Magma cubes in Minecraft: All you need to know

A native of Minecraft's Nether dimension, magma cubes are hostile mobs that operate similarly to slimes but are somewhat more dangerous and should be handled with caution, especially for newer players.

Though they're hostile to Minecraft players, magma cubes are a decent source of magma cream, making hunting them and taking them down worth the time invested if players are able to take them on safely.

Magma cubes fight primarily by hopping about and making contact with players, meaning that ranged battle is an effective way to battle them by neutralizing their primary fighting tactic. However, there is plenty to know about the mob in order not to be taken by surprise.

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Minecraft: Additional details on magma cubes

Magma cubes may not be the most dangerous mobs in the Nether, but they can still be problematic (Image via Mojang).

Ordinarily, magma cubes in Minecraft will hop about, unaffected by fall damage or any form of fire or lava. Once they find a target in a nearby player, they will attempt to close the distance and attack. Depending on the size of the magma cube in question, they can jump varied heights.

Also, compared to other mobs, their forward movement speed is significantly increased, meaning they can close in quickly even if they hop along. Even when in lava, magma cubes can jump incredibly high over the surface to reach their destination.

When Minecraft players kill a larger magma cube, it will split into smaller magma cubes in groups of two to four entities, not unlike their slimey counterparts. When the smaller magma cubes are killed, they vanish in line with standard mobs.

When large or medium magma cubes have sustained enough damage, they will split into smaller cubes like slimes (Image via Mojang).

For Minecraft players who don't want to engage cubes in conventional melee or ranged combat, magma cubes will also split apart and eventually die when underwater for 15 seconds. The cubes will attempt to stay above the water's surface as well, meaning players can strike them as they flounder if necessary.

It is imperative not to let magma cubes get too close and attack, as they are able to attack twice when landing on a player, meaning they can deal roughly 6 hearts worth of damage per second if left uninhibited on Normal difficulty.

One last note worth remembering is that unlike slimes, magma cubes that have broken into smaller sizes can still damage Minecraft players, so be sure to completely wipe them out as they break apart.