Zombies are often considered the easiest agressive mobs to kill, as they use only weak melee attacks and burn in sunlight unless they are wearing helmets/pumpkins on their heads or are in water. However, they have an extended reach and a small amount of natural armor (2 armor points), and it is easy to land a hit on them in melee combat without taking damage. Also, they often spawn in large numbers and when they do so, 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. The player can also use a bow to shoot the zombies, but as mentioned, they spawn in large numbers, so it will be difficult to kill all of them. If possible, lure them out into sunlight so that they burn. They drop rotten flesh, which is only useful if you (or a wolf) are low on food or far from a permanent food source. It should also be noted that zombies can break down wooden doors in hard difficulty and hardcore mode, so take caution when trying to defend yourself by placing blocks. If you play on Hard/Hardcore mode, protect your house with an iron door. They also attack villagers and can be seen trying to open doors. They can spawn with armor, pumpkins on their heads, and iron tools such as swords and shovels. Zombies are also extremely weak when trapped. A way to lure them is use the villager trap. Zombies can spawn other zombies when you hit them.
Skeletons can be quite difficult to slay in melee combat, unless you have the correct tactics. They fire arrows as you approach, making them hard to kill; although if you get close enough, it is possible to hit them, block, and repeat until you kill them. Another way you can attack is by circling them, and while doing so, approach and hit them and keep on circling and hitting it until it dies. They burn in sunlight like zombies unless they are wearing any type of armor or pumpkins on their heads. When attacking them in melee combat, strafe while approaching, and spiral around them. 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. However, you can jump-sprint so that there is a chance that the skeleton will shoot over or under you. You might also get a critical hit if you do that. It is suggested that you wear at least a 11 armor points when doing this, as you will take some damage. Do NOT do this if the skeleton is on a hill, as you might crash against a wall, giving the skeleton a free shot at you. Skeletons can hide behind corners in caverns and ambush you, so ensure to light the entire tunnel before exploring further when underground. One can make short work of a skeleton by shooting it while outside its search range. On equal ground with a skeleton, charge your bow shortly after dodging a skeleton's arrow to prevent being shot while under the slowing effects of a charging bow. If you are low on health and ammo, wait until day so that they burn up. However, if inside a cave, wait for your health to regenerate completely and try again. In Nether Fortresses, they spawn 20% of the time in place of a Wither Skeleton. They can wear armor and pumpkins like zombies, but cannot pick up items or blocks. When fighting skeletons and you run behind a wall, don't try to rush out and attack them (unless you don't mind taking some damage). What you should do is wait behind the corner with your sword on block and when the skeleton hits you, retaliate before it can launch another attack. Skeletons are very accurate and running out will almost always result in a hit. So does trying to wait around the corner and attacking the edge of the skeleton. By blocking with a shield you reduce damage taken. Don't try to slay a skeleton in melee combat in water (use only a ranged attack), they can fire arrows at you preventing you of getting out of the water and possibly killing you. If you do decide to attack a skeleton in water with melee tactics, get under the skeleton or jump off a ledge into the water. A good plan in the Swampland biome is to try and drown the skeleton under lily pads.
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 (unless you have the infinity enchantment on your bow). 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 (also with an Knockback enchantment to the player's sword). This allows a player to slowly work down a Creeper's 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 it (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, it 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. Another method to kill a Creeper is by using the pillar method. This method is not the most effective, but chances of explosions are minimal. By making a 3-4 block pillar of dirt/sand by pillar-jumping, and waiting until the creeper comes next to your pillar, you can attack it without exploding. Another method to kill a Creeper (especially if there are multiple creepers), is to fight them with an open door between you. As soon as you attack, the creepers might start their countdowns. Close the door quickly, and it will shield you from their sight, forcing them to abort the countdown. Re-open the door and strike again, then quickly re-close the door. The creepers will not be quick enough to go through, and the door will shield you from their view. The only drawbacks to this method are if you react too slowly, they can detonate; and that zombies could break the door if they see you. This method is very effective, especially if you have low resources and time. This method can also be used to block a possible skeleton arrow. 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 they approach straight on, instead of from the right (your left). But remember, keep your distance when fighting hostile mobs, especially Creepers.
