Top 5 uses of copper on mobs in Minecraft

Copper is a relatively new material in Minecraft, and it already provides more than a few uses for players.

Although this particular Minecraft material doesn't have as many uses as some of its counterparts, a player's creativity can lead to a few interesting applications. Even in the wheelhouse of interacting with different mobs, copper has some interesting uses that may not be readily apparent.

If Minecraft players are interested in expanding their repertoire of blocks to utilize in their builds, it's worth keeping in mind that copper has its place like many blocks. For mobs, in particular, a few applications may be worth a player's time, depending on the context.

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Minecraft: Uses of copper on mobs

5) Scouting mobs with a spyglass

Spyglasses can be used to view objects over range (Image via Mojang)

Created with amethyst shards and copper ingots in Minecraft, spyglasses are a tool that is capable of zooming in the player's vision to view things over a distance. Among the viewable entities that a spyglass picks up, players can view different mobs, hostile or passive.

Granted, the spyglass has a limited field of view and can't view past the player's set render or simulation distance, but it can be a particularly effective tool to keep a player safe.

It might not hurt to bring along a spyglass to keep an eye out for danger in locations like generated structures or dimensions like the Nether.

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4) Creating enclosures or farms

Copper makes for a durable material for enclosures for any type of mobs (Image via Mojang)

Copper blocks can serve as a decent building block with a hardness of three and blast resistance of six when creating enclosures for Minecraft mobs. Like many building blocks, copper blocks are durable enough to prevent mobs from breaking through or escaping a given location.

Players can even create entire mob farms utilizing copper blocks if they so choose, though it's a very material-heavy undertaking.

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3) Preventing Skeletal Horses

Skeleton horses can be created via lightning strikes (Image via Mojang)

Rarely, when lightning strikes in Minecraft, skeleton horses can be created. They are typically accompanied by a rider skeleton, resulting in a skeletal horseman that exists as a hostile mob to attack players.

Since that's best avoided, especially at higher difficulties in Minecraft, players can use copper to craft lightning rods.

With lightning rods in place, lightning strikes from natural thunderstorms will strike the rods instead, preventing the bolts from hitting the ground and creating hostile skeletal horsemen.

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2) Preventing Charged Creepers

Charged creepers are significantly more dangerous than their standard cousins (Image via Mojang)

When a creeper is struck by lightning in Minecraft, it becomes a charged creeper. These rare hostile mobs are significantly more dangerous than their original counterparts, and their explosions are considerably more devastating to their targets and the surrounding blocks.

Fortunately, much like skeletal horses, charged creepers can be deterred by using a lightning rod made from copper. With the lightning bolts striking the copper rods, there's no need to worry about charged creepers in the immediate area. Lightning rods' range isn't infinite, however, so players should plan accordingly.

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1) Damaging Mobs with Lightning

A standard lightning rod (Image via Mojang)

Though lightning rods can prevent lightning strikes in Minecraft, they are still capable of harming mobs. A lightning strike can still damage mobs with lightning damage in a 5x5 block horizontal area around the given lightning rod.

However, mobs must be standing on the same level as the lightning rod to take damage, so players hoping to utilize this strategy will want to keep their lightning rod on an even plane.

Lightning rods can also cause flammable blocks to catch fire, potentially improving the ability to kill mobs with fire if the rod is constructed appropriately.

It can be challenging to pull off, but lightning damage is some of the most powerful in the game. Since that's the case, lightning conducted by a lightning rod can be a powerful ally in combat if harnessed at the right time. It won't always work, but it certainly works effectively when the appropriate situation aligns.