Tutorial:Skyblock
Reason: Update to 1.19-1.21

Skyblock is a community created survival game mode, revolving around expanding a world infinitely with only minimal materials. The player starts on a small island floating in the middle of void with a few items and a single tree, where they must complete challenges, survive, and learn to preserve materials wisely.
It was originally created by the player Noobcrew,[1] with the original versions still provided on the official Skyblock platform today. Countless fan-created Skyblock maps can be found through venues such as the Marketplace or Minecraft Forum. Some of these variations are provided below. Skyblock has thousands of gameplay and tutorials from many YouTubers, such as CaptainSparklez.
Ways to play
[edit | edit source]As stated above, Skyblock has many different community worlds, datapacks and mods that can differ greatly in player experience.
Community maps
[edit | edit source]Below are listed original and fan-created community maps for Skyblock. These maps are considered non-commercial compared to the Minecraft Marketplace and can be found on Modrinth, Planet Minecraft, Minecraft Forum, and other third-party websites provided by the Minecraft community.
Official Skyblock
[edit | edit source]The original and classic Skyblock. There are 4 variations known as Version 2.1, Version 2.0, Version 1.1, and Version 1.0. Version 2.1 is the most well known and features the iconic "L" shaped island with a single tree and chest. It is the one players likely think of the most when it comes to Skyblock. This is the map that this wiki page will apply to the most, so it is the best in terms of documentation.
"Downloads | Skyblock Official Site" – skyblock.net.
Mods and datapacks
[edit | edit source]Below are listed mods and datapacks for Skyblock. Keep in mind this article will not apply to some of the gameplay of these mods, however, certain aspects such as renewable materials, cobblestone generators, infinite water sources, and strategic ways of receiving items do apply to most fan-created Skyblock worlds.
Skyblock Standard
[edit | edit source]Skyblock Standard is a mod that delivers a traditional Skyblock experience without the benefit (or detriment) of the vanilla seed generating past 10,000 blocks. This mod also comes in datapack form.
"Skyblock Standard modrinth page" .
Sand Island
[edit | edit source]This is an optional dependency for Skyblock Standard that adds the traditional sand island found in most Skyblock maps. It is not required but is highly recommended for obvious reasons. This mod also comes in datapack form.
"Skyblock Sand Island modrinth page." .
Sky Void Additions
[edit | edit source]This is an optional dependency for Skyblock Standard (with untested compatibility with other Skyblock maps and mods) that alongside Sand Island allows for every item, mob and block that would be obtained in vanilla survival to be obtained without cheats in Skyblock. This is generally recommended but if you want a true traditional Skyblock experience, but it is not required. This mod also comes in datapack form.
"Sky Void Additions modrinth page." .
Skyblock Advancements
[edit | edit source]This is a mod for all Skyblock maps that add relevant advancements to your Skyblock playthrough. It is highly recommended, and there is no reason not to grab it. This mod also comes in datapack form.
"Skyblock Advancements modrinth page." .
ProtoSky
[edit | edit source]A unique spin on Skyblock that only comes in mod form.
This mod is intended to provide you a world in which you can play "vanilla" Skyblock in the style of the ProtoTech server. It deletes (almost) all blocks and entities in the world after they generated. This is done so that the world keeps all structure bounding boxes in their original position.
Keep in mind that this mod itself doesn't generate any starting blocks. You need to place those yourself. It also doesn't set your world spawn in your Nether, you can set your spawn point in the Nether yourself, but this will have to be redone whenever you use a bed or respawn anchor.
More information can be found on their webpage below:
Global Progression
[edit | edit source]Since the Skyblock world is set within a void environment, there is no normal terrain to explore. Therefore setting up farms for resources or creating a cobblestone generator is vital to game progression. Some maps also provide challenges to complete.
Your First Day
[edit | edit source]The player's strategy on the first day depends mainly on the Skyblock map.
If there are any short grass or flowers, mine them; you may obtain seeds from the grass. Break the dirt on your island, leaving some grass blocks, make sure to preserve each dirt block wisely and it is crucial to leave at least one grass block so grass continues to spread to nearby dirt blocks. Place the dirt around the tree so that it catches the dropped saplings. Chop down the tree and make a crafting table and wooden pickaxe. Catch the saplings and replant them, which in turn can make infinite trees over time. If you have a chest, open it and check the items for additional resources. You usually start out with a single ice block, a bucket of lava, and perhaps various crops such as cactus, sugar cane, melons, and pumpkins. To build a Cobblestone Generator, dig a one block deep T-shaped hole. Place a block in the center with water and lava on both sides. Then break the center block and mine the cobblestone that forms. Make sure that the lava is not directly touching the water source as obsidian will generate instead, and you will likely need to restart the map if so. Furthermore make sure that the blocks that surround the lava such as wood logs or planks are not flammable, or they will burn. Mine as much cobblestone needed to expand your island and craft a set of stone tools. Before the day turns into night, use these materials to build a shelter out of wood or cobblestone to prevent phantoms and other monsters from attacking.