Explosion Mechanics 1 block away definite hit extreme damage 2 blocks away almost always hit moderate damage 3 blocks away almost never hits little to no damage 4 blocks away never hits no damage
Spiders can be a nuisance if handled incorrectly. They are one of the three monsters that are 1 block high, and as such they will be able to sneak into your house if a hole is sufficiently large for them. However, spiders are also 2 blocks wide, so a 1x1 hole will not let them 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 (but don't think they will forgive you if they were chasing you in the night!). However, they can ambush you in the daytime if you exit your house when one is on your roof, attacking your back as you walk away from your house. 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. On Survival a Spider becomes neutral towards you if the light level around you and it is around 12 - 14. One can also kill spiders by pillar jumping, creating a ledge around the pillar, bombing the spiders with snowballs, and watching them climb and fall. (See Spider Masher). Spiders drop 0 - 2 string, and have a chance to drop a spider eye. String is useful stuff, and precious in the beginning game as it is needed for bows, fishing rods, and leads. It can also be crafted into wool (12 string makes enough for a bed), and it can be placed in the environment as tripwire.
These are rare, they have 1/100 chance to spawn in place of a regular spider and from a Spider Spawn Egg in Creative Mode. It is also highly fatal if confronted head-on, as the spider will attack you, while the skeleton shoots you with arrows, On Hard Mode, a Spider Jockey deals a total of 5.5 Hearts of Damage if attacked head on (also the Spider Jockey can still climb walls). If the spider climbs into an area that is only one block high, the skeleton will suffocate. If the spider is killed the skeleton will revert to a normal skeleton and continue to attack normally and vice versa. Wolves are a messy way to combat them because the wolf will attack the mob who last attacked it, so it may alternate from attacking the spider to attacking the skeleton, etc. One can attack Spider Jockeys with a bow outside of the mobs' search range. Be sure you do not hit the spider until you have killed the skeleton. If a Spider Jockey spots you from a high place, the skeleton may hurt the spider trying to shoot at you, causing the spider to attack the skeleton, provoking a comical fight. You can wait until one of the mobs dies so you will have to deal with a single mob, or use the confusion to climb up and fight the already damaged Spider Jockey to get both loots. Be careful, as you could still be pushed off.
Cave Spiders only appear in Abandoned Mineshafts underground, but are a pain to deal with. Not only are they smaller than a regular Spider, meaning they can fit through 1x1 holes, but also their bite will poison you (except on Easy and obviously Peaceful difficulty). On Normal difficulty, the poison effect lasts for 6 seconds if not countered by drinking a bucket of milk. On Hard, the poison effects will last for a deadly 15 seconds. Keep in mind that the poison effect on Hard can deal 10 (5 Hearts) of damage if not treated with said milk, and will eventually be the ultimate cause of player deaths in the abandoned mineshafts from the poison leaving only 1 health left on the player. Cave Spider spawners are often difficult to take out, due to their location being surrounded by cobwebs. If you run across a Cave Spider spawner, make sure you have shears or a sword to cut the cobwebs quickly (a sword will be used up quickly by this). Another great option would be a bucket of water. You can also tunnel under the floor to reach them, then mine upwards and break the spawner. Neither type of spider is affected by the cobweb slowing effect, so be aware that they cannot get stuck like other mobs and entities can.
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. An Enderman cannot see you when you have a pumpkin on your head (place in the spot where you would put a helmet). Alternatively, if you see it before it sees you, you can build a 2-block high ceiling, at least 3 by 3. Then look at it to anger it, and quickly retreat under your shelter as it (hopefully) teleports to you. Since endermen are three blocks tall, you can then attack it without fear of reprisal. Emptying a bucket of water on the ground will hurt 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 help you against Endermen. 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 and Fn (Mac) to make sure he or she can't be attacked from behind because of the Enderman tendency of teleporting behind them. Any block held by an enderman is dropped upon its death (except in console edition). 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. When an arrow or splash potion is shot/thrown at them they will instantly teleport away without taking any damage. However, interestingly, if shot with a bow with a Flame enchantment the Enderman will immediately teleport as per usual but will get set on fire, receiving damage. This can be an effective way of hunting them. But this was fixed at later versions. The enderman is based on the Slenderman creepypasta.
Slimes are found only below altitude level 40 in certain chunks and in swamp biomes at night, 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 one to four smaller Slimes, and a single huge Slime can produce up to 16 small Slimes, which can easily overrun the player in large numbers, but is mainly just a nuisance. Attacking from above or backpedaling will prevent too many from attacking at once. Water is also effective at slowing them down and it is common on the surface, while lava will kill large numbers, so it is a good last resort. Note that a tiny slime can be killed with a one punch(saving sword durability). Slimes will split even if they are hit with more than necessary damage.
