Highlights
- The Copper Block still has potential for improvement, with the addition of tools or weapons that utilize its conductive qualities.
- The Painting block is in need of an update, with players calling for more design options to enhance creativity in bases and builds.
- The Cauldron, although niche in its use cases, requires an update to become more practical and versatile, serving as a renewable source for various items.
With Minecraft being over a decade old, the number of blocks within the game has only grown. There may be plenty of brand-new blocks, many of which serve a functional purpose or as decoration, but there's a distinct number of blocks that haven't quite caught up to modern times.
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While many of the blocks that need to be updated are mostly functional in some capacity, there's often obvious missing functionality or changes that the block needs to feel less like a relic of Minecraft's past and more streamlined into what the game has become. With the hundreds of blocks available, there are five blocks that definitely need an update or two.
6 Copper Block
Too Much Of An Okay Thing
A metal only found in modded Minecraft until it finally entered the real game, copper and its blocks are just fine despite the numerous mechanical functions mods have suggested for it for years. The decoration value of copper is wonderful, but everything else about the block falls flat.
With the conductive qualities of copper in mind, and with the existence of the lightning rod especially, adding specific tools or weapons that utilize that electrifying quality would add quite a bit of life to the bland block.
5 Painting
A Detail Block With Limited Design
A staple for building interiors, the painting block in Minecraft has barely changed since its inception, with only the addition of the Wither hint painting serving as its most recent update from a non-technical standpoint. Even though it's a constantly used block for bases and creative builds, the general lack of options found from the painting block's small array of possible designs is unfortunate.
The simplest update for paintings is the best update for it, which is just adding more painting options. Allowing players to design paintings in-game would be ideal, but even just doubling the current 26 would be greatly appreciated. Given the customization of banners, giving a little bit of attention to one of Minecraft's oldest blocks is definitely an update it deserves.
4 Brewing Stand
A Confusing System
The potion system has hardly changed since it was added to the game, and it remains a mystery for most players. Since Minecraft is hands-off when telling players concrete explanations about features within the game itself, figuring out how to actually use the brewing stand without searching online is practically impossible. The brewing stand may be fully functional for veteran players who are fully aware of what the potion system needs, but for the millions of newer players, this magical block is more annoying than useful.
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With numerous resource packs offering cheat sheets for potion brewing, the default inclusion of such would be a fairly helpful update. Given how many possible potions are in the game, all of which require specific ingredients and most feature potential upgrades, the general lack of communication with players only makes the brewing stand more mysterious.
3 Cauldron
Outclassed In Every Way
There is no real reason to make a cauldron. There may be specific cases where cauldrons are necessary, but the use cases are niche, only revolving around dye and bringing water to the Nether. In practically every single instance where a cauldron could be used, simply digging a hole and filling it with water is better. The cauldron needs an update immensely.
With the introduction of powder snow, cauldrons were empowered as a renewable source for the trap item, along with offering a renewable source of lava with the introduction of pointed dripstone. Beyond these great updates, cauldrons need to function as water blocks when it comes to using them for filling bottles or undoing dye. Additionally, the Bedrock-only functionality of dyeing the water within the cauldron would work just as well in Java, for both dye reasons and design and especially the ability to fill cauldrons with potions.
2 Respawn Anchor
Functionality Across Dimensions
The respawn anchor was a wonderful addition to the Nether Update, adding an actual way to set spawn points in the Nether instead of having the cavernous dimension remain inhabitable. Currently, the anchor works perfectly for players wanting to live in the Nether or traverse it safely, but there's a small update that could make the respawn anchor even stronger, adding functionality in the End.
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The End dimension itself certainly needs an update of some kind in the coming versions, but at the very least, adding a variant of the respawn anchor or functionality to let it work in the End would be a great safety net for players traveling through the End Islands for End Cities.
1 Fletching Table
The Infamous Block With No Function
Beyond turning villagers into fletchers, the fletching table has zero function. All the other blocks that give villagers jobs can be interacted with, but the fletching table remains the odd block out. Even with the smithing table receiving two updates with the introduction of netherite and smithing templates, the fletching table does absolutely nothing for players.
The lack of functionality from this block is well known, especially as Mojang has even noted that it will receive usage at some point, although this was stated to simply be after version 1.14 was released. What the fletching table should do could range from similar behavior to the smithing table to even allowing for simpler ways to make tipped arrows, but regardless, the only thing the fletching table needs to do is to do anything.
