Tutorials/Combat

The Enemy
A mob is any creature in the game, whether Hostile, Passive, Allied or Neutral. Mobs come in various shapes and sizes, and all have different health, damage, strength and weaknesses. Each mob will require a different tactic to defeat.

Hostile Mobs
As of 1.9pre3, there are 12 Hostile Mobs in the game. This list is sorted by chance of encounter.

If caught in a difficult place without a weapon, the player can run away if he or she is outdoors or tunnel down towards bedrock and wait for the mob to de-spawn before surfacing. A failsafe is to set the difficulty to peaceful, removing all hostile mobs.

Zombie
Zombies are often said to be the easiest Mobs to beat, as they use only weak melee attacks and they burn in sunlight. However, they have an extended reach and a small amount of natural armor (8% damage negation), and it is difficult to land a hit on them in melee combat without taking damage. Also, they often spawn in large numbers, they can quickly overcome you. Zombies aren't that fast, merely a nuisance, especially when mining underground. When surrounded by multiple mobs, cut down the zombies first to escape. If possible, lure them out into sunlight during the day. They drop rotten flesh, which is only useful if you (or a wolf) are low on food or far from a permanent food source.

Skeleton
Skeletons can be quite difficult to slay in melee, as they lay down arrow fire as you approach. When attacking them in melee, strafe while approaching, and spiral around them closer and closer. Never use sprint hits on skeletons, unless they are near a hazard, as knocking them back will give them a free shot at you before you can approach. Skeletons can appear to hide behind corners in caverns and ambush you, so ensure to light up the entire tunnel before exploring further when moving underground. If you have a height and distance advantage and are attacking with a bow, you can make short work of a skeleton by firing upon it while staying out of its search range. On equal ground with a skeleton, charge your bow directly after dodging a skeletons arrow to prevent yourself being shot while under the slowing effects of a charging bow. If you are low on health and ammo, waiting until daylight will kill all skeletons due to their vunerability to sunlight.

Creeper
Not only one of the most notorious and infamous mobs in the game, but also one of the most deadly.

The safest way to engage a creeper is from a distance by shooting three fully charged arrows at it with a bow so it cannot explode near the player. Also, the player can finish off the creeper with a sword after shooting the creeper once or twice to save arrows.

Swimming creepers can be easily dealt with using melee attacks while the player is underwater. Players can also take advantage of the creeper's countdown system by hitting it, retreating a few squares away, and repeating this until it dies. Alternatively, the player can find sufficiently high ground to strike a creeper from above with a melee weapon without the detonation sequence being activated. However, the player should keep in mind that creepers move forwards and to the right (your left) when in pursuit.

A creeper can be hit and knocked out of reach with the sprint hit ability. This allows a player to slowly work down a creepers health while remaining out of the explosion radius. Jumping and hitting a creeper while falling during a sprint will kill the creeper quickly while still keeping it out of reach.

If a creeper is below the player, the player can suffocate a creeper (and many other mobs) by placing a block of sand or gravel above the creeper as long as the block they are placing is on a wall or a block in front of the player and above the target mob. It will usually take one to two blocks to cover the creeper and when it is covered, the creeper will slowly suffocate to death. This is a slow way of eliminating a creeper but it will keep the player out of harm's way and preserve the durability of their weapon. They may be hit by lightning during a storm, making it a charged creeper. These are one of the most dangerous mobs in the game as its explosion is stronger than TNT. However, the lightning also damages the creeper, making it a faster kill. One fact you should know about the lightning creeper is that is come straight on, instead of from the right (your left.)

Spider
Spiders can be a nuisance if handled incorrectly. Spiders are the only monster that are 1 block high, and as such they are able to sneak into your house if a hole is sufficient. However, spiders are also 2 blocks wide, so a 1x1 hole will not let spiders pass. Spiders have a special feature in which they can climb blocks. If you hear spider noises, but can't see one, usually they are on top of your house. In the daytime, spiders will become neutral. They will only attack you if you attack them. Spiders drop string, (as of 1.9 pre 3 they also drop spider eye) and string is extremely useful. You can use it for a fishing rod to get quick and easy food, or ( what most players do) you can use 3 string and 3 sticks to make a bow. Spiders have a jump attack, and so it is best to swing a sword while walking backwards to avoid most damage. During the day, they can be killed by lava or flint and steel without becoming hostile to you.

