How to Build an Efficient Enderman Farm

An enderman farm is an essential build for players who need large quantities of ender pearls, which are used for ender chests, eyes of ender, and teleportation. Building one also grants significant amounts of experience points (XP), making it invaluable for enchanting and repairing gear. This guide will help you create an efficient enderman farm in the End dimension, which is unequivocally the best place to farm endermen in Minecraft due to their unique spawning mechanics there.

Basic Principles

Understanding the spawning mechanics of endermen is crucial for building an effective farm. Getting this right maximizes the number of endermen that appear in your designated spawning zones and minimizes unwanted spawns elsewhere.

Spawn Mechanics

• End Dimension:

  • Endermen spawn naturally and frequently throughout the End dimension, especially on the main End island and outer islands.
  • They require a light level of 0 to spawn in the End dimension. While they can spawn up to light level 7 in the Overworld, the End has a specific requirement of complete darkness (light level 0) for natural enderman spawning. This makes controlling spawns much easier.
  • They typically spawn in groups of 1-4 individuals at a time within a valid spawning location.
  • They can spawn on almost any solid block, including End Stone, Obsidian, and common building blocks like Cobblestone or Stone Bricks. Be mindful of blocks like glass, leaves, slabs (in the bottom half), and glowstone, as mobs cannot spawn on these.

• Spawn Conditions:

  • Endermen require a clear vertical space of 1x1x3 blocks to spawn successfully. Ensure your spawning platforms have at least three blocks of air above them.
  • Their spawn rate is significantly higher in the End compared to the Overworld or Nether, making it the prime location for farming. The End's mob cap is predominantly filled by endermen, unlike the Overworld where various mobs compete for the cap.
  • Mobs, including endermen, do not spawn within a 24-block radius (spherical) of the player. They spawn most frequently in the zone between 24 and 32 blocks from the player. Spawns can occur up to 128 blocks away, but efficiency drops significantly at greater distances. Your farm's AFK spot should leverage this mechanic.
  • Unlike Overworld mobs, time of day (night/day cycle) does not exist in the End, so endermen spawn constantly as long as conditions are met and the player is nearby.

Farm Types

There are several designs for Enderman farms, ranging from simple starter setups to highly optimized XP-generating machines.

1. Basic Enderman Farm

This type is perfect for players who have just defeated the Ender Dragon or need a moderate amount of pearls without investing heavily in complex redstone or large amounts of resources.

Best for:

• Early game enderman needs (getting enough pearls for initial End Cities exploration, Ender Chests).
• Simple construction, often requiring only basic building blocks, some trapdoors, and possibly leaves.
• Limited resources; can be built primarily with cobblestone or end stone obtained nearby.

Key Components:

• Spawning platforms: Typically a large, flat area (e.g., 30x30 blocks or larger) built at least 3 blocks high, made of a spawnable material like End Stone or Cobblestone. Ensure it's completely dark (light level 0). Placing blocks like leaves or bottom slabs around the edges can help funnel endermen towards the center.
• Collection system: A central drop chute or designated area where endermen gather. This could be as simple as a 3x3 hole leading down.
• Killing mechanism: Often relies on fall damage. A drop of exactly 43 blocks will leave endermen with half a heart (1 health point), allowing for easy one-hit kills with even a bare fist, maximizing XP gain. Alternatively, a deeper drop can kill them automatically, sacrificing XP for item collection only.
• AFK spot: Positioned strategically, usually about 30 blocks above the center of the spawning platform or below the killing floor, to ensure endermen spawn consistently on the platforms but not too close to the player.

2. Advanced Enderman Farm

Designed for maximum pearl and XP output, these farms often incorporate clever mechanics to aggregate endermen rapidly.

Best for:

• Large enderman requirements (powering elytra flight with rockets crafted using pearls indirectly via shulker boxes, extensive enchanting).
• Maximum efficiency, achieving spawn cap rates quickly.
• High XP rates, allowing players to reach level 30 in minutes.

