The Ultimate Guide For Minecraft

u ew
s
VOL 25
100% UNOFFICIAL!
re
at d-n
2 fe n
FEBRUARY 2018
13
ft bra
ra f
ec s o
MINECRAFT
in e
M ag
p
PS4 n XBOX ONE n SWITCH n PC n PS3 n 360 n PS VI
fantastic
beasts!
10
come face to face
with dragons,
ogres & giants
amazing
Mods
Become a
Expand your world
with these game-
changing upgrades
Minecraft incredible
texture packs
king
how to survive
discover an epic world a medieval battle
of medieval knights, epic single-player
monsters and more achievements
Edition
Digital
fit for a king awesome enemy traps reach for the sky
Second
edition
How to build a gigantic castle The best ways to beat the bad guys Create the ultimate floating island
MINECRAFT
In Volume 25 of the Ultimate Guide to Minecraft we’re taking you back to a simpler
time and showing you how to give your Minecraft world the complete medieval
makeover. Filled with courageous knights, breathtaking castles and terrifying beasts,
once you’ve experienced medieval Minecraft you won’t want to return to the real world.
You’ll learn how to fight a Middle Ages battle and survive, come face to face with some
of the most fearsome fantasy and medieval monsters imaginable – from dragons
and giants to ogres and minotaurs – and discover how to build a castle that’s fit for
a king or queen! Away from the medieval madness, we’ll also show you how to craft
an incredible floating island, an awesome auto farm and the best inescapable traps
to defeat your enemies. And that’s not all, you’ll also find game-changing mods, top
texture packs, awesome mini-builds and a host of superb shaders.
MINECRAFT Future PLC Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill,
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ
Editorial
Editor Dan Peel
Senior Designer Adam Markiewicz
Editor in Chief Jon White
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
Advertising
Media packs are available on request
Commercial Director Clare Dove
clare.dove@futurenet.com
International
International Licensing Director Matt Ellis
matt.ellis@futurenet.com
Circulation
Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers
Production
Head of Production Mark Constance
Production Project Manager Clare Scott
Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby
Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson
Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely,
Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman
Management
Managing Director Aaron Asadi
Commercial Finance Director Dan Jotcham
Editorial Director Paul Newman
Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker
Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road,
Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT
Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU
www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9060
Minecraft is a trademark of Microsoft. 2018 © Microsoft
GamesMaster Presents The Ultimate Guide to Minecraft Volume 25

© 2018 Future Publishing Limited
We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed,
certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this magazine was sourced
and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and
socioeconomic standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC (Forest
Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation
All contents © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved.
No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without
the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number
2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury,
Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far
as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility
for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and
retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps
and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for
their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent
and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne

company quoted on the Non-executive chairman Peter Allen
London Stock Exchange Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand
(symbol: FUTR)
www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244
Contents
superb
SHADERS
medieval mayhem
10 incredible maps
Tired of crafting in the modern
world? Head back in time with these
10
awesome Middle Ages-style maps
54 fearsome
monsters
medieval
From dragons to werewolves, meet some
18
of Minecraft’s most terrifying beasts
Time for reflection
86 game-changing mods
Transform your blocky world
into an age of knights and castles
54
28
Day and Knight
38
From the heavens
52
Port of call
64
House in the country
86
06 PRESENTS MINECRAFT
Minecr aft Mastercl ass
20 floating
build a huge
island
Expand your world with an incredible-
20
looking floating island
40 mini-builds: mini
castle & knight statue
Simple ten-minute builds for your world
72
Towers above
42 survive a
medieval battle
How to fight a Middle Ages battle and win
62 mini-builds: wishing
well & catapult
Decorate your world with these simple 84
yet fun creations If the shoe fits…
66 meet newheaven
We speak to the team behind
incredible fantasy and medieval builds
74 fit for a king

Learn to build an epic medieval
castle with our step-by-step guide
42 74
94
106
Run the gauntlet
82 mini-builds:
& throne
tower
Kit out your castle with these awesome
Middle Ages mini-builds
106 craft an auto farm

Never work another day in
your life with this super automatic farm
104
Anger Management
124 mini-builds:
lamppost &
blacksmith forge
Quick builds for your medieval high street
expand your game 114

Peace and quiet
30 inescapable traps
Ensure victory over the bad
guys by setting these devious traps
96
96 top texture packs

Give your Minecraft world a
medieval makeover with our selection of 126
the best texture packs Fly the flag
116 be the best!

Want to be a Minecraft
master? Make sure you can nail these
single-player achievements
PRESENTS MINECRAFT 07
MINECRAFT
medieval
Shaders!
How to make
Minecraft look amazing
M
inecraft’s simple design shaders, which prove there’s more to the game
means it never feels than square suns and chunky skies. Best of all,
outdated. While other it’s easy to make it look this good. Over to the
games try to amaze us with right we have a simple, step-by-step guide on
photorealism and clattering how to make shaders work. You can only use
set-pieces, Minecraft has them on the PC and Pocket Edition versions of
remained blocky, simple Minecraft, though – if you’re playing on console
and superb. It’s better for it. We can smile at you’ll just have to look at these fabulous screens
people spending their pennies on PC upgrades, and use your imagination.
then smugly return to our cubic wonderland, A word of warning though. Some of the
safe in the knowledge it doesn’t matter what shaders require serious processing power to
Minecraft looks like. But what if you were run, so you may end up having to upgrade your
tempted by that dark path? What if you wanted PC, exactly like the people we were laughing at
to keep digging, but in a world that looked before. Another issue is that by default, Minecraft
incredible – surely, there’s a limit to what you can on PC uses a paltry maximum 1GB of RAM. That’s
do to a game about boxy dirt? fine when it’s running in its lean, vanilla state, but
Prepare to be amazed. Shaders are a type you’ll need more oomph to make shaders work.
of mod that lets you tweak the appearance of That’s why we’ve also given you a guide on how
the game without altering the core structure to allocate more memory to Minecraft. Don’t
of Minecraft. By using them you can get worry if that sounds all technical and dry – it’s
photorealistic lighting, motion blur, or even just a dead easy.
lag-reducing boost to the standard game. You’ve We’ve chosen some of the best Middle Ages-
probably had a sneaky look at the shots on the style maps for this medieval special – featuring
right already, so you can see that with the right epic landscapes and incredible architecture.
shaders, Minecraft can become a completely You can find all the necessary links on the pages
different-looking game. scattered throughout this volume. Experiment
Scattered throughout this volume you’ll find yourself, and discover your own world of
a selection of stunning shots using our favourite medieval adventures.
medieval shaders
How to make
shaders work
1 Before you start grabbing every shader you can see, you’ll
need to download and install the following bits and pieces:
Minecraft Forge http://bit.ly/1iTpoDF

Optifine http://bit.ly/21hI29Y
GLSL Shaders Mod http://bit.ly/1wdaxqj
Read the install instructions for each one, as they all require
a slightly different process. Also remember that Minecraft
has recently updated, too, so always try to grab the most
recent patch wherever possible.
2 Once they’re all safely installed, you’re ready to go.

