How do you make an effective Minecraft mob trap?

Question

Alright, so what's the best way to go about making a good mob trap in Minecraft? Here are some traits I'd like to have in the trap:

1. Easy to build.

   Although I have (or can easily obtain) whatever materials needed for a mob trap, I'd prefer it to be simple, as I have a talent for melting myself in lava, falling down extremely deep pits, and other unfortunate accidents.

2. Completely reliable.

   Preferably, once I build this trap, I'd like it to be mob-proof, with no chance of 3 spiders clogging the trap for an hour. Additionally (although this isn't quite so important), it would be nice for there to be an escape route, in case I accidentally fall into the trap myself.

3. Good item-gathering.

   Self-explanatory. I want the trap to gather all of the items (losing string I don't care about, but I want to collect all the useful drops like gunpowder and arrows), and deposit them via water/whatever method works at a nice drop-off point outside the trap.

So, given these three preferred qualities, what would be some good traps for me to build?

Answer 1

I highly recommend Etho's excellent subterranean spawning pads with a water-based mobevator for moving mobs to the surface. An ammended tutorial for the mob-spawner and transporter can be found here.

The video doesn't include a mob-killing mechanism but there are multiple examples on his youtube channel. Personally I prefer transporting them a bit to the side of the mobevator, then leading them up a 2x2x4 tube of water with signs creating a gap one tile up from the ground. The mobs swim to the top and drown in the enclosed 2x2x2 cube of water, while their drops fall through the gap and into the bottom 2x2x1 water stream that you can channel wherever you want to.

[Edit: I forgot to address your requirements.]

Easy to build? It requires nothing but pickaxes and a bucket. Glass makes it easier to construct but isn't necessary.

Completely reliable? I have never seen a clog, ever, nor has it ever failed to kill a mob.

Good item-gathering? 100% recovered drops, no lava or cacti to destroy them and you can channel them to a single tile anywhere you want with the output water stream.

Answer 2

My favourite mob trap by far is this record-farming one. It's based on standard trap principles that you've no doubt read about on the wiki and elsewhere, and will collect all the standard mob drops such as string/arrows/bones etc. I love it for the simple fact that it shows that with enough ingenuity, anything is possible in Minecraft!

Answer 3

Go to Here

I recommend the one called "Practical Monster Trap for SMP-PVP" for getting started on the in and outs, but there are a lot more on the list.

Answer 4

I'm building this one. It doesn't require any lava, just water, signs, glass, and a stone half-block. It even includes a monster-proof escape hatch in case you fall in. No monster drops get lost or burned. They are all collectible standing in one spot. And as shown in the video it works on all monsters as well as passive animals (even chickens).

Answer 5

I suggest you build the trap underground. This is easier than having to build a really tall tower (and risk falling yourself). Dig a really deep hole and at the top of it build a large room that is 2 blocks high. Make sure it's large and has no windows or torches. The only tricky part about this is being able to co-ordinate the place where the monsters fall and the opening where you are going to collect the goodies.

This trap will kill 100% of all the mobs as long as you dig the hole deep enough. You can even add some cactus to the bottom of your shaft/hole to make sure that the mobs are dead. This trap also works on minecraft pocket edition.

Answer 6

Try using gravity to help. Build a big shaft with a large room at the top with no light in it. At the bottom of the shaft, put a door to collect all goods. It is easy to build, with any material that does not fall, and reliable if you made the shaft high enough. To gather goods all you need to do is open the door and collect the items. If the monster is still alive, it will be weak and only needs a few hits to finish it off.

How it works: The monsters spawn in the room on top of the shaft. The monsters wander around a bit and fall into the shaft. The monsters die of fall damage and you collect the goodies.