How Rare Are Allays in Minecraft?
The simple answer? Allays are relatively rare in Minecraft. Unlike common mobs like zombies or sheep, you won’t just stumble upon them while casually exploring the Overworld. Finding these helpful, blue, winged companions requires a focused effort involving searching for specific structures and hoping for favorable spawn chances. Let’s dive into the specifics of why they’re considered rare and where you can increase your chances of finding them.
Understanding Allay Spawn Mechanics
The rarity of Allays stems directly from their limited spawn locations:
- Pillager Outposts: Allays can spawn inside dark oak cages found near pillager outposts. Each cage has a 50% chance to contain between one and three Allays.
- Woodland Mansions: Allays also spawn in the jails of woodland mansions. These structures tend to have a higher concentration of Allays compared to outposts, but woodland mansions themselves are much rarer.
Both pillager outposts and woodland mansions are considered hostile structures, meaning they are guarded by dangerous mobs. This adds another layer of challenge to your Allay hunt. Also, and crucially, Allays are not guaranteed to be in every cage within these structures. It’s entirely possible to clear a whole mansion or outpost and come away empty-handed. This element of randomness makes them all the more elusive.
Factors Contributing to Allay Rarity
Several factors combine to make Allays rare:
- Limited Spawn Locations: They only spawn in two specific, relatively uncommon structures.
- Low Spawn Chance within Structures: Even within these structures, there’s only a chance, not a certainty, that Allays will be present.
- Hostile Environments: The structures are dangerous, requiring players to be well-equipped to survive.
- Rarity of Woodland Mansions: Woodland Mansions are notoriously difficult to find, even with the help of exploration maps.
- Pillager Outposts: These are easier to find than mansions, they are still not as common as villages, and they also present a danger.
Optimizing Your Allay Search
While Allays are rare, you can increase your odds of finding them by:
- Focusing on Biomes Near Villages: Pillager outposts are more likely to generate in biomes that also support village generation.
- Using Exploration Maps (for Woodland Mansions): Obtain exploration maps from cartographer villagers to locate woodland mansions. However, be prepared for a long journey.
- Being Prepared for Combat: Bring good armor, weapons, and healing items to deal with the Pillagers, Vindicators, and other hostile mobs guarding these structures.
- Thoroughly Searching Cages/Jails: Don’t just assume a cage is empty. Check carefully, as Allays can sometimes be difficult to spot in the dim lighting.
- Patience and Persistence: Finding Allays can take time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find them immediately. Keep searching!
The Value of Allays
The rarity of Allays is balanced by their unique abilities. They are incredibly useful for item collection and sorting. Once given an item, an Allay will fly around and collect more of that item within a certain radius, then return to the player or a nearby note block (which they will link to as their home base). This makes them invaluable for tasks like:
- Farming resources: Have them collect crops, mined materials, or mob drops.
- Sorting items: Designate different Allays to collect different types of items in your storage system.
Their usefulness makes the effort required to find them well worth it. Furthermore, you can duplicate Allays using an amethyst shard near a jukebox playing music, making it possible to build an entire item-collecting army!
Allay Duplication
The ability to duplicate Allays alleviates their initial rarity to a certain extent. While finding the first one (or few) might be a challenge, once you have at least one, you can create more. The process involves:
- Playing a music disc in a jukebox.
- Giving each of two Allays an amethyst shard.
- The Allays will dance and duplicate, creating a new Allay.
This process ensures that you can eventually amass a collection of Allays to help with all your item-collecting needs. The Games Learning Society may even find interesting connections between gameplay, strategic thinking, and the rewards systems inherent in Minecraft’s mechanics, like the effort required to get Allays versus the rewards they provide. The strategic use of Allays and their duplication offers excellent learning opportunities. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to find out more about this research.
Allay Longevity
Allays are surprisingly resilient. They regenerate health, which helps them survive accidental encounters with lava or hostile mobs. They also do not despawn like some other mobs in the game, making them a permanent addition to your base once you’ve acquired them. However, it’s important to keep an eye on them and protect them from dangers, as they can still be killed.
Allay Taming and Behavior
It’s important to note that Allays cannot be tamed in the traditional sense. You don’t need to feed them or perform any specific action to earn their loyalty. Instead, they become attached to the last player who gave them an item. They will follow this player within a certain range and collect items for them. You can change their allegiance by simply giving them a different item.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Allays are undoubtedly rare in Minecraft, their usefulness and the possibility of duplication make the effort to find them worthwhile. Understanding their spawn mechanics, focusing on the right structures, and being prepared for combat will significantly increase your chances of adding these helpful companions to your Minecraft world. Don’t give up – the rewards are well worth the hunt!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Are Allays common in Minecraft?
No, Allays are not common. They only spawn in specific locations (pillager outposts and woodland mansions) and even then, their presence is not guaranteed.
2. Where does Allay spawn in Minecraft?
Allays spawn in cages found near pillager outposts and in the jails of woodland mansions.
3. Are Allays hard to find in Minecraft?
Yes, Allays can be hard to find, as they are tied to relatively rare structures and their spawn within those structures is not guaranteed.
4. Can Allays give you diamonds?
No, Allays cannot give you diamonds. They only collect dropped items, they do not mine or destroy blocks.
5. Can you have 2 Allays in Minecraft?
Yes! You can duplicate Allays using an amethyst shard while a jukebox is playing music nearby. This will allow you to breed Allays in Minecraft.
6. Can you lose your Allays?
Yes, you can lose Allays if you move too far away from them (beyond their following range of 64 blocks). Other players in multiplayer can also take your Allay by giving it a new item.
7. Will Allays despawn on a lead?
Allays do not despawn. They will stay in the game even if you leave the area, so you do not need to have them on a lead.
8. Can Allays be pets?
No, you cannot tame an Allay in Minecraft. However, they will follow the player who last gave them an item.
9. What is the blue fairy in Minecraft?
The “blue fairy” is the Allay, a helpful mob that collects items for the player.
10. Do Allays take damage from lava?
Yes, Allays can take damage from lava, but they also regenerate health, which helps them survive accidental encounters with dangerous elements.
11. Will Allay follow you forever?
The Allay follows the player that last gave it an item, within a 64-block range.
12. What do Allays eat in Minecraft?
Allays do not eat. They are ghost-like beings.
13. Can Allays follow you with elytra?
Allays can get left behind if you move too quickly with elytra, as they have a limited following range.
14. Can Allays get stuck?
Yes, Allays can get stuck in non-full blocks, such as fences.
15. How do you stop Allays from despawning?
Allays do not despawn, so you don’t need to take any special measures to prevent them from disappearing. Name-tagging them will prevent accidental player changes.