First grab yourself some shaders, and drop them in the
following location: %appdata%\.minecraft\shaderpacks
You won’t need to extract the files.
3 When you run the game, press the options button in the
menu, then select shaders. Then simply click on the shader
you want, and voila! A new world awaits you.
How to allocate
more memory
to Minecraft
Some of the shaders ask serious questions
of the measly 1GB RAM that Minecraft uses.
Don’t worry though – it’s easy to share the load.
• First off, find out how much RAM your PC has. However
much you have, remember that you’ll need some spare
for other functions, such as your operating system. For
example, if you have 20GB to play with, consider allocating
no more than 12GB to Minecraft.
• We’re assuming you’re running the most recent version
of the game, so you should have the Minecraft launcher.
This is where you tweak things. Right click on Minecraft and
choose to run it as an administrator. You have the power!
• At the bottom of the launcher you’ll see a dropdown menu
next to ‘Version’. Click the ‘edit profile’ button next to it.
• When the menu opens, go to the ‘Java Settings
(Advanced)’ section. Add a tick to the ‘JVM Arguments’ box.
This lets you modify the Minecraft programme directly.
• It should say ‘-Xmx1G’ in the JVM Arguments box. This is
the thing you want to change. That means 1GB is allocated
to Minecraft. You need to change the number. So, if you
were allocating 4GB, you’d change it to ‘-Xmx4G’. If you were
changing it to 8GB, it’d be -Xmx8G’, and so on. Simple.
• Save your profile before exiting. This is important!
• Run Minecraft, knowing that your PC is now working
harder to make things look wonderful.
• If you want to check that it worked, press F3 while playing
to open the console. The ‘Allocated Memory’ message
should tell you how much Minecraft is using. That’s it!
MINECRAFT
Medieval Map
Mayhem!
Tired of crafting in the modern world? Time to get
medieval! Read on for maps that take you back in time…
A
dmit it – while modern conveniences like the
internet, cheese spread and remote-controlled cat-
flaps are all well and good, sometimes you hanker
after a simpler existence. A time and place where life
is more relaxed, with none of the worries of the 21st
century to concern you. We’ve all been there!
Well, daydream no more. Thanks to the exact same
sentiment in the minds of thousands of Minecraft players, a ton of servers
exist which offer the medieval experience – a chance to launch a campaign
in a world where everyone wants to be an agricultural labourer when they
grow up (largely because other options don’t exist yet).
With the medieval period technically defined as the years between 500
and 1500 CE (thanks, Google), there’s plenty of room for interesting maps
devoted to the era – and we’ve selected ten of the coolest. Read on, and
watch out for those medi-evil villains…
medieval mayhem
01
Olbrück
Project
W
ith seven villages and eight farms
to choose from, as well as a castle
and a monastery to explore as you
wish, there’s plenty to do in the Olbrück Project, a
collective map effort with a serious purpose. As its
makers explain, the idea is to replicate the actual
region around the real-life castle of Olbrück in the
south-west of Germany. The role-playing takes
place in the 13th century, in other words after the
Black Death but before Shakespeare, and there’s
tons of room to roam about in. Check out the
amazing landscapes representing the valleys of
Brohl and Vinxt.
MINECRAFT
02
Time Of
Lybster
T
his amazing map is still in development as we write this,
but we’re including it anyway because it’s one of the
most aesthetically superb maps we’ve ever seen, with a
medieval theme or otherwise. The textures of the structures and
details such as woodsmoke make Time of Lybster a world that we
really want to visit – so get down to Minecraft Forum and make
sure you bookmark the page. The artwork alone reveals how
much depth a medieval map can have.
03
Age Of
Discovery
N
ow here’s a map with some real vision behind it. Age of
Discovery is a faction-versus-faction game, PvP for groups if
you will, with each faction representing a demographic from
the year 1651. Why that year in particular? Go on there and find out.
There’s a whole trading, alliance and economic infrastructure there
that aims to depict life as it was 367 years ago, with the additional
option of waging war against any of the other factions if you’re feeling
particularly bloodthirsty.
medieval mayhem
04
Kapers-
Caztles
P
erhaps the ultimate map for anyone whose ideal game
environment is a big old fortress made of stone, Kapers-
Caztles is a fully accessorised server with a minimap
and a website that runs a coordinated real-time map in parallel.
In the game, which contains a mighty 30 dungeons, each with
up to ten levels – you’ll need to memorise those spawn point
locations! – and loads of Easter eggs, you’re guaranteed a
challenge every time you visit. And that’s before we even get
to the castles themselves; fully-evolved structures with many
hundreds of hours of mining behind them, they’ll surprise you
at every turn.
MINECRAFT
Wrenn
Medieval
A
h, the magic phrase ‘grief-protected’
– how it warms our hearts. Enter the
Wrenn Medieval server and you’re
unlikely to see your work smashed to pieces by
05
vandals, which is always nice. Indeed, this is one
of the smartest-looking medieval maps we’ve
seen in a while, with rich use of texture packs
and real attention to detail in the structures’
design and build. Keep an eye out for one of
the most impressive castles anywhere; a huge
edifice that could easily fit Buckingham Palace in
its back yard.
Stone
06 Masons Clan
T
his community of craftspeople is a philosophical one, all right,
seeking to celebrate arcane subjects such as divine geometry
and suchlike. Join them in their wonderfully rendered
environment, in vivid colours that will stimulate the old brain cells no
end, and expect a conversation a cut above the usual chatter – after
all, these are miners seeking to expand their minds. That should mean
they know some cool crafting tricks, we expect? Maybe don’t set any
amusing traps until you’ve got to know them a bit better…
medieval mayhem
07
Dominion
N
ow this is how you exploit a forest biome efficiently
– by designing your fortress so that it blends right
in with the trees while still looking resplendent
from a distance. There’s an ecological message there
somewhere, which you’d do well to bear in mind as you
launch your mission through this cool universe.
As you launch your mission into the Dominion map, you’ll
notice immediately that aesthetics have been uppermost
in the designers’ minds, so take a moment to appreciate
the work that has gone into it. The medieval feel is tangible,
from the all-wood technology to the actual biome design.
MINECRAFT
08
Firgenholt
I
f we lived in a small town with a big central castle
that we could poke around as we chose, it would
definitely look like Firgenholt, one of the cooler-
looking maps we’ve come across. We’ve been waiting
for its makers to complete it for some time, so join us in
fervently hoping they get it done soon, because early
signs make it look rather like the ideal medieval zone
for any Middle Ages-minded miner. The textures alone
make it worth the journey.
09
Crest Wood
C
heck out this exquisitely designed town for buildings of great complexity
and beauty – and expect them to stay that way, as the server admin has
posted a set of rules that explicitly forbid players from griefing, stealing or
even just leaving junk lying around. Although this approach might seem a tad over
the top, the end result is a map that looks genuinely splendid as you work your way
through it. The taller structures look as if they’ve been built by actual professional
architects. In regulations we trust!
medieval mayhem
10
Razala Build bonus
I
f you’re a fan of epic campaign games such as
World Of Warcraft, as we are, you’ll love this
Medieval
Map
expansive medieval map. You can form guilds with
other players, lead them into battles and visit a series
Perfection!
of every miner’s favourite location – dungeons. The
builders have designed it to be as serious as Minecraft
gets, with a degree of skill required that can only be
gained over months of gameplay, so make sure your Interested in building your own medieval
creative skills are honed to the max before you enter. map? Of course you are! Now, as with every
time-frame, not just the Middle Ages, you’ll
The Middle Ages landscapes look great, with plenty of
need a few key components to attract new
space for you to do your own thing. players to your map. Include a place for
your guild to reside in; more than simply a
spawn point, this should be a structure that is
physically attractive, serves its purpose and
keeps out hostile mobs. Speaking of which,
you’ll need some enemies to fight if this is
going to be a challenging map, so make
sure you build in several different hostiles
with varying capabilities. Finally, you’ll need
a squad of buddies. Get onto the forums,
invite feedback and you will be in for a killer
medieval experience!
MINECRAFT
medieval shaders
shaders
Time for
reflection
Shader KUDA-Shaders (bit.ly/2rYaGRz)
Map Saldur City (bit.ly/2mKgv5t)
MINECRAFT
Floating
Island
Play Minecraft in the sky with this floating island
loating islands are a great way to expand your world. And the best part? You don’t have
F
to worry about getting all the measurements right. Seriously, the messier this build is, the
better it looks. When designing anything that’s meant to resemble a chunk of naturally
forming land, the less attention to detail you pay the better. I know, right? Crazy…
In this guide we’ll cover how to go about creating your own floating island, as well as
how to transform it from a flattened island, into something more realistic. And, yes, we’ve
got some tips for what to build on your island. Aren’t we nice?
01
Not a
Circle
Find yourself a large open area above water.
You can build it above land, but due to
how dark the underside becomes, water is
recommended. Next, build a circular shape
in the air and fill it in. Just don’t make your
shape a proper circle. What you’re aiming
for is a kind of jagged oval shape as we want
this build to look like it’s been ripped from the
ground, so keep it as messy as possible!
02
The
Thickening
Now we’ve got a flat, floating plate in the sky,
we need to thicken it up. Or specifically, thicken
it down. Switch from grass blocks to dirt blocks
and directly below the grass blocks, add two
more layers below. The reason for the switch to
dirt blocks is because we want our floating island
to loosely follow how Minecraft spawns blocks
– below grass blocks are dirt blocks, and below
dirt blocks are stone blocks, and so on…
MINECRAFT
03
The Next
Layer
Following on from the last step, and
the idea of basing our island loosely
on how blocks spawn, swap out your
dirt blocks for stone. Look to the
longest side, and below it and one
block back, add a row of stone. Follow
this all the way around until you have
a one-high row going around the
inside. Now build it downwards so it’s
three blocks in height.
04 Two
More
Layers
Just as we did with the last step, build
another layer one block in from the last,
only this time make it just two blocks in
height. After that’s completed, create
one last layer, one block in again, that’s
only one block in height. At this point
you may notice everything looks a little
flat and solid. Don’t worry, later on we’ll
be going back in and fixing everything
up so it looks more natural.
05
Starting
the Spike
Fly on down to the underside of the
island. If you want to drop down some
sea lanterns for light, go right ahead. It
is pretty dark after all! Once you’ve got
enough light (or popped a night vision
potion), draw a bendy line going through
the centre from stone. Just as we didn’t
make our original circle a proper circle,
don’t make this straight or a perfect
semicircle. Keep it messy, and when
you’re happy with it, fill it in so it’s flat.
06
The First
Spike
These next sections are all about adding some rock
formations (called stalactites) coming from the
bottom of the island. To do this, in the rough centre of
the stone section from the last step, build a line going
straight down. Now add more lines on each of the
sides that are not as long as the first line. Repeat this
until you’ve reached a thickness you’re happy with.
Just keep in mind this spike needs to be the biggest.
MINECRAFT
07 More
Spikes
Next we’ll be repeating the last step,
only on a smaller scale. Fill in the
rest of the underneath with stone
so it’s completely flat. Now add lots
of smaller lines coming from the
bottom, and again, keep thickening
them until you’re happy with how
they look. Feel free to play around
with the smaller ones. Adding
random stone shapes onto them
is a great way to make them look
different to our main spike.
08
One
Quick
Thing
Okay. So this is a nice and simple one.
Go directly below the island and look
straight up. What we’ll be doing here
is running a row of stone around the
underside to link up all the different
spikes. Take a look at the image. We
used green wool to outline how the
spikes should link and then switched
it out for stone after it looked correct.
This should add a kind of extra layer
to the sides so everything blends
together nicely.
Customisation
Options
Bring your island to life with some simple scenery
1
Now to add some cool buildings to our floating
island. Up first, a simple house. Build the
1
groundwork first from oak planks, oak wood,
and stone bricks. The front side is five blocks
across, the right corner is four up, then three to the
right, the furthest right side is another row of five, and
from here, you should be able to link it back onto itself.
2
Now for the actual house. Build all the
walls up by four blocks. For the main walls,
switch out stone for cobblestone and mossy
cobblestone. Run spruce steps around the
corner, then fill in the rest of the roof as you normally
would. Add doors at the two five-wide sides, then one
in the corner and create a small garden area. Drop in
steps at the two doors, fill the upper sections above the
doors with oak planks and you’re done.
3
And for our lookout post, create a circle from
stone bricks with the formation of three, one,
three, one, three, one, three, one. Inside the
circle, build four walls behind each of the
three-wide sections. Build it up around ten blocks, then
for the top sections, just rebuild a circle in line with the
bottom circle and make it two blocks in height.
4
Knock out a door frame at the bottom and
add stone steps around the entrance along
with fences with torches on. For the top 2 3
section, just build the single-block corners
up by three, then add the roof with the help of stone
brick half slabs. Head inside and run ladders going
upward to the top, then when you reach the upper
circle, lay down a floor.
5
This part is super important and helps bring
everything together. Build a few random
mounds from grass blocks. Pull out a tree
sapling of your choosing (we went with oak)
as well as bonemeal. Plant saplings on the mounds and
near the main house (feel free to extend the river if you
want, too). Now dust the poor saps and the ground
around them with bonemeal and watch as your island
comes to life.
4 5
MINECRAFT
09
Nice
Looking
Sides
Remember how we said we’d be
fixing up the sides earlier? Well, now’s
the time to fix everything up. Look to
the sides of the island. The idea here
is to remove any corner blocks and
replace them with either stone blocks
or dirt blocks. If you find your dirt
blocks are turning into grass blocks,
just place a stone block above the dirt
on the inside and it shouldn’t sprout
any grass.
10
Random
Shapes
With the corners off, the sides still look
a little too pristine, and we don’t want
‘pristine’, we want messy. For this, just
place down random shapes onto the
larger, flat sections, then more random
blocks in the side areas. ‘L’ shapes and
other Tetris formations work brilliantly,
just don’t overthink it too much. The
less you focus on making this build
perfect, the better the finished product
will be. Weird, we know!
11 Brightening
it all Up
As you may have noticed, the underside is really
dark. Like, a cave without a torch, dark. To fix this,
we’ll be dropping in some fireflies, although floating
lanterns is probably more accurate. To build these
little bundles of light, simply place either sea lanterns
or glowstone with a slab above and below. Add in
as many as you want. The beauty of these is they’re
small enough so you can place them anywhere it’s
dark and they don’t look out of place.
12

Lake Hole
Only two more sections to go, you got this! Head to
the longest side, and knock out some of the corner
sections. Continue knocking out blocks in a diagonal
fashion until you’ve got a big enough hole. Now go
into the hole and place dirt one block lower than
ground level. Basically, we’ll be filling the hole with
water, so if you ever want to build anything on the
inside, you’ll need to fill in the gap so water doesn’t
trickle inside.
Build bonus
More
Inspiration
Once you’ve got the basics of creating an
island down, there’s a lot of different builds
you can try out. Instead of building one
giant island, why not build several smaller
platforms? Better yet, why don’t you interlink
the lot with some nifty chains? You could
even try your hand at building those ruined
towers. All you’ve got to do is create a circle
on the floor, build up the sides nice and high,
add in the windows, then build a spiral roof.
Oh, and add some foliage to make it look
even more archaic.
13
Mini River
Fill in the corner blocks once more to make
t
a dam. Now fill the empty space with a
water bucket. Here’s the fun bit. Once it’s
filled, smash out the corner blocks and
watch as the water spills down to the water
below. Not only do you have a small lake on
your island, you’ve now also got a way of
actually getting up there. Just remember to
get down, diving off the side into the ocean
below is much more enjoyable than riding
our watery lift down!
MINECRAFT
shaders
Day and Knight

