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Minecraft Redstone

You may have heard about the mysterious Minecraft redstone. Many farms and other elaborate constructs use the red block. But what is redstone, really? How do you get it and how can you use it? We show you what Minecraft redstone can do and give you a glimpse of the possibilities it opens for you. 

Overview Minecraft Redstone:

Redstone Ore Locations and Mining

To do anything with minecraft redstone, you need to mine redstone ore. Although the distribution of redstone can be tricky, you can maximize your chances by looking in the right places. Redstone most commonly spawns deep underground between Y -64 and 16, with the best chances around Y -59. It appears in almost every biome, so it’s worth specifically digging for mineshafts or veins at these depths. In addition to the ore itself, you can also occasionally find Redstone Blocks in the ancient city. But beware: the deep dark biome, where such cities are located, is very dangerous. So you should equip yourself with potions and swords if you want to secure a complete and intact redstone block there.

​​Once you’ve found some redstone, you must use an iron pickaxe or a stronger material. Without the right pickaxe, the block breaks and disappears without a trace. With the appropriate tool you’ll get 4-5× redstone dust, and with the fortune enchantment even up to 8. If you want to obtain the ore as a block, you can mine it intact with Silk Touch.

If you’ve found a total of 9× redstone dust, you can craft it into a single redstone block.

1x redstone block = 9x redstone dust

Tip: Redstone Blocks can be converted back into 9× redstone dust without material loss. When you’re out in the wild, redstone Blocks offer a simple way to transport dust.

Redstone dust isn’t just mined: you can also obtain it by trading with clerics or as loot from witches. Redstone Ore can also be smelted in a furnace, but that gives you no additional benefit – you only get dust by mining with the correct pickaxe.

Using Redstone: Circuits

Minecraft Redstone is often used in advanced buildings and has many practical applications. You might have seen farms or endless factories that run on redstone. But how do these work?

Redstone functions as a source and a conductor for electricity. A redstone block is basically a battery, while redstone dust is a conductor that leads the energy from the block to where it needs to go. If you put a redstone block out in the world and use redstone dust to connect it to a mechanism, a door or a piston for example, the mechanism will start to move. By extending and refining this circuit, a redstone construct can be used to do basically anything. This reaches from opening and closing a door or a drawbridge to advanced mechanisms like iron farms. If used correctly, you can also build defense systems for your castles, villages or even your house. 

Signal strength Redstone signals are a maximum of 15 blocks long. After that you must amplify them with a Redstone Repeater so they can be transmitted further. With Redstone Repeaters you can also add a small delay to synchronize circuits.

Additional Minecraft Redstone Recipe Materials

Besides the Minecraft redstone itself, there are some other materials you should gather before constructing your circuit. We show you what you might need and where to find it:

  • String: Can be used for many wires and dispensers. Spiders drop it pretty frequently, so getting some should not be a problem.
  • Iron: Components like hoppers and minecarts are made entirely from iron. They can be used to set up sorting and transport systems that are indispensable for automatic farms and warehouses. Therefore, collecting a large number of ingots is definitely a good idea.
  • Slimeballs: It’s your choice whether you use pandas or slime chunks to find them, but a sticky piston is always useful. With sticky pistons you can realize movable doors, trapdoors, or sliding walls that can be controlled at the push of a button.
  • Honey blocks: The use of bees has never been as productive as it is today. In combination with pistons, honey blocks are perfect for moving larger structures or slowly pulling players along, which is especially practical for flying machines or elevators.
  • Nether quartz: Observers and daylight detectors are made from nether quartz. Observers are central building blocks for automatic harvesting machines, while daylight detectors measure light levels and can, for example, automatically switch on lanterns. Try to get some netherite while you’re in the nether, as you can also forge very good armor.
  • Glowstone: You need glowstone for redstone lamps. These lamps can be controlled with switches, daylight sensors, or motion mechanisms and provide decorative lighting that can automatically turn on and off.

As you can see, redstone circuits can be expanded with many different materials and constructions. Below we’ll show you some constructs you can build and what they can be used for. But keep in mind this is only a small selection of the possibilities.