Crops and Trees
[edit | edit source]If you start with crops, such as melons, or pumpkins, plant them on dirt blocks around the water source normally nearby your cobblestone generator. For your second and third day, you want to gather as much wood and cobblestone as you can. If you have an oak tree, you can get apples for food and additional saplings to plant more trees. If you start with a melon, make sure to plant it as you can break it for melon slices, which you can also eat. The element of survival is important on Skyblock.
Mob Farm
[edit | edit source]Hostile mob farms are also very important because they are a source of bones, strings, redstone dust, iron ingots, potatoes, carrots, and many other important resources. A mob farm is mandatory in order to obtain additional crops, such as potatoes or carrots, for farming. It is also an abundant source of rotten flesh, which you can now eat instead of apples. Multiple mob farm designs are explained in the page Tutorial:Mob farm. The most efficient designs will need water or redstone circuits.
If a spider spawns, killing it for string will allow you to craft a fishing rod, which can be used in the water from your cobblestone generator to obtain fish as early-game food.
This hostile mob farm design shown by ilmango below uses the mob pathfinding mechanics to lure them into a drop shaft, without the need of water or redstone circuits (note that spiders can't spawn in this farm):
| Simple Pathfinding Mob Farm (view on YouTube) |
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You should also build a passive mob farm to get animals: to do that, use cobblestone or wood planks to bridge away from your island and passive mobs will spawn after some time.
Crop Farm
[edit | edit source]You can get wheat from the seeds at the start of your island. Along with melon and pumpkin seeds. Killing skeletons will yield bones which can be converted to bone meal, in order to quickly grow crops in the beginning. If you still have short grass leftover and didn't start with seeds, you could use the bonemeal to create tall grass and flowers which yield seeds. Additionally on higher versions of Minecraft, killing zombies will also drop carrots and potatoes, which you can farm as well as breeding pigs.
Obtaining a Second Water Source
[edit | edit source]Water is extremely useful in a Skyblock world for many uses, and allows you to pillar down easily for building or to save you from death. It is also used to irrigate farmland.
In most versions of Skyblock, the player starts with only one water source in the starting chest. As a player progresses through Skyblock, a second water source starts to become desirable and can be obtainable to make an infinite water source. There are several methods to get this second water source, which are listed below:
- On the original Skyblock, version 2.1, the second ice block needed to make an infinite water source, can be located on the Nether island.
- The easiest way is to use bone meal in a two block high area of flowing water. This will generate seagrass and several water source blocks, if playing in versions on or above 1.13+.
- If a player builds a mob farm and obtains at least seven iron, the player can craft a cauldron. The player can collect water from their first water source in glass bottles, and fill the cauldron three times so that it can be emptied with a bucket. Glass bottles can be obtained from witches in a mob grinder.
- Alternatively, a player can obtain a cauldron and place it in an area exposed to the sky so that it can fill up with rain droplets, and in turn more water sources.

Creating an Infinite Water Source
[edit | edit source]Before an infinite water source can be created, the player has to have at least two water source blocks. View section, "Obtaining a Second Water Source." above if you have not already obtained this.
An ice block can be broken by hand to create a water source if there is a block below it.
By using two sources of water, a player can create an infinite water source. Dig a 2×2 hole 1 block deep, place two water sources in opposite corners and the merging flows will create new water source blocks. Use a bucket on any of the now-four water sources and the removed water will be replaced by a new water source block when the flows merge. If the source blocks are too far apart, the merging flows will be too weak to create a source block and the water can not become infinite.
Getting Villagers
[edit | edit source]Using the methods below in order to spawn Villagers is crucial for your progression and updated items, because it is one of the only ways to obtain emeralds and the only reliable source to get diamond tools, diamond armor, and enchanted books.
To spawn Villagers, you will need to cure the rare zombie villagers, which sometimes spawn in mob farms.