Shader MrMeep’ Shaders (bit.ly/2cAzWtH)
Map A Knight’s Tale (bit.ly/2sKLy4p)
medieval shaders
MINECRAFT
Trap Attack! Defeat your enemies and ensure victory over the bad
guys by setting these ten inescapable traps
P
icture the scene. You’re sitting in your shelter, enjoying a snack and
watching the pleasant landscape through your window. All is well with
the world – until a hostile mob such as a zombie, creeper, spider, skeleton
(or much, much worse) decides to walk in.
At this point you have three choices; yell for help; start fighting; or sit
back, relax and laugh in mellow contentment, as your adversary steps
on the trapdoor you set up earlier in the middle of your floor, vanishes
into the ground and is never heard of again. We know which option sounds best to us.
The noble art of setting traps is one that every self-respecting miner should learn. Why risk
taking damage when you can dispatch your enemies – whether mobs or other players – with a
little bit of forethought? Read on for ten killer trapping solutions!
Expand your Game
01
The basics
I
f you’re going to catch the baddies before they
catch you, you’ll need to be well aware of the basics
of trapping. This useful entry-level trap will get
you rolling when it comes to nailing down those home
invaders. You’ll need a dungeon, decorated as evilly or
cheerfully as you like, plus a mob spawner – a block that
spawns mobs, as you know – which you can get using
/give or which can generate naturally. Fill the room with
water by installing water source blocks, and escape the
dungeon, filling in your exit route as you go. Check back
for drowned mobs at intervals, and don’t forget to pick
up their drops!
MINECRAFT
Piston
02 packin’
P
istons – look into them! Any successful trapper knows just
how easily these super-useful items can transform your
snare from a good one into a great one. For example, a
piston attached to a block can be designed to drop suddenly into
a pit filled with a lethal substance such as lava – taking your target
mob with it – when triggered by a switch activated nearby. A simple
large holding pen might be the destination of the trapped mob if
you want to keep it alive for farming purposes, too.
03
Sandy but
handy
T
his ingenious trap uses the unique property of so-called slow
sand – properly known as Soul Sand, and only found naturally
in the Nether – to behave like quicksand and suck in any mob
who walks on it. This trap model ensures two things: one, that any mob
which steps onto the sand can only progress towards the centre of the
trap, rather than out of it; and two, that escape is impossible because
glass blocks of the right height have been placed at all exit points.
Expand your Game
04
Bait and
switch
S
ometimes the simplest traps are the best.
Minecraft players are like everyone else,
in that they’re curious and always looking
for ways to increase their resources. This trap
takes advantage of every miner’s tendency to
turn a lever on sight, just to see what happens.
The target player is motivated to use the lever
even more by the promise of valuable booty in
a chamber opened nearby. Associating entry to
said chamber with the action of that tempting-
looking lever, the victim takes the bait, activates
the switch and falls instantly into whichever
dungeon you’ve got waiting for them right
beneath their feet.
MINECRAFT
Watery
05 grave
A
powerful force in Minecraft is the hydraulic
force of water. Release a jet of the cold
blue stuff at a mob and, depending on its
type, the liquid will push its target into trouble. One
easy solution is to place a water trap at the top of a
tower or near the edge of a cliff; ensure you’ve got
access to the point where the mobs impact and
drop resources. You can even guarantee results
using a mob spawner – hey, a regular supply of
goods every few minutes!
06 limit
Sky's the
L
ooking to maximise your mob-catching ability? Of course you are! Consider building
your trap waaaaaaay high up in the sky, perhaps even as far up as the 255-block
build height limit. This means that the maximum hostile mob count for your area
(a sphere with a radius of 128 blocks from you) will be concentrated in your trap. You’ll get
many more mobs spawning at your trap, and falling prey to it, than you would at ground
level, where subterranean caves might fill up with mobs.
Expand your Game
07
House party!
F
or ultimate peace of mind, build traps into every room in
your house. Chests can trigger TNT when opened; blocks
removed from walls, if players are motivated to do so with
lying promises of treasure behind them, can release a sudden jet
of lava; a water source block can be stashed immediately behind a
door; or a special treat can be arranged for unwanted visitors under
your bed. This could be a captive hostile mob such as a spider or
zombie, a tamed wolf or two, or any evil beastie of your choice.
Heck, why not stash a herd of spider jockeys right where you keep
your diamonds?
MINECRAFT
Call the guard

08 S
o you’ve become a boss at this trapping lark by now? Congratulations – all you need
to do now is refine your techniques so that nothing can escape your evil clutches. In
this design, water flows downwards so that any mob caught in the onrushing liquid
is driven inexorably to a hole leading to a dungeon. On testing the design, it was found that
mobs sometimes managed to jump out of the water in time to avoid their fate. The solution?
Install a jump guard, an overhead ledge of rock that prevents jumping.
Down and
09 drowned
N
ote that even the best trappers sometimes
need a backup plan if all else fails. After all, the
hostile mobs in Minecraft weren’t designed to
go down without a fight, an expression which is literally
true in the case of some water-based traps. Occasionally
one will bob up and down in the water rather than have
the decency to just drown, in which case an arrow to
the head will come in useful. Glass blocks placed next
to water also increase the downward flow for anything
floundering around in it.
Expand your Game
10 Build bonus
Falling in Rule of three
To achieve true greatness as a trapper,
B
urning in lava or drowning in water are two very you’ll need these three essentials. First, lava:
capture a source block which produces the
common ways to dispatch your enemies in the
stuff in the Nether, using a bucket. Watch
traps we’ve described, so why not combine the your fingers! Then you’ll need water, again
two? Of course, the two elements don’t readily co-exist most easily obtained with a water source
in vanilla Minecraft, but you can solve that issue by block. Keep an eye out for the direction of its
current, which is visible within it, and use it as
designing a waterfall which lands in a pool of lava. Your
a factor in your traps. Then there’s everyone’s
target mobs will spawn at the top of the falls, be carried favourite substance, redstone – found in
along to the edge while taking possible damage along chests, as drops from mobs, and generated
the way, take yet more health hits on the way down and by adding fuel to redstone ore. Apply this
source of power to the moving parts of your
then be taken care of entirely by the lava. The catch?
traps for total invincibility!
You’ll need to build a massive structure to put all this in.
Get mining, and happy trapping!
MINECRAFT
medieval shaders
shaders
From the
heavens
Shader Sonic Ether’s Unbelievable Shaders (bit.ly/2lp3ort)
Map Angelville (bit.ly/2EPwlCt)
MINECRAFT
mini
builds!
Build amazing things in ten minutes!
How to
build a
Mini castle
Build your tower

1 Build a tower that is 3x
3, and four 2 Create more towers
Repeat this process three
p three blocks up in more times,
blocks high. Leave a ga making sure that there’s a
three block gap
e, and at the top.
the middle of each sid between each one.
3 Walls and doors

Add a Spruce Door at the fro
nt (we
used three of them), then touches
use your
Silverfish Stone Brick to fill Finishing e Brick Stairs and
ton
in the walls.
4 Us e s o m e S
Chisele d S to n e B
o
ricks to ad
n th e to
d some
p of each to
wer.
e front and
details to th
minecr aft mastercl ass
How to
build a
Knight
statue
Create the p
1 Use a slab and
edestal
st
Spruce Wood) air combo (we
by creating two used
slabs with stairs layers of
around the edg
e.
2 Bring the Knight

