Minecraft: Melee combat guide, blocking, how to fight? Minecraft guide, tips
Last update: 10 July 2020
This page of our Minecraft guide focuses on melee combat. Remember that you can fight with a variety of tools. These include swords, axes, pickaxes, or hands.
Melee combat
For the purposes of melee combat, you can use anything - ranging from empty hands to the sword. Empty hands, just like in the case of harmless items, deal little damage. When you use weapons with a handle, (axe, pickaxe, sword etc.) you can review damage modifiers by rolling over the weapon icon in the inventory. The factors that influence the dealt damage are the type of the tool and the material it has been crafted out of. For melee, it is best to use the sword.
While fighting an enemy that fights at a long distance, or the Enderman try to come as close as possible and deal swift blows.
When you fight an enemy that fights at a short distance, or the Creeper, try to stand, at least, one block higher than the enemy, if possible, and deal blows at the appropriate moments, when the enemy is ready to attack. By landing your blow, you will push him away and render him incapable of striking. It is not worth approaching the enemy, because you may take damage as a result which, in the case of some mobs (like the Zombie Pigman) may be dangerous.
Blocking
By using the appropriate key/button, you can activate blocking, while holding the sword. Such a block will protect you and absorbs half of the damage that you would normally receive. This also protects you from explosions. It does not, however, from arrows and falls. The upside is that it does not decrease the weapon's durability.