Tutorials/Shelter types

Navigation Help
For ease of navigation, it is suggested that you use the "Contents" above to navigate through the shelters. This makes the page mush easier to use.

Organization
These shelters are organized by how long it would take to build them. Obviously, these can vary, depending on how detailed you make it.

Note that a day only includes the daytime portion, and not the night. Also, material collection time is not included.

Nomadic: Easiest type of shelter to build. Doesn't offer much protection, especially from creeper attacks. These are generally the type you would build while the sun is setting. Time: Almost none.

Easy: These usually work with the map. They offer some protection. Time: 1/2 day.

Medium: These are freestanding structures. They offer a good amount of protection. Time: 1 day.

Hard: These structures can be very time-consuming to make. However, they offer a great amount of protection. Time: 2-10 days.

Innovative: Although these structures are the toughest to build, they do not always offer the most protection. They focus on feats of engineering. Time: ???.

Emergency shelter
Materials


 * None

Description

The simplest shelter can be made by digging 3 blocks straight down and then capping off the hole with one of the blocks of dirt. This requires only a few seconds. While digging down isn't normally recommended, it's extremely rare to run into a cave when digging 3 blocks from the surface. It is safe to expand the shelter from there on. This type of shelter can be done also when the base is established already but getting caught by the night while being far away from the base.

Location

On the ground level in a place with dirt.

Extras


 * Torches
 * Bed

Cliff-side Cave
Materials


 * None

Description

A cliff-side cave is probably the most popular shelter for the first night. It takes only a few seconds to make, and once inside, the creator is safe to expand it. It also offers good protection against most mobs (excluding creepers - they can blow up your rock walls).

Location

The best part of this shelter is that you can build it anywhere there's a cliff. Make sure there's a solid wall (preferably straight up). Mining down does not make a good shelter. A cliff by the large body of water is preferred as hostile mobs cannot spawn in the water.

Construction

Construction is extremely simple. Mine a 2x2x1 hole in the wall. Then enter the hole and close it off. From there, you want to start mining deeper that way.

Extras


 * Torches
 * Mine extension
 * Link to an above-ground base

Treehouse
Materials


 * 80 wooden planks

Description

Treehouses provide a high base. They are useful especially against creepers, because most are too high for a creeper's explosion to reach. They are often used with a bow and arrows, because they are excellent sniping spots. Another advantage to treehouses is that they are a great lookout point. They give you a good view of the map, helping you find the place for your next shelter.

Location

Treehouses are built in the trees. The best treehouses are in the tallest trees - but be careful. The taller the tree you pick, the more stairs you will have to build in order to reach your shelter.

Construction

The first thing you will build when constructing a treehouse is the staircase. Without a staircase, you cannot reach the treehouse. The amount of stairs you build will vary depending on the height of the tree you are building in. Make these stairs and place them. Remember to place wooden planks under the stairs to support them. (Not only does this make them easier to build, it also makes the staircase look better.)

Now you should have a staircase that leads to the top of the tree. Climb this staircase and lay down a 4x5 base of wooden planks. One common practice is to remove a layer of leaves and then build the base. This maintains the same level as you would have had without a base.

Next, build a layer of outer walls. These should only cover the border. To be economical, you could skip the corners, as they are not necessary. Build two more layers on each of these.

Now you will construct a roof. Don't add another border level; this was compensated for in the last step. Instead, fill in the top border with wooden planks. This roof should block out most of the light - look in the "Extras" section for ways to counter this.

Extras


 * Staircase to top
 * Window
 * Treehouse link - Multiple treehouses linked together. Best if treehouse is built in a forest.

Medium
Freestanding

Materials

64-128 Wooden planks

Description These Freestanding shelters are not usually the first shelter that the player builds, because it usually consumes the time fast. These shelters provide good protections against Mobs.(Creepers).(Watch out for creepers! They can spawn behind or on top of your house. Best way to make sure that creepers don't get on your roof is to put torches on it or make your roof from glass!)

Location You can build these type of shelters anywhere where is flat ground. You can also clear out a flat area, but this will consume more time and leave you vulnerable in the night if you don't have your house built in time.

Construction The size of the shelter is decided by the player himself.The foundation can be any size you want, but bigger building takes more time. First make the foundation of the building and then you can make it wide as you want. Then you can make a wooden floor, or you can just keep the ground as your floor. Jump and place a block underneath you to make the shelter taller. When your shelter is complete, you can make an access to the rooftop if you like. Making a door is very important, because the aggressive mobs can come inside your house and kill you.

Extras

- Watchtower (used for sniping and looking for resources)

- Windows

-Greenhouse (See Farming)

Hard
These homes are very complex and some may combined other shelters with large extras making them different shelters, like the one below. (feel free to rename)

"Forts"/Walls
These are often just normal on-ground homes with walls around them.

Description
These Shelters ofter far higher protection, and if there in no dark places on the walls or inside, then you can roam freely at night without fear of mobs(as long as you are inside the walls), ofter a place to attack from, and allows you to build at night.

Location
A flat area, just like medium-sized houses.

Materials

 * A normal freestanding home,


 * As many blocks as you need (cobblestone is good)to at least build a 4 block high wall around your home (preferably higher) and a lip on the edge. (optional, but recommended)

Construction
First pick a perimeter for the wall so you will have space to build in later on, then build a 1 block high wall there. After that keep making it higher and higher until you have the desired height. Then you will build a lip that is at least 1 block over on the top of the wall to prevent spiders and Spider Jockeys from climbing over.

= Extras
==


 * towers can be included on the sides to make it look better and give a better point to attack from.


 * a larger lip can be used to give a better point to attack from


 * windows can be added to allow you to see whats going on


 * a ditch can be added to trap mobs, kill mobs with lava, or transport them to a lava killer


 * walls can be made thicker to resist explosions (not needed if the wall is make of obsidian or bedrock)


 * by building by the sea, part of the wall may not be needed