Witches are hostile mobs with an appearance similar to villagers that spawn in swamp huts and rarely in other parts of the overworld. They throw negative splash potions at you and will drink Water Breathing, Fire Resistance and Instant Health potions to protect themselves; so drowning them or killing them with lava or fire isn't a good thing to do. They have 13 hearts of health. If you find one, shoot it with a bow or attack it with a sword in the way that you would attack skeletons. If you are holding an iron sword or better, another strategy would be charging towards it and hitting it 3-4 times before the witch is finished drinking their potion of Instant Health. However, don't use splash potions on them as they are almost completely immune to them. Fire attacks are also useless. Witches can spawn anywhere it is dark, excluding the Nether and The End. The Witch itself tends to drop Spider Eye, Sugar, Glowstone Dust, Redstone Dust, Sticks and empty Glass Bottles, making them a great monster to farm.
The Guardian has two methods of attack, engaging a laser-like beam and a thorn-like attack. The beam takes several seconds to charge, doing no damage while doing so, and changes from purple initially to bright yellow when fully charged. Once charged, the beam abruptly disappears and deals damage. The Guardian will swim around for a few seconds before firing again. If the target comes near the Guardian while it is firing its beam, it will stop firing and swim away until it is at a comfortable range, at which point it will continue attacking. The Guardian, unlike other hostile mobs, will not follow the player if they move out of sight. Instead, it will simply continue swimming until the player becomes visible again, and will then start to charge its attack. The beam cannot be dodged, as it follows the player, but can be obstructed by solid blocks, and has a range of approximately 15 blocks. Guardians also have spikes on their bodies. Although these spikes don't do any direct damage upon contact or as a melee attack, they act similar to the Thorns enchantment. The Guardians can extend and retract their spikes. If a player attacks the Guardian when its spikes are extended, the player takes a small amount of damage. Guardians are very resistant to melee attacks when under water, as the player will not be able to quickly approach the Guardian due to the slowing effect of the water. Guardians will swim away when approached by a player it is targeting. The Guardian will deal 1 heart of damage every time it is hit when its spikes are extended. If cornered, the Guardian will usually extend its spikes and fire its laser at the player, even at point-blank range. If brought to land they may take fall damage from their swift movement. If the player must melee a Guardian, they should try to corner it and hope for the best; or else try to trick it into swimming within melee range repeatedly. The Guardian cannot shoot as fast as a player with a bow can, so a skilled player will be able to shoot the Guardian, and then hide to break the beam's lock, repeating until the Guardian is dead. Arrows will slow down and eventually fall when in water, so the player may be forced to shoot at very close range. If the Guardian is in shallow water the player(s) can use a fishing rod to pull it out of the water where the player(s) can then kill it using melee attacks without being shot at or hurt by the spikes. (The Guardian can still shoot while out of water, but unless it's held still, it flops around too much to keep the target in range.) Fighting Guardians is incredibly dangerous without armor. Armor is essential to combating Guardians, especially within an ocean monument. Entering their territory without armor will almost always lead to a swift death, even if armed with a sword or bow and arrows. Using the combined effects of Depth Strider III, Speed II and sprinting, the player can actually swim faster than the Guardians, allowing him/her to sneak up on them or to escape their beams.
The Elder Guardian has a very large amount of HP (80), making melee attacks even harder. Elder Guardians do more damage than regular Guardians. Diamond equipment enchanted with Respiration and Depth Strider, swords and bows are recommended. Fighting Elder Guardians is incredibly dangerous without armor, if not impossible. Entering their territory without armor will almost always lead to a swift death, even if armed with a sword or bow and arrow. Also, they may give you the Mining Fatigue effect, making it nearly impossible to tunnel out in case of emergency, or mine the gold in the center.
