TNT is a craftable block that explodes shortly after being ignited. TNT is ideal for excavating several blocks at a time, or as a trap for Mobs and/or Players.
Mechanics
See also: Explosion
TNT can be activated by any one of the following methods:
- using a Flint and Steel or a Fire Charge
- a powered redstone current
- being shot with a Flame-enchanted arrow
- being shot with an arrow shot through lava or fire
- being in the blast radius or a nearby explosion
- being summoned, though it will detonate immediately
- being fired from a dispenser
- being lit by a flint and steel in a dispenser
When using TNT in a redstone circuit, it doubles the capacitance over a repeater. There is a four-second fuse time, allowing a player to retreat to a safe distance. When initially placed, TNT does not obey physics. However, after being ignited, the TNT block becomes an Entity, and will perform a slight hop in the air before falling toward the ground, landing on the first solid block it encounters. It will flash white for exactly four seconds, during which time a player can move through it, before it finally explodes.
The explosion is easily capable of destroying most blocks in the vicinity and will blow up 70% of the vulnerable blocks around it. Fragile blocks, such as Dirt and Sand, are the most affected, while sturdier types, such as Stone, are resistant to it. Obsidian and Bedrock are completely resistant to the explosion, and cannot be destroyed normally. If the TNT is in water, any nearby blocks won't be destroyed but any mobs nearby will still receive damage.
It is a very infamous "Griefing" tool, as a TNT block can easily destroy most blocks. Because of this, it is often banned on servers that don't allow griefing.
Sources
TNT naturally generates in Desert Temples and in Woodland Mansion as a trap. The only other ways to obtain it is through Crafting, or the menu in Creative mode.
Crafting
TNT is crafted using Gunpowder and Sand or Red Sand.
| TNT | TNT | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunpowder | Sand | Gunpowder | Gunpowder | Red Sand | Gunpowder | |
| Sand | Gunpowder | Sand | Red Sand | Gunpowder | Red Sand | |
| Gunpowder | Sand | Gunpowder | Gunpowder | Red Sand | Gunpowder | |
TNT is used in crafting Minecarts with TNT
| Minecart with TNT | ||
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
| None | TNT | None |
| None | Minecart | None |
Trivia
- Creating a Superflat with one or more layers of TNT can cause severe lag (and probably crash) if one of the pieces were to get ignited.
- TNT cannons can be made using water, TNT, redstone, and pistons. Many people use TNT cannons in SMP for arcade-like games, such as "Factions", "TNT wars", etc.
- Endermen can pick up TNT and then place it elsewhere. They can place it near a power source and cause it to detonate.
- Players can ignite TNT with lava or fire, but TNT can also be ignited by nearby lava or fire sources.
- TNT can fall up to 72 blocks when ignited.
- Since ignited TNT is an entity, liquids and mobs can pass through it freely.
- If TNT is in liquid, it won't damage the terrain, but it will still damage entities around it.
- As stated by the Minecraft combat guide, TNT is a "Simple yet effective way to annihilate an enemy base". Also it is one of the 6 basic weapons (Sword, Bow, Lava Bucket, Dispenser with arrows, and Flint and Steel).
- TNT is slightly smaller than other blocks when activated, as with all entity versions of blocks.
- The exploding sound for the TNT was changed. It had a cartoon-like sound when it exploded.
- If TNT falls on top of an Anvil, it will greatly reduce the explosion but it can still be deadly to an entity around it.
- In Minecraft Alpha, TNT was activated just by punching it. It was later changed to make TNT explode by using flint and steel or redstone to activate it.
- In Minecraft today, players can spawn TNT with the old mechanics with
/setblock ~ ~ ~ tnt 1. - In Minecraft Classic, a player could deactivate lit TNT by punching it.
- In Minecraft today, players can spawn TNT with the old mechanics with
- If a player puts a glass block in front of lit TNT and then they hide behind it, it will absorb at least 90% of the damage a player will take.
- TNT can be shot with a Flame enchanted bow to ignite it, however, Fire Aspect swords do not have the same effect.
- As of 1.7, players can spawn in TNT with a custom fuse time, allowing for TNT that explodes instantly, as well as TNT that takes a long time to explode.
- The longest fuse time of TNT is 27 minutes and 18.35 seconds, or 32,767 ticks.
- Players can summon a detonated version of TNT by using the
/summoncommand. - TNT is shortened for the chemical compound Trinitrotoluene.
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