If you've been eagerly awaiting the release of the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update, you can get a taste of it in the new 20w45a snapshot that was just released! While this only adds a tiny bit of what's expected in the 1.17 major patch, it's still enough to give you a taste of what to expect. There's quite a bit to test and play with, so if you have the Java version of the game, be sure to give it an install so you can find out what's to come!
While there aren't many changes to the biomes, some of the new resources were announced at Minecraft Live. You can craft and find beams, candles, lava cauldrons, copper, amethyst, lightning rods, spy glasses, and even stained glass! This opens up a bit of new design elements to work with, so if you're leaning more creatively with your worlds, it might be worth starting a new game and experimenting with some of the new additions.
The biggest one is copper, mostly because it contains so many different things. Copper is so interesting because it will gain a green color over time, making it a dynamic building material that you can experiment with. There is the standard copper, then various aged versions. You can also get "waxed" versions of copper, which aren't as green as the fully weathered versions of it.
If you end up finding copper, you can also craft the lightning rod! This gives you something that you can place on the roof of your wooden house, which will then protect it from lightning strikes and the fire it might cause to your poor abode.
Amethyst has also been added, which can be found from amethyst clusters that can be located underground in the Overworld. You can mine these, and they will drop four Amethyst Shards. Shards can be used to create tinted glass, which is a darker version of the standard glass you're used to. It also does not allow light to pass through it. You can also use it to create the Spyglass, which will allow you to get a closer look at things that are far away!
Batches are another addition that can be explored. It is an object intended to contain other objects. You can put a stack of many different things in it, which will help you clear your inventory and donate a group of items much easier.
Candles can be crafted now and are made of honeycomb and string. You can place up to four candles in one place, and you can light them with flint and steel!
There are many other things added to the game in this update, which you can find in the official Minecraft article about it.
