Tutorials/Defense

Considering the upcoming Adventure Update and the introduction of new creatures, there's a good chance that your base will need defense structures more advanced than just a cobblestone wall. Thus, I propose:

1. All tutorials or mechanisms of defense are brought here.

2. Said articles are organized into chapters

3. Add more defense mechanisms as the game updates or the mind wanders.

By doing this, we can centralize the defenses and make it easier for all players, particularly those new to the game. It will also make updates more manageable as we don't have to scramble all around the wiki.

Overview: A Good Defense
The best defense measures are those that prevent hostile mobs from spawning entirely or at least prevent hostile mobs from ever getting close to the protected area. As such, integral to all defense systems in Minecraft are:
 * Completeness - all defenses need to completely defend the protected area, so that mobs entering from any side or angle and of any type will not break through
 * Light - a regular system of lighting is needed so that, during the night, hostile mobs will be prevented from spawning within the protected area
 * Sustainability - defenses should work regardless of player input and, ideally, would be able protect an area indefinitely, either by never degrading in the first place (e.g. walls) or by renewing themselves automatically
 * Easy to use - The best defense in the world is useless if it kills the owner. A good defense must be safe and easy to use. If you have to press 2 buttons and destroy a block to activate it, it is too complicated.

Passive Defenses
Passive defenses consist of those defenses that, without any input or sensory devices, prevent hostile mobs from entering the protected area. The most common example is walls - they do not have to sense a mob coming or sense its position to prevent it from entering a walled off area. The following sections discuss various types of passive defenses, their construction, maintenance, and applicability.

Walls
These are simple to make, just make sure to:

1) Make them at least 3 blocks high 2) Add an extension around the outside to defend against spiders

You may want to add a 2 block deep ditch around the edge as well.

Creepers
A simple way to protect yourself against Creepers (or any othe 1X1X2 mobs) is a 4 door trap. Place four doors withlefthinges around a pressure pad. place a block above the pressure pad to prevent the mob from jumping free.

--          |PP| --

Ghasts
There is absolutely no easy way to defend against ghast. (subject to debate)

However, since the power of a Ghast fireball explosion is far less than that of a Creeper or TNT, there is no need to build defenses out of expensive materials. Stone, or even cobblestone, should suffice. Therefore, an existing structure made out of stone/cobblestone will not be damaged by their fireballs.

Players
1. Arrow Turrets.

These will give any player trying to grief ,or steal from, one of your structures. A nice shock. This turret is fully automatic, and as long as you have the arrows to support it, it will demolish anything in front of it!

They consist of any number of dispensers attached to a rapid pulsar redstone alternater. Simply add a lever to the side of the Pulsar, and switch it on or off at will. (needless to say, loading the dispensers is a must!) -BronzeOregon

All of The Above
A good dose of TNT, however dangerous, will destroy all mobs. Obsidian or self repairing land is recomend in area of use to minimize damage.

Chapter 4: Defense on the Move
A good offense is a good defense.