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.
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.
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.
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?
