Minecraft Conduits are some of the most powerful but underused blocks in the game. Like a Beacon in Minecraft, it can give you special abilities that are even more powerful than the best Minecraft potions. But unlike a Beacon, it can also kill some hostile mobs for you even while you are not around. And above all, it’s the only permanent way to breathe and live underwater without any Minecraft mods. With this much power, you can guess that using a Conduit is no easy job. But worry not. We’re here to cover everything you need to know about Conduits in Minecraft. From their preparation to the full power of Conduit’s usage, our guide goes over everything in detail. Having said that, let’s dive into the world of Minecraft’s Conduits!
Minecraft Conduit
We have divided the guide into several sections for your ease. Each section deals with different properties of Conduits. You can use the table below to explore each of them at your convenience.
What is a Minecraft Conduit
Similar to Minecraft Beacons, Conduits are power blocks that, once activated give special effects to players within a short range. One of the most common effects of using a Conduit is the ability to breathe underwater. The Conduit doesn’t spawn naturally in the Minecraft world as an item.
Moreover, it can’t be traded for or found in any loot chests. Players have to manually craft a Conduit to use it in the game. However, once it’s ready you can easily place, break and pick it up with almost no effort.
What Does a Conduit Do
A Conduit has the following benefits:
- It provides special effects or powers to players while they are within its range. These powers are mostly based on Minecraft’s oceans and underwater exploration.
- A Conduit also causes damage to hostile mobs within 8 blocks of radius, if they are in contact with water or rain.
- It also acts as a bright light source. Activated or not, a Conduit emits light brighter than even the torches in Minecraft.
Conduit Powers
A Conduit provides a combination of the following abilities:
- Water Breathing allows you to stay underwater without going to the surface for breathing.
- Night Vision gives better visibility underwater even in low or no light conditions.
- Haste allows players to mine blocks faster than usual.
When combined, these abilities make up for a great and easy underwater experience. Alternatively, you can also use a Brewing Stand in Minecraft to make potions for these effects. But those potions won’t last for more than a few minutes. Meanwhile, the effects of Conduit are permanent as long as you are within its range.
How to Make a Conduit
To make a Conduit in Minecraft you first need to collect the rare Heart of the Sea. These can be found in the buried treasures of Minecraft. Then you need to combine this rare item with 8 Nautilus Shells on a crafting table.
If you want to dig deeper into the process we already have a guide in place covering how to make a Conduit in Minecraft. You can use the linked guide to easily find the required items and make a Conduit in no time.
How to Use a Conduit
After activation, the usage of Conduit is pretty automatic. As long as you are within the range of the Conduit it will keep giving you “Conduit powers”. These powers apply special effects on the player but only temporarily. If you move out of the Conduit’s range, the effects will expire within a few seconds.
How to Activate a Conduit
To activate a Conduit, it has to be placed in the middle of a custom structure. It can be made out of:
- Prismarine,
- Dark Prismarine,
- Prismarine Bricks, or
- Sea Lantern
You don’t have to use the same type of blocks to make the complete structure. A structure made out of a mixture of these blocks also works in the same way. The Conduit doesn’t prefer any of the blocks over the other. As for the shape, there can be three types of Conduit structures.
Types of Conduit Structures
Minecraft has three different types of Conduit structures:
- 16 blocks structure with a power range of 32 blocks in every direction
- 30 blocks structure with a power range of 63 blocks in every direction
- 42 blocks structure with a power range of 96 blocks in every direction
The first two types of Conduits work similarly other than their difference in range. Both of them only provide Conduit powers to the players around them. However, the 42-block structure also has an added advantage. It automatically detects and attacks hostile mobs that are within 8 blocks of the Conduit. But these mobs must be in contact with water, either directly or by rain.
How to Make Conduit Structures
Follow these steps to make a complete Conduit structure:
1. First, make a hollow vertical square with 5 blocks on each of its sides. You need 16 blocks to complete it. This is the level one Conduit structure.
2. Next, make another hollow square that intersects the original square in the middle. It should be at a 90-degree angle. The result is a level two Conduit structure.
3. Finally, to make a complete level 3 Conduit structure, you need to join the existing structures. To do so, place blocks next to the middle blocks of a hollow square.
4. Now, irrespective of the structure you choose, you just need to place the Conduit in its center to activate it. You have to place a temporary block beneath it to place it and then you can break the supporting block to activate it.
What is Conduit Used For
Other than a power boost, players use Conduit for a variety of purposes. Some of them are:
- Conduit is one of the brightest light sources in Minecraft that make bases easier to find and light up underwater.
- Multiple Conduits can help you protect underwater bases from hostile mobs on all sides.
- The ingredients for a Conduit are much easier to find than other precious items. So, players can use them to loot Ocean Monuments and even on-ground structures, if flooded.
- If you want to find Diamonds in Minecraft, oceans give you a major headstart with their open area. You just need to use a Conduit to stay underwater long enough to mine all your ores.
How to Break and Move a Conduit
Even with so much power, Conduits are bound to their location. So, it becomes important for players to move and reactivate Conduits. Fortunately, you only need to do two things:
- First, break the outer structure of the Conduit using a pickaxe. If you have a larger structure you can remove a few blocks to make it smaller. A Conduit only requires 16 blocks for activation.
- Next, break the Conduit using any pickaxe. Do keep in mind that like another precious block, Conduits explode on breaking. So, you should maintain some distance while mining it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do Conduits Kill Guardians
Conduits attack all underwater hostile mobs within a radius of 8 blocks. So, if a Guardian comes in that range, it will receive damage and might die.
- Why Isn’t My Conduit Working
First, make sure that your Conduit structure matches our guide’s structures closely. Then, try removing any non-compatible blocks from the structure to make it work. You can also activate Conduit at the base level and move up from that to avoid errors.
- How Do You Fully Power a Conduit
To fully power a Conduit, it must be placed in a 42 blocks structure.
- How to Breathe Underwater Without Potions
A Conduit in Minecraft allows players to breathe underwater without using any potions for underwater breathing. Its effect lasts indefinitely, as long as the players are within the range of the Conduit. This range can be extended up to 96 blocks in every direction.
Start Using a Minecraft Conduit Today
Minecraft’s oceans are dark and dangerous. And the lack of Oxygen there only makes it scarier. Fortunately, with the help of everything you know about Minecraft Conduits, exploration can be easier now. You can bravely venture into all Minecraft ocean biomes. Though I would suggest taking the best Trident enchantments for extra protection. On the other hand, if you are still not interested in the oceans, our best Minecraft mountain seeds can provide a change in the scenery. As for the special effects, the best Minecraft mods have you covered. Just make sure to install Forge in Minecraft to run all of them. Having said that, what are you going to use a Conduit for? Tell us in the comments!
