Build a Minecraft Creeper Farm: Infinite Gunpowder Supplies for TNT and Rockets

Creepers are probably the most iconic monster from Minecraft, and their face is unmistakable. They silently sneak up from behind and explode before you can react. Thanks to their explosive nature, they contain gunpowder, making them a great mob to farm. But you probably don’t want to hunt them down by wandering through your world at night. That can end badly and takes way too long. So today, we’re introducing a cool Creeper farm that works without your help and can be used AFK. In the end, you’ll have enough gunpowder!

Minecraft Creeper Farm: How Automatic Gunpowder Production Works

A Creeper farm should be present in almost every Minecraft world because sooner or later, you’ll need a lot of gunpowder. You can use it to craft TNT in bulk or make rockets for your Elytra. Additionally, gunpowder is also used in brewing splash potions. So, it’s a really valuable resource that should be in your inventory.

Creepers aren’t as simple to spawn as zombies or skeletons since there are no spawners or dungeons for them. Therefore, we have to rely on naturally spawning Creepers. We have previously built a monster trap (How to Build a Minecraft Monster Trap: Automatically Gather Endless Resources) in an older article that you can use for gunpowder. However, it also spawns other monsters.

There are designs specialized only for Creepers. We exploit the dimensions of the Creepers and design a farm so only they can spawn based on their size. Additionally, we use a Creeper’s natural enemy: the cat! Both together create a seamless farm perfect for a few hours of AFK (“away from keyboard”) use.

Creeper Farm Building Guide: Step-by-Step for Unlimited Gunpowder

Creeper farms come in many designs that work on different versions and platforms. The version we’re building today works only on the Java Edition. This is because spawning for Creepers in Bedrock is different, making these farms more complicated. Additionally, there is no design that works equally well on both platforms.

Minecraft Creeper Farm Materials: What You Need for Your Automatic Gunpowder Farm

• Several stacks of building blocks
• Several stacks of slabs
• Several stacks of trapdoors
• Water buckets
• 14 carpets
• 2 cats
• 2 hoppers
• 2 chests

Building a Creeper Farm in Minecraft: Step-by-Step Guide for Maximum Efficiency

The Best Location for Maximum Spawner Efficiency

First, you need to find a suitable location for your farm. Over open water is the best spot because it prevents other monsters from spawning and filling up the limit. If you build the farm on land, be at least 128 blocks above ground or light up all caves and fields in this radius. This is very exhausting, so open water is your best bet.

Collection Basin

In this farm, we don’t kill the Creepers ourselves; instead, we use a campfire. Build a water trench 8 blocks long and at least 3 blocks above the sea surface. The Creepers will fall over the edge and must land on the campfires. Below, place the hoppers and chest to automatically collect the gunpowder.

Surround the campfire with building blocks and create a 2-block high tunnel. This will cost you a few blocks but ensures that Creepers are collected without issues.

Spawn Platform

Now comes the most important part. Above the source of the water trench, build a 3-block high wall with the dimensions 2 by 3 upwards. This will cause Creepers to fall down later.

This is also the base of your platform. It measures 13x16 blocks but has the shape of an hourglass. You can get the correct dimensions from our image. Build a 2-block high wall around the outside that reaches to the water trench in the middle of the hourglass shape. The wall should not be higher.

Optimal Setup for Maximum Efficiency

Now for the finishing touches of the farm. First, place trapdoors at the 2x3 hole in the middle and open them. As with other farms, this makes the Creepers think they can walk over the trapdoors. Instead, they fall down and are grilled by the campfires.

Next, you need to protect the farm floor from spiders. Use seven carpets on each side and lay them out in the pattern shown below. This prevents spiders from spawning.

The most important part is now. As mentioned in the materials, you need two tamed cats. They have the trait of scaring Creepers, making them automatically flee to the center of the farm. You can find cats in villages and tame them with raw fish. They will follow you, even over water. Place the cats at the end of each platform on the carpets and sit them down.

Roof and Spawn Safety

To prevent other monsters from spawning, fill the roof with trapdoors. Attach them along the 2-block high wall so the space is less than 2 blocks high. This prevents the spawning of all other mobs, except Creepers, which are small enough. Placing the trapdoors can be tricky, so use Shift and work slowly.

Next, secure the roof of the Creeper farm and parts of the collection basin with slabs to prevent other monsters from spawning.

How to Achieve Maximum Spawn Rate

Monsters spawn within a 128-block radius of the player. To get the most out of the farm, you need to be very high up. Use scaffolding made of bamboo and build 120 blocks up from the farm’s roof. Use the F3 menu and look for the Y-value.

Wait up there and let the game run while you do other things. If you wait for more than 3 in-game days, have either a bed or build a small shelter to protect yourself from phantoms. Over time, gunpowder should accumulate in your chest below! We had a stack of gunpowder within twenty minutes!

Conclusion: Why a Creeper Farm is Indispensable for Gunpowder in Minecraft

Building a Creeper farm is a wonderful and easy way to obtain gunpowder. You don’t have to defeat the Creepers yourself, but with this farm, you can produce massive amounts of TNT and rockets for your world. Build infinite amounts of gunpowder on your own server and maintain control over your explosive power. Rent your Minecraft server and start collecting!