Key Components:

• Optimized Spawning Platforms: Often multi-layered or designed with specific block patterns to maximize usable spawning spaces within the critical 24-32 block radius from the AFK spot. Preventing spawns outside the farm (e.g., by slabbing or placing water/lava on the End island within 128 blocks) is crucial.
• Endermite Lure: The most common and effective method. An endermite (spawned rarely when throwing Ender Pearls) named with a Name Tag and trapped in a minecart is placed centrally. Endermen are naturally hostile to endermites and will pathfind towards it, falling into the collection/killing mechanism.
• Efficient Killing Mechanism: Trident killers (using pistons to repeatedly push a thrown trident) allow for fully AFK XP collection as the game registers the kills as player kills. Piston crushers or suffocation traps can also be used for automated item collection without XP. Fall damage setups (43 blocks) remain popular for manual XP collection.
• High-Throughput Collection: Often involves hopper minecarts running under the killing floor (beneath slabs or carpets to collect through blocks) feeding into a large storage system, potentially with item sorting.
• Dedicated AFK Booth: A carefully positioned, safe enclosure ensuring the player is at the optimal distance from both the spawning platforms and the endermite lure (if used), while being protected from stray endermen.

Building Steps

Building an enderman farm involves careful planning and execution, especially given the hazardous environment of the End.

1. Preparation

• Find a suitable location in the End: Ideally, build far away from the main End island, out over the void. Bridging out 150-200 blocks is common. This prevents endermen from spawning on the main island and interfering with your farm's rates. Choose a spot where you have ample space below for the drop chute and collection system.
• Gather materials: This varies greatly by farm type.
  • Basic: Stacks of building blocks (Cobblestone, End Stone), Trapdoors, possibly Leaves, Chests, Hoppers.
  • Advanced: Many stacks of building blocks, Leaves/Slabs (for spawn-proofing), Pistons, Redstone Dust, Levers/Buttons, Rails, Minecart, Name Tag, Anvil, Ender Pearls (to get an Endermite), Glass (for containing the endermite), Hoppers, Chests, possibly observers, dispensers, and a Trident. Tools like pickaxes with Efficiency and Silk Touch (for Ender Chests/Shulker Boxes) are vital.
• Plan farm layout: Sketch out the dimensions. How large will the spawning pads be? How many layers? What is the exact drop height needed (43 blocks for one-hit kills)? Where will the AFK spot be relative to the pads and kill zone? How will the collection system be arranged?
• Prepare safety measures: Essential for building over the void. Bring Potions of Slow Falling, ample Scaffolding or temporary bridging blocks, Water Buckets (though water placement is tricky in the End), stacks of food, good armor (Feather Falling IV boots are highly recommended), Ender Pearls for quick escapes, and perhaps a Pumpkin to wear to avoid accidentally angering endermen while building. Setting up a temporary base nearby with a bed (respawn anchor charged with glowstone is needed for the End) can save time if you die.

2. Construction

• Build spawning platforms: Start from your chosen central point and build outwards. A common advanced design uses a large platform (e.g., 40x40) with a central 3x3 or 5x5 opening. Ensure the platform is made of spawnable blocks and is at least 3 blocks high in terms of air space above it. Place trapdoors along the edges of the central drop chute, opened downwards, to trick endermen into walking off. Place leaves or bottom slabs on top of the platform edges and any other surfaces you don't want endermen spawning on.
• Create mob transportation:
  • Gravity: The simplest method. Endermen walk or are pushed off platforms into a drop chute.
  • Endermite Lure: Build a small containment unit (often using glass) for the named endermite in a minecart, positioned centrally below the spawning platform(s) but above the killing floor. Endermen on the platforms will aggro onto the endermite and pathfind towards it, falling into the chute. Remember to name the endermite with a Name Tag to prevent despawning.
  • Pushing Mechanisms: Pistons can be used, but are generally less efficient for large platforms than lures or simple gravity/trapdoor setups.
• Implement killing mechanism:
  • Fall Damage: Build a vertical chute extending exactly 43 blocks down from the ledge where endermen fall off. The landing pad should be small (e.g., 1x1 or 2x2) to concentrate them.
  • Trident Killer: At the bottom of the chute, construct a piston mechanism that rotates a thrown trident, damaging mobs standing within its area. This allows AFK XP gain.
  • Suffocation/Crushing: Use pistons to push blocks into the endermen's head-space or body, causing damage until death. Good for item collection, no XP.
• Add collection system: Place hoppers below the killing floor/landing pad, feeding into chests. For high-volume farms, use multiple hopper lines or a hopper minecart running on rails beneath the landing zone, unloading into a larger storage array (potentially with sorting capabilities).