Enderman
Although they are technically neutral, you are sure to end up fighting an Enderman sooner or later, either by unintentionally looking at one or trying to get Ender Pearls. Despite their somewhat unsettling appearance, Endermen are damaged by fire, lava, water, rain and attacks. Enderman can not see you when you have a pumpkin on your head (place in the spot where you would put a helmet.) Emptying a bucket of water on the ground will damage the Enderman without it becoming hostile to you, though it will teleport away. All types of swords are effective against one, though wood, stone, and gold swords may not deal enough damage to kill the Enderman before it kills you. Cacti will also damage Endermen, so a wall of cacti also serves as a passive defence against Endermen.

Pre Beta 1.9 Pre-release Endermen were very easily killed with the use of a bow, however as of all the Pre-releases and the full release; arrows will hit them and they will instantly teleport without taking damage, causing your arrow to vanish from existence.

As of the Beta 1.9 Pre-release 4, if you use water to kill an Enderman in The End, it will simply just disappear. It is unconfirmed if this is a bug or intentional.

Hostile Endermen will teleport away when the player closes in on them to strike. When this happens in a small underground space, the Enderman may teleport into inaccessible caves or to the surface. They will not teleport back to the player unless he/she moves to an area that has enough space for the Enderman to teleport back. On the surface, an Enderman's tendency to teleport away when the player is close enough to attack can be used to keep an attacking Enderman at bay. The player can also change to 3rd person view by pressing F5 to make sure he or she can't be attacked from behind because of the Enderman tendency of teleporting behind them. Most of the time Endermen will pick up a block once it engages pursuit against a player, sometimes creating a rather amusing sight in SMP of an Enderman seemingly whacking a player with a block.

When killed, regardless of the method of death, any blocks held by the Enderman disappear. They do not drop or get placed.

As of the Beta 1.9 Pre-release 2, Endermen teleport to avoid being hit by arrows and splash potions and teleport to a new location when hit with one. They are no longer damaged by sunlight in this version, and when they touch water they immediately teleport away.

A less exciting but effective way of killing an Enderman is by staring below their torso, preferably attacking the 'feet' of its legs constantly with a sword or an axe. However, due to their tendency to teleport when the player closes in on them, you should either stand still while attacking their legs or move backwards keeping your distance (should multiple Endermen be in pursuit of you). This can also be done by simply punching them (providing this strategy is done correctly) without taking a single point of damage, but could be considered tedious to some.

You can wear a pumpkin as the head armor piece in order to stop Endermen from turning hostile when you look at them. If you hit an Enderman with any kind of sword while doing this, the Enderman will not teleport away from you, allowing you to kill it safely.

Slime
Slimes are found only below altitude level 40 and in certain chunks, but often occur in large numbers. They are the only way to get slimeballs for sticky pistons, and drop large amounts of experience, but they are often a major pest in mines. A solution is to dig the mine only one block wide so that only the harmless tiny slimes can fit in it, but in natural caves and larger mines, they can become a nuisance as they will spawn in any light level. Since the larger slimes are slightly over 1 block wide, you can trap them behind walls and hit them easily. They are also easily killed by attacking from above. When a slime is killed, it will split into four smaller slimes, and a single huge slime will produce 16 small slimes, which can easily overrun the player in large numbers. Attacking from above or backpedaling will prevent too many from attacking at once. Water is also effective at slowing them down, while lava will kill large numbers, so it is a good last resort.

Nether Mobs
As of 1.9pre3, only 4 mobs spawn naturally in the Nether. This list is sorted by chance of encounter.

Currently, all Nether mobs are hostile, with the exception of the zombie pigman, which is neutral. All can be very dangerous without sufficient weapons, but all can be outran fairly easily while sprinting, and all excepting the magma cube despawn on peaceful.

Zombie Pigman
Zombie Pigmen will not attack you unless one of their own is attacked, but all nearby pigmen will charge and become very dangerous in high numbers. Don't attack them unless you have the means to kill large numbers.

