You’re mining. You’re building. You’re trying not to die. And then you realize you’ve got no bones, no arrows, and about two rotten flesh. Sound familiar?
Time to fix that.
An automatic mob farm solves that problem — it gives you a steady supply of XP, mob drops, and bragging rights, without constant combat. Here’s how to build one, why it matters, and how to make it work efficiently.
Why build a mob farm?
- Free XP (no manual grinding)
- Loot galore (bones, arrows, string, gunpowder)
- Potion ingredients (spider eyes, etc.)
- AFK-friendly (set it up, walk away, profit)
- Emerald farming (via trades)
Plus, let’s be honest — it’s just cool watching mobs fall from the sky into your trap like digital dominoes.
Step 1: Choose the right farm type
There are several kinds of mob farms. We’re keeping it beginner-friendly with a classic drop-style farm (passive and hostile mobs).
You’ll eventually graduate to:
- Spawner-based farms (e.g., skeleton dungeon)
- Creeper-only farms (for gunpowder)
- Gold farms in the Nether
- Witch farms (fancy stuff)
But for now, we’re making a general-purpose mob grinder.
Step 2: Materials you’ll need
- Stacks of building blocks (cobblestone, wood, etc.)
- Slabs or trapdoors (to control mob spawning)
- Water buckets
- Hoppers
- Chests
- Optional: Soul campfires, magma blocks (for killing)
Make sure you’re stocked up — you’ll be building pretty high.
Step 3: Find a good location
Best spots:
- High up in the sky (above ground spawn range)
- Far from caves or surface mobs
- Away from your main base (to reduce mob cap interference)
Go up to about Y = 180–200 and build a small platform — that’s your base of operations.
Step 4: Build the collection system
This is the bottom of your farm — where mobs fall and die (or get weakened).
- Build a 5×5 or larger killing area
- Place hoppers pointing into a chest
- Cover hoppers with slabs (so items fall in, but you stay safe)
- Optional: Use campfires or magma blocks to kill mobs passively
- Or, leave them at 1 heart and finish them off yourself for XP
Step 5: Build the drop chute
Above the collection zone, build a 3×3 vertical chute, at least 22 blocks high — enough to let mobs drop and take fatal fall damage.
Surround it so mobs can’t escape or get stuck.
Step 6: Build the spawning platform
On top of the chute, build:
- A flat platform (20×20 or so)
- Walls or channels that funnel mobs toward the center drop chute
- Use trapdoors on the edges to trick mobs into falling
- Cover the top with a roof to block sunlight
Water trick:
- Use water channels 8 blocks long to push mobs into the drop hole
- One water bucket per channel corner works well
Lighting control:
- Keep the interior completely dark
- Mobs spawn only at light level 0
Step 7: AFK and profit
Once the farm is built:
- Stand 24–32 blocks away from the spawn point
- Wait
- Watch the loot pile up
Optional upgrades:
- Add multiple layers for more spawns
- Use Redstone clock to control water flow
- Add sorting system with more hoppers + filters
Tips for maximum efficiency
- Sleep to avoid phantoms while AFK
- Light up nearby caves or surface areas (to focus mob spawns in your farm)
- Use mob switch or perimeter techniques (advanced, but fun to explore)
- Always bring scaffolding or ladders for maintenance
Final thoughts: build once, loot forever
An automatic mob farm is one of the best things you can build in Minecraft. Once it’s up, you’ve got endless arrows, bones, string, and experience — no swordswinging needed.
It’s also great for multiplayer: one player farms, the others quest, everyone wins.
Want to build a community mob farm on your LumaBlast server? Or host a PvP arena powered by mob drops? We’ve got the hardware — and zero-lag stability — to make it work beautifully.
