What Blocks Will Enderman Not Pick Up?
Endermen, those tall, shadowy figures that teleport around the Minecraft landscape, are notorious for their block-moving habits. This can be frustrating, especially when they pilfer blocks from your meticulously crafted structures. But, fear not! There are a number of blocks that Endermen simply cannot pick up, allowing you to protect your builds.
Endermen can only pick up specific block types that are typically found on the surface of the overworld. Endermen cannot pick up: all man-made blocks (such as cobblestone, planks, glass, and ore blocks), most naturally generated blocks (such as stone, dirt without grass, gravel, sand, and clay), and any block which is complex or has data values (such as chests, crafting tables, furnaces, doors, or any type of redstone component). Only a small subset of common overworld blocks is vulnerable to being moved by Endermen.
Understanding Enderman Block Manipulation
To effectively safeguard your constructions, it’s crucial to understand how Endermen choose and interact with blocks. Endermen randomly select a block within their reach. If the block is on their accepted pick up list, they will pick it up. If the block is on the unaccepted list, then the attempt will fail.
The List of Enderman-Safe Blocks
Here’s a comprehensive list of blocks that Endermen are incapable of picking up:
- All Ore Blocks: Iron Ore, Gold Ore, Diamond Ore, Emerald Ore, Copper Ore, Lapis Lazuli Ore, Redstone Ore, Nether Quartz Ore, Ancient Debris.
- All Crafted Blocks: This includes virtually anything you craft yourself. Planks, cobblestone, bricks, smooth stone, glass, fences, stairs, slabs, chests, crafting tables, furnaces, beds, doors, trapdoors, and so on.
- Stone and Variants: Stone, granite, diorite, andesite, deepslate, tuff, calcite.
- Dirt-Based Blocks (Without Grass): Regular dirt, coarse dirt, rooted dirt, podzol. Note that dirt with grass, which is naturally generated, can be picked up.
- Sand and Gravel: Sand, gravel, red sand.
- Clay: Both regular clay and terracotta.
- All Leaves: Oak Leaves, Spruce Leaves, Birch Leaves, Jungle Leaves, Acacia Leaves, Dark Oak Leaves, Mangrove Leaves, Azalea Leaves, Flowering Azalea Leaves.
- All Wood Logs and Planks: Oak Logs, Spruce Logs, Birch Logs, Jungle Logs, Acacia Logs, Dark Oak Logs, Mangrove Logs, Crimson Stems, Warped Stems, Oak Planks, Spruce Planks, Birch Planks, Jungle Planks, Acacia Planks, Dark Oak Planks, Mangrove Planks, Crimson Planks, Warped Planks.
- Nether Blocks: Netherrack, Soul Sand, Soul Soil, Basalt, Blackstone, Nether Bricks, Crimson Nylium, Warped Nylium.
- End Blocks: End Stone, Purpur Blocks.
- Concrete and Concrete Powder: All colors of concrete and concrete powder.
- Terracotta and Glazed Terracotta: All colors of terracotta and glazed terracotta.
- Redstone Components: Redstone dust, repeaters, comparators, pistons, sticky pistons, observers, droppers, dispensers, redstone blocks, targets, levers, buttons, pressure plates.
- Light Sources: Torches, lanterns, sea lanterns, glowstone, campfires, soul campfires.
- Water and Lava: In block form (source blocks).
- Liquids in Buckets: Buckets of water, lava, milk, fish, etc.
- Any Item with Metadata: Blocks that have different states or data values associated with them, like stairs, slabs, signs, banners, and chests.
- Generated Structures: Moss Blocks, Calcite, Deepslate, Tuff, Spore Blossom, Cave Vines, Rooted Dirt, etc.
- Bedrock
- Obsidian
- Crying Obsidian
- Amethyst blocks
- Sculk blocks
Vulnerable Blocks: The Enderman’s Favorites
The blocks that Endermen can pick up are a much shorter list:
- Dirt with grass
- Sand
- Gravel
- Clay
- Flowers
- Mushrooms
- Melon Blocks
- Pumpkin Blocks
- TNT
This list may vary slightly between Minecraft versions, but these are the core blocks to be aware of.