To an unprepared or careless player, a charging group of zombie pigmen can mean a swift death. However, fighting zombie pigmen becomes feasible when you can manage which of them become hostile and which remain neutral. Zombie pigmen attack on the basis of 'seeing is believing', meaning that they only become hostile when they see one of their own being attacked by the player. Once this happens, all zombie pigmen within a certain radius (about a dozen blocks) become hostile, and will charge the player IF he is within range. Zombie pigmen will also notice attacks from behind walls. The hostility radius is centered around the zombie pigmen that is attacked, not the player, meaning that you can attack a far-away zombie pigman with a bow without nearby zombie pigmen becoming hostile (although this is not advisable).

By keeping these rules in mind, it is possible to safely pick off groups of zombie pigmen with a bow, or to kill isolated zombie pigmen, provided that the other members of the group are outside their aggressive range, which is rather short.

Despite the visual effect of their gold sword they deal no greater damage than a zombie. They also share zombies' natural armor (8% damage negation)

A way to kill them without great difficulty is to create a "booth"--a structure with four walls each three blocks tall, two of them (that must meet at a corner) having gaps at the second block up. A player can mine one block out of the bottom of one of the partial walls and attack a Zombie Pigman, then quickly go back inside and close the way in, then use strike-and-run tactics, running up to the walls with the gaps in them, hitting a Zombie Pigman, then running to the closed corner before it can retaliate, continuing until they are all dead. A bow or stone/iron/diamond sword speeds this process up significantly, the first by allowing the player just to sit in the closed corner and shoot, and the second by reducing the number of hits required. If possible, the booth should be made out of Cobblestone as this will make it invunerable to Ghasts.

An easier tactic is to build a column three blocks high. From here, you can either hit the Zombie Pigmen or shoot arrows. They will swarm you, as well as push you around, but you will not receive any damage as long as you remain on the column.

As of Beta 1.9 Pre-release 5 Zombie Pigmen can be damaged by Splash Potions of healing and/or regeneration, and will be healed by Splash Potions of Poison and/or Instant Harm. In addition, a sword enchanted with Smite will do extra damage to Zombie Pigmen.

Another great way to deal with a pack of charging zombie pigmen is to either have a sword enchanted with the knockback ability, or to backpedal while attacking them, as they can outrun you if you don't sprint.

A way to easily and safely get their drops but not experience is to first get in a large group of pigmen, then place a block of sand and a 2 or 3 tall cactus on it, then another block of sand to stand on top of, and then shoot a single arrow or snowball at a zombie pigman. They will all become hostile and charge toward you, impaling themselves on the cactus.

Ghast
Ghasts are often considered the most difficult mob to kill in the nether owing to their extreme attack range, explosive attack power, mobility and flight. They are also quite common; players in any exposed area will have to deal with them sooner or later and possibly from the moment they step out of a portal. Ghast fireballs have a profound effect on Nether architecture, making a compelling case to use only materials resistant to their explosions for outer walls and exterior fittings in places where their fire may be drawn. As a result of their large size and the extreme unpleasantness of an indoor Ghast spawn, the primary defense mechanism for buildings in the Nether becomes enclosure rather than lighting. A Ghast's firepower is highly inaccurate at most ranges if one is moving. Players are most vulnerable when they are building in the Nether, when they may well not be moving and possibly standing above a long fall. Ghasts can also break blocks from under the player, often dropping them into lava or causing death through falling damage.

The player can reflect fireballs by hitting them with anything before they impact, even bare hands. Because of their low speed, spamming mouseclicks is often enough to deflect any given attack. It is possible to kill Ghasts by reflecting their attacks back at them, but it can be difficult since ghasts are agile and their hitbox is restricted to their tentacles. You can make a fireball easily reflect in the direction you want by shooting an arrow, fishing rod, or snowball at the fireball. The fishing rod, when released, slightly affects the fireball's trajectory. This relationship goes both ways and a Ghast's constant stream of fireballs may well interfere with the firing arc of your bow.

