Can You Mine an End Crystal? Unveiling the Secrets of Minecraft’s Mysterious Structure
The short answer is: no, you cannot mine an end crystal using conventional methods, such as a pickaxe, even with the Silk Touch enchantment. Unlike most blocks in Minecraft, end crystals are unique entities that are not meant to be harvested in the traditional way. They play a vital role in the Ender Dragon battle and are crucial for respawning the boss, making them a highly sought-after item. However, their elusiveness stems from their special properties, which defy typical block interactions. Instead of mining, obtaining your own end crystals requires a different approach – crafting them. Let’s delve deeper into how end crystals work and explore some related mysteries surrounding these fascinating structures.
Understanding End Crystals and Their Role
End Crystal Basics
End crystals are found atop each obsidian pillar in the central island of the End dimension. These crystals sit perched on a single piece of bedrock, and there are a total of 10 end crystals in the original configuration. Two of these crystals are protected by iron bar cages, making them more difficult to destroy with projectiles. Their primary function is to heal the Ender Dragon during the boss battle, making their destruction crucial to winning the fight. When the Ender Dragon begins to respawn, the end crystals also respawn one by one, resetting the pillars and restoring their healing ability. This interplay between the dragon and the crystals is essential to the core gameplay of the End.
Why Can’t They Be Mined?
The reason you can’t mine end crystals is that they are coded as entities, not as blocks. This distinction is why the usual mining tools and enchantments are ineffective. They are programmed to explode under certain conditions, making any attempts to pick them up or move them via traditional means an exercise in futility, often ending in an explosion. They are designed to be strategically destroyed, rather than harvested.
How To Obtain End Crystals
Since you can’t mine them, the way to obtain end crystals is by crafting them. The crafting recipe involves placing a ghast tear in the center (bottom row of a crafting grid), an eye of ender directly above the ghast tear, and then surrounding these two items with glass. This is not an easy recipe, demanding resources found in both the Nether and the Overworld. It makes end crystals valuable, especially for players interested in repeatedly summoning the Ender Dragon.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about End Crystals
Here are 15 common questions about end crystals that provide a deeper insight into their mechanics and uses in Minecraft:
1. Can You Use Silk Touch on End Crystals?
No, you cannot use Silk Touch to mine or obtain end crystals. The Silk Touch enchantment only works on blocks that can be mined and does not apply to entities like end crystals.
2. How Do You Collect End Crystals?
After crafting your end crystal, you cannot just “pick it up.” When placed in your world, you can collect them by right-clicking them with a stick. This action “eggifies” the crystal, similar to how you might collect a mob in an egg. This is the only way to obtain a crafted end crystal as an item.
3. How Can You Destroy End Crystals?
End crystals are primarily destroyed by projectiles. Arrows, snowballs, eggs, and even fishing rods will break them upon impact. Any projectile, regardless of the damage it deals, will cause the crystal to break. They are also vulnerable to explosions.
4. Can End Crystals Explode?
Yes, end crystals will explode under certain conditions. Specifically, they will explode if attacked by the player directly, regardless of whether damage is dealt or not. Also, if they come into contact with fire while being moved by pistons, they will explode.
5. Can You Safely Move End Crystals?
Yes, end crystals can be safely moved using pistons. If you push them away from their obsidian tower fast enough, they will remain intact. You have about 15 seconds to push them far enough away to prevent them from being anchored to the obsidian tower. However, be cautious of exposing them to fire during this process.
6. Can End Crystals Be Placed on Crying Obsidian?
No, end crystals cannot be placed on crying obsidian. They can only be placed on bedrock or obsidian. Crying obsidian is a purely decorative block that does not possess the properties required for end crystal placement.
7. What Happens When Beds Are Used in The End?
When you try to sleep in a bed in the End, it explodes. This explosion is a unique feature and can be used to damage the Ender Dragon. Placing a bed on the bedrock of the central island and detonating it as the dragon flies overhead can be a surprisingly effective combat strategy.
8. How Do You Craft an Eye of Ender?
To make an eye of ender, combine an ender pearl with a piece of blaze powder. The ender pearl goes in the middle square, and the blaze powder goes in the square to its left in a crafting grid.
9. How Can You Destroy End Crystals Without Dying?
The safest way to destroy end crystals is by using projectiles. Keeping your distance and shooting them with arrows, snowballs, or eggs eliminates the risk of being caught in the resulting explosion. Another method is to cover them in water or enclose them in obsidian before detonating them, minimizing collateral damage.
10. How Do You Respawn the Ender Dragon?
To respawn the Ender Dragon, you need to place four crafted end crystals on the edges of the exit portal, one on each side. This action sets off a series of explosions that resets the pillars, iron bars, and the end crystals themselves, and brings the dragon back for a rematch.
11. How Many End Crystals Are Needed to Respawn the Ender Dragon?
You need exactly four end crystals to respawn the Ender Dragon.
12. Where Can End Crystals Be Placed?
End crystals can only be placed on bedrock or obsidian blocks. This is why players often create obsidian pedestals to display their crafted end crystals in the Overworld.
13. Can You Place End Crystals in the Overworld?
Yes, you can place end crystals in the Overworld. Since you cannot freely place bedrock, you’ll need to build an obsidian base first.
14. Does the Ender Dragon Egg Do Anything?
The dragon egg serves primarily as a trophy and as a possible method of summoning a Red Dragon if such a feature is added to the game. It currently serves no other practical purpose other than a decoration item.
15. How Much XP Does the Ender Dragon Drop?
The first time you defeat the Ender Dragon, it drops 12,000 experience orbs, enough to level you up from 0 to about level 68. Subsequent kills of the respawned Ender Dragon yield only 500 experience orbs.
Conclusion
While you cannot mine end crystals like typical blocks, understanding their properties and how to craft, place, and destroy them is vital for progressing through the game. Their unique characteristics and crucial role in the Ender Dragon fight make them fascinating entities within the Minecraft universe. Learning how to manipulate them is a testament to your skill and ingenuity as a player.