Some Interesting Minecraft Redstone Recipes & Applications

With a redstone block as your power source and redstone dust as your conductor, a lot of different devices can be powered and combined. Here are some of the interesting applications of redstone:

Lightning Rod

A lighting rod concentrates lighting onto itself, which gives off a powerful redstone signal. While not as consistent as a redstone block, a lighting rod can be used if you need a lot of power at once. It requires only three copper ingots to craft:

3x Copper Ingots = 1 Lightning Rod

Jukebox

A jukebox emits a redstone signal if a disc is played. The strength of the signal depends on the disc played. If you want to put the disc fragments from killed creepers to good use, the jukebox gives you that chance. 

1x Diamond + 8x wooden planks = 1x Jukebox

Tip: Jukeboxes also make allays next to them dance. If you feed them an amethyst, the allay splits into two!

Redstone Torch

A redstone torch gives you a redstone signal at maximum strength. It is small and powerful; perfect for making your circuit larger. It only requires a stick and some redstone dust:

1x redstone Dust + 1x Stick = 1x redstone Torch

Minecart

The minecart can be used to transport all types of things. Use it in conjunction with a redstone circuit to make transporting large objects easier. Minecarts require iron ingots to craft. 

5x Iron Ingots = 1x Minecart

Brewing Stand

Redstone is also used in the brewing stand to extend the duration of potions. The extension factor is always 2.667 (so a 3-minute duration becomes, for example, 8 minutes). However, not every potion can be extended, especially not potions that have already been extended.

Heads

Heads have many different uses in Minecraft, such as calling the wither, being worn or just decorating your home. There are a few different types of heads, all of which are modeled after a different mob. Besides Skeletons, creepers and piglins, the ender dragon also has a head model. If you connect it to a redstone circuit, the head constantly opens and closes its mouth. Even if the practical use is small, this example shows very well how even simple decorative blocks can be turned into moving, lifelike elements through redstone.

Minecraft Redstone Farm Ideas

Redstone shows its true strength when you use it to automate farms. Here are a few creative ideas that you can recreate with some practice:

  • Automatic sugar cane farm: Observers detect when the plants grow, and pistons harvest them independently.
  • Iron farm: With villagers, beds, and a clever redstone system you can spawn iron golems indefinitely that drop iron ingots.
  • Pumpkin and melon farm: Observers react to the growth of the fruits and trigger pistons that harvest them.
  • Mob farm: Using water streams, hoppers, and redstone sorting systems, drops can be collected and stored efficiently.
  • Cactus or bamboo farm: Ideal for fuel, as the items can be automatically forwarded into furnaces.

Such farms save you a lot of time collecting resources and make everyday life in the game much more comfortable.

FAQ: Minecraft Redstone

What exactly is Minecraft redstone?

Redstone is a material that serves as a power source (e.g. redstone Block) and as a conductor (redstone dust) for circuits. With it you can control mechanisms like doors, pistons, or entire farms.

Where do I most frequently find redstone ore?

Deep underground between Y −64 and 16, with the best chances around Y −59. It appears in almost all biomes.

How much redstone dust does an ore block drop?

Usually 4–5× redstone dust, up to 8× with Fortune. With Silk Touch you get the ore block itself.

How do you craft a redstone Block — and back again?

9× Redstone Dust = 1× Redstone Block. You can break the block back down into 9× dust without loss (handy for transport).

How far does a Redstone signal reach?

A maximum of 15 blocks. With a redstone repeater (amplifier) you extend the signal and can add delays.

Does Redstone affect potions?

Yes. In the brewing stand, redstone extends the duration of certain potions by a factor of 2.667 (e.g. 3 → 8 minutes). Potions that have already been extended cannot be extended again.

Conclusion: Minecraft Redstone

With Minecraft redstone something resembling electricity was added and the Minecraft world is a lot richer for it. By extending your building projects to advanced constructions, redstone opens a lot of doors that were closed before. The possibilities are so numerous that we can only show a few examples. From automatic farms to complex defense systems to music machines — redstone is one of the most exciting mechanics in the game for tinkerers. The only way to truly experience the glory of Minecraft redstone is to play the game yourself. And a Minecraft server from G-Portal is one of the best ways to do just that. Hop in with a few friends and create redstone circuits the world has never seen. Good luck and have fun!

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