Most Ghast kills are made with a bow and arrows for obvious reasons but a Ghast can be killed with melee weapons if the player can get close enough before it draws away. Ghasts are highly vulnerable when caught on the ground since their attacks can be deflected and their health is quite low - 2 blows from a diamond sword will destroy one. It is possible to use a fishing rod to draw Ghasts near enough to hit them with a sword. A close Ghast is also much easier to hit with a bow, though reaction time against its fireballs is likewise lessened. When aiming your bow, be sure to lead your shots as Ghasts can quickly change trajectory and move quite quickly. Depending on the Ghast's range and relative altitude, it is usually necessary to also aim at a high trajectory to gain extra range. Where possible, having the advantage in altitude (such as shooting from the topmost layer of the Nether) is of enormous help. If ammunition is not a concern, it is advisable to shoot many arrows at differing trajectories in order to find the range to the Ghast. The Ghast's hitbox is mainly its tentacles, and aiming too high may cause a shot to go through the Ghast's body, dealing no damage. However, it is perfectly practical to shoot the hitbox through the ephemeral body from above using plunging fire.

Much like using neutral or enemy mobs as shields against arrows fired by skeletons in the regular world, it is feasible to use zombie pigmen as shields against Ghasts in the Nether. It is possible to injure or kill zombie pigmen in this fashion without ever making them hostile to the player.

An effective method of fighting Ghasts in the nether is to make a shelter, preferably out of brick, cobblestone, obsidian, or other explosion-resistant materials. Make a 1x1 hole in the roof and add ladders leading up to it, in such a way that you can poke the upper half of your body through the roof. When a Ghast is near, climb the ladder, shoot an arrow at the Ghast and quickly descend again into your explosion-proof shelter. This should mean that you can kill Ghasts easily with minimal health loss. To improve this even further, add a small 3x3 roof 1 block above the hole in the main roof. Most of the Ghasts' fireballs will now hit this roof rather than you, meaning that you should be safe against most Ghast attacks.

Since the Beta 1.9 Pre-release 3, Ghasts do full 10 hearts damage when a direct hit from a Fireball is taken. Inversely, this means that deflecting a Ghast's fireball against itself will kill it instantly.

Magma Cube
Magma cubes drop magma cream, and they are common in the Nether and give the player large amounts of experience, so being able to fight them is a necessity for anyone who explores the Nether a lot, and is a good source of experience and useful potion ingredients. The smaller two kinds of cube are both easily killed with a stone sword or better even in large numbers, as they have low health and a slow attack rate, but big cubes can be deadly. Due to their jumping attack, they are very hard to hit and dodge, and while they have less health than the player at 8 hearts, they have natural armor that negates 48% of damage dealt to them, making their practical health much higher than the player's base. Preferably trap them on a ledge above you and use a hit and run tactic, but if you must fight them in the open, hit them immediately after their jump so you have time to escape the next one. Once the big cube is defeated, fighting its smaller counterparts should be much easier. It should be noted that a large magma cube is almost impossible to hit with a sword, as its hitbox is glitched (Tested in SMP, not yet in SSP). In this case, one should instead use a bow to fight large magma cubes until they are reduced down to a smaller size.

Blaze
Blazes are rare and spawn only from spawners in Nether Ruins, but they are essential to get blaze rods, which have many uses.

Blazes are one of the most difficult mobs to fight, due to their ranged, unblockable attacks and rapid rate of fire. Their ability to fly usually leaves the player's sword useless, while a player's bow's charging time and move speed leaves the player highly vulnerable to attack. On the other hand, Blaze have a much shorter attack range, which makes it more feasible to snipe them from afar. Blaze can only spawn in light level 11 or lower (at the lower half of their body). Much like Ghasts, the Blaze's ability to fly can make it difficult to recover their loot after killing them. However, a viable tactic of combat is to fight them at close range by reeling them in with a fishing rod first. The use of a potion of fire resistance is extremely helpful when fighting Blazes.

Blaze spawners occur in Nether Fortresses, and will start spawning Blazes once the player gets within 16 blocks. The spawners have a chance of spawning 1-4 Blazes at once. 'Camping' at a Blaze spawner is an effective way to gather Blaze Rods, as they will always appear close enough to attack with a sword, and there is a delay in their attack after they spawn because they have to charge first. This is best done in combination with the fire resistance potion in effect, which makes the player immune to the Blaze's attacks and can be brewed by adding Magma Cream to awkward potions. You can also build a doorway, 2 blocks tall and 1 block wide, where you can camp and kill the blazes as they come down. This strategy is extremely effective if you cover up the roof of the spawner room and camp in the doorway with a diamond sword.

