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CurseForge · Minecraft mod

Barehand better combat addon

Better Combat animations for empty hands

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Quick answer

Which Barehand better combat addon release should I use?

Updated yesterday
Latest stable file barehandbc-1.1.0.jar
Game version 1.20.1
Loader Fabric

Barehand better combat addon barehandbc-1.1.0.jar targets 1.20.1 with Fabric. The project page does not say whether this file belongs on the client, dedicated server, or both. No extra mods listed for this file.

Where it goes

Is Barehand better combat addon required on the client, server, or both?

The project page does not say whether this file belongs on the client, dedicated server, or both.

Client Source doesn’t say
Dedicated server Source doesn’t say
Loader for this release Fabric
Required install it here Optional supported, not mandatory Not supported do not install here Source doesn’t say do not assume

The source does not explicitly classify this release as client-only or server-only.

What else does Barehand better combat addon barehandbc-1.1.0.jar need?

barehandbc-1.1.0.jar. Change the file and its required mods may change too.

No extra mods listed for this file

This file does not list any required mods. Do not add a library just because a different file uses it.

This file does not list any required or optional mods.

Before you install it

Add Barehand better combat addon without breaking your instance.

Built for Barehand better combat addon barehandbc-1.1.0.jar. Pick another file and the loader, install side or required mods may change.

  1. 01

    Stick to this file

    Use barehandbc-1.1.0.jar. It targets 1.20.1 with Fabric; another release may have different loader, side or dependency requirements.

  2. 02

    Bring the mods it needs

    This file does not list any required mods. Do not add a library just because a different file uses it.

  3. 03

    Put it on the correct side

    The project page does not say whether this file belongs on the client, dedicated server, or both.

  4. 04

    Pick the file you checked

    Use the “Get this file” button beside barehandbc-1.1.0.jar. It opens that exact file at the source.

About this project

What does Barehand better combat addon add?

Barehand Better Combat

Your fists deserve better. Better Combat gives every weapon gorgeous melee animations and combos — but an empty hand gets nothing, falling back to the plain vanilla swing. Barehand Better Combat fixes that, and goes one step further: a weapon held in your off hand finally joins the fight.

No new items, models, sounds, or textures — it simply reuses Better Combat's own built-in fist preset. Lightweight, configurable, and on by default.


✨ Features

  • 👊 Bare-handed combat — punching with an empty hand now plays Better Combat's fist animation, sounds, and hold-to-attack combo. Your bare hands feel like a real weapon.
  • 🤜🤛 Dual fists — with both hands empty, attacks alternate into a flowing two-fisted punch combo.
  • 🗡️ Off-hand weapon combothe headline feature. Keep your main hand free and a weapon in your off hand, and attacks alternate fist (main hand) + weapon swing (off hand) — each landing its own damage. Even normally two-handed weapons like swords work.
  • 🔥 Torch? Block? Shield? — non-weapon items punch too, so you're never stuck with a dead-weight vanilla swing. Toggle it off if you'd rather only truly empty hands punch.
  • ⚙️ Fully configurable and enabled by default. Flip one switch to return to vanilla behaviour at any time.

🥊 How it behaves

Main hand Off hand Result
Weapon (1-handed) empty / item / shield Weapon animation as normal
Two-handed weapon Two-handed animation as normal
empty / item / shield Weapon Alternating combo: fist on the main hand, weapon on the off hand
empty / item / shield empty / item / shield Dual-fist punch combo
Weapon Weapon Better Combat dual wield as normal

It plays nicely with Better Combat's existing behaviour — real weapons and normal dual wielding are left completely untouched.


⚙️ Configuration

Found in config/barehandbc-common.toml (or via a config screen if you have one installed):

Option Default Description
enabled true Master toggle. Set to false to fully revert to vanilla unarmed behaviour.
presetId bettercombat:fist The Better Combat preset applied to a weaponless hand. Point it at another fist-style preset from another mod if you like.
includeNonWeaponItems true When true, holding a non-weapon item (torch, block, shield…) also punches. When false, only a truly empty hand punches.

📦 Requirements

⚠️ Better Combat is a hard dependency. Make sure it's installed, or the game won't load.


❓ FAQ

Does the off-hand weapon deal its real damage? Yes — the weapon swing uses the weapon's own damage (with Better Combat's normal dual-wield balancing); the punch deals unarmed damage.

Which weapons work in the off-hand combo? Any item Better Combat recognises as a weapon — vanilla swords, the trident, and anything that weapon mods register with Better Combat.

Does it work on servers? Yes. Install it on both the server and the client.

Will it conflict with other combat mods? It only touches Better Combat's weapon-attribute lookup and dual-wield decision, so it stays out of the way of unrelated mods.


Open source under the MIT license. Built with NeoForge.

Project description from CurseForge.

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Barehand better combat addon by Minecraft version and loader

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4 available setups

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Recent files

Barehand better combat addon versions and loaders

5 of 5 releases match

Looking for an older file? The official CurseForge project page is in Resources.