1.20.5 was released on April 23, 2024. Bedrock dates for the same content often differ by days or weeks.