Now place an Anvil in
to life
the pedestal, then a th e middle of
block, then an Anvil,
then an Observe. Stac
k two grey slabs next
to the second Anvil.
on
Add a weap ny kind
3 a te th is w e apon, stack a
To cr e slabs.
b lo ck in fro nt of the two
of block one s the blocks.
st a ck fe n ce s, this destroy
Now
on top.
Add an Anvil
4 Almo
st
Add Bla complete
ck B ann
slabs, a ers on e
Signs o g it
n eithe rey slab on th her side of th
on the r side fo e Obse e
should r rv
er slabs a helmet and er, two
. Trapdo
ors
MINECRAFT
rvival Diary
Middle Ages
Su
Massacre!
We fought a medieval-era battle and survived to
tell the tale… just. Here’s how it all went down!
M
odern technology is responsible for a lot of ranged weapons, isn’t it?
Guns, rifles, missiles… it almost makes today’s methods of waging war
seem a bit too easy. Look back 500 years to the medieval era, though, and
you were a whole lot more likely to get skewered with a painfully sharp
object, whether it was a sword, a spear, an arrow or a lance – so why would
we bother putting ourselves through all that stuff in Minecraft? Because
knights, warhorses, jousting and hitting each other on the head with
a mace is a lot of fun, that’s why! Behold our day’s worth of battle experiences in multiplayer
mode, with our objective to storm and overtake a Middle Ages castle stuffed with soldiers,
knights and even the occasional monster. Got your armour on, a set of arrows loaded in your
quiver and your rapier fully sharpened? Then let’s go!
MINECRAFT
8am
Saddle up
B
efore we do any fighting, of course, we’re
going to need a trusty steed and some
weapons to play with. For this medieval
bash we’ve made sure that a sword, bow and
arrow and full set of armour are forged and ready
for war, while our warhorse is tamed, fed, rested
and up for a bit of serious aggro. Let’s get to the
barracks as soon as possible, where we’ll be
meeting the rest of our soldier buddies. Getting
those lazy swines out of bed and onto the server
this early in the day has been a struggle, believe
us, but it’ll be worth it when the swords start
swinging. Portal blew up. Typical.
9am
Regiment –
attention!
T
ime for parade – so let’s get the team
together. Today we’ve got soldiers of all
types, wearing whatever uniforms they
fancy. Sure, we hardly look like a real army, but
who needs rules, eh? As long as we pull together,
stand against the enemy on this server and help
each other out of a sticky spot, victory will be ours!
Well, that’s what we tell ourselves as we organise
into fighting groups – it’s the only way to get past
the pre-battle nerves that are starting to make
themselves felt. Can we really defeat a rival army,
take a castle and overcome a king and his knights?
Only one way to find out…
9.30am
Time to charge!
T
hat’s enough standing around and chatting, it’s
time to fight. We draw together in a battle group,
dividing up tasks between us. We’re planning to
power through the footsoldiers in the opposing army,
taking down players in one-to-one combat, and forcing
the enemy to withdraw into the safety of the castle. After
they’ve got the drawbridge up, we besiege them and
figure out a way inside. Once in the fortress, we’ll work our
way to the throne room and capture the flag. Sounds like
a plan – and now we can see our adversaries massing in
the distance. Ready? Steady? Chaaaaarge!
MINECRAFT
10am
One on one
A
aagh! Someone’s chopped our arm off… But as
the Black Knight in Monty Python said, it’s a mere
scratch! We’re deep in a melee now, working
our way through individual combats and taking damage.
Ouch! That soldier just bashed us on the head! But we’ve
recovered and dealt him fatal damage with our sword,
which – fortunately – we remembered to forge from
diamonds in our last campaign. Now we’re moving onto a
huge mob, a player sporting a serious set of armour. Can
we defeat them without dying? Hmm… Better try a bow
and arrow for this one, it’s much safer.
12pm
Besiege enemy castle
W
ell, that was exhausting. Battling several dozen
players with close-range weapons has left our
right-clicking finger completely numb. Just
as well they’ve got the message and done a runner into
their castle, raising the drawbridge, lowering the portcullis
and leaving us to set up camp outside. It’s a waiting game
now. Every now and then, one of their soldiers comes out
and challenges us to single combat, and we scare them
off again. We need a plan to get inside the castle, though,
or we’ll be here all day. It’s no use trying to climb the walls.
What about going in under them?
1.30pm
Invade the dungeons!
A
fter a bit of digging at the lower edge of the castle walls, we’re in! The dungeons stretch ahead of us, with
no obvious way up and out into the open area behind the walls, so we’re going to have to tread carefully.
Our enemy are a cunning bunch and no doubt they’ve built traps for us, and we’ll also have to watch out for
sudden lava outbreaks, this deep in the ground. Our troops lead the way through the darkened chambers, looking for
an exit. Although we fight off the occasional zombie and spider, all is silence and gloom…
MINECRAFT
3pm
Into the shadows
L
ike some kind of medieval horror movie,
we pass through spooky corridors and
chambers, seeking the right way up and out.
A person could lose their mind down here in the
dungeon, with cobwebs the only thing illuminating
the darkness. To cheer ourselves up, we take a bite
of food and sip some water from a spring that we
find in a corner of a great hall. Whoever built this
enormous castle was expecting us, we discover, as
one of our soldiers takes serious damage every few
minutes from a lava or gravity trap. Wait, what’s that
ahead? A staircase!
4pm
Face the soldiers
W
e burst out of the dungeon into the sunlight
– and what do we see? A posse of soldiers
waiting for us! It’s game on immediately, with
swordplay the dominant combat method, but a hail of
arrows flying from both sides too. We’re taken by surprise,
but quickly organise into a tight unit in order to move
across the castle grounds to the nearest exit. We know
that our objective – the monarch and flag – are up there
somewhere. The question is, can we make it that far
without losing too many players along the way?
4.30pm
Joust with the knights
“
W
elcome to my throne room!” declares the king as
we burst into his quarters. There he is, the bounder,
sneering at us from the comfort of his throne
and comfortably defended by his best fighters. “Joust with my
champions or die!” he shouts, and we accept his challenge. After
all, he’s been kind enough to build a jousting zone, effectively a
channel along which we and an enemy fighter can gallop towards
each other, spears at the ready. Let’s saddle up; after all, how
difficult can it be? Er, quite tricky as it turns out, we realise, as we
get knocked off our horse…
MINECRAFT
5pm
Face the champion
J
ousting completed, we return to face the enemy
king; although we’ve taken some damage at the
hands of his favourite horseman, it’s nothing that a
quick snack won’t fix. But before we get to take His Majesty
on in single combat, he laughs evilly and gestures towards
a hidden doorway. In a trice, the biggest knight we’ve ever
seen leaps out towards us, waving a massive diamond
sword and uttering a war cry. Behold the royal champion,
a fighter who thinks nothing of killing an entire platoon of
soldiers before breakfast. Perhaps we should run away?
Too late! He’s attacking us...
5.30pm
Battle dragons!
W
ell, that was pretty tiring. Killing
that giant knight took every
bit of skill we had – and just
as we turn from his defeated figure to the
king, what happens? Why, the devious
old monarch spawns a pair of monstrous
dragons! Surely that’s not fair, we start to
say, as the two warlike lizards begin to eat
our players. Fair or not, there’s only one
thing for it, and we jump into battle like
players possessed. Swords, arrows, pickaxes
– whatever we have to hand, we use, and
slowly we gain the upper hand against
the monsters, although they singe us a bit
before we defeat them…
7pm
Kill the king
S
oldiers, knights, champion and now pet dragons dead or dying, the king
of our enemies now has nowhere to go – and cowering against the wall,
he begs for mercy. After smacking him around a bit just for good measure,
we agree to let him live in return for his unconditional surrender. After all, there’s
no harm in showing a bit of generosity in victory… We grab the enemy flag
from the topmost turret of the castle and plant our own instead, signifying that
whoever you are, we’ll never be defeated! And now for a nice cup of tea…
Conclusion
The batt le royale!
So what ha
ve
underestim we learned from our
at epic day of
today really e your enemies. The w
knew their team we w arfare? One, never
siege, prep stuff – build ere
aring obstac ing traps, ho fighting against
up a huge
champion les such as jousting to lding out against a
many wea an ur
pons with yo d even spawning drag naments, training
ones you’ll u on
need in a st as you can carry; you s. Two, take as
which host icky situat never know
ile ion, w
– never give mobs are going to le and it’s impossible to hich
up. A seem ap out of th predict
always be ingly impo e woodwor
resolved w ssible scen k. Finally
ith enough ario in Min
patience – ec
and courag raft will
e!
MINECRAFT
shaders
Port of call
Shader Sildur’s Vibrant Shaders Extreme (bit.ly/2ksoVQ7)
Map Hyrdinn: Main Port of Wendsyl (bit.ly/1SVbyzs)
medieval shaders
MINECRAFT
Monsters
Of Old Medieval Minecraft isn’t all about jousting
and drinking mead – you also have these
evil monsters to deal with!
hat is it with monsters and Minecraft? Not content with the default
W
set of murderous creatures that Mojang include in the game universe
by default – zombies, creepers and the rest of them – every server
owner and mod maker in the known world seems to have added a
bunch of new hostiles for our combat pleasure. Fortunately, the real
world isn’t populated by any of these monsters – and a good thing too,
especially when it comes to medieval-themed gameplay. The medieval
era is a dangerous one, whether you’re being hanged for stealing your
neighbour’s pig or dying of a cold at the age of 20 – and this applies
even more to the fantastic range of evil creatures that lurk around every corner in this universe.
All this makes a perfect environment for a Minecraft adventure, of course – so keep an eye out for
these ten no-good varmints, and keep that sword handy!
medieval mayhem
Draggin’ 01
it out!
L
et’s start with the most infamous medieval
beastie of them all – the Dragon! Of course,
whether you like it or not, you’re going to
have to deal with an Ender Dragon as part of
a regular vanilla campaign, so you need to know how to
deal with this bad boy. Arrows to the head are ideal, and
shots to the wings, body and tail will cause damage too.
However, our fire-breathing Ender buddy isn’t the only
winged lizard in the Minecraft universe by any means;
hundreds of mods and servers incorporate them too, in
a wide variety of appearances (from cute to terrifying)
and power capabilities (from harmless to devastating).
Keep your eyes on the sky!
MINECRAFT
02
Get a Griff
T
he Gryphon, as it is correctly spelled, or Griffin as it is more commonly
known, is a remarkable beast with the head of a lion or an eagle
(depending on who you ask), the body of a lion, the wings of a dragon
and a serpent for a tail. Go near one and it will almost certainly pulverise
you immediately, so consider investing in some high-grade armour – gold or
diamond is a must-have, assuming you’ve amassed the right resources. As always, a
head-shot with your sword is effective.
All ogre
again!
O
gres aren’t quite the same as
giants, a fact pointed out to
us in some detail by Shrek
in the 2001 film of the same
name, but they’re both merciless villains
who will not hesitate to stomp you into dust
at a moment’s notice. Their strength and
durability is obviously what makes ogres so
difficult to defeat, so it’s fortunate that they
don’t crop up in the default Minecraft map. If
you see one in multiplayer, your best bet is to
keep clear and shoot arrows.
03
medieval mayhem
04
Core
blimey!
T
he terrifying Manticore, a fearsome combination of leonine body, nasty
spiky tail, a lion’s head, or – most creepy of all – an actual human face, will
bite you to pieces in about five seconds if you annoy it. Given that it’s in a
permanently annoyed state, that means you’re doomed on sight unless
you’re packing some very impressive weapons indeed. The human-faced version
takes more damage if you successfully land an attack on its head, for obvious reasons,
given that our teeth are slightly less capable of inflicting damage than those of the
average lion. Stay away from that unpleasant stabby tail too.
MINECRAFT
Big news 05
G
iants tend to populate multiplayer servers as larger
versions of established hostile mobs, rather than the
enormous humanoids that we were all told about when
we were kids. Expect giant creepers and zombies for this
reason, and don’t imagine for a second that you can defeat them easily
without a seriously enchanted sword. On the other hand you may
encounter one of these massive villains in an environment with ranged
weapons, in which case you can run-and-gun to your heart’s content
without being stamped on.
medieval mayhem
No use 06
Hyding
T
he amazing Twilight Forest mod (http://bit.
ly/2jMD1sV) contains a full-blown Hydra
as a boss mob. As everyone knows, it was
a nightmare trying to defeat one of these
creatures in classical literature because every time you cut
off one of its many heads, two more grew back in its place.
This new version is easier to dispatch, fortunately, but you’ll
still have your work cut out because it’s both big and tough.
Make sure your armour is high-spec, and keep an escape
route in mind!
07
Horsing
around
E
veryone loves a Centaur thanks to the Harry
Potter films, but let us not forget that these
supposedly friendly monsters will shoot an
arrow in your chest if you start asking ‘amusing’
questions like ‘How do you chew hay with human teeth?’
You’ll bump into these six-legged animals in various
multiplayer scenarios (there’s a lot of Potter fans in the
Minecraft coding community), so have a defence strategy
ready to go. Attacking them from behind is obviously the
safest approach, although it’s hardly heroic; that way it’s less
likely to shoot you. Mind you, it might still give you a kicking.
MINECRAFT
08
Howling
mad
S
ure, werewolves may not seem
medieval to you thanks to
all the modern films
about them, but
believe us, people have been
running scared from these
lycanthropic lovelies for
at least a thousand years.
And they didn’t even have
Xboxes back then! If
you encounter one of
these unsociably violent
hostiles, be prepared
to fight one of the most
capable monsters anywhere
in the Minecraft universe – and
if you’re near a spawn point, why
not have a snooze and turn that
wolf-friendly night into daytime?
09 Load of
bull
T
he Minotaur, students of Ancient
Greek mythology will remember, is
essentially a muscular chap equipped
with a bull’s head. He spends his time
lurking in mouldy old labyrinths and eating his
enemies – a time-consuming activity, one assumes,
given his bovine teeth, designed for munching
grass. However, he is a truly fearsome adversary in
whichever form he appears; as you can see, there’s
quite a bit of variation on how Minotaurs look in
Minecraft. They’re all scary, though.
medieval mayhem
10 Eye eye get
more!
K
eep an eye out (ho ho!) for the Cyclops, a version of the basic unpleasant ogre template
with only one eye, which may explain its generally irritated temperament. Tall, strong
and able to take a lot of damage, this monocular monstrosity will track you down
and execute you at a moment’s notice if you don’t watch out. We suggest building a
The ultimate
structure with a single-block-sized entrance to stop it breaking in, as well as adding a layer of wooden weapon!
planks outside the perimeter to alert you to its presence. Defeat all of these tiresome hostiles in
double-quick time with one essential
weapon – the much-coveted diamond
sword. Buy one, trade goods for
one or steal (tut tut) one if you can,
because these things come at a price.
Collecting diamonds for your forge
is obviously difficult, although some
server communities will reward you
with these gems as a welcome treat.
Once equipped with a diamond sword,
however, you will find it much easier
to kill adversaries, especially if you
take advantage of one of the many
enchantments which it is possible to
apply to it. Those monsters won’t know
what’s hit them!
MINECRAFT
mini builds Build amazing things in minutes!

build a
Wishing
well
s
Well foundation
1 Create a 3x3 sq ua re of blocks (we used
Cobblestone), then ad
d a 5x5 square of 2 Add the pillars
To create the pillars that ho
ld up the
slabs around its edge. well’s roof, choose a type of
fence, build a
pillar of blocks, attach the
fences, then
destroy the blocks.
build
this!
r
of laye s (we
First ro hter layer of slab
3 C h o os e a
lig
o slabs a
ll the way
) th a t is t w r to the
u s e d Oa k r p il la r s . Add wate
e fou
around th
well, too.
Finish the roof

4 Add a layer of slabs around the gap, then fill
this over. On top, place four steps that back
onto each other.
build a
Catapult
Wheel base
1 To start this build, you’l
l need to 2 Build the arm
Use staggered steps that asc
od that is 2x5. end
make a bridge out of wo from behind the catapult an
cks on each end and d then over it.
Place the wooden blo Build five or six steps over
the arch to
the wheels.
then add stairs to create create the arm of the catap
ult .
build
this!
Stone launcher
3 Create a stone tray at the bo
ttom of
the staggered stairs that’s
3x3. Then use a
torch in order to create the
effect of fire
inside of it.
Add a counterweight
4 Add four blocks in the shape of a ‘T’ at
the top, then use fences to create the
rope beneath. Finally, add an Anvil and Coal for
the weight.
MINECRAFT
medieval shaders
shaders
House in the
country
Shader Chocapic13’s Shaders (bit.ly/2cmca1i)
Map Fantasy Castle (bit.ly/2rf5z4A)
MINECRAFT
Talking