To cure zombie villagers, you need to give them the Weakness status effect, and then use a golden apple on them. There are several ways of doing this: To give a Zombie Villager the Weakness status effect, you can use a witch or make a splash potion of weakness, which requires going to the Nether.
To make a witch give Weakness to your zombie villager, you need to get near the witch with it and have less than 8HP health points. There will be then a 25% chance that the Witch will throw a splash potion of weakness. To make your own potion, you need to get a brewing stand, a fermented spider eye and some gunpowder. Note that you will need a brown mushroom to do that, which requires trading with a wandering trader.
To get the golden apples, you will need gold ingots and apples. Getting the apples is easy, but getting the gold is harder. You can either go to the Nether and kill zombified piglins, smelt golden armor dropped by monsters, or kill drowned, which sometimes drop gold ingots (Note how this will not work in the 1.17 update as a drowned will now drop copper ingots instead of gold ingots). If the Drowned drop copper, you could craft a lightning rod and place it in a pig pen. Then, wait for a storm and breed as many pigs as possible with the crops you have. When lightning strikes during a storm, it should be redirected to your pig pen, turning them all to zombified piglin. This is helpful in a no starting chest run were the nether is inaccessible due to a lack of lava.
It is strongly advised to build a villager breeder as soon as possible, in order to avoid doing this tedious process multiple times.
Iron Farm
[edit | edit source]Iron farms are very useful in a Skyblock world, because they allow way easier access to iron ingots. To make the smallest possible iron farm, you will need 3 villagers, 3 beds, and a zombie holding an item or sitting in a boat (to prevent despawning).
This video by Ray features at the beginning a simple iron farm design, which uses lava in the killing zone but could use another killing system that doesn't need some. The rates are about 320 iron ingots/hour.
| YouTube Video (view on YouTube) |
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When your needs for iron get larger, you can just make multiples copies of the farm or build a larger design.
Nether Skyblock
[edit | edit source]Some Skyblock maps either start the player in the Nether, or give the player access to the Nether through some alternative method, such as traveling to the sand island commonly found on the original Skyblock versions.
If you don't start out with access to the Nether, you could still create a portal if you have at least 1 lava source block. First, you will need to get 1 pointed dripstone from a wandering trader and obtain a cauldron. Place a solid block 2 blocks above the cauldron. Place lava on top after making a small chamber so it doesn't flow out. And finally, place a pointed dripstone under the solid block. Slowly the cauldron will fill up with lava and you can obtain another source block.
There are 5 biomes in the Nether, and each of them has unique properties that are interesting in a Skyblock context:
- Zombified piglin farms in the Nether Wastes biome provide gold nuggets.
- You can make hoglin farms in the crimson forest biome, which gives the player an alternative way to get raw porkchops.
- You can make mildly efficient enderman farms in the warped forest biome, which provide ender pearls.
- Magma cubes in the basalt delta biome provide magma cream.
- You can make ghast farms in the soul sand valley biome, which provides ghast tears and and an alternative way to get gunpowder.
Gold Farm
[edit | edit source]To make a gold farm, make a platform up to 23-24 blocks away (ensuring the platform is within the Nether Wastes biome) and make a roof out of slabs and wait. A little while later, you should see some zombified piglins spawning. Killing them can give the player gold nuggets, which then gives access to bartering.
Bartering will yield many useful resources such as iron, ender pearls, leather, string, obsidian, etc.
- Blackstone is an alternative to cobblestone used to create brewing stands, furnaces, and stone tools. While it isn't entirely useful, it is extremely important if the player doesn't have a cobblestone generator already.
- Crying obsidian is used to create respawn anchors.
- Gravel can be used to create coarse dirt, which can be tilled into dirt allowing it to be duplicated, or to obtain flint used to create arrows, flint and steel and fletching table.
- Nether quartz is used to create daylight detectors, observers and redstone comparatorss—useful for gold automation.
- Soul sand is used to summon the Wither or to create soul torch and soul campfires, used to repel piglins and hoglins.
Fortress Farm
[edit | edit source]If structures are not disabled upon World Generation, Nether Fortresses can still spawn in the void, extending up from the Void. This gives access to a variety of items, such as coal, bones, blaze rods, soul sand, and (most importantly) wither skeleton skull. This allows the player to kill the Wither.
Obtainable Items
[edit | edit source]Overworld
[edit | edit source]The most efficient way to get an item or other resources is written in bold.
Ways of getting items requiring lava are written in italic.
With access to the Nether
[edit | edit source]With access to the End
[edit | edit source]| Other | |||
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