Practical Strategies for Enderman-Proofing Your Builds
Knowing which blocks Endermen can’t pick up allows you to implement effective strategies to protect your structures. Here are a few ideas:
- Use Non-Vulnerable Materials: Construct your buildings primarily from blocks like cobblestone, stone bricks, planks, or any other crafted block. These are immune to Enderman theft.
- Replace Vulnerable Blocks: If you’ve used dirt with grass in your build, consider replacing it with regular dirt, which Endermen cannot move.
- Strategic Use of Torches: While torches don’t directly prevent Endermen from picking up blocks, they can deter them from spawning in the area around your base.
- Create a Barrier: Surround your vulnerable structures with a ring of blocks Endermen can’t pick up. Even a single layer can be effective.
- Water Features: Endermen take damage from water. A moat or strategically placed water source can deter them from approaching your structures.
- Lighting: Well-lit areas reduce Enderman spawns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why do Endermen pick up blocks?
The exact reason for Endermen’s block-picking behavior isn’t explicitly stated in Minecraft lore. It’s generally accepted as a characteristic behavior, perhaps related to their dimension-hopping nature and their inclination to rearrange the environment.
2. Can Endermen pick up blocks in the Nether or End dimensions?
No. They can’t pick up Nether or End blocks at all. Only overworld blocks.
3. Does the difficulty level affect what blocks Endermen can pick up?
No, the difficulty level does not affect which blocks Endermen can pick up. The blocks they can and cannot pick up remain consistent across all difficulty settings.
4. Can Endermen place the blocks they pick up?
Yes, Endermen will randomly place the blocks they pick up, but they can only place them on other blocks. This is how floating dirt blocks can sometimes appear in your world.
5. Do Endermen pick up blocks in Creative mode?
No, Endermen do not pick up blocks in Creative mode. This behavior is only present in Survival and Hardcore modes.
6. Can I prevent Endermen from spawning near my base?
You can reduce the likelihood of Endermen spawning by lighting up the area around your base and clearing away large, flat surfaces where they can easily spawn. However, it’s difficult to completely prevent their spawning.
7. Do Endermen pick up blocks in Peaceful mode?
In Peaceful mode, Endermen will still spawn, but they will not pick up blocks because they are unable to interact with the environment aggressively.
8. Can I use commands to stop Endermen from picking up blocks?
Yes, you can use commands to disable Endermen’s block-picking behavior. You can use the /gamerule mobGriefing false command. This will prevent all mobs from griefing, including Endermen picking up blocks.
9. Are there any mods that prevent Endermen from picking up blocks?
Yes, there are several mods available that allow you to customize Endermen behavior, including disabling their block-picking ability. Search on your favorite modding platform.
10. Can Endermen pick up farmland?
No, Endermen cannot pick up farmland. Farmland is a block with data values and is, therefore, safe from Endermen.
11. Will Endermen take blocks from my farms?
If your farm contains any of the blocks Endermen can pick up (like dirt with grass, pumpkins, melons, or flowers) then yes, they could potentially take those blocks. Secure farms by only using Endermen-proof blocks in the farm’s construction.
12. Can Endermen pick up blocks through walls?
No, Endermen can only pick up blocks that are directly accessible to them. They cannot pick up blocks through walls or other solid structures.
13. Can Endermen pick up slabs or stairs?
No, Endermen cannot pick up slabs or stairs.
14. Are there any specific blocks that Endermen are more likely to pick up?
There’s no evidence to suggest that Endermen are more attracted to certain blocks over others within the list of blocks they can pick up. The selection appears to be random.
15. Can I trap Endermen by surrounding them with blocks they can’t pick up?
Yes! Since Endermen cannot pick up cobblestone or most other readily available blocks, surrounding them with a small enclosure of these blocks will effectively trap them. Just be careful when you get close!