The Wither stands as one of Minecraft’s most distinctive boss mobs – a floating, three-headed skeletal entity that requires players to literally construct it before engaging in battle. What makes this encounter particularly fascinating is its multi-stage nature, demanding varied combat strategies throughout the fight.
Summoning the Skeletal Beast
Required Materials
To bring forth this formidable opponent, adventurers must journey into the Nether dimension. Within this hostile realm, players need to collect:
- 4 blocks of Soul Sand or Soul Soil (abundant throughout the Nether)
- 3 Wither Skeleton Skulls (dropped by Wither Skeletons found exclusively in Nether Fortresses)
The soul materials pose little challenge to gather, but the skulls represent a significant hurdle due to their rare drop rate from Wither Skeletons.
Construction Process
With materials in hand, players should locate a spacious area, either in the Nether or Overworld. The construction follows a T-shaped pattern similar to building an Iron Golem – place the four Soul Sand/Soil blocks in this formation, then position the three Wither Skeleton Skulls atop the upper blocks. Be prepared for immediate retreat, as the boss spawns with an explosive entrance.
Essential Equipment
Before initiating the encounter, wise adventurers should equip themselves with:
- Complete Diamond or Netherite Armour (enhanced with Blast Protection enchantments)
- Diamond or Netherite Sword (ideally enchanted with Smite and/or Sharpness)
- Bow (with Power enchantment) and ample arrows
- Golden Apples or Healing Potions
- Milk buckets to counter status effects
- Shield for protection
- Totem of Undying as a last resort
Battle Tactics
Initial Explosion
The Wither’s spawning creates a devastating explosion varying by difficulty level:
- Easy – 35 Hearts damage
- Normal – 68 Hearts damage
- Hard – 102 Hearts damage
Quality armour and health enhancements from Golden Apples prove essential, with damage intensity decreasing proportionally to distance from the blast.
First Phase
During its initial phase, the Wither launches projectile skulls in two varieties:
- Black skulls – Fast-moving projectiles that can be deflected back at the boss (similar to Ghast fireballs)
- Blue skulls – Slower projectiles that cannot be deflected
The boss constantly moves through the environment, destroying blocks in its path. Players can attack using melee weapons when the creature flies within reach or employ ranged attacks with bows. This phase continues until the Wither reaches half health.
Second Phase
Upon reaching 50% health, the Wither undergoes a transformation. A blue shield materialises around it, rendering projectiles ineffective and forcing players to rely exclusively on melee combat.
Adding to the challenge, the boss begins summoning Wither Skeletons continuously. Maintaining mobility becomes crucial while attempting to conclude the fight swiftly before becoming overwhelmed by minions.
After depleting the Wither’s health completely, the boss charges up similarly to its spawning sequence before exploding once more. Creating maximum distance immediately after delivering the final blow minimises damage from this final blast.
Rewards
Defeating the Wither yields 50 experience points and a Nether Star – a rare item used to craft Beacons. These valuable structures provide various status effects and buffs to players within their radius, making the challenging encounter worthwhile for dedicated adventurers.