They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky, it’s the Creepers mob family!
Creepers are an iconic Minecraft legend and for a LOT of great reasons they’re also the most famous and popular mob baddies in the game. Today we’ll go through and discover what makes them so magical, what they’re behavior is like, and how to thwart their evil plans with some deadly defense skills and some building tricks and traps that’ll have them on the run. You’ll learn:
- What a Creeper is and how to recognize one
- What they do and how they behave
- Why they’re useful and how to obtain great items from them
- What wards them off and makes them flee like scared little kids
- How to kill them with the minimum of fuss in battle
- How to set up the defense of your home and buildings to keep yourself safe
- Advanced building and combat methods to kill them even when you’re not around
How to recognize a Creeper
It’s fair to say that Creepers aren’t the most handsome of chaps; in fact they’re pretty gruesome looking! They are a mottled green creature with grey flecks that travels about on four stumpy little legs but that have no hands. They have dark blacks holes for eyes and mouth curved down like a rainbow to reveal their sadness at your being alive. Charming!
Creepy behavior
Creepers are a mob enemy in Minecraft that perhaps not too surprisingly creep up on people and then explode, often doing a lot of damage to buildings, the environment, and of course us. These explosions can cause havoc to our building plans and to our health and are one of the reasons why Creepers are so notorious within the Minecraft community. They’re explosions have a power level of 3. This is 75% of the power of TNT, so it packs a pretty good punch. However a charged Creeper is a different kettle of monster. They have damage level twice that of a normal Creeper, and 50% more than TNT. So these guys are not to be taken lightly.
The problem is with Creepers is they are pretty persistent, nimble, and will track you across 16 blocks. Mazes, steps, and rough terrain are no match for them and they will hunt through these will relative ease. The name Creeper implies that they will creep up on you and they certainly do just that. Usually you will be merrily digging or working away and suddenly Boom! You will find yourself on the end of a Creeper attack that puts an end to all your well thought out plans.
Charged Creepers can be recognized by a distinctive blue charged like aura surrounding them. You will come across a charged Creeper if lightening strikes within 3-4 blocks of an average Joe Creeper. The only upside to a charged Creeper is that the lighten strike actually causes damage to them and so they are a swifter kill than regular Creepers.
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When Creepers go in for the kill they will get within 1 block from a player give them a nasty hiss and sarcastic comment, start flashing, and then explode causing a fair bit of damage. You can avoid this by either dashing from their blast radius (4 blocks) or by killing them before they detonate, but you have to kill them within about a second of them coming close to you.
Another thing to note is that Creepers are highly afraid of cats and will run from them or an ocelot as well. Even if the player they are tracking is close the Creeper will turn on its heels and flee away from the cat until it reaches safety. However the Creeper will not flew outside its spotting distance so will often return to track the player, and if the cat is still around will flee again. So you will have to take some action to end its hunt. Whether it’s to finish the Creeper off or get to safety.
Do not be afraid! Creepers come bearing gifts
One of the great things about Creepers is that they are one of the best ways to get yourself a fine stock of gunpowder. You see once you slay one of these little rascals you will receive up to two units of gunpowder which you can then use to produce TNT. Not bed for a quick slice and dice job. Although it should be noted that even in death Creepers can cause us a nuisance as not every Creeper will provide you with gunpowder goodness, some will leave you empty handed.
The other little treat that we can gain from Creepers is music discs. However this isn’t as easy to obtain as getting gunpowder out of them. Music discs are only dropped by a Creeper if the fatal blow that finishes it off is delivered by a skeleton. So you need to take it’s health down (one fully charged arrow, and two none charged arrow shots) and then use the Creeper as a shield between yourself and a skeleton. When the skeleton shoots it will finish off the Creeper and voila you have yourself a music disc. You will then be able to use this in a jukebox for some smooth grooving.
Let’s finish this!
This easiest and safest way to destroy a creeper is by using arrows so that a safe distance is kept between you and it. Two fully charged arrows will usually do the tricks. You can of course use your sword and axe and many a Creeper has fallen this way. Of course Diamonds swords are pretty efficient here and three direct blows will bring about a swift end to the altercation. Also if you own a knockback enchanted sword then this will ensure the Creeper is repeatedly kept at a safe distance between strikes until the battle is finished.
You can also bury a Creeper by placing a block of sand or gravel on top of it when you are stood above it. It is a slow and some might say cruel death, but needs must in the world of Minecraft.
Home sweet home
It’s important you consider protecting your buildings from Creepers and using the proper building materials, doors, and switch plates is crucial. It’s essential you think about safety and protection when you are building a house and not just the aesthetics. You may also build safe buildings for when you are out and about, and a tree house can be a great little place to stop off if you’re fleeing or hiding from an enemy.
There’s also a number of creative way to keep Creepers at a safe distance:
Moats: Building a moat and filling it with water or lava is a great way to keep Creepers of give them a grisly end if they try to get to you.
Deadfalls: Creating a checker pattern series of holes 3 blocks deep will capture enemies until the sun can burn them or until Creeper re-spawn. You can use a draw-bridge or s-shaped path to navigate through.
Cactus fields: Similar to a deadfall except you grow cactuses which will cause mob’s damage as they try to navigate through.
Ring of cats: Pretty simple you create a ring of cats around your property. This will keep Creepers away and you can safely dig and build to your hearts content.
Panic rooms: a panic room made of obsidian will obviously provide a lot of protection. Of course other blast resistant materials work well too. This can be built as a last resort and it’s comforting knowing you have a place to go should a Creeper penetrate your defenses.
Watch towers: Using glass to give you a clear view of what may be waiting outside will at least give you a heads up before you venture out. If you see a Creeper face or anything that looks like Creeper skin beware. The ways you can construct this are limited only by your imagination, so have fun with it.
Watch the Minecraft Creeper show now!