Shulkers only appear in end cities. They use their shulker bullet which, makes the player get the levitation effect for 10 seconds. This is an advantage for him/her to travel to the top rooms in the end city and end ship, but, its a disadvantage if they are on top of the end city dungeon or higher, they leviatate and can take fall damage or die
Zombie Pigmen are neutral mobs. This means that they are not naturally hostile, but will retaliate if attacked, just like wolves. These mobs will attack in medium-large groups and unprepared players should be cautious of their strength in numbers. To an unprepared or careless player, a charging group of Zombie Pigmen can mean a swift death, but the fight becomes easier after you can recognize how they behave and attack. Zombie Pigmen attack with a mob mentality. If you attack one of them they will all join in and attempt to kill you. As soon as one Pigman is attacked, all of the others within a 32 block radius become hostile and will charge the player if he is in sight range (16 blocks). Zombie Pigmen will notice attacks from behind walls and at different heights. It is a misconception that their hostile status lasts between 20–40 seconds since the last attack by the player, so taking cover and waiting is useless, but you can still attempt to bunker down (in a narrow cave/choke point, for example) and dispatch them safely. The hostility radius is centered around each Zombie Pigman that is attacked, not the player. This means that you can attack a far-away Zombie Pigman with a bow without nearby Pigmen becoming hostile (although this is not suggested). Note also any Pigmen between 17 and 32 blocks will continue to wander as normal unless you come within 16 blocks of them (or vice versa), upon which they will rush you (assuming they haven't calmed down by then). But, when you defend yourself, any Pigmen within a new 32-block radius will be angered. They carry a golden sword, and so they do quite a bit more damage than a zombie. On hard difficulty they will do 13 hp(6.5 hearts) of damage. Compared to the Zombies 4 hp(2 hearts) damage on hard difficulty, there is a considerable difference. They do, however, share zombies' natural armor (8% damage negation). Zombie Pigmen always spawn with a golden sword. They will never spawn with armor pieces on them (chestplates, helmets, etc.) , but their sword may be enchanted. If items are dropped near them, they will pick up the items. Armor and swords will be automatically equipped. The easist way to kill Zombie Pigman is in one hit, as they will not be agrooed if another pigman is killed in one hit. This can be achieved with Strength II and a Diamond sword, or a Diamond sword with Sharpness III and Strength I. Another easy way to kill Zombie Pigmen is to build a 2-block-high tower next to one by pillar jumping. Make sure the pigmen can't jump onto the tower. Then hit the Zombie Pigman. All other pigmen will be angered, and come rushing towards you, however, they can't reach you. Now dispose of them. When done, check to see if other pigmen are coming. Then, destroy the tower. Be careful of Baby Zombie Pigmen, because, they are small and hard to see in all those adult Zombie Pigmen, and can really surprise you.
Ghasts are often considered the most difficult mob to kill in the Nether because of 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 mouse clicks 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 they are agile. You can easily make a fireball 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 or a ghast fireball 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. Also, Ghasts move much slower when caught in a lava fall or pool, so waiting for the perfect opportunity can help your accuracy. 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. If a ghast hits a zombie pigman, other zombie pigmen will try to kill the ghast and will if it is close to the ground. 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. Nether brick is ideal because it is completely immune to their fireballs, and is commonly found in the fortresses and as smelted netherrack. 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. 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, although the game code states that direct contact with a fireball does 1,000 damage (500 hearts). Overall, though, an enchanted bow and good skill are the most effective ways to deal with a Ghast. A bow with Power IV can down a Ghast in a single shot, and a player skilled at archery can make a sport of them.
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. However, you will likely take damage due to their glitched hitbox. 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 in both SMP and 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. However, the glitched hitbox has one known weak spot where you can hit them without them hitting you: the belly, which makes trapping them above you very effective. When fighting one in a flat area, a trapdoor-like technique is often a safe way to kill them while avoiding taking damage. Stand just out of reach of the Magma Cube, and start walking toward them just before they jump. As they jump over you, look up and hit them, but keep on moving. If done properly, the Magma Cube should be knocked over you and you should be safe. If they are knocked sideways or backwards when you hit them, move to avoid them respectively. A sword enchanted with Knockback will also help. Sprint-hitting a cube also gives increased knockback; however it is much more difficult to hit them when moving faster. This technique requires practice, but may be the most reliable way to kill them without a bow.
Blazes are rare and spawn from spawners in Nether Fortress. They are essential to get Blaze Rods, which have many uses, such as in making brewing stands. They can occasionally spawn elsewhere in a Nether Fortress, so it is best be prepared, even if you do not plan to go near a spawner. 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, Blazes have a much shorter attack range, which makes it more feasible to snipe them from afar. Blazes 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. But be careful, as the blaze also has a melee attack that damages the player if they get too close. You can also just dodge the fireballs (stand still for 1-2 seconds, the blaze will shoot at you, then you can run away), then run up to them while they're charging and attack them with melee combat, since they charge on the floor. Then, run away the second they start flaming again. A Blaze suffers damage from snowballs, and would be damaged by water if there was any in the Nether. Alas, Snow Golems do not survive in the Nether unless immediately provided with a potion of fire resistance or possibly a regeneration potion. However, player-thrown snowballs are still a viable tactic. Due to their ease of acquisition and infinite supply, snowballs can be considered superior to archery for battling blazes. Though they can't be used to damage other kinds of mobs, carrying a few stacks of snowballs while exploring nether fortresses is an excellent way of repelling unexpected waves of spawned blazes. In addition, other mobs like wither skeletons and magma cubes can often be knocked off the high fortress bridges with snowballs, adding further usefulness.
