Until recently, to organize archery competitions in Minecraft, players had to choose a mob as the target: either a hostile creature or an innocent animal.
The second issue was the tiny button used to shoot arrows. It was so small that timing the shot correctly could be quite challenging. At Minecon Live 2019, developers introduced an item that addressed these problems: the target block, which was added in the Nether update.
To craft a target block in Minecraft Bedrock, place one hay bale in the center of a 3×3 crafting grid and surround it with four pieces of redstone dust. Once the block is placed on the ground, real magic begins. Strike the target, take a few steps back, and then throw something at it: an egg, snowball, splash potion, firework, Ender pearl, trident, or an arrow shot from your bow.
Upon impact, the target will emit several ticks of redstone power, with the strength of the signal corresponding to how close your projectile landed to the center of the block. Did it hit the edge? A level 1 signal will be triggered. If you strike directly in the bullseye, you’ll receive a level 15 signal. Additionally, an observer will detect if the block has been hit.
Once the archery competition concludes, you have the option to break the target and take it with you. You can use any tool for this task, or even none at all, but a hoe would be the most effective choice.
In the real world, targets have existed since the dawn of recorded history. Even in the Stone Age, hunter-gatherers likely practiced archery and spear throwing at trees, and some may have constructed earthen mounds specifically for these activities.
The earliest record of archery competitions dates back 3000 years in China. However, the sport as we know it today began to take shape in England during the 14th century. The English invented the longbow, which became the country’s primary weapon. Although it was somewhat challenging to use, this did not pose a significant barrier. In 1363, a royal decree mandated that all English citizens practice archery on Sundays and holidays, a law that remained in effect until its repeal in 1960.
Why do targets appear in this specific design, particularly with circles? This is likely due to the rolled straw used as targets for shooting. Such a shape made it easy and quick to determine who hit the mark most accurately. This design emerged around the mid-1700s, though its exact origins have been lost to history.
In Minecraft, there are no circles on targets, as it is a block-based game, meaning we aim at squares instead. However, this has its advantages: the space between the squares is slightly larger than that between circles, and besides, who else can say they have shot at a square-shaped target?