Medieval
and Fantasy
Minecraft
with NewHeaven
We speak to Bulix_ and Elgringau from the
popular French Minecraft building team
MINECRAFT
“Architects are
free to do
W
hat is it about the medieval All of your maps are huge and must have
period and the Middle Ages taken a lot of time to put together. Tell us a
that inspires you and the
NewHeaven team as
little about how you organise a team of
builders on a big medieval project? whatever they
feel like doing,
Minecraft creators? Elgringau: We do have project leaders whose
Bulix_: I think it is linked to task is to advise players in general. But when we
the fact that the medieval period lasted for such initiate new projects, they are the ones that set
a long time in history (and contained so many
significant and important events). Also, and this
is also very much tied to the game itself,
the scale of what we are about to undertake
along with the architects (builders). Although,
we do not force anyone to build on projects if
as long as the
because Minecraft offered a much more rustic
selection of blocks in the early days, such as
it’s not for them. One of the highlights of our
team is that we do not set any limits, which leaders are not
against it”
Cobblestones or the many wood variants. As an gives birth to rather big results. Architects are
overall theme, it’s also really easy to reproduce free to do whatever they feel like doing, as long
and match the overall ambience of the game. as the leaders are not against it. Prior to these
For many, when it comes to architecture, this projects, we find a theme that suits everyone
style is often the first one we think of so it’s often and start testing some designs on an empty
a go-to place to start. map. It is hard sometimes to place the last block
as our passion doesn’t want us to stop.
Were there any real-life locations and places
that you based any of your medieval builds Mods and bespoke texture packs are often a
on, or used for architectural inspiration? big part of themed builds like this. Which
Bulix_: Almost all of the projects we’ve mods did you use for your medieval builds
designed and completed as part of NewHeaven and why?
were only created using our imaginations.
Although, it’s pretty useless to say that real-life Bulix_: Most of the time, we use the default
architecture hasn’t had a big influence on us as resource pack or ones that increase the
creators. So sometimes, if ideas are lacking and resolution of the game, such as the Faithful
we need some good inspiration, we usually 32x32. Despite that, we have sometimes opted
resort to looking at concept art rather than to use Conquest, a resource pack that adds
actual photos. more details and tons of new textures to
Minecraft. Once or twice, we did resort to ones that enhance the

way a modern structure would look, but only on rare occasions.
Now, when it comes to mods, Optifine is quite popular around
here as it increases FPS (frames per second) and some of us even
use Macro’s Keybind, a handy mod that was designed to make
certain commands easier to access.
What advice would you give to younger Minecraft users who

want to follow in the footsteps of NewHeaven and create their
own big builds?
Elgringau: In order to create something inspiring you need to be
inspired, obviously. Being fascinated by architecture and art in
general is a great way of starting out, especially as it gives you a
great frame of reference for building something on a bigger
scale. Minecraft can be, and often is, used as a creative tool to
realise art – or at least that is the way we see it. So be curious,
open your eyes and take interest in your surroundings.
http://bit.ly/2CMlh83
Above: The Alice In Wonderland map’s castles doubled

down on medieval style
Left: Unlike its older builds, this map enabled
NewHeaven to mash up medieval and fantasy styles
MINECRAFT
Building the Red
Queen’s castle
1 Week 1
Brainstorming ideas
The research stage begins with all the
architects involved in the project coming
together to brainstorm ideas about the project.
As with previous builds, the team use concept
art posts to get the ideas flowing. The look and
feel of Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland film
becomes a central part of the theme.
2 Week 2
Building guides
Now the team, with a rough idea of
what they want to build, start laying out
markers for where each element of the
castle is going to go on the map. The
NewHeaven team does this by using
silhouettes made out of a single block
type to help with scale and size.
3 Weeks 2-3
Building first
towers
There are multiple towers in the Red
Queen castle, so the team begins
by constructing one or two to nail
down the details that will be repeated
throughout. Once an example
structure is made, this is then used
as the blueprint for more towers of
different sizes and shapes.
4 5 6
Week 3 Week 4 Week 4

Assembling the Walls and gate Interior and mazes
sections As the castle begins to near completion, the team In the final week of the build, the team adds some
The team now starts moving the towers into place, starts building walls throughout the castle in order interior details to some of the towers, and begins
making sure the heights of each one suit there to link its many towers and structures together. hand-building mazes to surround the castle. These are
place in the overall castle. The focus on red and The same white and red motif is used, as well as incredibly intricate and require a lot of attention to get
white helps key details such as roofs, windows and including a red, heart-shaped archway/gate at the right. After around a month of planning and building,
buttresses stand out from a distance. front of the build. the castle is finished.
MINECRAFT
medieval shaders
shaders
Towers
above
Map Medieval City (bit.ly/2rf65Q4)
MINECRAFT
A Medieval
Castle It’s time to get medieval
uilding a castle is easy. But building a castle fit for a king? Not so much. How do you build
B
imposing towers? How do you avoid building a boring, flat, one-block wide wall? How do you even
build a throne that looks like a throne?
In this guide we’ll show you how to go about creating a gigantic castle minus all the usual hassle
that comes with sizing stuff up right. For this build we’ll be using the Fantasy texture pack, but as
always, don’t feel you have to. The vanilla, plastic, or city packs all work wonderfully, too.
01
First Wall
Kickstart this monster build by equipping
stone and stone bricks. Find a large open area,
then build two six-high spikes with a five-block
gap in between. Curve the top area together,
then build the stone walls on both sides. Make
a note of the diagonal block placements on
either side and the stone formation in front.
Create a circle above the door frame and fill
it with glass panes, before building the walls
below-and-behind it. Now connect the inner
diagonal pillars up and into the window.
02
Walls and
Fountains
Knock out a two-wide section in each of the
stone walls and fill them with stone bricks one-
block back. Do this on both sides, then build all
the side walls up so they’re one block higher
than the middle of the window section. Add in
the triangular stone sections in line with the
stone bricks. Square off the front sections with
stone, then add water at the centre-top of the
stone bricks (don’t forget to put a block behind
the gap so water only flows on one side).
MINECRAFT
03
Two Towers
Next up we’ll be adding in some towers at the front. Look
to the right side and draw five stone bricks vertically
coming from the watery basin. From here, drop two
diagonal blocks heading up and right, then place another
five blocks horizontally. You should be able to repeat this
to complete the circle. Build the tower 20 blocks tall then
add in the window sections and the stone brick half slabs
as shown.
04 The
Second
Tower
Build a second tower, with the same
specifications as the first, to the left. Now
head to the top and arm yourself with
cobblestone walls. Place three walls on the
longest sections, and above them, create
the circular formation. Now build another
circle formation one block in, then above
that, another formation in line with the first.
Build one final formation one block out,
three blocks high, and add the spikes to the
side. To finish, just repeat this step on the
opposite tower.
05
Entrance
Way
Above the main door frame, build the
roof back with stone brick steps. To the
left and right, there should be two more
triangular sections. Build those back,
too. Create a solid flat wall coming from
the under-right side of the roof from
stone, with stone bricks on each end
(this wall should sit one block under the
roof). At the bottom, count two blocks in
and smash a four-by-three hole. Count
another three blocks, and then do it
again. Lastly, poke a hole above each in
the middle.
06
Wall
Decorations
Fill the holes with glass panes. With stone brick
steps and stone bricks, build the pillar in between
the two windows. Run half slabs along the top, add
to the pillar again, then more slabs. Add two smaller
windows to the left and right of the upper pillar, then
drop in half slabs above and below. Build an identical
second wall on the opposite side. For the back
section, roughly mirror the front of the castle, but
with windows in place of the fountains.
MINECRAFT
07 Main
Walls
Head to the base of the towers, and
at the two diagonal sections, build
a wall coming from the second
block back. For this section, it’s
best to mimic what we’ve done in
the image on the right. The pillars
are slightly modified versions, and
when working on the upper wall,
remember to build the cobblestone
one block back to give it some
depth. We went with five sections
per wall, but you can adjust this if
you want an even larger castle.
08
Inside
the Wall
Once you’ve got two walls on both
sides of your castle, we need to make
the insides look a little less flat. To do
this, build around the cobblestone
sections with stone bricks so you’ve
got one-block of depth on the inside.
In between each section, use half
slabs for a nifty design. Underneath
each of the windows, use stone brick
steps to create a support column.
Above, on the newly made walkway
area, use either wooden fence or
stone bricks around the edge.
More Customisations
With the castle complete, let’s now bring it to life
1
What’s the point in a castle without a throne
room? To build this lovely luxury, head to the
1
inside of the main tower. Use stone brick steps
and slabs for the area around the throne, then
build the throne itself from a mix of quartz steps, half
slabs, and blocks. Build the floor from cobblestone,
dark oak wood, and red carpet, then just dot some
paintings about and it’s ready.
2
If we have a throne room, we also need a
royal bedroom. Head to the top area of the
main tower and lay down flooring a couple of
blocks below the windows. The table is just two
wooden steps with a half slab, and our chair is just purpur
steps. Surround two beds in bricks and slabs, then – just
like the last step – use paintings to round out our look.
3
For the main courtyard area, run chiseled stone
bricks along the centre to form a pathway.
Create an elevated, simple fountain surrounded
by steps leading up. Add leaf blocks in the
corner sections of the steps to create our hedges. And
lastly, use stone to create a path going around everything,
before filling in the rest of the floor with gravel.
2 3
4
On the opposite side of the courtyard, we’re
going to build a small market section. This
is really easy. Just create a circle (the main
length is three), add some fences, then build
a roof. Drop villagers in, put an item frame, along with
an item to indicate what they’re selling, then place
fences inside the stalls so they can’t escape. Simple.
5
This pig has been caught selling counterfeit
carrots. Do not speak to him! Behind the front
towers, on the inside, is enough space to build
a staircase leading down. But what do we put
below the castle? A dungeon! Just dig up a corridor,
build four-by-four rooms off to the side, spawn an
animal, fill the front with iron bars, and that’s it!
4 5
MINECRAFT
09
Three
More
Towers
Place down two more circles on the
floor in-line with the two front towers.
Now build those circles up and
create them the same as we did the
front towers. For this next part, we’ll
be building the main tower. Create
another circle parallel with the front
door frame, only a few blocks behind
the back two towers. This circle’s main
length is seven blocks. Next, build
it up in stages of ten stone bricks
followed by five stone. Do this until
you have three stone brick sections.
10
Decorating
the Tower
Add a door hole at the front, then go
ahead and build walls coming from the
back two towers into the main tower. On
four sides of the tower, build on top of
the stone areas to connect each section
together. On each of the stone brick
panels, knock out holes and fill with glass
panes. Make them nice and large so
they’re visible from a distance. This is our
main focal point, after all.
11 of
Top
the
Tower
This one’s nice and simple. Run
stone brick steps around the
outside of the top of the main
tower. All of the steps should
curve into one another. If they
don’t, then just pick them up and
replace them. The trick here is to
aim each step at the upper-back
corner of the previous step. It’s a
bit fiddly to get right, but it’s worth
it. Afterwards, plop down another
circle in-line with the main tower.
12

More Walls
Okay. That circle you just placed? Build it up by two
blocks so it’s three blocks tall. Build another circle,
only this time one block in. Again, build it up by three.
Now add one final circle that is, you guessed it, three
blocks high. If you chop off the corners of each wall,
that’ll help to make it look less blocky. Feel free to
throw in some cracked stone bricks, too, if you want
a more ruined feel to this tower.
Build bonus
A Whole New
(Steampunk)
World
Check this out. Right? Amazing! Our build
covers all the basic principles needed to go off
and create something as epic as this. Once you
understand how to turn circles into towers,
how to avoid flat walls and instead create
depth-filled sights, and how roofs can be
used in all different sizes, the sky’s the limit to
what you can build. Although this steampunk
castle looks complex, once you break it down
into smaller sections, taking inspiration and
creating something similar, doesn’t seem all
that difficult. Plus there’s always the option
of roping in a friend to do all the heavy lifting.
That’s what friends are for!
13
t
Final
Sections
For our final step, build another circle one
block in, build it up by three, and knock t
out the north, south, east, and west sides.
Run upside down steps around the top,
then create three, two-high walls leading
inwards on each side with a spike on top.
Carve out some window areas and fill
with glass panes as shown, drop in some
cracked stone bricks if you want, and we’re
done! Feel free to now go off and collapse
into a tired heap. You’ve earned it.
MINECRAFT
mini
builds!
build a
Tower
Build your base 2 Create tower body

1 Use Silverfish Mossy St
one Brick Add a Spruce Door, then use
the mossy
t) and build a base
(because it looks grea blocks for another layer or
so. Then switch
screenshot . Leave a
that’s shaped like the to Silverfish Stone Brick an
d build straight
gap for the door. up. Leave gaps for windows
.
3 Tower battlements
Build outwards by one blo
ck at the top,
then fill in the gaps in betw
een each of the
four sides to create a stagg
ered effect.
Extra details
Bricks for added
4 Use Chiseled Stone
motifs, then add up
side down Stone Br
e battlemen ts .
ick
Stairs to reinforce th
build a
Throne
Build your frame

1 Create a frame that’s 6x
6 using
(or a block of your
Chiselled Stone Bricks
two extra blocks
choice) and then place
inside, as shown.
Fill the base

2 Now fill the gap in the midd
le with a
strong, rich colour such as
Nether Wart
Block or Red Nether Brick.
ts
Your throne awai
s with Gold Ore
4 Replace the corn er blo
(for added bling) then
ck
add some more
for the arm rests.
Chiseled Stone Blocks
3 Start the throne

