There’s no feeling more rewarding than finding valuable loot in Minecraft, and for top tier loot, any player should head straight over to the End, where rare End Cities will carry incredible enchanted iron and diamond-grade gear. But not just that: this is the only place where the player can score themselves an elytra, a pair of wings which allows them to glide and fly.
However, the End is a difficult place to travel in — the cities are rare and their inhabitants, the Shulkers, are annoying to deal with. Conquering an End City is no walk in the park. Luckily, there are just a few things the player can do to make the task a bit easier.
Weapons
Most players will no doubt swear by their diamond sword, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s recommended to have one when heading to the End anyway, preferably one with Looting III on it, so that getting ender pearls from Endermen is easier.
However, the go-to weapon for taking down Shulkers at range should be a powerful enchanted bow. Ideally, a bow with Infinity, Unbreaking III and Power IV is what every player should take along with them to survive.
Armor And Enchantments
When it comes to armor, it’s an absolute must to have diamond-grade gear. Players already playing in the Nether update version can opt for Netherite armor if they can afford it for a bit of extra protection. However, considering that fall damage and Endermen can be a potential issue, diamond is a necessity.
In particular, it’s recommended to have Feather Falling IV diamond boots, in case the player gets the Levitation status effect from a Shulker and is dropped from a great height. Otherwise, Protection IV or Projectile Protection IV will be great.
Other Necessities
Traveling in the end is going to be a hassle, so make sure to pack along some other necessities to cover any emergencies. Pack up an Ender chest, which will allow for the storing of valuable loot without actually losing it. Make sure to have a Silk Touch diamond pickaxe in hand as well to mine it after placing it.
If the Levitation status effect is something the player is worried about, taking buckets of milk is a great idea to remove any status effects. Other potions such as Healing II or Regeneration will also serve the player well.
Traversing The End
The hardest part about finding a city is actually getting to one. The End is basically a collection of floating islands, many of which aren’t even connected to each other in any way, shape or form.
Building bridges is a tedious but reliable option. This requires a ton of blocks, however, and might be risky. If islands are relatively close to one another, ender pearls can be tossed across a gap to teleport to the other side. Pearls are also useful if the player is falling into the void and wants to quickly teleport back to land again.
Finding A City
End Cities definitely aren’t common. Most are scattered randomly across the different islands, and it might take hours before a player even finds one. However, usually when taking the portal from the central End island where the player fought the dragon, they’ll be in the close vicinity of an End City.
The trick is to try and look for particularly large islands, which tend to have End biomes known as midlands or highlands. If possible, keep the render distance at 32 chunks or more, which allows the generation of even the furthest islands.
Structure Of A City
Cities come in many sizes, and not all cities will have the same areas and rooms. However, the entrance tends to always be the same, guarded by two Shulkers. Cities consist of tall towers which are filled with Shulkers and are difficult to climb.
The loot is usually located at the top of these towers, so make sure to check every nook and cranny, even the top floor of the towers. Towers will also branch out to second or even third towers if a player finds a particularly big End City.
Dealing With Shulkers
In terms of mobs, the End is pretty tame. That being said, it’s always a bad idea to underestimate Shulkers. These creatures shoot out a small homing missile projectile at the player. When dealing with multiple Shulkers, the damage can rack up quickly. These projectiles apply a Levitate status effect, which can be instant death if the player hovers too high.
The best way to deal with this is either have milk at hand, Feather Falling IV on boots, or place a block above the player’s head to avoid floating up when Levitation is applied. Shields can also be used to block the projectiles easily.
Accessing Ships
Ships are separate structures that will sometimes generate next to an End City, slightly further away from the city’s docking area. Not all cities will have the ship, but those that do will have a guaranteed elytra inside.
Since the ship is often suspended further away from the main tower of the city, the best way to get to it is by building a bridge. However, beware of the Shulkers that guide the outside of the ship. It’s best to snipe them with a bow from afar before getting any closer to avoid getting Levitation.
Dealing With Endermen
Although Endermen are usually passive, it’s possible to sometimes turn them hostile by accident. If this happens, they will chase the player and deal quite a bit of damage, especially if multiple Endermen are attacking at the same time.
Endermen hate water, so having a bucket of water at hand is a great option. Alternatively, digging a hole into a wall so the Enderman can’t reach inside is an easy way to bottleneck them and kill them.
Returning Home Safely
It’s easy to get stuck several thousands of blocks within the End, far from the original portal the player took. Luckily, every once in a while, additional gateway portals will generate within the End, which will take the player back to the main island.
These gateway portals, when first seen, will create a purple beacon-like pillar of light, which makes them easy to spot from afar. Keep an eye out for them, and it should be the ticket back home.
