The Ultimate XP Farming Guide for Minecraft Bedrock Edition

The quest for experience points (XP) is a constant pursuit in Minecraft. Whether you need to enchant your gear, repair your tools, or simply reach higher levels for bragging rights, an efficient XP farm is crucial. In Bedrock Edition, the best overall XP farm balances efficiency, resource cost, and ease of construction. Considering these factors, the enderman farm in the End dimension stands out as the top choice, offering a high XP yield with a relatively straightforward design once you’ve reached the End.

Why Enderman Farms Dominate

Enderman farms are exceptionally effective because Endermen spawn prolifically in the End, and they provide a significant amount of XP upon death. A well-designed Enderman farm leverages their tendency to teleport and their vulnerability to water. By creating a system where Endermen are lured into a central location and then dropped a significant distance, you can weaken them enough to be killed with a single hit, maximizing your XP gain. This allows for quick and efficient XP gain.

Building an Enderman Farm: A Step-by-Step Guide

While there are many variations, a basic Enderman farm follows these principles:

Preparation and Resources

• Access to the End: This is a prerequisite. You’ll need to defeat the Ender Dragon.
• Building Materials: Cobblestone, stone bricks, or any solid block. You’ll need a substantial amount.
• Water Buckets: Multiple buckets are essential.
• Slabs or Carpets: Used to prevent Endermites from spawning.
• Sword with Looting (Optional): Looting increases the XP dropped.
• Elytra and Fireworks: For efficient travel around the End.

Constructing the Farm

1. Locate a Suitable Spot: Travel a few hundred blocks away from the main End island to ensure high Enderman spawn rates.
2. Build a Large Platform: Create a platform spanning at least 50×50 blocks. This is where the Endermen will spawn. The platform must be far enough from the main island to influence spawning on your platform.
3. Water Funnel: On one side of the platform, construct a system that directs Endermen towards a central drop point. Water streams are placed to push Endermen towards the center.
4. The Drop: Design a drop that’s approximately 22 blocks high. This will leave the Endermen with only 1 hit point.
5. Collection Area: At the bottom of the drop, create a safe area where you can stand and one-hit the Endermen. Ensure this area is enclosed to prevent accidental teleports.
6. Endermite Prevention: Cover any exposed surface on the platform with slabs or carpets. Endermites are a menace and will disrupt the efficiency of your farm.

Optimizing for Efficiency

• Mob Cramming: Bedrock Edition has mob cramming mechanics which cause mobs to take damage and despawn when too many are in a tight area. The collection area should be large enough to prevent this.
• AFK Spot: Create a safe, elevated AFK spot at least 128 blocks away from the platform. This maximizes spawn rates.
• Looting Sword: While not essential, a sword with the Looting enchantment significantly increases the amount of XP dropped by each Enderman.

Alternatives to Enderman Farms

While Enderman farms are top-tier, they require access to the End. For early to mid-game XP farming, consider these options:

Spawner-Based Farms

Locating a dungeon spawner is a fantastic opportunity for an XP farm. Skeleton spawners and zombie spawners are common. The basic principle is to create a system that automatically funnels the spawned mobs into a kill zone.

• Water Elevator: Use water streams to push mobs upward.
• Drop Damage: Drop the mobs from a height sufficient to leave them with minimal health.
• Manual Kill Zone: Stand at the bottom and one-hit the weakened mobs.

Furnace/Smoker Farms

These farms exploit the XP gained from smelting items.

• Automated Smelting: Use hoppers to feed items into furnaces or smokers and extract the smelted products.
• Super Smelter: Build a large array of furnaces or smokers to maximize throughput.
• Kelp Farms: Kelp is a readily available fuel source and grows quickly.

Trading with Villagers

While not a traditional farm, trading with villagers can be a reliable source of XP.

• Emeralds: Farm resources like wheat, carrots, or potatoes to trade for emeralds.
• Enchanted Books: Trading for enchanted books also awards XP.
• Curing Zombie Villagers: Curing zombie villagers gives a huge discount on trades.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which is better for XP: a zombie spawner or a skeleton spawner?

Both are effective, but skeleton spawners are often preferred early game due to the usefulness of arrows and bones. Arrows are essential for early ranged combat, and bone meal is vital for crop growth. Zombies offer rotten flesh, which is less useful, but can still be traded to villagers or fed to dogs.

2. How do I find spawners in Minecraft Bedrock?

Explore caves thoroughly. Listen for the distinctive sounds of zombies, skeletons, or spiders. When the sounds get louder, dig around. Spawners are usually found in small, enclosed rooms. Another way to locate spawners is to find them using a seed mapper.

3. Does Fortune enchantment increase XP from mining ores?

No, the Fortune enchantment only increases the quantity of items dropped, not the amount of XP.

4. What’s the maximum XP level in Minecraft Bedrock?

The maximum level is 2,147,483,647 (2³¹ – 1). However, reaching such a high level is practically impossible.

5. How much XP does the Ender Dragon give?

The Ender Dragon drops 12,000 XP the first time it’s defeated, enough to go from level 0 to around level 68. Subsequent defeats yield only 500 XP.

6. Does looting enchantment give more XP?

No, the Looting enchantment only affects the number of items dropped by mobs, not the XP gained.

7. What gives the most XP overall in Minecraft?

Killing the Ender Dragon the first time yields the most XP at once. However, for continuous farming, a well-designed Enderman farm provides the highest sustained XP rate.

8. How can I make a simple XP farm early in the game?

A simple furnace/smoker farm using kelp as fuel is one of the easiest to set up early on. Just find some kelp, build a furnace, and start smelting!

9. What’s the best Y level to find diamonds?

Strip mining between Y levels -50 to -59 is generally considered the most efficient method, focusing on level -59. This can provide a source of ore and XP.

10. Do XP orbs despawn?

Yes, XP orbs despawn if they aren’t collected within 5 minutes of appearing.

11. How much XP does a skeleton drop?

A skeleton drops 5 XP orbs when killed by a player or a tamed wolf, plus additional XP for any equipped armor.

12. Is trading with villagers a good way to get XP?

Yes, trading with villagers can be a reliable and safe way to gain XP. Curing zombie villagers to get discounts makes it even more efficient.

13. What is the most efficient mob grinder for XP in the early game?

A simple spawner-based farm, particularly from zombie or skeleton spawners, is the most efficient early-game mob grinder for XP.

14. Does difficulty affect the amount of XP dropped by mobs?

The game difficulty does not affect the amount of XP dropped.

15. What should I do with all my XP once I’ve farmed it?

Use your XP to enchant your gear at an enchanting table or to repair items using an anvil. It can also be used to apply enchantments to gear using enchanted books on an anvil.

Conclusion

While various methods exist for acquiring XP in Minecraft Bedrock, the Enderman farm stands out as the most efficient option for players who have reached the End. For those in earlier stages of the game, spawner-based farms and furnace farms offer viable alternatives. Remember to prioritize safety, efficiency, and resource availability when choosing your XP farming strategy. Minecraft encourages learning, creativity, and collaboration, much like the Games Learning Society does. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to explore how games can enhance education and learning experiences.