Here’s Why I Think Vertical Slabs Should Be in Minecraft

Vertical slabs have been one of the most requested features by the Minecraft community. This admittedly makes perfect sense since we already have regular horizontal slabs in-game. Today, we will be taking a look at what vertical slab blocks could look like, how they would behave, and what their advantages and disadvantages would be if they were added to the game. With that, let’s see why vertical slabs should be in the game and perhaps why they aren’t here yet.

What Would Vertical Slabs Look Like in Minecraft?

First off, let’s see what vertical slabs would look like in-game. The screenshots you see below use a vertical slab mod you can get on CurseForge. It’s a straightforward and intuitive mod that you’ll get familiar with quickly. As you can see, the upper texture of the horizontal slabs is the side texture of the vertical slabs, as if they were just rotated 90 degrees.

Moreover, you’d place vertical slabs along one of the edges of the block. So, there would be four different rotations per block, unlike if they were placed in the center of the block, which would yield only two possible orientations.

In this mod, you choose the orientation of the vertical slab by right-clicking or using the secondary action button on the middle part of the block’s edge. This placement mechanic can be perfected, so you can come up with some amazing, compacted, and precise wall designs.

By using a vertical slab on the side of a block, you’ll place it flush against the block. Moreover, you can even bring this unique rotation upwards. It would allow you to create some fascinating shapes very easily.

Vertical Slabs Have More Pros than Cons

Now that we know what vertical slabs would look like and how they would behave, let’s list some of their pros and cons.

Pros

The most obvious advantage of vertical slabs is the creative opportunities they provide. Thanks to their specific orientation and size (smaller than a full block), vertical slabs would help a lot when creating smaller builds — be it detailed wall features, decorative builds on the side, or even custom statues.

Vertical slabs would be a solution to many problems builders have faced in the past. Though you might be thinking: trapdoors are kind of like vertical slabs. And yes, they are, but sometimes you just need them to be slightly thicker or perhaps be available in more colors than only the wood and iron ones. Vertical slabs would take care of both of the problems, but you would still have access to trapdoors in case you need them.

Furthermore, vertical slabs are not one of those insane modded features that make you feel as if you’re not playing Minecraft. They are pretty vanilla-friendly and would fit in the game well. They are not difficult to use and players would only appreciate more decorative blocks.

Cons

Now, let’s see what the disadvantages vertical slabs could have. As mentioned above, vertical slabs would help you create some pretty cool wall designs. Though, what would be the use of actual wall blocks then? Perhaps inside some super technical redstone farms, but primarily they are building blocks. So, if we get vertical slabs, which would in a way be better wall blocks, then walls will either be forgotten or receive a new use.

Not only that but when players don’t have the exact block they need, they tend to experiment with blocks they do have. This encourages players to be creative too and try out different designs until something works.

If vertical slabs are added, creativity may not be the priority anymore. However, I don’t think that would be the case, as vertical slabs would only give players more options to choose from. So, you’ll be able to make your Minecraft house build even cooler. What do you think? Would vertical slabs harm the community’s creativity? Let us know in the comment section.

What Could Be the Closest Alternative to Vertical Slabs?

People have been asking for vertical slabs for a while now, and Mojang has still not implemented them. This is perhaps because the developers don’t see vertical slabs contributing to Minecraft in any way. So, let’s see what would be beneficial in-game if vertical slabs are not.

Primarily, many blocks don’t even have regular slabs and stairs variants, so Mojang could start by expanding this category. This potential “slab and stairs” update would offer tons more decorative and building opportunities, which the community would appreciate a lot. The next update, for the ones unaware, is the Minecraft 1.21 update, and it focuses on combat experiences.

Moreover, it would be great if you could place two different slabs in the same block space. This is also one of the frequently asked-for features and shouldn’t be too difficult to implement, at least that’s what I think.

Finally, Mojang could add vertical slabs without actually adding vertical slabs. What I mean by this is if there was a command that would allow you to rotate a horizontal slab into a vertical one. For example, with the setblock command, you can rotate blocks that have data related to them.

So, wooden logs display what axis they are aligned with on the F3 debug screen. This means you can rotate a log in any of the three directions with a command. The same is possible with stairs as well in Minecraft. However, in the case of slabs, there is only the type data, which can be top or bottom. If there were also values like facing or rotation, then you would be able to create vertical slabs without much effort.

Of course, this command would only be available while the cheats are enabled, so creative builders would have endless opportunities to play around with vertical slabs. But if somebody wants to try them out in their solo survival world, they can.

All in all, vertical slabs are one of the variations of blocks that don’t exist in the game, but would definitely make building more diverse. Many people would love to see them in Minecraft one day, but others find them unnecessary. Which side are you on? Would you like to see vertical slabs in vanilla Minecraft? Tell us in the comments below!