How to Get Crying Obsidian in Minecraft: A Comprehensive Guide
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Crying Obsidian, with its distinctive purple tears, isn’t just a cool-looking block; it’s a key ingredient for setting up a respawn point in the Nether. Getting your hands on it, however, requires a bit of exploration and a touch of luck. The most reliable methods involve exploring the world or bartering with some particularly greedy pig-like creatures.
The primary ways to obtain Crying Obsidian in Minecraft are:
- Exploring Ruined Portals: These dilapidated structures can spawn in both the Overworld and the Nether, sometimes containing Crying Obsidian in their frames or scattered nearby.
- Bartering with Piglins: This is arguably the most consistent, though still chance-based, method. By offering Gold Ingots to Piglins, they’ll toss back various items, including Crying Obsidian.
Now, let’s break down these methods and explore other aspects of this enigmatic block.
Finding Crying Obsidian: Exploring Ruined Portals
What are Ruined Portals?
Ruined Portals are exactly what they sound like: broken-down Nether portals. They come in various sizes and states of disrepair and can be found in both the Overworld and the Nether. These structures are remnants of ancient, forgotten pathways between dimensions. They often include incomplete Obsidian frames and surrounding debris.
How to Locate Ruined Portals
Ruined Portals can generate in a wide variety of biomes, so there’s no single best place to look. However, some tips can help you find them more easily:
- Explore common Overworld biomes: Plains, forests, and deserts are good starting points.
- Check underwater and underground: Ruined Portals can generate submerged in oceans or buried underground.
- Nether exploration: Don’t forget to search the Nether, as Ruined Portals can also spawn there.
- Keep an eye out for lava: Ruined Portals frequently have lava nearby, making them easier to spot from a distance.
Looting Ruined Portals
Once you find a Ruined Portal, carefully explore it. The Crying Obsidian can be part of the portal frame itself or lying around as loose blocks. Be cautious of potential hazards like lava and hostile mobs that may have spawned nearby. Ruined Portals sometimes contain chests with other useful loot, so be sure to search thoroughly.
Trading with Piglins for Crying Obsidian
Who are Piglins?
Piglins are a neutral mob type found primarily in the Nether’s Crimson Forest and Bastion Remnant biomes. They’re known for their obsession with gold and their willingness to trade items in exchange for Gold Ingots. However, they can be aggressive toward players who aren’t wearing gold armor.
Preparing for Bartering
Before venturing into Piglin territory, make sure you’re prepared:
- Gold Armor: Wearing at least one piece of gold armor (helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots) will prevent Piglins from attacking you on sight.
- Gold Ingots: Gather a substantial supply of Gold Ingots. You’ll need these to barter with the Piglins. A stack or two should suffice for a decent trading session.
- Safe Trading Area: Find a relatively safe location within the Crimson Forest or Bastion Remnant where you can drop Gold Ingots without being overwhelmed by hostile mobs.
The Bartering Process
To barter with a Piglin, simply drop a Gold Ingot near it or use a Gold Ingot on it (right-click while holding the ingot). The Piglin will pick it up, examine it for a few seconds, and then toss back a random item. The possible items include various potions, materials, and, of course, Crying Obsidian.
The Odds of Getting Crying Obsidian
The chance of a Piglin giving you Crying Obsidian is approximately 8.71% (40 out of 459) per trade. This means you’ll need to trade a fair amount of Gold Ingots to reliably obtain a decent supply of Crying Obsidian.
Maximizing Your Bartering Efficiency
While bartering is largely based on chance, there are a few things you can do to improve your efficiency:
- Trade with multiple Piglins: If you have a safe area, consider bartering with multiple Piglins simultaneously to increase your chances of getting Crying Obsidian.
- Use an automatic Piglin bartering farm: Some players build automatic farms that dispense Gold Ingots to Piglins and collect the traded items, maximizing efficiency.
- Be patient: It may take some time and a lot of Gold Ingots to get the desired amount of Crying Obsidian. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get it right away.
FAQs About Crying Obsidian
1. Is Crying Obsidian rare in Minecraft?
Yes, Crying Obsidian is relatively rare. The only reliable ways to obtain it are exploring Ruined Portals and bartering with Piglins, both of which involve an element of chance.
2. Can you craft Crying Obsidian?
No, you cannot craft Crying Obsidian. It can only be found or bartered for. There is no way to convert normal obsidian into crying obsidian.
3. What is Crying Obsidian used for?
The main use of Crying Obsidian is crafting a Respawn Anchor. This block allows you to set a respawn point in the Nether, provided it’s charged with Glowstone.
4. Can you make a Nether portal with Crying Obsidian?
No, Crying Obsidian cannot be used to construct a Nether Portal frame. You still need regular Obsidian for that.
5. How do you mine Crying Obsidian?
Crying Obsidian can only be mined with a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe.
6. Is Crying Obsidian as strong as regular Obsidian?
Yes, Crying Obsidian has the same blast resistance as regular Obsidian, making it very durable.
7. Can Piglins give you other rare items besides Crying Obsidian?
Yes, Piglins can trade a variety of items, including Ender Pearls, Fire Resistance Potions, Iron Boots, and Spectral Arrows, among others.
8. Can you find Crying Obsidian in villages?
No, Crying Obsidian does not naturally generate in villages. Ruined Portals can spawn nearby villages, which might contain Crying Obsidian.
9. Does Fortune enchantment affect Crying Obsidian drops?
The Fortune enchantment does not affect the drop rate of Crying Obsidian from Ruined Portals. You will always get one block per mined Crying Obsidian block.
10. Do baby Piglins barter?
No, only adult Piglins will barter. Baby Piglins will not interact with Gold Ingots.
11. Do Piglins get angry if you break Crying Obsidian near them?
No, Piglins do not become hostile if you break Crying Obsidian near them, as long as you are wearing gold armor.
12. Can you use Crying Obsidian to make an enchanting table?
While you can’t make a standard enchanting table with Crying Obsidian, some players have suggested that an enchanting table crafted from Crying Obsidian could offer more powerful enchantments but require more resources. This is not a standard feature in the game.
13. Why does Crying Obsidian have purple particles?
The purple particles emitted by Crying Obsidian are purely cosmetic. They are meant to represent the “tears” of the block and have no gameplay effect. The block itself is also meant to represent standard obsidian which has been used for Nether transport too much, resulting in its crying appearance.
14. Is Crying Obsidian wither proof?
No, Crying Obsidian is not Wither-proof. The Wither can break Crying Obsidian, just like regular Obsidian.
15. Why do speedrunners use Crying Obsidian?
Speedrunners use Crying Obsidian primarily for crafting Respawn Anchors in the Nether, allowing them to respawn closer to their objective and save time.
Conclusion: Mastering the Art of Obtaining Crying Obsidian
Getting Crying Obsidian in Minecraft requires a mix of exploration, trading, and a bit of luck. While it might take some effort, the reward of being able to set a respawn point in the Nether makes it well worth the effort. Whether you choose to explore Ruined Portals or barter with Piglins, understanding the mechanics and probabilities will greatly increase your chances of success. Happy mining and trading!
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