
Sidearms
Many new offhand items and rebalanced shields!
About this Mod

Sidearms is a mod that aims to add more flavor to combat by introducing various new items to occupy the offhand, as well as changing how shields work.
Shield Tweaks
Shields now have a short cooldown after blocking. Blocking with precise timing will reward you with a much shorter cooldown.
New Items
Cactus Shield
Deals 3 damage to an attacker upon blocking a melee attack, but has a slightly longer block cooldowns and perfect block window than the regular shield.

Golden Shield
Has no shield warmup (Starts blocking as soon as right click is held), but tighter perfect block window and moderately longer cooldowns compared to the regular shield.

Reflector
Blocking allows you to reflect any incoming projectile, as well as small mobs (such as silverfish and vexes). Requires very precise block timing.


Reflector Enchantments
- Reflex: Parrying increases the length of the current parry window and you can parry multiple projectiles in one window.
- Ignition: Parried projectiles are lit on fire.
For mod/datapack developers
You can configure custom shield timings using a datapack.
JSON files are located at "data/
This example shows the configuration for the shield.
{
"item": "minecraft:shield",
"perfect_window": 20,
"perfect_cooldown": 10,
"normal_cooldown": 60
}
Available Versions
How to Install Sidearms on Your Server
Order Server
Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).
Set fabric Loader
In the panel under "Egg", select the fabric loader and matching Minecraft version (1.21.1).
Install Mod
Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "Sidearms". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.
Compatibility
Mod Loaders
Minecraft Versions
1.21.1, 1.20.4, 1.20.3 (+2 more)
Server-side
✓ RequiredRecommended RAM
4 GB(min. 3 GB)Frequently Asked Questions
Sidearms server crashes on startup – what to do?
Most common cause: wrong fabric version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (1.21.1). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.
Is Sidearms compatible with fabric?
Sidearms officially supports fabric for Minecraft 1.21.1, 1.20.4, 1.20.3. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.
Server lagging with Sidearms – how to optimize performance?
Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if Sidearms consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.
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Rent Modded Server
Install Sidearms with just one click on your server.