How to survive against zombies in Minecraft

Zombies are one of Minecraft's most common mobs. Zombies roam around in every biome of the Minecraft overworld with the exception of mushroom biomes. These creatures are both common and annoying.

Zombies prevent players from sleeping at night, and terrorize players down in the depths of caves. Zombies can be truly annoying, especially if they attack players in herds or on the hardest Minecraft difficulty.

This is why it's important for new players to learn how to survive against zombies in Minecraft. Here is a step-by-step guide.

The guide to surviving zombies in Minecraft

Shelter

First and foremost, the easiest way to survive zombies at night is to find shelter and a bed. As long as the player is in a shelter, with a decently well-lit area, they will be safe from zombies.

Zombies are capable of breaking down doors on the hardest mode of Minecraft, but this can be easily prevented by blocking the door with dirt or any type of block. Zombies will not be able to attack the player through blocks.

Players should be certain to light their shelter with torches before going to sleep for the night. If the area is not well-lit, zombies will spawn within the shelter, which can end up killing players.

Zombies spawn at a light level of 7 or below. This means something as simple as a torch or a furnace could save the player from these creatures.

Shelter isn't an option?

If the player is new to Minecraft, they may not have been able to create a shelter before nightfall. This means they're going to spend the night out in the open.

The best thing players can do to survive this is find a good biome to reside in during the night. The best biome to be at night is a mushroom biome, because zombies and other mobs cannot spawn here.

Mushroom biomes are rare, so the next best biomes to be in are plains or desert. As long as the area is open, the player will have the best chance of survival. The open landscape allows players to see mobs before they spawn, and plains and deserts are also the most common places where a village can be found.

Finding a Minecraft village

Villages are great places for players to stay hidden from zombies. They offer a light source, free shelter, food, and often iron golems for protection. This is a great place to wait out the night and practice fighting zombies.

Preparing to fight a Zombie

Fighting zombies (Image via planetminecraft)

Let's face it, eventually, Minecraft players will have to fight zombies. The best way to fight a zombie is with the proper weapons and armor. Any armor or weapons are better than none, but diamond and netherite armor and weapons are the best to use.

Newer players may not have access to this high leveled armor or weapons, and if that's the case, the easiest and best type of weapon to obtain are stone weapons. Stone weapons can be made with cobblestone, a very easy resource for new players to obtain.

As for armor, the easiest armor to get is iron armor. Iron armor is made from iron ingots, which can be smelted from iron ore. Oftentimes, players will find iron ingots insiof village chests, giving players a headstart with their armor set up.

The best weapon to fight a zombie with is a sword, but if this isn't available, it's recommended to use a bow and arrow or an axe to attack the zombie.

Zombie Combat

When players fight a zombie there are a few things they should know. Zombies move slower than players, which gives players an advantage. The best ways to fight these creatures are with swords and bows.

A sword with a knockback enchantment would work best, as this keeps the zombie far enough away from players, making them incapable of dealing damage. Bows are even better, since they push the zombie back naturally.

Zombies cannot attack players unless they're in the hitbox range. This makes zombies relatively easy to kill from a distance, or even up close with the right strategy.

Baby Zombies

Horde of baby zombies (Image via mcpedl)

Baby zombies are definitely the most threatening variant of zombies in Minecraft. These creatures are rare, but they are significantly harder to beat than their adult counterparts.

Baby zombies run towards the player to attack, and can attack with the same amount of damage as regular zombies. They're also harder to hit because of their small appearance and hitbox.

The only benefit of fighting a baby zombie is the extra XP reward given to players who kill them.

Overall Survival

In the end, if the player has a weapon and access to shelter, they will definitely be able to survive a night of zombies. Even without shelter, it's still a viable option to fight zombies all night with the proper armor and weaponry. Good luck against the beasts!