The Ominous Standard: Understanding the Pillager with a Banner in Minecraft
The pillager with a banner is called a raid captain or an illager captain. This variant of the pillager or vindicator carries a distinctive Ominous Banner on its back, marked with an illager face design. This banner isn’t just for show; it signifies a dangerous threat and a key mechanic in triggering raids in Minecraft. Eliminating a raid captain outside of a raid awards the player with the Bad Omen status effect, a game-changing element that can lead to intense village defense scenarios. Let’s delve deeper into understanding these banner-toting illagers.
Understanding the Raid Captain and the Ominous Banner
Identifying the Raid Captain
The raid captain stands out from other illagers due to the Ominous Banner they carry. This banner displays a stylized illager face. Whether the raid captain is a pillager or a vindicator, the presence of this banner immediately identifies them as a leader and a harbinger of potential raids. They are commonly found leading illager patrols, guarding pillager outposts, and orchestrating attacks during raids.
The Significance of the Ominous Banner
The Ominous Banner is more than just a visual marker; it’s intrinsically linked to the Bad Omen status effect. Killing a raid captain (while they are not actively participating in a raid) equips the player with this status effect. Entering a village while under the influence of Bad Omen triggers a raid, where waves of illagers, including pillagers, vindicators, evokers, and the formidable ravagers, will descend upon the village, testing the player’s defensive capabilities.
Spawning and Behavior
Raid captains can spawn naturally in pillager outposts and as leaders of illager patrols. In Bedrock Edition, they can also be summoned using specific commands. These commands include:
/summon pillager ~ ~ ~ minecraft:spawn_as_illager_captain/summon vindicator ~ ~ ~ minecraft:spawn_as_illager_captain
The behavior of raid captains during a raid is consistent with their role as leaders. They coordinate attacks, move strategically, and pose a significant threat to villagers and players alike. Their presence elevates the intensity of the raid, demanding careful planning and execution from the player to successfully defend the village.
Illagers vs. Pillagers: Clarifying the Terms
It’s essential to understand the distinction between illagers and pillagers. Illager is a broader term encompassing a group of hostile humanoid mobs, including pillagers, vindicators, and evokers. Pillagers are a specific type of illager known for their crossbows and their presence in pillager outposts. Vindicators are another type of illager that wield iron axes and often appear in woodland mansions and raids.
The Role of the Witch
The witch, while hostile, is neither an illager nor a villager. They do not integrate into village life, cannot open doors, and do not follow the social behaviors of villagers or illagers. Although their potions can accidentally harm villagers, they are generally neutral towards them outside of raid scenarios. Witches have no affiliation to villages and raid mechanics. For information on learning more about the game, see the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Pillagers and Raids
1. What happens when you kill a pillager with a banner?
Killing a pillager with a banner, specifically a raid captain, grants you the Bad Omen status effect (if they are not currently partaking in a raid). This effect will trigger a raid if you enter a village while it is active.
2. What does the Bad Omen effect do?
The Bad Omen effect triggers a raid when a player enters a village. The level of the Bad Omen effect (which can stack up to level 6) determines the difficulty and number of waves in the raid.
3. Can you get rid of Bad Omen?
Yes, the Bad Omen effect can be removed by drinking milk or by dying. Milk is a common remedy for status effects in Minecraft.
4. Do Ominous Banners attract pillagers?
No, Ominous Banners themselves do not attract pillagers. The spawning of pillager patrols is determined by the biome and game mechanics, not the presence of the banner.
5. How rare are pillager outposts?
Pillager outposts are semi-rare structures that generate in village-generating biomes. They are more common than woodland mansions but rarer than villages.
6. What is the illager symbol?
The illager symbol is the face-shaped pattern found on the Ominous Banner. It represents the illager faction and is a visual indicator of the raid captain’s leadership.
7. What does killing an illager do to a village?
Killing regular illagers during a raid contributes to defending the village and progressing through the raid waves. Killing a raid captain outside a raid gives the player the Bad Omen status effect, setting the stage for a potential raid.
8. Can pillagers steal items?
In some proposed gameplay modifications, pillagers could potentially loot chests and other storage items during a raid, adding another layer of challenge. However, this is not a standard feature in the current version of Minecraft.
9. Is the witch an illager?
No, the witch is a separate hostile mob and is not classified as an illager. They have their own distinct behaviors and spawning conditions.
10. Can you tame a pillager?
No, you cannot tame a pillager in the conventional sense. While some players have attempted methods like breaking their crossbow to render them less hostile, they cannot be befriended or turned into pets.
11. What is the illager with the axe called?
The illager with the axe is called a vindicator. They spawn in woodland mansions and participate in raids, wielding iron axes to attack villagers and players.
12. How do you trigger a raid in Minecraft?
A raid is triggered by entering a village while under the effect of the Bad Omen status effect. The effect is gained by defeating a raid captain.
13. What’s the difference between an illager and a pillager?
An illager is a general term for a group of hostile mobs, while a pillager is a specific type of illager that uses a crossbow and spawns in pillager outposts.
14. Does burning a pillager banner give you bad omen?
No, simply burning the pillager banner itself will not give you the Bad Omen effect. You must defeat the raid captain carrying the banner.
15. Can you make a pillager pick up a banner?
While it’s theoretically possible using commands or specific modded scenarios, normally pillagers do not pick up dropped banners. They are programmed to spawn with or without them, as determined by their role (e.g., raid captain).