Wither
The Wither is a floating three-headed mob with a skeletal appearance. It is the second boss mob introduced in Minecraft.
In Better than Wolves, defeating the Wither is crucial to progression, since its Nether Star is required to craft the Soulforge and be able to craft the 4x4 recipes.
Spawning
Getting the necessary resources
It can be troublesome to find everything you need to spawn a Wither.
Getting bone blocks is fairly easy, requiring using a piston packer to combine 9 bones each into 4 bone blocks.
Obtaining three infused skulls is the tricky part. To obtain an infused skull, you first need a Runed Skull, which can be obtained in two different ways:
- As a level 4 trade with the butcher villager, requiring a skeleton skull and 6-8 emeralds.
- As a rare drop from a Wither Skeleton. The chances of the skull dropping can be increased by a sword enchanted with Looting, a Looting beacon, or when killed with a saw and a chopping block.
The next step is to turn the runed skulls into infused skulls, which can also be done two ways:
- As a level 4 trade with the priest villager, requiring a runed skull and 6-8 emeralds.
- Crafting it directly (only available after you killed the Ender Dragon
To summon your first Wither, you will need to look into Villager trading, and level up a Priest and a Butcher,
which will require you to build many farms, and a Mobtrap.
Summoning the Wither
A Wither can only be spawned in game using methods similar to spawning utility mobs like golems, and only in the Overworld.
By placing 4 bone blocks in a T shape, and putting 3 infused skulls on top of each three upper blocks, the Wither can be created. Then a Soul Urn must be thrown at the blocks to summon the Wither.
When spawned, the Wither will temporarily flash blue and grow larger in size as its health bar fills from half to full. While in this state, the Wither cannot move or attack and is immune to all damage. When this state ends, the Wither will create a very large explosion centered on itself, destroying nearby blocks. This explosion does not damage itself, but it will damage any nearby mobs. It is recommended for the player to walk away from the Wither at this state to avoid the explosion and to prepare for battle.
A ghastly sound is played when the explosion occurs. This sound is not centered around the Wither, instead it can be heard equally from all areas of the map.
Behavior
The Wither is hostile to the player and all mobs except undead mobs (skeletons, zombies, Zombie Pigmen, Wither Skeletons and other Withers). When provoked by a skeleton or another Wither, they will only remain hostile toward each other for a moment before returning to friendly status.
The Wither can move very quickly. Upon noticing a mob, the Wither attacks them with a projectile called the “Wither Skull”. Wither Skulls move slowly and inflict a status effect called "Wither" on Normal and Hard difficulties. This effect is similar to poison, except that it can kill the player and turns the health bar black, making it difficult to tell at a glance how many hearts are still full.
Each head fires individually, allowing a Wither to attack up to three different mobs at the same time. Withers need at least 5 block high airspace to fit, but as of snapshot 12w41b, they can no longer be trapped (and suffocated) in smaller rooms. Every few seconds, the Wither will break any block that comes into contact with it, except bedrock and end portal frame.
The Wither has an ability to destroy blocks, similar to the Ender Dragon's ability. When near any block that can be destroyed by a player, it will produce an audible smashing sound. For example, this could happen by having the Wither on one side of a wall, and the player on the other, so it would have to make a path through the wall to attack. The Wither will then instantly destroy a 3x3 hole in the wall to pass through it. The Wither also destroys a 3x3x4 space around itself 20 game ticks (1s) after being harmed.
The Wither's boss health bar is only shown when a player is looking in a direction of a Wither, and it can also be seen through walls when the player is looking in the Wither's direction. When reaching half health, the Wither will gain the "Wither Armor" effect, which makes it immune to arrows and potions, as well as having a visual effect surrounding it, similar to that of a Charged Creeper. While in this state, the Wither cannot fly. The Wither, when calm, cannot fly; it simply hovers above the ground and cannot "jump" up one block. When angered by the player, the Wither will fly at the same height as the player.
In Better than Wolves, undead mobs (like zombies, skeletons, the Wither etc) are harmed by Potions of Harming and healed by Potions of Healing.
In certain instances, the Wither has been seen to seemingly "eat" torches that have been placed by the player. A loud bite sound will play, and the light provided by the torch will disappear. Torches are not recovered once the Wither is killed.
Wither Skull
The Wither shoots Wither Skulls, which look like extra heads of itself launched as projectiles and it can keep up a fairly constant barrage of them. Upon contact, a Wither Skull will explode, although with a blast radius much smaller than that of TNT or a Creeper. If the explosion of a Wither Skull damages a mob or a player on Normal or Hard difficulty, it inflicts the wither effect, draining their health and turning their hearts black. If the skull hits a mob or player directly, it will also heal the Wither for 5 (
) health. There are two types of Wither Skulls: a fast moving black one, and a slow moving blue one. Both have an explosion power of 1, the same as Ghast fireballs; however, the blue skull has special properties.
