How To: Build an Impenetrable Fortress

A good, sturdy home is very important in Minecraft. A squared off home prevents mobs from breaking in when you sleep. Obsidian discourages people from breaking in your home in multiplayer, unless they have a diamond pick.

Let's start with the basics. A good, sturdy home need to be squared off (in the shape of a square with no cutting corners), have a way of entry like a door or minecart ride (that sounds fun), and be sturdy enough to not be devastated by a creeper blast.

Why does it need to be squared off? Because when you sleep at night , monsters can come in. So you'll be fighting monsters all night instead of dreaming about you being king over the NPCs.

The best example of a great home is that of an NPC. A good squared off home, decorative, and, with some, a flat roof and a ladder do that you can snipe mobs. Some have gardens in the front with a fence around it. A good idea. Not only does it look nice, it helps protect creepers and other creepy-crawlies from getting near your home.

That being said, some NPC homes are not such a great example. With no doors and what-not. That's the perfect invitation for a mob to intrude upon your dreams of laughing at your NPC peasants.

In multiplayer, mobs are the least of your worries. Players will break into your home just to steal your goodies. Door or not. So make a home out of obsidian so only people with diamond picks can quickly break into your home. People with iron picks can break in, but it will take them one minute to break one obsidian block. That's one Minecraft hour. So for them to actually break in, it will take them two Minecraft hours. Not to mention obsidian is explosion-proof, so they can't blast their way in.

If you really want to be mean, you can make a secret entrance only you know about. Then make a big, obvious entrance with an iron door. Iron doors can only be opened by a switch. So place a button for the door on the outside, but not the inside. So they'll be trapped. Of course they can always dig out, but make a pool of lava underneath the blocks. Just the block they're standing on separating them from their fiery doom.

Of course all this would be useless if you are playing on single player.

-Nick