Hunting reptiles is no easy task. Every move must be carefully planned to emerge victorious from this battle. So, we spotted our target and waited for the right moment when the reptile was close enough, prepared ourselves, and swiftly struck. After that, we retreated and waited for the creature to flare up in anger. Then we launched a dart at it because speed of attack is crucial; otherwise, you might get hit by your foe, so we backed off again. This process continued several times until it finally fell to the ground. Congratulations— the battle is over, and you receive the prize of victory. And what is it? It’s a pile of gray powder. What could that be? Well, it’s gunpowder—our item of the week.
In Minecraft, a game devoid of firearms, having plenty of gunpowder is essential. You can find it in shipwrecks, dungeons, desert temples, and woodland mansions. You might even come across gunpowder in our news feed, recalling the time Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the British Parliament building—though he likely had much grander plans than just gunpowder. Fortunately, his efforts were unsuccessful. Additionally, gunpowder can be obtained from defeated mobs. Creepers and ghasts drop up to two stacks, while witches, who love hoarding various items in their bags, can drop as many as six.
Gunpowder was introduced in Minecraft during version Indev 0.31 as a crafting ingredient for TNT. It was previously known as sulfur and could drop from any mob. Only in version 1.3 did the developers decide to rename it to its current title. Gunpowder can be used to craft fire charges, stars, and fireworks rockets. If you want your rocket to soar higher, you can add more gunpowder during crafting. Fantastic!
Starting from version 1.0.0, gunpowder can be utilized to create a potion that inflicts damage on anyone it is thrown at. Explosive potions of weakness, slowness, poison, decay, and harm are the first things that come to mind when thinking about potions. However, they don’t always have to be harmful; in emergencies, you could toss a healing potion to your friends and save their lives. There are numerous variations, such as a slow-falling potion for high drops. Have you ever tried it? Imagine some terrifying creature chasing you from above, and you activate the slow-fall potion before jumping down. You’ll feel like Mary Poppins!
The original gunpowder was known as “black powder” and consists of a mixture of three different chemicals—sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. Its history dates back to the 9th century when Chinese alchemists, in search of an elixir to grant immortality, accidentally invented what we now know as gunpowder. While no one became immortal from its use, it was highly flammable, leading to its naming as 火药, which translates to “fire medicine.”
The primary use of gunpowder today is in firearms, fireworks, and similar applications. This is due to its ability to rapidly generate a large volume of gases upon combustion, which exceeds the original volume of the burned powder. The resulting high pressure forces objects in front of it away. In the case of fireworks, this pressure is directed downward, propelling the rocket into the sky. For guns and cannons, the pressure pushes the bullet or cannonball out of the barrel at high speed.
As of today, researchers have discovered alternatives to gunpowder, making its use in firearms and explosives less critical. For instance, it is significantly less effective than dynamite, nitrocellulose, or industrial explosives like ANFO. Gunpowder still finds application in fireworks, which is why it remains present in the Minecraft Pocket Edition. However, it’s likely that scientists will soon identify a substitute for it. Disneyland is experimenting with air-compressed fireworks that produce less smoke and can be launched with greater timing precision.
Nevertheless, I believe that gunpowder in Minecraft will never disappear, as its absence would render creepers useless, and they would probably go extinct. Hmm, perhaps that’s for the best.
