Snow Golem

Snow Golems are the game's first "utility mobs," which Notch defines as any player-created mob. They are by nature friendly to their creator. Snow Golems are created using Pumpkins and Snow Blocks, and will throw snowballs at enemy mobs. In cold biomes, they will not melt even when lava or fire is near them. As Snow Golems move, they leave a trail of snow on the ground, except in the Nether. Snow Golems will not leave snow over blocks such as Redstone dust or torches, but they will wreck farmland by walking on it, and then leave snow over the resulting dirt. If a Snow Golem walks over a mushroom, the mushroom will be destroyed and dropped as an item. Once killed, the Snow Golem will drop approximately 10 snowballs.

Uses
Snow Golems may be used to farm snow, defend areas, and lure mobs into traps.

Farming
Because Snow Golems leave a constant trail of snow as they move, it is possible to farm that snow. However, due to their behavior of attacking hostile mobs, it would be wise to ensure the Snow Golem is in an enclosed, safe place before beginning. The simplest method is to create a 1x1 hole that is 2 blocks deep, and to put both the player and the Snow Golem in. Then the player would look straight down and farm the snow that is produced. This creates an infinite amount of snow in the shortest time possible, because the instant the snow breaks, another one spawns in its place.

It was also possible to create a generator by placing 2 blocks of snow on a stone and then surrounding the top block with any resource. Once this is done, place a pumpkin on top and start digging at the corner of the block where the snow is being generated. Holding down the mouse is the fastest way to gather. This method no longer works.

Defense
A horde of Snow Golems kept between two lines of fence provides a wall that keeps mobs at a distance. The Snow Golems can still be killed by Skeletons. A 1x1x2 area can be used to store a horde of Snow Golems. In an emergency, the Snow Golems can be released to push back approaching enemies.

Snow Golems may also be placed into Guard Towers, shielding them from damage. To create such a guard tower, make a small 3x3, 1-4 block high tower. Surround the top with fencing and create a Snow Golem in the center.

Snow Golems may also be suspended atop lava pits to lure mobs into them, passively protecting an area. This method can also prevent mobs from hiding around the player's home.

Luring
Snow Golems can also be used to lure hostile mobs into traps. This can create a better flow of mob drops for the player to collect, speeding up mob harvesting. To do this, fence Snow Golems in just beyond the entrance of a trap. Mobs will then wander in as they attempt to attack Snow Golems.

A single Snow Golem kept between four fences under a 3x3 two block high ceiling can be used to distract attacking Endermen. Once the Enderman is within reach of the Snow Golem, the Snow Golem will pelt it with snowballs. The Endermen will stop attacking the player, but will be unable to reach the Snow Golem due to the ceiling. A moat filled with lava or water around the Snow Golem enclosure can be used to kill the Endermen instead of simply distracting them.

Behavior
Snow Golems throw snowballs at hostile mobs, provoking them. This gives them an almost suicidal nature, as the thrown snowballs do not do significant damage, except to Blazes. Five spiders are able to kill 500 Snow Golems. Snow Golems attract enemies, making them useful for luring enemies into traps. They are also capable of drawing enemies away from the player. In Beta 1.9 Pre-release, Snow Golems sometimes forget to attack monsters. Snow Golems have good pathing skills, and will not jump off cliffs or into lava. They will attempt to move towards hostile mobs, and, as of 1.0.0, will even open and go through doors to reach them.

History
Snow Golems (previously known as Snowmen) were first mentioned by Notch on September 21, 2011, and were slated to appear in Beta 1.9.

In The Story of Mojang, Notch briefly mentioned adding "snowmen that throw snowballs."

Notch originally planned to call this mob Snowmen. However, very soon after revealing the name, Reddit user Cuttleman stated he would call them Snow Golems, a name Notch approved of and made official.

Creation
To create a Snow Golem, the player must vertically stack two Snow Blocks on the ground and then place a Pumpkin on top of them. Snow Golems are not made on the Crafting Table. They are only created when the pumpkin is placed last. Pistons cannot create Snow Golems because they cannot push pumpkin blocks. Snow Golems can also be created using a Jack-O-Lantern, although there is no visual difference. Endermen are also capable of creating Snow Golems by placing the necessary blocks, although this is an extremely rare event.

Bugs

 * Snow Golems do not leave snow trails in Mushroom Biomes.
 * In SMP, Snow Golems do not make sounds when throwing snowballs.
 * In Beta 1.9 Pre-release 2, Snow Golems will start attacking the player if he/she holds Wheat. This is presumably because Snow Golems might have the command to attack within their follow command, and the new Breeding system makes "passive" mobs follow entities. This also applies to their being in Love Mode; they will begin following each other and thus attack, disabling their Love Mode and causing them to flee from one another.
 * In Beta 1.9 Pre-release 3, in SMP, Snow Golems have become invisible but were still able to be killed. This was partially fixed in Beta 1.9 Pre-release 4 and completely fixed in Beta 1.9 Pre-release 5.
 * In Minecraft 1.0 Snow Golems can multiply if placed in small towers.

Trivia

 * Snow Golems do not de-spawn if the player leaves the area.
 * Snow Golems completed by a piston do not come to life. This is due to the fact that the pumpkin has to come on last, and that pistons can't push pumpkins without them breaking.
 * A few hundred snowmen can in fact kill mobs, but will understandably take quite a while and result in heavy losses.
 * Snow Golems are the second mob the player can cause to spawn, the first being Chickens spawning from eggs thrown by the player.
 * Four Snow Golems throw snowballs quickly enough to continuously push a Zombie back.
 * Snow Golems are not affected by fall damage. It is unknown if this is a bug.
 * Snow Golems wear their Pumpkin as a hat. Their actual Snowman-type head is hidden beneath it.
 * If a Snow Golem is lit on fire, it will speed up and move toward a water source.
 * Snow Golems do not attack aggressive wolves even if they attack the player.
 * Snow Golems will attack Zombie Pigmen regardless of whether or not they attacked the player, thus making the whole pack attack them.
 * Snow Golems sometimes survive creeper explosions.
 * The throwing sound is actually the Bow firing sound, even though Snowballs have their own throwing sound.
 * Snow Golems do not leave snow trails in the Nether.
 * If a Snow Golem is trapped somewhere and there is an exit, the Snow Golem will try to escape.
 * Snow Golems do leave snow trails in The End.
 * Since the full release (1.0), Snow Golems no longer have the ability to breed. This is possibly due to the fact the Snow Golems attack each other when in love mode.
 * Snow Golems can only be crafted by placing a pumpkin on top of two snow blocks; placing the pumpkin then snow under it will result in failure.
 * If trapped underwater, Snow Golems can drown.
 * If the player occupies the same space as a Snow Golem, the Snow Golem's Pumpkin helmet will be seen through, revealing their face.