A Blaze suffers damage upon contact with water or from snowballs, making a small army of Snow Golems a great way to kill them or even make Golem based Blaze grinders, provided the player has enough ingredients to replace the fallen golems, a safe place to hide while making new golems, as well as that the initial attack is made with enough snowmen to defeat the first wave of Blazes, before more Blazes can arrive and turn the Blaze grinder into a Snow Golem grinder. Be aware with Blaze spawners as these can quickly create new waves of Blaze, outnumbering the golems. Systems like this can in practical use take out several spawners with the only resource requirement being pumpkins for new golems, making the Blaze killing process almost self-sustaining.

Passive Mobs
Most passive mobs are easy to kill, as they do not fight back. However, they will run when they take damage from any source, this can often be a nuisance. Lava and Flint and steel can also be used to make the animal drop the cooked version of its meat. Although it will run away, it will probably die from the burning.

Avoid attacking a passive mob without a tool or weapon. This will not only lead to frustration, but also wasted daylight, due to the time taken.

Chickens
Chickens can be quite difficult to hit because of their small hitbox, but they have the least health. A single strike from any sword or from most non-wood tools will finish them off.

Sheep, Pigs, and Cows
Sheep are one of the easiest passive mobs to kill along with pigs and cows. Sheep have five hearts before 1.9 pre-release 3 and four hearts after the pre-release. Two successive strikes from a diamond, stone or iron sword will finish them off easily. For a one hit kill, critical hit them with a stone sword or better so they won't run away. Pigs and cows can be killed with lava or fire to get the cooked version of their meat, thus saving furnace fuel.

Other Players
All other players have 20 (10 hearts) of HP. If you are engaged in a duel, be sure to be prepared with armor and weapons as your opponent will make quick work of you if you are unprepared. Engaging other players may possibly be the most challenging fights in minecraft, depending on you and the other's skill. Observe battle tactics and use them to your advantage. Use splash potions and flint-and-steel if allowed. When the opponent attempts to spam you with sword hits, block at first, then backpedal and fire several arrows. Then sprint/critical hit them to finish them off.

Sword

 * Style: Offensive, direct
 * Range: Melee
 * Damage: Varies with material

The primary weapon which is the most versatile, effective and cheapest to use. A sword's damage varies on material and a rule of thumb is the rarer the material, the stronger the sword (with the exception of gold). A sword deals far more damage than by hand, and will greatly increase a player's chance of survival upon being faced with hostile mobs. Even the wooden sword, the lowest tier of sword, deals four times as much damage as the fist. (and each further increase in material increases the damage of the sword by half a heart) The sword is the only tool that has the ability to block, which reduces melee and ranged damage dealt by mobs by half. A sword, like many of the weapons mentioned here has a limited amount of uses, and disappears when its uses reach zero. Again, the higher tier the sword is, the more uses it has, and each tier approximately doubles the uses that a sword possesses, apart from the diamond, which has more than 5 times the number of uses as iron. Enchanting your sword can also greatly increase its power.

Tools

 * Style: Offensive, direct
 * Range: Melee
 * Damage: Varies with type and material

When a player is out performing tasks in the world, they may forget to bring a sword or set a sword onto the hotbar. Tools that have a shaft (more specifically, the Shovel, Pickaxe and Axe) can be used to deal mediocre damage when a sword cannot be drawn. The same rules apply to a tool that apply to the sword, except the tool cannot be used to block. Players should note that the wooden and golden shovels deal no more damage than the fist, and therefore the player should avoid using these in combat to prevent consuming their uses. The Axe deals half a heart more than a Pickaxe of the same material, and the Pickaxe deals half a heart more than the Shovel by the same criteria. Again, each tier of tool deals half a heart more than the previous tier. When used as a weapon, tools will also incur double durability damage. As a result of this, it would behoove the player to only use tools as a last resort, i.e., if their sword breaks mid-battle.

