Minecraft Pillagers Guide: How to Avoid or Defeat Them
Minecraft: How to Deal with Pillagers and End Raids
 |
| Minecraft pillagers attacking a village during a raid event |
Pillagers are some of Minecraft's most dangerous hostile mobs, frequently appearing near villages or outposts. Understanding how to survive and counter pillager raids is critical for any player seeking to defend their base or establish a successful village. In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about pillagers, such as how raids work, how to prepare for them, and whether there are any ways to prevent or appease pillagers in Minecraft.
Who Are Pillagers in Minecraft?
 |
| How to defeat a pillager captain and avoid Bad Omen effect in Minecraft |
Pillagers are illager-type mobs armed with crossbows who frequently attack in groups. They usually spawn near pillager outposts or during raids on villages. Unlike zombies and skeletons, pillagers are organized and frequently appear with leaders wielding ominous banners. When these leaders are killed, the "Bad Omen" effect is activated, causing raids to occur whenever a village is entered.
How Do Raids Start?
A raid begins when a player enters a village while under the Bad Omen status effect. This may occur after defeating a pillager patrol captain. The raid unleashes multiple waves of hostile mobs, including pillagers, vindicators, evokers, and occasionally ravagers. The raid will continue until all waves have been cleared or the village has been destroyed.
How to Prepare for a Pillager Raid
Surviving a raid requires careful preparation. Before entering a village with a bad omen, ensure that you have the following:
- Strong armor (ideally iron or diamond)
- A ranged weapon, such as a bow or crossbow.
- Plenty of food and potions (healing, strength, and regeneration).
- Defensive structures such as walls and towers
- Iron golems or tamed wolves to help with defense.
How to Defeat Pillagers Effectively
Pillagers strike from a distance, so closing the gap quickly is critical. Use shields to deflect crossbow attacks and counter with melee strikes. In ranged combat, staying behind walls or using elevation gives you an advantage. Always prioritize captains and evokers, as they are the most disruptive during raids.
Can You Appease or Befriend Pillagers?
In vanilla Minecraft, there is no official method for taming or appeasing pillagers. They are programmed to remain hostile and will not respond to food, armor, or commands. However, some players try trapping a pillager and removing its crossbow (allowing it to break over time), rendering it harmless, but this is more of a novelty than a practical solution. Mods and datapacks can add the ability to befriend or convert pillagers, but this is not part of the core game.
Post-Raid: Rewards and Consequences
Successfully completing a raid grants players the "Hero of the Village" effect, which lowers trade costs with villagers and causes them to throw gifts. In addition, evokers will drop XP and sometimes valuable items such as emeralds, enchanted books, and totems of undying. Raids, on the other hand, can be destructive, particularly if villagers or structures are lost in the process.
Tips to Prevent Future Pillager Attacks
If you do not want to initiate another raid:
- Avoid killing pillager captains, or drink milk to remove the Bad Omen before entering a village.
- Build your base away from villages and outposts.
- Light up the surrounding areas to prevent patrols from spawning.
Being cautious and strategic in pillager encounters helps you keep the peace and avoid unintended raids.
Dealing with pillagers in Minecraft can be difficult, but with proper planning and strategy, you can survive and even thrive during raids. While appeasing pillagers is not currently possible in the base game, defending your village and becoming the Hero of the Village is a satisfying experience. Keep your weapons ready and your villagers safe; the pillagers don't stop for long.