The black Wither Skull has a normal blast, which cannot break blocks with a blast resistance above 20. Thus, cobblestone and other Ghast-proof blocks will resist this blast. The blue Wither Skull is shot only when the Wither is idle, meaning the player is not within its aggro range. Although it nominally has the same explosion strength as the black Skull, it treats all blocks (except bedrock and End Portal frame) as having a blast resistance of no more than 4. This makes it much more destructive to the terrain, and lets the Wither blast away obsidian traps or shelters from a distance. The wither can even unintentionally blast at faraway objects with the Blue, because if it misses, it will continue going until it hits a target, and may go on forever. A Blue may be seen later if it flies into an unrendered chunk, and that chunk is entered by the player after killing the Wither.
Combat
Because the Wither inflicts a great deal of damage, the best equipment for combat is a diamond sword (Preferably enchanted with Smite. The best sword for the fight is one enchanted with Smite and Knockback) Instant Health Splash Potions, Strength Potions, Regen Potions, one or two enchanted gold apples, a Bow (enchanted if you have access to the Infernal Enchanter and Diamond or Steel Armor (Blast Resistance resists the explosions, but Protection protects from the withering effect as well, though it is not available until beating The End). Make sure to bring about a stack or two of arrows if you don't have the Infinity enchantment. Fire enchants do not work on the Wither. Smite is better than Sharpness, but a high level Sharpness should be good enough.
Bringing or summoning allies (Wolves, Snow Golems and Iron Golems) may or may not be advantageous: on one hand, they provide a diversion and will cause damage to the Wither: on the other hand, they may die easily because of the explosions and get affected by the Withering effect, healing the boss far more than they damage him. If you create the Wither in a small and completely enclosed underground area that isn't too large (three blocks tall), three Iron Golems are sufficient to kill one without aiding them.
Spawn the Wither, and quickly run away as far as possible, putting a large distance between you and the Wither. Do not stand near the Wither when it is growing into its normal size. It will create a massive explosion when it is finished, much larger than that of TNT or a (charged) Creeper. When it is finished, walk back and shoot at the Wither, and occasionally use your Instant Health II Splash Potions and at some point, eat your Enchanted Gold Apples. When the Wither drops to 50% health, use your Strength II Potion and hit the Wither with your diamond sword until the Wither is defeated. This is a very effective way to beat the Wither, defeating it in less than five minutes with not too much struggle.
A tactic that is relatively easy to pull off is to dig down near bedrock, and dig a long 1x2 tunnel (Longer than 30 blocks). At the end of the tunnel, construct a small room. Spawn the Wither in this room, then run back into the tunnel. Occasionally pop out and shoot an arrow or two at the Wither. As the Wither crunches its way towards you, just walk backwards through the tunnel. Once the Wither has reached its "Armor" stage, jump out and begin hitting it with a diamond sword. As long as you frequently throw down splash potions of instant healing, you should be able to survive even with iron armor.
After acquiring Soulforged Steel, the wither fight becomes significantly easier. Soulforged steel blocks are the only blocks which the Wither cannot break. This means that the wither can relatively easily be dispatched by trapping it in a cage made of steel. The End also gives access to higher tier potions and better enchantments through the Infernal Enchanter, which makes the fight easier even if you don't trap the Wither.
Crafting
Only possible once you've already killed a Wither (using Villager trading to acquire the required materials) and killed the Ender Dragon.
| Name | Ingredients | Input » Output | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infused Skull | Runed Skull, Soul Urn, Soul Flux |
|
Bestiary
| Hostile Mobs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | XP  |
Health |
Damage | Location | Drops | Arcane Scrolls |
 Blaze |
10 | 20 ( × 10) |
Fireball: 5 () Melee: 6 ( )
|
In Nether Fortresses, naturally or from spawners, light level of 11 or less Only on blocks found in the Nether |
 |
 |
 Cave Spider |
5 | 12 () |
2 ( )Venom: 1.5 sec between hits, 1 (  ) per hit  for 7 sec ()
|
In Spawners found in abandoned Mine Shafts |   |
|
 Creeper |
5 | 20 ( × 10) |
In the overworld. Light level 0 and 1×2 space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). |