Place four stone blocks at
the back of
the base, then six slabs of
the same type in
front of it. Stack four blocks
then two stops
above them.
MINECRAFT
shaders
If the shoe fits…

Map Cinderella’s Armored Castle (bit.ly/2DiuPN0)
medieval shaders
MINECRAFT
The
10
best
Medieval
mods
Transform your blocky world into an
age of knights and chivalry with these
game-changing upgrades
W
hile we love the vanilla most intriguing (and some of the strangest)
version of Minecraft, user creations.
that doesn’t mean that As always, these mods have been
we don’t see the vast chosen with PC Minecraft users in mind –
number of block types unfortunately, console and portable versions
and mob fails to match won’t support these cool little add-ons.
the sheer scale of our So whether you’re looking to upgrade the
imaginations. So when your inventory simply weapons in your arsenal, transform your
won’t do, that means that it is time to head castles and forts, or simply give every square
online and download some mods. So when inch of your server a medieval makeover, these
it comes to building the ultimate medieval ten mods are all you need to get your trip back
playground, you’re going to find some of the in virtual time off to a flying start.
medieval mayhem
AgeCraft
01 http://bit.ly/2Cjz069
W
hile it may be one of the oldest medieval-
based mods in Minecraft history, that hasn’t
stopped AgeCraft from remaining one of
the most popular and beloved fan-made
projects to ever grace the mod community.
It’s a huge project too, including a slew of different historical areas
recreated with the power of blocks. This includes a world based
entirely on the Middle Ages, as well as new biomes, advanced
crafting techniques, unique quests tied to the medieval period
and much more.
One of the few downsides is the fact it’s not been updated
in about four years – but it still works with most versions of the
game on PC, making it an essential addition to your Minecraft
build if medieval is the theme you’re shooting for.
MINECRAFT
Medieval
02 Agriculture
http://bit.ly/2Bs3ZAe
S
o this mod might not sound very interesting, but if you want to create a
bright and believable world set in the Middle Ages, then you’re going to
need plenty of plants and trees to make everything feel suitably green.
That’s where Medieval Agriculture comes in with its huge selection of new
flora and fauna, including 17 different species of tree and 24 kinds of crop.
In order to help with your crop growing and general green-fingered progress,
Medieval Agriculture adds in windmills, grain mills and waterwheels and the ability to
make flour, dough and a whopping six kinds of bread.
03
Medieval
Architecture
http://bit.ly/2kxHu2s
F
rom the same creators that brought you Medieval
Agriculture comes another amazing mod that takes the
foundations of your Middle Ages-themed world and adds
in all the structures you need to take it to that next level of
creativity. For a start, it adds a host of new block designs
based around Gothic and Romanesque designs (which are brilliant for
giving your castles, towers and forts a realistic look), as well as adding
in workstations for carpentry, furniture making and masonry.
More importantly, these stations will enable you to turn those castle
and house interiors into a proper medieval setting. The mod includes
a bespoke crafting mode which will give you all you need to start
turning your next big project into a proper Minecraft masterpiece.
Best mods for fantasy builds
medieval mayhem
So we’ve given you some of the best Minecraft mods for adding a Middle Ages flavour to your builds, but what if you’re in
the mood for something a little more fantastical? Because if you’re going to have knights, castles and forests, you’re going
to need a healthy dose of magic, dragons and monsters, too.
The Fantasy Mod 1.0 2 3
1
Give your medieval world a fantasy upgrade
with enchanted biomes, magical creatures, new
items and plenty of armour styles.
Extra Golems
2
If you’re looking to add some unique creatures
to your Middle Ages-style world, why not opt
for some Golems? This mod throws in lots of
varieties, including iron, stone and ice ones.
Runes And Silver
3
This subtle mod adds in lots of different and
new ores and materials, enabling you to build
armour and weapons that are enchanted with
special powers.
Roguelike Dungeons
4 4
This brilliant mod adds in randomly
generated dungeons, and each one is totally
unique to your world – including all the
treasure you find within.
Astral Sorcery
5
This mod adds in magic to your medieval
world, and uses the power of the stars and
constellations to power its sorcery and spells.
MINECRAFT
04
Medieval
Weapons
http://bit.ly/2CAB8Y3
I
f you’ve ever read up on the Middle Ages there’s one thing the people of
that era loved more than anything else… war! That’s right, nothing quite says
Dark Ages life than a load of people fighting with swords, axes and shields so
Medieval Weapons is one of the best mods to power up your server.
For a start, it adds a mind-blowing 22 different weapons, ranging from
broadswords and battleaxes to pikes and halberds, so you’re never going to be short
of gruesome tools to take with you onto the battlefield. You’ll also get access to a
selection of traps (to keep your castle safe) and access to bronze, silver and gold
versions of each weapon.
Conquest
05 Reforged
http://bit.ly/2ohVRNs
T
here are plenty of mods out there that will help improve how
you design your worlds, but not many will fundamentally
change how you use Minecraft altogether. Conquest
Reforged is one of those rare mods, offering a complete
overhaul of the game’s creative inventory that brings a
whole host of new features to your fingertips.
With blocks and textures grouped together by their respective type,
you’ll be able to build your new medieval world with even greater speed
and control. Along with a massive library of custom textures, there are
loads of special blocks including anvils, trap doors, arches and more. When
it comes to constructing the very best Middle Ages creations, this mod is a
must-have for your server.
medieval mayhem
06
Medieval
Craft
http://bit.ly/2CBIQ4k
C
urrently still in beta form, the Medieval
Craft mod offers another great ‘all-in-one’
package. If you’re new to the idea of
building your own Middle Ages-style world,
or simply looking for a mod that offers
everything you need in one place, Medieval Craft is going
to tick all your creative boxes.
The current version adds in six new ores (copper,
silver, lead, tin, nitre and geode), a staggering 38 new
trees, loads of extra weapons (including greatswords,
battleaxes, battlestaffs and scimitars). There are also
plenty of siege defense equipment added in for good
measure, and a whole host of mobs include: humans,
bears, hedgehogs, and deer. Layer on a massive selection
of custom block types and textures and you’re never
going to run out of creative options.
Age Of Weapons
07 http://bit.ly/2ABSZfZ
T
he Age Of Weapons mod actually includes weapons and armour
styles from across history, but it’s the selection of medieval tools
that really make it stand out. The mod currently contains 281 items,
ranging from regular tools, to armour pieces and full-on powerful
weapons. There are tons of custom-modelled blocks to help give
your gameworld that unique feel, a special workbench to create your own pieces
and an update checker to ensure your mod is never out of date.
There’s also a really cool ‘Battle Nexus’ mode, that enables you and some
friends to team up and test out those armour sets and weapons in the only
way that matters – in battle! An ideal mod to add to your growing collection of
medieval Minecraft updates.
MINECRAFT
08
Dark
Roleplay
Medieval
http://bit.ly/2BinoBj
W
hether you download and use either the
Core or the Medieval version of this mod,
you’re sure to get a really useful bit of
software that will add plenty of new items
and blocks to your growing inventory. Dark
Roleplay includes loads of really useful blocks, including chairs,
tables, barrels, buckets, ropes and anchors.
You also get seven bespoke crafting stations/workbenches to
get creative with, including chopping block, mortar, grindstone,
anvil, cauldron on a fire pit, hanging cauldron and firepit.
It’s such a versatile (and still in development) bit of software
that it even includes new food types to make your medieval
banquets even tastier. There’s even plans to add in a special skill
system, to give your medieval build that extra RPG-style feel.
09
Mine
Fantasy 2
http://bit.ly/2j56760
F
ollowing on from the very successful and
popular original version of MineFantasy, this
updated take improves almost every feature
to create one of the best medieval-themed
mods in the Minecraft modding community.
MineFantasy2 is a huge piece of software with a particular
focus on crafting and increasing the number of items you
can create and build.
There’s a wide range of interactive crafting methods
included in this version, such as forging, smelting,
refining and more. The mod is still very much a WIP
(work in progress), but its creators are already planning
to add more extras (including improving tool creation
and combat). A mod that’s definitely worth including if
you’re looking to craft some really unique items for your
medieval world.
medieval mayhem
10 Medieval
Fantasy
http://bit.ly/2AAL02O
W
hile its one of the older mods in the
Medieval Minecraft community,
Medieval Fantasy is still a brilliant
way to modify your game and add
plenty of useful items, weapons,
blocks and other special changes. Mobs are a big feature
in Medieval Fantasy, offering tons of different creatures
and classes to add to your world, including knights,
thieves, archers and giants (with each one designed with
their own weapons and armour).
The mod also includes lots of different weapons and
tools to choose from, and later versions now include
magic. Yes, you can add a fantastical edge to your
Medieval build with mages, mage towers and magic-
based tools that will transform how you approach builds
based in the Middle Ages.
MINECRAFT
shaders
Run the gauntlet

Shader Sonic Ether’s Unbelievable Shaders (bit.ly/2lp3ort)
Map Castle Assault! (bit.ly/2DezxqI)
medieval shaders
MINECRAFT
the
10
best
Medieval
texture
packs Give your Minecraft world a
medieval makeover with these
game-changing textures and skins
P
laying Minecraft a few carefully selected add-ons. Thing
can be a daunting is, there’s a lot of texture packs out there,
challenge, even to the many of which are either unfinished or
most experienced of simply not good enough to include in
creators. Especially your own creations. So we’ve scoured
so if you’re playing the Minecraft community for some of the
on PC and you have most exciting, custom-made packs. Like
access to a near infinite number of mods almost everything in Minecraft, these
and texture packs to change every part of texture packs were designed and updated
your world in every possible way. So when by members of the community so maybe
it comes to putting together your first (or you’ll get some ideas to help create your
next) medieval build, you can transform own custom textures one day… In the
even the craziest of ideas into reality with meantime, here are ten of our favourites.
expand your game
MINECRAFT
01
Creative_One’s
Medieval Texture Pack
O
ne of the most popular medieval more recent versions of the game the chance to
texture packs, the CrEaTiVe_ give their worlds a greater sense of realism.
ONE’s Medieval Texture Pack It’s running at 64x, meaning it’s in HD, so you’ll
takes the basic skins of vanilla need to make sure your gaming machine
Minecraft and updates it with has what it takes to run larger, more complex
a raft of incredibly detailed ones. It’s super texture packs. It gives everything from wood
popular mainly because it combines textures and stone blocks to Ender Chests a worn look
for two older texture packs – Realistic and RPG/ that gives your worlds that extra medieval feel.
Medieval – giving Minecraft users playing on bit.ly/2k65gTN
02
Summerfields
O
ne of the oldest, but still
most beloved, texture and
resource packs in the Minecraft
community, the original version
of Summerfields was designed
by creator LithiumSound over a decade ago
before it was picked up by a group of dedicated
fans. So if you’re in the mood to give your
Minecraft world a taste of bright, summer
textures then this is the resource pack for you.
The current version of Summerfields is a little
old, but it’s got an incredible wealth of things
to add to your server. When you download
it, you’ll get access to 683 block textures, 265
item images, nine full sets of armour and a total
of eight GUIs (graphical user interfaces). It’s
bright, detailed textures give your rural builds
a really colourful feel that captures the warmth
of summer.
bit.ly/2n182df
03
expand your game

Jea Traditional
O
ne of the more recent additions wood and grass) while maintaining the classic
to the texture and resource vanilla feel that’s become so important to
pack corner of Minecraft’s Minecraft’s identity.
community, Jea Traditional You’ll have more rustic-looking wood blocks,
follows in the path of many smaller stones (perfect for more realistic house
similar packages with its update of the classic and castle builds), brighter textures for both
Faithful textures skins from the early versions water and grass and a cobblestone design that
of Minecraft. What you end up with is a set of will help those medieval streets of yours look
textures that adds noticeable details to the even more authentic.
blocks that you know and love (such as stone, bit.ly/2BocwSg
Gothic Texture Better Foliage

