Unveiling the Enigmatic Allay: Minecraft’s Helpful Blue Companion

The blue winged creature in Minecraft is called an Allay. It’s a small, friendly, blue mob with tiny wings that flits around the world, offering a unique form of assistance to players. Unlike pets that can be tamed, Allays enter into a partnership with you, seeking out specific items and bringing them back. They’re not just cute; they’re incredibly useful for resource gathering and organization within the game. Think of them as your personal, dedicated item fetchers.

All About the Allay: Origins and Functionality

The Allay won the mob vote at Minecraft Live 2021, proving to be a popular choice among players who were intrigued by its unique capabilities. They don’t spawn naturally in the Overworld, instead, they’re found imprisoned within Pillager Outposts and Woodland Mansions. This unfortunate situation highlights their vulnerability to Illagers, making rescuing them a worthy endeavor.

Finding and “Befriending” an Allay

To find an Allay, you need to locate either a Pillager Outpost or a Woodland Mansion. These structures are often heavily guarded, so be prepared for a fight! Once inside, search for cages. Breaking these cages will release the trapped Allays.

While you can’t technically tame an Allay in the traditional sense, you can form a bond with them. This is done by giving the Allay an item. To do this, simply hold the desired item in your hand and interact with the Allay (right-click on Java Edition or press the left trigger on Bedrock Edition). The Allay will then take the item and begin following you.

The Allay’s Unique Ability: Item Retrieval

This is where the Allay’s true potential shines. Once it holds an item, the Allay will begin searching for more instances of that item within a certain radius (a 32-block cubic area away from the player) and delivering them to you. This makes them incredibly useful for tasks such as:

• Gathering dropped items after mining: Give it a piece of coal, and it’ll find all the other dropped coal.
• Sorting items in your base: If you’ve accidentally scattered building blocks, the Allay can tidy them up for you.
• Automated collection in farms: While they can’t harvest crops, they can collect the dropped produce.

After delivering items, the Allay has a three-second cooldown before it can start searching again. The Allay will follow the player that last gave it an item from up to a 64-block cubic area away.

The Note Block Advantage

Allays are drawn to note blocks. If a note block is playing within its range, the Allay will deliver the collected items to the note block instead of the player. This opens up possibilities for creating automated collection systems and item sorting mechanisms.

Allay Duplication: Creating More Helpers

You can duplicate Allays using a jukebox, a music disc, and an amethyst shard. When a jukebox is playing music, giving an Allay an amethyst shard will cause it to duplicate, creating another Allay. There is a cooldown period before an Allay can be duplicated again.

Allay FAQs: Answering Your Burning Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Allay in Minecraft:

1. Can you tame an Allay in Minecraft?

   No, you cannot “tame” an Allay in the traditional sense. However, you can form a partnership by giving it an item. Once it has an item, it will follow you and collect similar items.

2. What happens if you give an Allay a diamond?

   If you give an Allay a diamond, it will search for other diamonds that are already on the ground within its search radius. It will not mine for diamonds.

3. Will Allays find diamonds?

   Allays will collect diamonds that are dropped on the ground. They cannot mine or break blocks to obtain diamonds.

4. How do you make an Allay stop following you?

   To make an Allay stop following you, simply interact with it while having an empty hand. This will remove the item it’s holding, freeing it to wander again.

5. Can Allays be bred?

   Yes, Allays can be duplicated. When a jukebox is playing music, give an Allay an amethyst shard, and it will duplicate, creating another Allay.

6. What do the little blue fairies do in Minecraft?

   The “little blue fairies,” or Allays, follow you after being given an item and collect more of that item from the surrounding area, delivering them back to you or a nearby noteblock.

7. Will Allays follow you forever?

   The Allay locks onto the player that last gave it an item. It will follow this player within a 64-block radius and seeks items within a 32-block radius.

8. Can you heal an Allay in Minecraft?

   Allays regenerate 2 health points every second. Giving an Allay a Totem of Undying will allow it to search for more, and if the Allay dies while holding it, the Totem will activate, resurrecting the Allay to full health.

9. What happens when an Allay dies in Minecraft?

   When an Allay dies, it now drops the item it was holding.

10. Can you keep an Allay as a pet?

    While you can’t technically keep them as pets, they will follow you as long as they are carrying an item. They provide a similar function to a pet by staying close and offering assistance.

11. Will Allay teleport with you?

    In Bedrock Edition, Allays will teleport with you through nether portals, even if they don’t enter the portal themselves.

12. Can you turn a vex into an Allay?

    No, you cannot turn a Vex into an Allay. They are separate entities with different origins and behaviors. Despite some visual similarities, they’re fundamentally different mobs.

13. Do Allays eat anything in Minecraft?

    Allays do not eat anything. They are not sustained by food.

14. Can you use elytra with Allay?

    Allays cannot keep up with players using Elytra, even with a lead. They are better suited for assisting with ground-based tasks.

15. How many hearts does a Minecraft Allay have?

    Allays have 20 health points, which equates to 10 hearts.

Conclusion: The Allay’s Place in Minecraft

The Allay is more than just a cute addition to the Minecraft world; it’s a valuable asset for players looking to automate tasks and streamline resource gathering. Its unique behavior and interactions make it a truly innovative mob, adding a new layer of gameplay to Minecraft. By understanding its abilities and limitations, you can make the Allay an indispensable part of your Minecraft adventures. To learn more about the impact of games on learning, explore the resources available at the Games Learning Society, GamesLearningSociety.org. The world of Minecraft is constantly evolving, and the Allay is a prime example of how new additions can enhance the player experience in meaningful ways.