For a long time, Minecraft only had one boss fight: the Ender Dragon. However, in update 1.4 of the game, the developers at Mojang Studios decided to give players another boss that they could optional fight. They called in the Wither.
Spawned in by placing four soul sand blocks in a T-formation and placing three Wither Skeleton skulls on top, the Wither flies around and shoots skulls that explode and give players the withering effect that they can die from. However, getting past the Wither earns players a Nether Star, which can be used to make a beacon. But how does one beat the second boss in Minecraft history?
7 Place Wither In Tight Space
Spawning a Wither in the overworld above ground can be a very bad idea. It can easily fly high above the player so it's hard to hit them with a sword when the time comes to do so. Worst of all, Withers can be attracted to other mobs nearby.
This can be rough when starting a fight near the home base as it can easily kill any animals that the player needs. It also can easily destroy the terrain and any builds created. The easiest way to get the Wither where it's an easier kill is putting it in a tight space underground or in the walls of the Nether or the End dimension.
6 Carry A Bucket Of Milk
Potions can be very useful, as will be noted later on in this piece. However, potions mean nothing if players are going to die to the effects inflicted on them by the Wither. When hit with a Wither Skull during the battle, players on Normal or higher difficult will have a Wither II effect placed on them.
This is similar to poison only it can kill the player if they are down to half of a heart. If players are in dire need to survive, bringing a bucket of milk with them is crucial. Drinking this will cancel all current potion effects, but will also cancel the Wither effect as well.
5 Have Armor With Enchantments
There's a very good chance in a Wither battle that the player is going to take a lot of hits due to the skulls that are being shot in their direction. Because of this, it's important to have on some solid armor that prevents damage outside of the Wither effect.
Protection is always a good enchantment to go for but Blast Protection might be even better against the explosive nature of the skulls. Also, consider using Feather Falling with the boots in case one blast hits the player up in the air. Players may already be taking a beating, fall damage should not be among the many things hurting them.
4 Prioritize Sword Over Bow
For a creature that floats around, it would make sense to bring a bow in the early parts of the battle to get some easy, distant shots in. But keep in mind that about halfway through the battle, the Wither will put up a shield that will prevent the player from dealing any more damage with their arrows.
This is why players should look for a really strong sword that can take down the Wither as quickly as possible. Diamond or Netherite swords could be used as well as an enchantment on them, with the best option being Sharpness.
3 Bring Some Strength Potions & Golden Apples
As noted earlier, consuming anything that gives the player a status effect in the fight could be rendered useless if players are about to die to the Wither and need to drink milk to get rid of the bad effects the creature gives them.
That said, it would not hurt to get some Strength Potions and Golden Apples for this fight. Strength will help near the end of the fight when players are trying to hit the Wither to kill it as quickly as possible. Golden Apples could be used to combat the Wither effect and also quickly restore hearts when not inflicted.
2 Have A Bed Nearby
In a grim scenario where things are not looking up in the battle, players need to be prepared for an alternate plan. If a player dies, they should have a bed that is as close to the Wither fight as possible.
Doing this and setting their spawn there can make dying a lot less painful as they could run right in to grab their dropped stuff. Of course, keep in mind that beds can't be placed in the Nether or End, but they could be used as a weapon in those dimensions if players want some creative ways to go after the Wither.
1 Use Other Mobs As Bait
The Wither is programmed to go after any player and almost any peaceful mob there is in the game. Because of this, it may be worth collecting some mobs as bait and putting them right near the Wither before it's properly spawned in. This way, the Wither focuses on them for a bit.
Some strategies using this scenario include creating a bunch of Snow Golems that will actively throw snowballs at the Wither and knock it around. Putting them all in a confined space could force The Wither in one place and allow for a simple kill on the brutal boss.
Minecraft was released on November 16, 2011, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, and many other platforms.