04 Pack 2.0 05
S
ince you’re embarking on a journey into the world of
Medieval Minecraft building, you’re going to need some
W
hile the Gothic Texture Pack 2.0 might be relatively texture packs that make the most of all those green rolling
new in the world of Minecraft texture packs, that hasn’t hills, impressive forests and mountain ranges. That’s where a
stopped it from offering one of the most exciting set piece of software such as Better Foliage comes in, enhancing the
of skins and sounds for those who want their worlds to have a basic textures of vanilla Minecraft and transforming them into far
gruesome and dark medieval feel. If Summerfields is all about the more realistic skins.
glow of summer, then the Gothic Texture Pack 2.0 is the cold grip It’ll make the leaves in each tree thicker and more numerous
of winter. So, as you might expect, it’s quite a dark set of textures (making them look far more attractive when placed in your
that will give every corner of your server a bleak and grim feel. worlds) and these leaves will fall too, creating an autumnal feel
So what do you get for your trouble? You’ll have reskinned that’ll give your build a magical edge. Lily pads have more details,
blocks for all your main resources (with stones and woods given while streams and rivers have algae and coral. Add in some great
a deeper, darker tone), new textures for animals (with added shaders and this is a real winner.
realism, naturally) and more interesting armour designs. bit.ly/2orJ9fa
bit.ly/2BzrTKa
MINECRAFT
06 Erivale
B
ased on a much older texture pack known as
Werian, Erivale is the spiritual successor that
keeps the medieval/fantastical feel yet takes a
new direction with a more Celtic look. Paired with
a decent lighting mod, Erivale really comes alive.
Creator Filmjolk has really captured a realistic look to all its
textures, with a particular focus on stone skins and foliage (grass,
plants and trees).
This particular texture and resource pack is perfect if you’re
looking to build more of a rocky feel to your world, as it lends
itself well to mountains, hills and ranges. It’s also ideal for building
castles and forts in a medieval/Middle Ages style so it’s definitely
worth adding to your list of Minecraft add-ons.
bit.ly/2jaEEjE
Persistence
07
C
reated back in 2011, Persistence ground and put the foliage from the base
manages to capture a look that’s game to shame.
both rustic and medieval, with a It adds in a whole host of new textures that
large focus on browns and oranges as part cover everything from the look of beds to how
of its warm texture list. You’ll get more the rain falls (so no more blots of blue on the
detailed leaves in your trees, a greatly screen). It’s also given regular updates by its
improved skin for your crops, renovated creator so you can easily get in contact with
stonework and a richer depth of colour and them to request some new features or give
shade. Flowers are a particular highlight, your feedback.
with custom 3D skins that rise out of the bit.ly/2gB5ILb

expand your game
08
Chivalry
C
hivalry is almost seven years old
now, but it’s still a little cracker if
you’re looking to add some subtle
yet brilliant textures to your rural
medieval world. Every texture has
been updated to add in a little more detail and
enhance its colours, which makes it particularly
useful for building towns and castles. The
included lighting model also helps give your
interiors a realistic feel, too.
It has even got its own custom paintings,
so you can add some Middle Ages style to
the walls of your medieval castle. You will also
need to make sure you’ve got MCPatcher or
Optifine to utilise features such as Connected
Textures, Randomobs and BetterSkys installed
to make sure that Chivalry is properly optimised
for your PC/laptop.
bit.ly/2B0M5F9
Majestica
09
W
hile Majestica does offer
a medieval-style take on
Minecraft’s vanilla textures
– something most of the
other packs on this list
do as well – it sets itself apart by the polish and
attention to detail. The inventory system has
been overhauled, offering a GUI (graphical user
interface) that’s a) far more attractive looking and
b) a lot easier to manage when you’ve got tons of
resources to keep track of in Creative mode.
It’s the small things that we like about this
texture and resource pack, such as the intricate
details on the bedspreads and the way chests
have been redesigned to look like they’re made
of leather or plush material. If designing interiors
is your thing, this is definitely the pack for you.
bit.ly/2j9nPFJ

MINECRAFT
10
Dokucraft: Dwarven
D
esigned as a spin-off from the this an ideal pack for designing the insides
regular Dokucraft texture pack, the of your builds. Since many of the original
Dwarven version steadily enhances creators of Dokucraft left many years ago – it
its skins to give it more of a Celtic feel. was eventually transformed into Dokucraft:
Taking inspiration from The Lord Of The The Saga Continues – Dwarven forms a part
Rings and old versions of the Warhammer of this community-wide effort to keep these
tabletop game, it includes bespoke textures popular packs alive so using Dwarven could
for mobs and villagers to capture that be your first step into a world of new texture
Dwarven feel, while a brilliant take on packs and mods.
everything from bookcases to chests makes bit.ly/2BzMgXx

expand your game
How to… download
texture packs
So we’ve shown you some of the 1
best medieval-themed texture
and resource packs out there, but
that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily
obvious how to use them. So
we’ve put together a little tutorial
to show you how to add any kind
of texture add-on to your version
of Minecraft
Download your pack
1
First, find the pack you want to use. These should
come as a Zip file that you’ll need to unzip after
you have downloaded it.
Launch Minecraft
2
If you’re currently playing, save and return to the
main menu. If not, open the Minecraft launcher
and launch the game.
Locate Resource
Packs
3
Now you need to find the Texture Packs folder
in your copy of Minecraft. You should find this
setting in the Options menu.
2 3
Add the pack

4
Next, drag the entire, unzipped folder into the
Texture Packs folder. Windows 7, 8 and 10 PCs
will automatically unzip folders for you.
Check your mods

5
Not every texture pack works straight away, so
check to see if you need certain optimisation
mods (such as Optifine) installed first.
4 5

MINECRAFT

medieval shaders
shaders
Anger
Management
Shader KUDA-Shaders (bit.ly/2rYaGRz)
Map Castle Lividus of Aeritus (bit.ly/2v0qyZt)

MINECRAFT
Automatic
Farm
Produce massive amounts of
produce with minimal effort

01

Flat
W
ho loves spending time mining up a
small amount of wheat then storing it
until you’ve got enough to make a loaf
of bread? No one, that’s who. It takes way
too long to get enough wheat together for
Panels
one slice of bread that isn’t even as good Let’s start off with an easy one, shall we? Pull
as a cooked meat. But, what happens if you have 253 pieces of out a nice brown dirt block and create a flat
wheat and around 500 seeds in the time that it takes you to say 6-by-7 panel one block above the ground.
“No, wolf, don’t jump down that lava-filled hole!”? This guide is all Head around to the back of the panel and one
about making the simplest automatic farm imaginable. Plus there block up, on the seven-wide section, build
is a windmill, and who doesn’t love a good windmill? another panel. Then behind the second panel,
again one block up, build a third panel so
you’ve got three flat panels, all one block up
from one another.
Three
More
02
Next we’ll be adding three more sections. In
front of the first panel, lay down a double chest,
a gap, a single chest, gap, and another double.
Continue this pattern around to make a square
of chests and gaps. Now repeat Step 1, only this
time behind the chests. Add in the quartz walls
as shown and then mine up your chest guideline.
Find the centre of the area where the chests
were, and place one more chest to mark it.

MINECRAFT
Hop, Hop,
Hoppers
03
Crouch down, then add hoppers to all four sides
of the chest. This should connect everything
together. To test it, try chucking a block into any
of the hoppers. If it goes into the chest, you’ve
done it right. Next connect more hoppers coming
off the previous hoppers. Above, run a square of
hoppers going around the inside of our panels.
We’ll be mining these ones up in a bit, but keep
them there for now so we don’t build over.
04
Connecting
Down
Remember the rule about crouching down to
let you connect hoppers to other hoppers as it’ll
let items pass through to other hoppers without
getting stuck along the way? With that in mind,
place a hopper going into another chest below
the centre chest. Again, try throwing something
into the other hoppers and see if it passes
through. If it does, replace the centre chest in the
middle with another hopper and test it out again
to be sure it still works.

05
Underground
Tunnel
As we’re now below ground-level, it’s worth making a tunnel leading
out. This tunnel will head out from the bottom chest to let us run in
and out when we want to collect our crops. You can design this secret
entryway however you like, but if you’re after a quick design, just
replace the walls and flooring with quartz blocks (to match our outer
walls) and lob in some sea lanterns in the ceiling so you don’t have to
worry about any unexpected mobs spawning.
06
Redstone
and Water
Next up we’ll be adding in the mechanism to
harvest our crops and begin our redstone circuit.
Start by heading to the back of any third panel.
Add in a row of wood two blocks in, with sticky
pistons below facing upward. Now head around
the back and drop in repeaters going into the
sticky pistons. Power it up with a redstone torch
then add water behind the wooden blocks.
Repeat this on each end of the giant cross.

MINECRAFT
07
More
Building
Once you’ve got your watery dam in place
on all four ends, go back to the side with the
tunnel leading out. This area will be where our
lever goes, but for now, let’s build this area up
somewhat. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy,
but as we’ll be creating a redstone circuit shortly,
we will need some quartz in place to make sure
that the circuit doesn’t get in the way of the
tunnel or vice-versa.
08
More
Redstone
Okay. Here’s a quick redstone 101 lesson. When
you dust a circuit with redstone, the power
from the initial lever or torch dulls, meaning the
power doesn’t travel any longer. To fix this, just
add repeaters along the way where the dust
dims (facing the way you want the current to
travel). As you’ve probably guessed, we’ll now be
connecting all the sticky piston repeaters up with
dust. Add repeaters as needed and lay a lever by
the tunnel.

Ye Olde Windmill
Turn back the clock with a different windmill design
1
This step’s all about getting your foundation
completely right. Specifically; a giant circle. Start
1
with a row of seven wood blocks (not planks,
yet). To the right, place another two one block
out, then a diagonal row of three. Now turn, place two
more blocks bearing North, then you’re safe to run
down another row of seven. Repeat this pattern until
you have a full circle.
2
Now to build the main tower. With spruce
planks, build the base up by an additional five
blocks. Next, building from the inside so that it is
smaller, build up by seven blocks. Add another
section one block in that’s five blocks tall. Finish this off
by tracing the original circle back up so the top section
overhangs the lowers sections. Fill in the top area and the
tower is ready.
3
Building a stationary blade that’s meant to
look like it’s spinning isn’t easy, but it is most
definitely possible. Find the middle of the top
section and place two coal blocks coming
out. Add oak planks on the four outer sides with spruce
fences all the way around in a circle, and add the quartz as
shown (ignore the green wool, it’s just there so it’s easier
to see what goes where).
4
Minecraft is at its easiest when you break
down big sections into shapes. That’s what
we’ve done here with the quartz and green 2 3
wool. Each blade is a two-long strip coming
off, a two-by-two square, an ‘L’ shape, a row of three,
another square, and a final two strip. You don’t need to
use green wool here, use quartz instead, but just like
the last step, we’ve used it to help break this part down.
5
Now all that’s left to do is add the outer
sections of the blade. Grab your oak wood
once more and place it one block away from
the main quartz blade. When you reach
the three-long section of each blade, stop. Leave the
square and two long bits at the ends empty. Then
simply fill the gaps with spruce fencing and your
simple-but-effective windmill blade is complete.
4 5

MINECRAFT
09
Covering
Up
You should be able to build a wall around the
tunnel entrance to cover up the redstone at
the front (put a repeater on the other side of
the block with the lever). Add steps for a simple
design, and ladders so you can climb up to
replant your crops. You can cover the redstone
going around the outside by building new walls,
but to be honest, if you’ve gone to the trouble of
making a redstone circuit, why would you want
to hide it? Show it off, I say!
10
Remodelling
Go back to the centre of the ‘X’. Remove the hoppers
level with the dirt and replace them one block lower.
This helps as the water will push the crops downward,
into the hopper, rather than getting stuck on a flat
area. You’ll also want to build the quartz area in the
centre up by a few blocks. This too will help with
pushing the crops down into the hoppers as it’ll act
as a dam.
11
Test Run
Are you ready? It’s the moment of truth!
Plant your crops. We went with wheat, but
any plantable crop works. Dust them with
bonemeal to speed up the growing process,
then turn autosave off (to avoid needing to reset
everything if it doesn’t work). Now go and pull the
lever. The wood blocks should fall, and the water
will wash your crops down. Pull the lever again
to stop the water flow, then head into the tunnel.
If it worked, feel free to reload. If not, check your
redstone’s all hooked up right.