Wither Skeletons are the Nether equivalent of skeletons. They use stone swords and will give you the Wither effect if you are damaged by one. They spawn in Nether Fortresses. If you see one, shoot it with a bow or trap it in a 2 block high space, or use a tactic similar to creepers -- sprint hit them, then retreat a few blocks, and repeat. Wither skeletons are 2 and a half blocks high, but their hitbox is only 2 blocks high; however they will be unable to move. If you are too close and can't place a block in front of it fast enough, use an attack strategy similar to Zombie Pigmen. They will rarely drop Wither Skeleton Skulls used to make the Wither. They can spawn with armor and pumpkins, and can pick up armor and weapons, but they cannot pick up blocks or items. An efficient way of kiling them will be making a wither skeleton farm by filling in fortress intersections.
Main article: Iron Golem Iron Golems spawn in NPC villages containing 10 villagers and at least 21 houses (counted as doors). They do massive damage and have high health so it is advised to use a diamond sword to engage it. You can also use cactus to kill it, if you can get the Iron Golem to walk into the cactus either by provoking it or placing the cactus in its path. If you can figure out which area of the village spawns Iron Golems, an iron/poppy farm can be created.
Wolves are neutral mobs that will become hostile should you attack them directly. If you accidentally hit a wolf, they and any other wolves nearby will become hostile. They will remain hostile until you die. Try and escape them by tunneling away from them, sealing the entrance (and bring torches so you will be able to see) or combat them with a stone sword or higher while sprinting backwards. Wolves can be tamed using bones. Once tamed, they will follow you around and attack mobs that you attack via melee or that hit you, except for Creepers. However, wolves will attack skeletons automatically, even if you have not attacked or been attacked by a skeleton. This is true for both tamed and wild wolves. They can be commanded to "stay" or "follow". A wolf can regain health by being fed any meat including raw meat/fish or rotten flesh. Wolves can also be bred by feeding them meat.
Ender dragons spawn naturally (when player enters the End first time) or can be respawned with 4 ender crystals on exit portal, and have extremely high health (100 hearts). They can only be found legitimately in The End. Always craft armor and bring an iron sword or better. Instead of bringing a helmet, bring a pumpkin instead, as there are lots of Endermen and the pumpkin will stop them from becoming hostile when looked at. A tactic to fight one is to stock up on ladders, as there are obsidian pillars with Ender Crystals on top. However, when the Ender Crystals are destroyed they blow up, and the diameter of the explosion is larger than the pillar, so you will fall off. It would be a better idea to mine lots and lots of Obsidian or End Stone, so that you can make your own pillars and shoot the Ender Crystals from a distance. That way, you won't fall off and die. Coming unprepared will most likely result in your death (if you die in the End you would spawn like normal in your Default spawn point.) The Ender Dragon will approach the player when he/she is at the exit portal frame when the dragon is alive, allowing successful melee attacks, as the Ender Dragon fires acid at the player. When the Ender Dragon is killed, it plays a unique death animation and drops an Exit portal. When you jump in, you have completely "finished" the game. The portal also has a Dragon Egg on the top, which is useless, but it can be collected if you put a piston on one side of the egg and any block on the other. Then, activate the piston and the dragon egg drops. It's a great way to prove to your friends that you killed the Ender Dragon. If you go through the portal, the credits appear, and you spawn back in the Overworld earning the achievement "The End".
Withers are boss mobs that can be summoned by making a "T" shape with Soul Sand and placing 3 Wither Skeleton heads on top. They have 150 hearts of health (50 more than the Ender Dragon) and shoot black explosives that give the Wither effect and do as much damage as a Ghast fireball, and blue ones that can destroy any block except bedrock and end portal frames. So when spawning the Wither make sure you are in a confined space (made with obsidian if being done in survival) with lots of effective potions drank to kill the Wither quicker. Upon summoning one, drink a potion of strength, a potion of regeneration, and a potion of swiftness, and maybe eat an enchanted Golden Apple. When the Wither has gotten up to max HP in a few seconds the Wither will gain Health and cause a massive explosion. A good thing to do is to shoot it with arrows until down to 75 hearts of health and then kill it quickly with a sword to end the battle. The Wither drops 1 Nether Star which can be used to make a beacon, useful for giving yourself(and other players) buffs.
To do a sword critical hit you need to attack the opponent in mid jump (around when you start falling) You double wooden sword damage and a bit over double every other time
To get critical hits with a bow you need to fire just when the arrow charge reaches its maximum charge if you do so you should see particles