Traders in Disguise - The Illager Assassin Project
For seven years, the Illagers have been watching. They have counted every thwarted raid, every burned mansion, every fallen outpost captain, and they have reached a single conclusion: players are the problem. Their answer is a secret initiative known as Traders in Disguise - The Illager Assassin Project, a mod that sends trained killers out into the world wearing the friendly face of a wandering trader. If you have ever traded emeralds with a passing merchant without a second thought, this add-on is about to make you reconsider every future encounter.
What the Illager Assassin Project Adds
This mod introduces two specialized assassins called Ambushers. Both spawn disguised as ordinary wandering traders, and both are built to punish players who let their guard down. Each Ambusher has 50 health, teleports away after taking 7 or more damage, dodges arrows like an Enderman, escapes water, lava, and powder snow, and shrugs off fall damage. They also enforce a damage cap, meaning no single hit can deal more than 10 damage to them. Burst-damage strategies will not save you here.
The Sickle Ambusher
The Sickle Ambusher opens the fight by spawning four clones that circle you before rushing in with Ruthless Sickles. Land a hit on the real one and he teleports to a new angle for a follow-up strike. Clones vanish when struck or after ten seconds. Whenever he drops below full health, he heals instantly and gains Regeneration 3 for ten seconds plus Fire Resistance if he is burning. Defeating him yields the Ruthless Sickle, 5-10 emeralds, and 30 XP.
The Bow Ambusher
The Bow Ambusher is an archer, illusionist, and evoker rolled into one. He begins by casting mirror image, fatigue, vexes, and evoker fangs, then keeps cycling those spells between volleys from his Trifectal Bow. Like his partner, he self-heals and buffs when wounded. His drop table includes the Trifectal Bow, 5-10 emeralds, and 30 XP.
Weapons Worth the Fight
- Ruthless Sickle: 5 damage, 52 durability, 2 attack speed. Hits inflict Blindness for 3 seconds on the victim and grant Swiftness 2 to the attacker. Deals triple damage to targets under half health and can disable shields.
- Trifectal Bow: 64 durability, faster draw speed than a normal bow, and fires three arrows at once. Arrows apply Slowness 6 and Weakness 6 for one second, effectively stunning whatever they hit.
Both weapons are genuinely useful after the ambush ends, which makes hunting Ambushers a rewarding risk rather than a pure survival test.
Advancements and Configuration
Four advancements track your progress: Illusory Ambush and Magical Onslaught reward you for turning the tables on each assassin type, while Who's the Ambusher Now? and Magical Comeuppance are secret challenges. The config file lets you tune nearly everything, including the chance a wandering trader is actually an Ambusher (default 1 in 20), whether each type spawns at all, the damage cap, raid wave counts, and the exact levels and durations of every weapon effect.
Supported Versions and How to Install
Traders in Disguise - The Illager Assassin Project for Minecraft supports 1.16.5, 1.18.2, 1.19.2, and 1.20.1, and it runs on Forge only. The developer has confirmed there are no plans for Fabric or other loaders, so check your loader before anything else. If you want a shortcut, the foxygame.net launcher handles the entire setup in one click and keeps Traders in Disguise - The Illager Assassin Project updated automatically, which saves you from manually matching jar files to game versions.
To install manually, download Traders in Disguise - The Illager Assassin Project from its official page, confirm you have the correct Forge version for your game, then drop the jar file into your mods folder. Launch Minecraft once through the Forge profile to generate the config, and adjust the Ambusher chance if the default 5 percent feels too punishing.
Final Thoughts
Traders in Disguise - The Illager Assassin Project takes one of Minecraft's most harmless mobs and turns it into a genuine threat, complete with clever weapons, secret advancements, and deep config options. Whether you want a tense survival challenge or powerful new gear, this mod delivers both. Next time a wandering trader knocks on your door, bring a shield, keep your health high, and remember that the Illagers have been planning this for seven years.