This article explains how to summon a Wither, a boss of the Nether (Underworld), in Minecraft. The operation to do this is the same on computers, consoles and in the mobile versions of the game. Be warned, the Wither is an incredibly difficult boss to deal with, even with the best weapons and armor, so make sure you have plenty of healing items and an escape plan on hand if things go wrong.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Summon a Wither
Step 1. Reach the Nether
To summon a Wither, you need to procure materials that are only available in the Nether.
Step 2. Get the required materials
You need two Nether items:
- 3 Wither skeleton skulls: Kill Wither Skeletons, the black skeletons found in Nether fortresses (in the console edition, you can find them all over the Nether). Each skeleton has a 2.5% chance to drop a skull.
- 4 blocks of soul sand: You can find this dark sand everywhere in the Nether.
Step 3. Go back to the normal world
Exit the Nether by returning to your portal and through it.
Step 4. Prepare for confrontation
The battle with the Wither can go on for a long time, so you need to be ready. Since the fight can drag on and go underground, it's advisable to brew a couple of Night Vision potions. They are very useful because the Wither will probably destroy your flashlights. Potions of Regeneration, Healing, Strength and Golden Apples (especially when enchanted) are also of great help.
It is strongly recommended to use a diamond sword with Anathema V, a diamond armor with Protection IV and a bow with Power IV or V. Also, it is recommended to fight the Wither in the Nether, in a small area. In this way, it will not be able to destroy anything of value
Step 5. Find the right spot to summon the boss
The Wither destroys all blocks it touches and its bullets cause explosions. Make sure you don't start the fight near structures or characters you want to protect.
If you beat the Enddragon in the End, this is a great place to summon Wither. The boss will focus his attention on the Endermen. You can either let it take out the monsters to get a good supply of End Pearls, or bring the Wither to mid-life so it can no longer fly and wait for the Endermen to finish it
Step 6. Make sure you can summon the Wither
To do this, you cannot play on Peaceful difficulty and you cannot have mods installed.
Step 7. Create the sand structure of the souls
You need a sand T-altar of souls, with one block on the ground, one superimposed on the first and one to the right and left of the second.
It is important to create the altar before adding the skulls, because the last block you place to summon the Wither must be a skull
Step 8. Place a Wither skeleton skull on each of the altar blocks
Make sure the three skulls are on top of the top three blocks of the T-frame.
Step 9. Prepare for the boss to arrive
Once the last skull is placed, you will see a health bar appear at the top of the screen and the Wither summoning will start.
Part 2 of 2: Fighting the Wither
Step 1. Get as far away as possible
The Wither explodes when its health bar fills up completely; this blast is enough to kill you instantly, so get as far away as possible before the boss summon ends.
Step 2. Don't hide
The Wither always knows where you are and detonates any blocks it touches. The best tactic is to back off while attacking instead of hiding and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Step 3. Keep moving
Don't stop if the Wither is close to you or you'll become an easy target.
Step 4. Treat yourself as often as possible
A fraction of health can mean the difference between life and death.
Step 5. Use the arrows for the first half of the fight
If you have a bow, your best strategy is to shoot the Wither as you back off. Unfortunately, the boss becomes immune to arrows once his health reaches 50%.
Step 6. Hit the Wither as fast as possible
Once it has lost half its health, it will drop to your level. This is your chance to quickly strike him with your sword, so attack him as you turn around him.
- Avoiding the boss attacks while hitting him is the only way to finish the fight and kill him.
- The Wither regenerates its health, so you must always keep attacking it.
Step 7. Collect the loot dropped by the boss at the end of the fight
Once you've defeated the Wither, be sure to collect the star he drops. You can use it to build a lighthouse.
Advice
- Since Wither is undead, you can wound him with Heal potions and heal him with Wounded ones.
- The Wither shoots blue skulls from its central head. It does this even if it has no targets to hit. They travel more slowly, but cause very serious damage to the ground.
- The snow golems shoot snowballs at the Wither, distracting him as soon as he is summoned. You can use this opportunity to your advantage and try to hit the boss as quickly as possible.
- If you run away from the Wither, it won't attack you.
- Use the bedrock to hold the Wither.
