8

I've started playing minecraft just yesterday and I'm doing alright and I even had a house up but I don't have a bow or anything like that and a skeleton is basically killing me over and over again.

Is there a way I can get rid of him or should I start over in another part of the world?

Improve this question
1

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
13

Don't restart! Don't change the difficulty to peaceful! (Though, of course, you can.) Part of the fun is getting obliterated on your first few nights :D

Here are some strategies:

  • Fight! The skeleton will circle you, so circle it so that you 'spin around each other' as you get closer to it. This is better than running straight at it, though you can do that too. Once you land your first punch, which will knock the skeleton back, keep moving towards the skeleton and keep punching! You only need to hit it 10 times for the kill.
  • Flight! Strafe (by pressing A or D) as you run. Get to higher ground, and avoid other monsters. Dig a hole straight down into the dirt and cower inside of it.
  • Freeze! Find creative ways to let the skeleton kill you until the morning, at which point you'll be more or less safe.
  • As a last resort, change the difficulty to easy (by pushing escape) until you get the hang of things.

After you survive, you should build yourself a shelter, and find a way to get light. There are a number of tutorials for 'surviving your first night' (you can look this up on youtube), but they'll just spoil your fun. All you really need to know is: a log becomes a plank, a plank above another plank becomes sticks, and coal (which you find and mine) above a stick is a torch.

If you have some blocks with you, a good strategy is to put a 3-block-high wall (or pillar) between you and the skeleton. If it's two blocks high, the skeleton can't jump over it, and if it's 3 blocks high, the skeleton can't jump-and-shoot over the wall. Keep this wall between you and the skeleton. Once the skeleton is right on the opposite side of the wall, slowly edge to the side, so that you're peeking past the corner. The skeleton will slide sideways to peek at you (and try to shoot you, but you should be safe). Once you see the skeleton, hit it. It'll bounce backwards. Repeat until it's dead. This works much better in caves, where the skeleton can't circle.

Improve this answer
8
  • 2
    I'd use "Fill Time" instead of "Freeze", but otherwise, yes. ;)
    – Raven Dreamer
    May 6, 2011 at 5:16
  • I do have a house and a door and all but that skeleton is really annoying me. So I guess I'll go punch it til it dies. I have a rock sword.
    – Nicolas de Fontenay
    May 6, 2011 at 5:28
  • @ndefontenay great! Stone swords do 3 hearts worth of damage, while a fist does only 1. The skeleton has 10 hearts, so you need only 4 swings. I didn't realize you had items - I'll edit my answer. @Raven I was trying to be catchy :)
    – user6234456
    May 6, 2011 at 5:40
  • 1
    I made myself a nice little cave but some green stuff ran up to me (and I thought I was high enough), blow itself from outside and all my stuff got all over the place. I spawned back to my default spot and it was dark. From then on, things got hard.
    – Nicolas de Fontenay
    May 6, 2011 at 5:49
  • 3
    One feature that I always add to my shelters is a back door. I hate it when there's a creeper knocking at the front door.
    – Arkive
    May 6, 2011 at 15:08
1

Either light the area in which you live so that no mobs spawn near (mobs cannot spawn in light) or make a bed so you can sleep and avoid them at night.

Bed:

making a bed in minecraft

Blank |Blank |Blank

Wool |Wool |Wool

Wood|Wood|Wood

Makes:

minecraft bed

and

making a torch in minecraft

Makes:

minecraft torch

Improve this answer
1
  • I like the pictures. :)
    – ver
    Aug 16, 2014 at 8:06
0

The best thing to do is cower in a hole until morning then the skeletons and zombies will burn.

You can then get a bed and sleep at night. You only need 3 wool and 3 wooden planks.

As for the creepers, you can fend them of with your wood/stone sword.

Improve this answer
0

Ok so I can give you a tip if you make a new world! Start of with the basics by destroying a tree, then just make some sticks, then make a crafting table, then just make a wooden pickaxe, and then mine some stone and make a sword, try to do that in less than a minute, then go out on an adventure to kill some sheeps, you'll need their wool to make a bed! Then just make a bed, and when it is starting to get dark, go to sleep! This way you can survive the first night without worrying about any monsters! That is always how I do it.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .