Tutorials/Traps

This is a list of traps for creatures or players. Add your own, if you have created and tested a different one. Traps are a subset of Mechanisms.

Trap Guides
A list of traps and tutorials can be found on the Trap Guides page. Please do not post tutorials on this page, post them on the linked page.

Mined Block Traps
This type of trap uses a player mining a block (usually cutting down a tree, but that isn't too attractive) to set off the trap (usually TNT, but could use other variants such as a lava trap, etc.). A "NOT" gate is used so that when the player destroys a block with a redstone torch on it, the second phase of redstone is turned on, causing the TNT to be set off.

An advantage to this trap is that it is undetectable, and you don't have to "lure" the players into stepping on a pressure plate, or pulling a lever. It is also easy to build, since you can wire multiple blocks all over the map, rather than having to re-build a hallway or building every time it gets set off.

It is obviously possible to use a block other than a tree, but it may look out of place. Choose location carefully, e.g. in the desert use a cactus instead of a tree (be careful when doing that as the sand may fall, if you need to cover a pit up try a dirt block with sand on it or sandstone), in a luxury city you can use diamond...

Machine gun
A machine gun in minecraft is a good way to defend yourself and your house of enemies & monsters. You just need to put a few dispesensers in the direction you want put some cobblestones on it and connect it via redstone with a clock. Here's a video of how to build it.

Disarming Traps
When faced with a trap, the safest course of action is often to disarm the trigger by destroying the trap's components.


 * Destroy pressure plates. Pressure plates send the same message whether they are inactive or destroyed. Destroying a pressure plate will seldom trigger a trap.

You can dispatch active redstone wires with the use of two redstone torches: X = torch Y = redstone wire B= Any block Front view: XYX BBB Top view: Layer 1: B B  BBB Layer 2: X X  YYY And then destroy the center redstone: X X  Y Y It will keep the positive input for both ends, but cutting the two ends off, keeping the current on forever.
 * Be wary of active redstone. Inactive redstone is safe, but destroying active redstone dust can trigger traps, as it is usually connected to an inverter.


 * Never alter a clock generator! It may be connected to another one by a logic gate that checks if they tick together. This way the breaking or altering one may trigger a massive TNT charge or other anti-defuse mechanisms.


 * Consider the fact that the creator may be nearby. Often times, the builder of a trap will be near the trap, waiting to collect his victim's possessions.  If you encounter a trap, be ready for a fight.


 * Remove the trap's dangerous components. If you can reach the dangerous bits of a trap, destroy them.  Take the arrows out of a dispenser, and pocket the dispenser while you're at it.  Take any cacti you see as well. TNT should not be a problem, since the 1.7 update TNT blocks can be broken and collected


 * Some texture packs may make traps easier to disarm than others. While you might accidentally walk across a pressure plate and activate a trap while using one texture pack, you may spot it instantly with a different one. It may also help to use an x-ray texture pack to spot parts of the trap that you may not have been able to see before, which should help you better understand how the trap works.


 * If all else fails, try to safely trigger the trap. Either step on the trigger and run, or use redstone to trigger it from a distance.  It is best to have a good understanding of the nature of the trap before attempting to trigger it, as one can easily underestimate its size.


 * You can also trigger the trap, log off, and log back on after a moment has passed.

Crushing Trap
This trap uses pistons to crush skeletons, zombies or players to death. Can be used on animals and spiders, but you'll need to lower the cieling by one block. You will need plenty of sticky pistons, cobble, redstone dust, and a button/lever.

1) First, make sure you have hollowed out the room to 6 blocks high.

2) Look up, and place sticky pistons all around so they are facing down at you on the 4th block up.

3) Place a basic block like cobble just beneath all of the sticky pistons. The room should now appear to be 2 blocks high, with 2 empty blocks about the pistons.

4) Now, place cobble above all the pistons.

5) Cover the top cobble layer with redstone dust.

6) Make a trail from one of the pistons with redstone dust to a button or lever over to the side.

Upon activating the button/lever, the pistons will push the blocks down and start damaging anything stuck inside them. This will kill most things rather quickly.

You can easily convert this to use pressure plates on the ground to activate it as a trap. Quickly farm mobs or booby trap your lair with this. Enjoy!

Monster Traps
A monster trap involves 2 main parts, a spawning floor, and a "grinder" which kills the mobs. The purpose of this trap is to collect items that monsters drop, such as gunpowder, arrows, bones, etc. In most monster traps, mobs are spawned on platforms, then fall into channels to be carried to the exit of the spawning floor to be killed. Water is used to keep all the monsters moving in the correct direction. A video example on how to build one is included below. dungeons can also be used as a spawning floor.

Pit Attack
Make a 3x3, 5x5 or 8x8 pit deep enough for you to slash something stuck down there, about 3 or 4 blocks. Lure a mob in (for passives, use a fishing rod) and finish them off from above.