12
Build bonus
Windmill PT. 1
Fill in the area in the centre so it’s nice and flat. Draw a 5-by-5 Ultimate
flat panel in the middle and chop the corners off. Build up
inside the square by five blocks, then add three blocks in
the centre of each side of the outside square (to make the
Wheat Farm
Apparently, there’s a world record for the
‘T’ shape). Make a cross shape and build it high, before
biggest wheat farm. But how much wheat
building a flat shape with two ‘T’ shapes on the end.
would one need to claim such a prize? A
whopping 90,717 wheat (and up to 272,151
seeds!) is the answer. That’s a lot of wheat!
Think of how much bread that could make?!
This build isn’t just a seemingly endless
world of wheat, though. The person behind
the build, Alvtron, also went about creating
different structures around the farm, including
a kitted-out bedroom. They also note that while
there is a build that produces around 10,000
more wheat, the sheer scale of Alvtron’s build
makes it without question the largest wheat
farm ever conceived!
13
t
Windmill
PT. 2
Go ahead and build the head of the turbine. t
This is just a big cuboid built backwards
with the corners chopped off to create
a step effect. Next build seven squares
coming from the right of the front ‘T’ shape
with a single block on the last square.
Do the same in reverse, only on the left
of the ‘T’ shape, and finish by creating a
final, three-wide column going up at three
different lengths.

MINECRAFT
shaders
Peace and quiet

Shader Sildur’s Shaders (bit.ly/2ksoVQ7)
Map Chéile éadrom - A medieval village (bit.ly/2riljE0)

medieval shaders

MINECRAFT
Best
f The
116
Best
PRESENTS MINECRAFT
Want to be the best miner you
can be? Here’s ten single-player
achievements you must nail!
expand your game
01
Small and snug
L
et’s kick off nice and easy with a simple task: building a
small structure such as a hut, cabin or even a plain and
simple shed to use as your spawn point and a place to
sleep. Wooden or stone blocks are the way to begin, once you’ve
mined them from the forest or ground; add windows and a roof
Y
ou’ve learned your way (or at least a ceiling!) and a bed, of course. If you’re in Survival
around the Minecraft mode and the usual set of hostile mobs come calling after
user interface. You’ve nightfall, don’t forget that you can jump on your bed for a quick
mined, crafted, built and snooze – and before you know it, a zombie-banishing sun will
forged. You’ve become a have risen.
bona fide Minecrafter! So
what’s next on your to-do
list? How about proving that you’re a player
to contend with by successfully achieving
the challenges on this list? Whether building,
fighting, exploring or simply surviving, the ten
tasks we’ve lined up for you will take careful
planning and a lot of gut instinct – but we know
you can conquer them all. We’ve focused here
on single-player achievements, so you only
have yourself, your skills, your reflexes and your
trusty sword to rely on. Try these out in Creative
mode first, and if you’re ready for the ultimate
challenge, have a crack at them in Survival or
even Hardcore mode. Once you’ve crossed
them all off your bucket list, you’ll truly be a
master of the craft!

MINECRAFT
02
Forge armour
T
he motto of the fully armed Minecrafter goes
‘helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots’. That’s how
important your armour is to you. Without it,
you’ll take fatal damage pretty quickly, so collect as many
leather pieces, iron and gold ingots and diamonds as
you can; you’ll need 24 items of each material to forge
a full set of armour in your crafting grid. Enchantments
will make it stronger, and don’t forget an armour stand
to hang it on. Of course, armour can also be dropped,
traded, bought or stolen… however you do it, get some!
03
One on one
D
efeating a single hostile mob may
sound easy on paper, and if you’re
fully armoured and equipped with
weapons, it should indeed be doable – against
regular enemies, at least. Remember, though,
that different villains have different powers,
from a standard spider, zombie or Creeper
that you can simply hit with a sword, to
advanced adversaries such as Evokers, which
summon evil Vexes to do battle on their behalf.
Research these creatures’ powers and damage
capabilities, and tailor your combat accordingly.

expandaft
minecr your
mastercl
game ass
04 Country
living
B
uilding and cultivating a farm may
sound a bit tame compared to the
glory of warfare against an army of
tooled-up hostile mobs, but in fact the humble
art of smallholding is one of Minecraft’s most
challenging and enjoyable features. First, build
a set of shelters for yourself and your animals
of choice; you’ve got a whole range to choose
from. We recommend passive mobs such as
cows, sheep and pigs to begin with. Then build
your flocks and herds by mating individuals (it’s
all very romantic) and harvest them for food as
and when you need it. Just watch out for mob-
thieving rustlers!

MINECRAFT
05
Time for
war
O
nce you’ve proved your mettle as a
Minecraft warrior by defeating a single
hostile mob, let’s see how tough you
are when it comes to overcoming multiple
enemies. Packs of wolves can readily be found
in forest biomes and, although they’re neutral
mobs, they will readily turn hostile if you attack
them. The same biome features Woodland
Mansions, which often host Vindicators; these
axe-wielding humanoid mobs will attempt
to take you down on sight. You did get that
armour we mentioned, right?

expand your game
Hot stuff
06
C
onquer the Nether, Minecraft’s version
of hell, and you know you’re well on the
way to mastering the entire universe.
Create a Nether Portal from Obsidian and head
downstairs to this unpleasant dimension, where
– despite the horrible Ghasts floating overhead
and spitting missiles at you – you should be able
to construct a decent shelter from the prevalent
material, Netherrack. Dig too deep, though, and
there’s a strong chance that you’ll hit lava and
take damage. Only the toughest miners make a
home here; are you up to the challenge?
07
Horsing
about
I
f you don’t fancy the Nether,
take a less dangerous challenge
and tame a group of animals instead.
Yes, this may sound a bit, well, tame,
but believe us, once you’ve persuaded
a horse, ocelot, parrot, llama, donkey,
mule or wolf – the list of tameable mobs
in Minecraft – you’ll realise how hard it
can be. Pull it off, though, via repeating
mounting or feeding the right foods, and
you’ll have a valuable ally or allies that you
can use for transport or defence. Food
and drops can also be obtained from your
tamed buddies, although even we’re not
hard-hearted enough to turn our ocelot
chums into nutrition…

MINECRAFT
08
Build big
S
o you’ve crafted a nice little house. Very good
– but now it’s time to go large, raise the bar and
build a mega-structure! Castles, palaces, towers,
skyscrapers, fortresses – all are within the reach of
anyone with time, creativity and patience. We’re still
playing as a single player here, so collaborative projects
aren’t available (head to your preferred multiplayer
server for those). That doesn’t matter, though – plan out
your design, assemble the materials you need and get
building. Remember to take rest breaks!
09
City slicker
O
nce you’ve built a large structure, why
not take the long view and create
an entire settlement? A village is the
obvious starting point, perhaps with a mansion
or castle as its centrepoint. Add structures
as you go, and consider whether you want
a random collection of dwellings or a well-
organised city block. Obviously, once you’ve
started your build, there’s no limit to how far
you can go. As you can see on YouTube, some
builds last years, with dedicated miners copying
whole real-life cities or creating fantastic
imaginary towns.

expand your game
10
The final
battle!
R
eady for the ultimate combat scenario?
Then get ready to face a Boss Mob,
of which there are three in Minecraft
– the Ender Dragon, the Wither and the Elder
Guardian. The Ender Dragon appears at the
end of many vanilla campaigns; max out your
weapons and take it down with bow and arrows.
The Wither is a nasty three-headed monster
whose party trick is to shoot explosive skulls
at you; when its health bar reaches maximum
it generates a massive explosion, after which
it can take damage from you. As for the Elder
Guardian, it shoots lasers, attacks with thorns
and infects you with fatigue… we’ll leave you to
figure out that one. Good luck!

MINECRAFT
mini
builds!
Build a
Medieval
Lamp Post
2 at the
Directly
top
build the post o
1 Grab a wood block of your choice then
drop do
r u n s to n
wn a Ne
n to p o f
the
the woo
den
build a six-high spike. Now pull out ston e brick h rrack block. Un spike,
outside alf slabs d
brick steps and place around the bottom
e of it . around erneath,
. the
lamp
create the ack, place
3 lo o k in g at the Netherr
W h ile nd the
w n st o n e b ri ck steps arou
upside do one, add
p e r- o u ts id e . When that’s d fire it up! es,
up step. s on top of the fenc
nces on each
Netherrack fe 4 Now just place step
a half slab in the ce
ntre, and light the
nt and steel.
Netherrack with a fli
build The
Blacksmith
Forge
build it up
2 Add inward-facing steps at
the
middle of the three sides, sin
gle blocks on
the inside corners, then on
e more step on
the front-left.
create a base
1 Create a 3x3 square fro
m stone bricks,
row with steps. Then
then replace the front
the three other sides
add more steps on top
of the forge.
e
o f f t he bas t , curve more
finish tep at the fron them
3 From th
es
e fro n t t h e n co n n e c t
ound th dge s .
steps ar d around the e
an
back in
final details
4 Inside the cross section, place lava on the
floor then use stone bricks to build four
pillars vertically. Add steps at the top and then
you’re finished.

MINECRAFT
shaders
Fly the flag

Shader Chocapic13’s Shaders (bit.ly/2cmca1i)
Map Kargeth (bit.ly/2B953ok)

medieval shaders

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE UP TO 74%
Every issue of your subscription, delivered direct to
your door. Print & digital editions available.
NEAT StoRAGE
Store up to 13 issues of your magazine subscription in a coordinating slip case or ring binder.
myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Discover more great guides & Specials
From photography to music and technology to field sports,
there’s something for everyone.
Our magazines and binders make perfect gifts

too. And don’t worry if you’re not quite sure which
titles they’ll enjoy the most because we have a
great choice of gift vouchers available to buy.
No hidden costs Shipping included in all prices We deliver to over 100 countries Secure online payment
myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Discover another of our great bookazines
From science and history to technology and crafts, there
are dozens of Future bookazines to suit all tastes
medieval mayhem epic build projects
awesome mods epic medieval castle
minecraft’s most create a huge

incredible maps fearsome beasts build an auto farm floating island!
expand your game! minecraft masterclassES!
inescapable traps fantasy minecraft
best single-player survive an epic

top texture packs achievements mini-builds galore middle ages battle
medieval
Shaders!
How to make
Minecraft look awesome
PLUS: in-depth tutorials, game-changing mods and more!

9000

The Ultimate Guide For Minecraft

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Ultimate Guide For Minecraft

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

u ew

PS4 n XBOX ONE n SWITCH n PC n PS3 n 360 n PS VI

GamesMaster Presents The Ultimate Guide to Minecraft Volume 25

Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne

awesome Middle Ages-style maps

looking floating island

74 fit for a king

106 craft an auto farm

expand your game 114

96 top texture packs

116 be the best!

Minecraft Forge http://bit.ly/1iTpoDF

2 Once they’re all safely installed, you’re ready to go.

Minecr aft Mastercl ass

Day and Knight

Call the guard

Build your tower

3 Walls and doors

2 Bring the Knight

mini builds Build amazing things in minutes!

Finish the roof

minecr aft mastercl ass

Minecraft. Once or twice, we did resort to ones that enhance the

What advice would you give to younger Minecraft users who

Above: The Alice In Wonderland map’s castles doubled

Week 3 Week 4 Week 4

Minecr aft Mastercl ass

Build your base 2 Create tower body

Build your frame

Fill the base

3 Start the throne

If the shoe fits…

The Fantasy Mod 1.0 2 3

Runes And Silver

Run the gauntlet

expand your game

Gothic Texture Better Foliage

100 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 101

102 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

Download your pack

Add the pack

Check your mods

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 103

104 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 105

106 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

Minecr aft Mastercl ass

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 107

108 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 109

110 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 111

112 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 113

Peace and quiet

114 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 115

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 117

118 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 119

120 PRESENTS MINECRAFT

PRESENTS MINECRAFT 121