   |
| |
 Ghast |
5 | 10 () |
Varies by proximity Maximum explosion damage: 17 ( × 8.5)
|
The Nether, with at least 4*4*4 space, any light level, immediately above a spawnable block, that is not in a Nether Fortress Only on blocks found in the Nether |
  |
|
 Jungle Spider |
5 | 12 () |
2 () Venom: 1.5 sec between hits, 1 ( ) per hit for 7 sec ()
|
On leaves in jungle biomes, any light level |  |
|
 Magma Cube |
Big: 4 Small: 2 Tiny: 1 |
Big: 16 () Small: 4 ( )Tiny: 1 ( ) |
Big: 6 () Small: 4 ( )Tiny: 3 ( )
|
In the Nether, any light level Only on blocks found in the Nether |
 |
|
 Silverfish |
5 | 8 () |
1 ()
|
In the overworld, in High hills biomes or near spawners in Strongholds In the End, near an active Ender Block beacon |
 Clay (0-2), only in the End |
Only in the End: |
 Skeleton |
5 | 20 ( × 10) |
Range: 3 () Melee: 2 ( )
|
Light level 0 and 1×2 space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). Nether: Nether Fortresses. |
   Equipped items (may be enchanted):      Iron Armor (75% chance)
|
|
 Squid |
1-3 | 10 () |
3x3 or more blocks of water (source blocks only), 0 light, any y lvl (unlike Vanilla) |   |
| |
 Slime |
4 (large) 2 (medium) 1 (small) |
Big: 16 () Small: 4 ( )Tiny: 1 ( ) |
Big: 4 () Small: 2 ( )Tiny: 0 (  )
|
Below level 40 in specific chunks, any light level Swamp biomes on levels 51 through 69, light level 0 |
 |
|
 Spider |
5 | 16 () |
2 ()
|
Light level 0 and 2×2, 1 high space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). |
|
|
 Spider Jockey |
5+5 | Skeleton:20 ( × 10) Spider:16 ( ) |
Skeleton:4 () Spider:2 ( )
|
Light level 0 and 2×2, 1 high space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). |
Both Skeleton and Spider drops | |
 Witch |
5 | 26 ( × 13) |
Potion of Poison: 5 ( )Potion of Harming: 6 ( )
|
Only in swamps, light level 0 and 1×2 space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). |
   |
|
 Wither Skeleton |
5 | 20 ( × 10) |
9 (  )
|
Nether Fortresses, only on blocks found in the Nether |  Stone Sword Runed Skull
|
|
 Zombie |
5 | 20 ( × 10) |
3 ()
|
Light level 0 and 1×2 space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). |
  Equipped items (may be enchanted):   Iron Armor (75% chance)
|
|
 Zombie Villager |
||||||
| Passive Mobs | ||||||
| Type | XP |
Health |
Damage | Location | Drops | Arcane Scrolls |
 Bat |
6 () |
0 | Below layer 63, light level of 4 or less On October 20-November 3: below layer 63, light level of 7 or less |
 |
| |
 Chicken |
1 - 3 | 4 () |
0 | Opaque blocks with a (Minimum) two block space above them. From a thrown chicken egg (1/8 chance) In Forests, Plains, Mountains, Jungles and Swamps. |
    |
|
 Mooshroom |
1-3 | 10 () |
7 ()
|
Mushroom Biomes On Mycelium |
   |
|
 Ocelot |
1-3 | 10 () |
0 | Ocelot: In Jungle Biomes, on Grass or leaf blocks that are in layer 63 or higher, any light level. Cat: By taming an Ocelot |
||
 Pig |
1-3 | 10 () |
0 | On world generation or exploration of new chunks. In Forests, Taigas, Plains, Ice Plains, Mountains, Jungles and Swamps. |
  |
|
 Sheep |
1-3 | 8 () |
0 | On world generation or exploration of new chunks. In Forests, Taigas, Plains, Ice Plains and Mountains. |
  |
|
 Villager |
||||||
| Neutral Mobs | ||||||
| Type | XP |
Health |
Damage | Location | Drops | Arcane Scrolls |
 Cow |
1–3 | 15 () |
7 ()
|
On opaque blocks with 1×2 space or after shearing a Mooshroom. Only on world generation or unexplored chunks. In Forests, Taigas, Plains, Ice Plains and Mountains |
 |
|
 Endermen |
10 | 40 ( × 20) |
7 ()
|
Light level 0 and 1×2 space. Anywhere but blocks made of plant materials (logs, wood, leaves etc). In the End. |
 |
Only in the End: |
 Zombie Pigmen |
5 | 20 ( × 10) |
Melee: 5 () Armed: 8 ( )
|
Any 2 block high space in any light level in the Nether When lightning strikes within 3-4 blocks of a pig in the Overworld |
 Equipped items (may be enchanted):  |
|
| Tameable Mobs | ||||||
 Ocelot |
0 | 10 () |
0 | In Jungle Biomes, on Grass or leaf blocks that are in layer 63 or higher, any light level | ||
 Wolf |
1 - 3 | 20 ( × 10) |
4 ()
|
On world generation, in Forest and Taiga biomes |   |
|
| Utility Mobs | ||||||
| Type | XP |
Health |
Damage | Location | Drops | Arcane Scrolls |
 Snow Golem |
0 | 4 () |
0 () (only pushes mobs back) 3 ( ) to Blaze1 ( ) to Ender Dragon
|
Where created by the player |  |
|
 Iron Golem |
0 | 100 ( × 50) |
7 () to 21 ( × 10.5)
|
Where created by the player |   | |
| Bosses | ||||||
| Type | XP |
Health |
Damage | Location | Drops | Arcane Scrolls |
 Wither |
50 | 300 ( × 150) |
8 ()
|
Built by player, only possible in the overworld |  |
|
 Ender Dragon |
12,000 | 200 ( × 100) |
10 ()
|
Upon entering The End for the first time | The Overworld Portal and Dragon Egg (Directly below it) | |