Bow
Style: Offensive, direct

Range: Ranged

Damage: no charge: .5, med. charge: 3, high charge: 4.5 - 5

The bow is the longest, most easy to use, and widely employed ranged weapon in the game. However, it requires arrows as ammunition. As of 1.1, Bows can also be enchanted, which greatly enhances their usefulness. Enchantments include making all arrows fired from the bow be lit and cause fire damage on impact, similar to the sword's Fire Aspect enchant, and Infinite Arrows, for those who have trouble making enough ammunition, or have shoddy aim. There also is a Power enchantment that increases the damage done by your arrows.

Bucket
Style: Varies with contents

Range: Varies with contents

Damage: Varies with contents

The bucket can be filled with either Water or Lava to become arguably one of the most powerful weapons in the game. It also does not have a use limit, and therefore can be used infinite times. A bucket is primarily used as a defensive weapon against approaching mobs, as the player must place the contents of it between the mob and themselves for it to be effective.

Water Bucket
Style: Defensive, hindering

Range: 7 from source

Damage: None (Except for Endermen and Blaze)

A water bucket can be used to reduce approaching mob speed, leaving them highly vulnerable to arrow fire and sword damage. Combining this with height, a player can hold off hordes of mobs with little effort. A water bucket provides advantages over the lava bucket in the fact that it is safe to use, is easily removable, and also doubles as a fire extinguisher should the player be set alight. However, it cannot be used in the nether.

A water bucket also has the added benefit of being a guaranteed protection from Endermen, provided the player is standing in the water.

Lava Bucket
Style: Offensive, lasting

Range: 3 from source

Damage: Contact

A lava bucket can be used to cause immense amounts of damage to multiple mobs. It will provide light and will greatly slow mob movement, even more so than water. A player can dump it on the ground for quick use, however this will provide difficult for cleanup and the player may end up burning themselves or trapping their escape. A strategic player can quickly dig a 7x1 trench and fill the middle block with lava to hinder mob advances, inflicting enough damage on them to allow for an easy kill. However, this method is ineffective against spiders unless the trench was 7x2. Lava buckets are almost completely ineffective against all Nether mobs - their only use is to slow down land based mobs such as the Zombie Pigman or the Magma Cube in the same way that a Water Bucket is used. Also, the player should note that lava destroys any drops that the mobs would otherwise give, so lava should only be used for an outright kill.

TNT
Style: Offensive, Explosive

Range: ~10 blocks in diameter

Damage: Explosive (around 15 heart damage at point blank range)

TNT is a very effective but dangerous weapon. It is very hard to make, so using TNT against a small number of mobs is unnecessary and costly. Also, you will take damage upon setting off the TNT unless you take quick, evasive action (sprint jumping away from the explosion, blast resistance enchantment on armour etc.). One very hard but effective way to take out a mob is by a TNT cannon. TNT cannons will not be a quick option, but they act as an 'explosive arrow'. You should only try the TNT cannon method if you are trying to go for a safe and humiliating kill.

Flint & steel
Style: Contact, Lasting

Range: Damage on contact

Damage: 1/2 heart per second, while lit

Flint and steel is a unique weapon, as you can set a block of fire, and while it burns, any contact with it sets a mob on fire, doing damage over time. This can be very useful when being chased by multiple mobs, as it will weaken all or most of them down to the point where a sword hit or two will be enough to kill them. However, there are several downsides to this method. First of all, mobs may elude the fire by pure luck, requiring another light. Second of all, if you are in a confined space, circling to avoid mobs, you could light yourself on fire accidentally. Lastly, it can take a long time for the mob to die, enough time for more mobs to join the party! A fast player could make a short 1-block netherrack wall and light the top. Mobs would have to jump and they would take damage instantly/over time. Particularly effective with a sword with the knockback enchantment.

Sand or Gravel
Style: Ambush, Lasting

Range: Unlimited

Damage: From suffocating

Sand or Gravel aren't weapons in true sense, but they can be used to kill mobs. Best use is in caves - when you're on a high place and you have a mob directly below, you can place that block on a wall near where you're standing; the block will fall, and with right aim, it will fall on the mob, and thus suffocate it. However, killing with this weapon doesn't yield any experience, but that block will make the mob stuck, and you can finish him with the sword.