Next to the Ender Dragon, a Wither is one of the toughest enemies you’ll face in Minecraft. These three-headed monsters pack 300 health and deal eight attack damage. They mean business, but on the positive side you won’t stumble upon one of these creatures in your travels. First you need to gain access to the Nether and then follow specific steps to summon the Wither. Basically, you won’t go through any of this unless you want to pick a fight, and if that’s the case, we’ll tell you exactly how to summon and defeat a Wither below.
Note: The Wither only appears in the PC version of Minecraft.
Entering the Nether
First you need to create Nether Portal to gain entry to this dangerous world of fire and weird monsters. To do this, you need a fire source (Flint and Steel), Obsidian and Diamonds (to create a Diamond Pick).
After collecting these things, collect 14 blocks of Obsidian and carry them back to your base. In order to make a Nether Portal, position four blocks of Obsidian in a line along the ground. Now create pillars of Obsidian five blocks high on the ends, then build the top with two blocks that connect. Pull out your Flint and Steel to light the space in the center of the portal. That’s it! You can now jump between two dimensions at will.
Before entering the Nether, stock up on necessary items. Add Iron Pickaxes, Wood, Cobblestone, Swords, a Bow and Arrows to your inventory. Additionally, pack food, Flint, Steel and torches.
When you arrive in the Nether, create a base made of Cobblestone (it doesn’t burn) near the Nether Portal. When you have the base, put a Crafting Table, Chests an Ender Chest and Furnace inside. Make sure to routinely drop items into these chests in case you accidentally fall into lava. This way you won’t lose everything.
Tip: You need Soul Sand to summon a Wither. Look for it near Lava fields and uncover some with your shovel. Remember, anything that walks through Soul Sand slows down considerably. This applies to you, but also monsters chasing you. Use this to your advantage.
Summoning a Wither
To call one of these monsters out, you need to be in the Overworld (they don’t appear in Creative Mode) and make an altar. Place Soul Sand in a T-Shape; one block at the base, then three horizontal blocks above it. Now put three Wither Skeleton Skulls on top; you need to place the skulls last or this won’t work. If the sky turns dark you did this successfully. Also, get ready to throw down!
When the Wither first appears, it will grow in size and eventually blow up. You don’t want to be anywhere nearby.
Tip: Summon the Wither away from your base because the creature’s explosions destroy everything in the area.
Finding Wither Skeletons
Let’s rewind a bit. You will need to find and kill three Wither Skeletons, then take their heads. Doing this is easier said than done because locating these enemies takes time and their attacks poison your character regardless of whether you have armor or not.
Assault Wither Fortresses to find Wither Skeletons. Go in search of a fortress by heading east or west from your starting position; you may walk around for a while. Furthermore, Wither Skeletons don’t always drop skulls. In fact, finding a measly three skulls is one of the toughest gathering quests in Minecraft.
To increase the odds of finding some, equip an enchanted sword with Looting III. This will improve your chances by 60 percent. During combat, attack while backing up or escape through arches two blocks high, since Wither Skeletons are too tall follow.
Killing the Wither
OK, you summoned the Wither and the monster is angry. Before the battle even begins, burn a Potion of Night Vision to see; torches won’t work. You also want to have the following items: a Diamond Sword with Smite, an enchanted Bow with Power, Diamond Armor with Protection IV, Strength Potions, Health Splash Potions and an Enchanted Golden Apple.
After the Wither’s initial explosion, go back to its location and use the Bow to take away half of the monster’s health. Avoid the explosive skulls and then counter attack from range.
When the Wither’s health reaches 50 percent it becomes impervious to ranged attacks. You will need melee strikes, so consume Strength Potions and the Enchanted Golden Apple and hack away while the apple remains active. Don’t hold back!
Beating the Wither yields the Nether Star and various achievements; use the former to make Beacons. To build a Beacon, you need five Glass, three Obsidian and the Nether Star.
Congratulations! Now we’ll tell you how to slay the Ender Dragon.
Published: Dec 15, 2015 08:40 pm