How Do You Explode Obsidian with TNT?
The short, somewhat frustrating, answer is: you cannot directly explode obsidian with TNT in Minecraft. Despite the common desire to blast through this notoriously tough block with copious amounts of explosives, the core mechanics of the game simply don’t allow it. Obsidian is designed to be incredibly resistant to explosions, making it a reliable building material and a formidable obstacle. This doesn’t mean TNT is entirely useless when dealing with obsidian, but it does mean your dreams of a massive explosion shattering it into dust won’t come true. Let’s delve deeper into why and what other options exist.
Understanding Obsidian’s Blast Resistance
What Makes Obsidian So Tough?
Obsidian’s defining characteristic in Minecraft is its incredibly high blast resistance of 6000. This number represents how well a block resists damage from explosions. To put this into perspective, one block of TNT has a blast power of 4. This means it would, theoretically, take 1500 TNT detonating simultaneously to even have a chance at breaking a single block of obsidian. However, due to the game’s mechanics, this direct approach doesn’t work. Even placing 1500 TNT adjacent to obsidian and triggering them will not break it.
Why Can’t TNT Break Obsidian?
Minecraft’s explosion mechanics don’t simply calculate blast resistance linearly. Instead, the damage from an explosion is dispersed and diminishes with distance. In the case of obsidian, its high blast resistance means the force of a TNT explosion dissipates before it can actually inflict enough damage to break it. This makes obsidian practically TNT-proof under normal circumstances.
Alternative Methods to Break Obsidian
Since explosive brute force is ineffective, players must resort to other means to break obsidian.
The Diamond Pickaxe
The most conventional and reliable method is to use a diamond pickaxe. It’s the only tool that can effectively mine obsidian. Even with a diamond pickaxe, it will still take roughly 10 seconds of continuous mining to break a single block. A diamond pickaxe with enchantments like Efficiency can significantly speed up this process. While other pickaxes will technically “break” the block after a considerable time, they will not drop the obsidian block for collection, making a diamond pickaxe absolutely necessary.
The Wither
While not a practical method for general breaking, the Wither, a powerful boss mob, is capable of destroying obsidian. The Wither’s projectiles have a special ability to bypass the usual blast resistance rules of obsidian, allowing it to destroy the block upon impact. This strategy is very risky and slow due to the difficulty in controlling the Wither, thus making it a mostly unpractical approach.
Obsidian vs. Crying Obsidian
It’s important to distinguish between regular obsidian and crying obsidian. While both share similar appearances and durability against explosions, there are critical differences. Crying obsidian is obtained through bartering with Piglins in the Nether and is used to craft the Respawn Anchor. Although crying obsidian has high blast resistance and is difficult to destroy, unlike regular obsidian, it can be broken by a large enough TNT explosion. It’s less resistant than obsidian, but still significantly tougher than most blocks.
FAQs: All About Obsidian & Explosions
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the complexities of obsidian and its interaction with TNT and other elements:
1. Can you destroy obsidian with a concrete or sand cannon?
No. Concrete and sand cannons, which rely on gravity and block physics to break structures, cannot break obsidian. Obsidian’s high blast resistance and mining requirements make it impervious to this method. These cannons typically use the impact of falling blocks, which don’t affect obsidian.
2. Does lava damage obsidian?
No. Obsidian is not affected by lava. It’s completely resistant to lava damage, making it a suitable material to use in and around fiery environments in the Nether.
3. Can a gold pickaxe mine obsidian?
No. A gold pickaxe (or any tool besides a diamond or netherite pickaxe) cannot effectively mine obsidian. It will break after a while but will not drop the obsidian block for collection, effectively making it useless.
4. Does crying obsidian break faster than regular obsidian?
No. Crying obsidian has the same mining speed as regular obsidian. The time required to break it is identical when using the same pickaxe.
5. Can you break crying obsidian with an iron pickaxe?
No. An iron pickaxe (or any tool besides a diamond or netherite pickaxe) will not allow you to obtain crying obsidian. A diamond pickaxe or netherite pickaxe is required to mine crying obsidian and drop the item.
6. Is obsidian truly indestructible?
No, obsidian is not indestructible. While very resistant to explosions and tools other than a diamond or netherite pickaxe, it can be mined with the correct tool or destroyed by Wither attacks. However, it’s incredibly difficult to break, thus, its reputation as being one of the strongest blocks.
7. Can you use TNT to clear out a large area of obsidian in one shot?
No. Placing large amounts of TNT around obsidian will not break it. Explosions do not directly damage obsidian because of its incredible resistance. The explosions will destroy other surrounding blocks but will not affect the obsidian.
8. Does water or lava stop TNT damage to other blocks?
Yes, partially. When TNT detonates underwater or submerged in lava, it will not break any blocks. It does, however, still damage players, mobs, and entities. This is only the case in Java Edition. Bedrock Edition does not offer this protection to blocks from explosions.
9. Can crying obsidian be destroyed by TNT?
Yes, unlike regular obsidian, crying obsidian can be destroyed by a large enough TNT explosion, but it will take a significantly higher amount of TNT than other blocks because of its high blast resistance.
10. Is obsidian completely TNT-proof?
Yes, technically speaking, regular obsidian is generally considered TNT-proof due to its resistance, as it cannot be broken by any amount of TNT in the game under normal circumstances. However, the Wither can break obsidian using its special explosion attack.
11. Can TNT break spawners?
Yes. TNT can easily destroy monster spawners, which have a blast resistance of 25. A single block of TNT will destroy a spawner block.
12. Can bedrock be broken with TNT?
No. Bedrock is completely immune to TNT explosions. It has a blast resistance of 18,000,000, which means there is no practical way to break it with TNT.
13. Why is crying obsidian used by speedrunners?
Crying obsidian is crucial for crafting Respawn Anchors, which allow players to respawn in the Nether. Speedrunners use this ability to speed up the end game.
14. Can you craft crying obsidian?
No. Crying obsidian cannot be crafted. It must be obtained by bartering with Piglins in the Nether.
15. Can you build a nether portal with crying obsidian?
No. Crying obsidian cannot be used to construct a nether portal frame. Regular obsidian is required for that. Crying Obsidian looks very similar, but cannot be used for a portal frame.
In conclusion, while the idea of obliterating obsidian with TNT is appealing, it is simply not a functional method within Minecraft’s framework. Obsidian’s remarkable durability necessitates a different approach: the trusty diamond pickaxe, or in rare circumstances, the chaotic power of a Wither. Understanding these mechanics helps players navigate the complexities of Minecraft’s building and exploration aspects, making them better equipped to build, mine, and survive in this world.