3. Optimization

• Add multiple layers: For significantly higher rates, stack identical spawning platforms vertically. Maintain at least 3 blocks of air space above each platform. Ensure each layer effectively funnels endermen to the central drop. Keep layers within the 128-block spawn sphere of the AFK spot. Optimal spacing is often debated but ensure mobs don't spawn too close (within 24 blocks) to the AFK spot.
• Improve killing mechanism: If starting with manual kills, upgrade to a Trident Killer for AFK capability. Ensure the trident killer is chunk-aligned or properly enclosed if necessary, especially on servers, to prevent the trident from phasing through blocks.
• Enhance collection system: If chests fill too quickly, expand the storage using more hoppers and double chests, or implement an item sorter to separate pearls from other potential drops (though endermen only drop pearls). Consider using shulker loaders for bulk storage.
• Create AFK spot: Build a small, safe room or platform at the calculated optimal distance (typically ~30 blocks below the killing floor for fall damage setups, or ~30 blocks horizontally/vertically from the center of the spawning platforms/lure). Ensure it's completely enclosed and lit to prevent any stray endermen from reaching you. Glass is often used for visibility.

Advanced Tips

Fine-tuning your farm can significantly boost its output and usability.

Efficiency Improvements

• Use Looting III sword: When manually killing endermen left with half a heart, using a sword enchanted with Looting III dramatically increases ender pearl drops (up to 4 pearls per enderman). This is essential for maximizing pearl collection alongside XP. Sweeping Edge can help kill multiple endermen at once if they clump up on the kill platform.
• Implement proper mob health management: Ensure your fall damage drop is exactly 43 blocks. A 42-block drop requires two hits, slowing down XP collection, while a 44-block drop kills them outright, yielding no XP. Test this carefully.
• Add automatic collection: Hopper minecarts running under the kill floor (often beneath slabs or carpet, as they can pull items through these blocks) are far more efficient at picking up drops over a wider area than static hoppers, preventing item despawning during high-volume operation. Ensure the minecart unloads completely into hoppers leading to your storage.
• Create backup systems: For large storage systems, implement overflow protection. When primary chests are full, items can be redirected to secondary storage or destroyed (e.g., cactus or lava) to prevent lag caused by excessive item entities if the collection system backs up entirely. Ensure your endermite is secure; if it escapes or dies, the farm's efficiency plummets. Have backup name tags and minecarts ready.
• Endermite Placement and Handling: The endermite must be within the detection range of endermen on the spawning platforms (typically within ~16-32 blocks). Ensure it cannot take damage (e.g., from player sweep attacks if manually killing nearby). Re-log or move far away and back if endermen stop pathfinding correctly, as sometimes the aggro mechanism needs resetting.

Safety Considerations

• Build proper lighting: While the spawning platforms must be dark (light level 0), thoroughly light up your AFK spot, collection area, access tunnels, and any surrounding End terrain you might have bridged over or built upon. This prevents accidental enderman spawns where you don't want them.
• Create safe access points: Use enclosed ladder shafts, bubble elevators, or Nether portal links to safely travel between your farm and your main End base or portal. Avoid open bridges where endermen could spawn or knock you off.
• Add emergency exits: Keep Ender Pearls or Chorus Fruit handy in your AFK spot. If the enclosure is breached or something goes wrong, having a quick way to teleport away can save you. Water buckets are less reliable due to End placement rules but can sometimes save you from fall damage if placed quickly on a nearby block.
• Implement fail-safes: Consider adding a lever that can deactivate the killing mechanism (e.g., stop the trident killer or retract crushing pistons) in case you need to access the kill chamber. Ensure the endermite containment is robust and cannot be easily broken by stray projectiles or accidental hits. Wearing a carved pumpkin prevents endermen from becoming hostile if you look at them, which can be useful during construction or maintenance, although it slightly obstructs vision.

Remember that a well-designed enderman farm, particularly an advanced one utilizing an endermite lure, can provide you with virtually unlimited ender pearls and become one of the fastest sources of XP in your Minecraft world, crucial for late-game enchanting, repairs, and travel.