
How to Build an Efficient Totem of Undying Farm in Minecraft
Learn how to construct an automated totem farm by mastering Evoker spawning mechanics, building techniques, and optimization strategies for maximum efficiency.
Totems of Undying are among the most valuable items in Minecraft, providing players with a second chance at life when facing deadly situations. Understanding what a totem of undying is and what it does is essential before building your farm. These precious artifacts are exclusively dropped by Evokers, making them rare and highly sought after. If you're new to obtaining totems, check out our guide on how to get totem of undying before attempting to build a farm. Building an efficient totem farm can ensure you never run out of these life-saving items. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about creating your own automated totem farm.
Understanding Evoker Spawning Mechanics
Before diving into construction, it's crucial to understand how Evokers spawn and behave. Evokers are hostile illager mobs that naturally generate in two specific locations: Woodland Mansions and during Raids.
Woodland Mansion Spawning
Evokers spawn naturally in Woodland Mansions, but only in specific rooms. They generate during world creation and don't respawn once killed, making mansions a finite source. However, for farming purposes, we'll focus on the more sustainable raid-based approach.
Raid Mechanics and Evoker Spawning
The most reliable method for farming totems involves triggering raids in villages. Here's how the mechanics work:
Raid Triggers: Raids begin when a player with the Bad Omen effect enters a village. You can obtain Bad Omen by killing a Pillager Captain (identifiable by their banner).
Wave System: Raids consist of multiple waves, with Evokers appearing in later waves. In Hard difficulty, Evokers spawn in waves 5, 6, and 7 of a raid, with up to 5 Evokers total per raid.
Spawning Conditions: Evokers require a 2-block high space to spawn and will appear within the village boundaries. They can spawn on any solid block that meets the village's spawning criteria.
Farm Construction: Materials and Step-by-Step Guide
Building an effective totem farm requires careful planning and specific materials. Here's what you'll need and how to construct your farm:
Required Materials
- Building Blocks: 200-300 cobblestone or similar solid blocks
- Water Buckets: 4-6 buckets for mob transportation
- Redstone Components: 20-30 redstone dust, 10 repeaters, 5 comparators
- Iron: 10-15 iron ingots for hoppers and iron doors
- Glass: 50-100 blocks for observation and light management
- Villager Beds: 10-20 beds to establish the village
- Villager Workstations: 5-10 various workstation blocks
Construction Steps
Step 1: Village Preparation Start by locating or creating a village. If building from scratch, place at least 10 beds and 5 workstations within a 96-block radius. Ensure villagers can pathfind to these blocks to establish proper village mechanics.
Step 2: Spawn Platform Creation Build a 20x20 platform above the village center, approximately 30 blocks high. This platform should be well-lit to prevent other mob spawns. Create a 3-block high enclosure around the perimeter to contain the raiders.
Step 3: Collection System Beneath the spawn platform, construct a water-based collection system. Use water streams to funnel mobs toward a central killing chamber. The water should flow toward hoppers that will collect the drops.
Step 4: Killing Mechanism Design an automated killing system using either:
- Fall damage: 23-block drop for most mobs
- Magma block suffocation: Safer but slower
- Manual killing area: Allows for looting enchantments
Step 5: Raid Trigger System Create a system to easily trigger raids. Build a small outpost nearby where you can kill Pillager Captains to obtain Bad Omen, then quickly return to your farm.
Step 6: Player Safety Bunker Construct a secure observation area where you can monitor the raid progress while remaining safe from hostile mobs. Include storage for collected items and a bed for respawn point.
Optimization and Safety Measures
To maximize your totem farm's efficiency and ensure safe operation, consider these optimization strategies and safety measures:
Efficiency Optimization
Difficulty Settings: Always run your farm on Hard difficulty to maximize Evoker spawns. This increases both the number of raid waves and the quantity of Evokers per wave.
Village Size Management: Maintain an optimal village size. Too small, and raids will be weak; too large, and mobs may spawn in inconvenient locations. Aim for 10-20 villagers for balanced raids.
Spawn Area Design: Create multiple spawn platforms at different heights to increase spawning space. This reduces the chance of mobs spawning in unwanted areas and improves collection rates.
Looting Enchantment: Use a sword with Looting III to increase totem drop rates. Evokers have a base drop rate of 1 totem, but Looting III can increase this significantly. Learn more about how to use totem of undying effectively once you've collected them.
Raid Completion Speed: Design your system to complete raids quickly. Faster raid completion means more raids per hour, directly increasing totem production.
Essential Safety Measures
Emergency Exits: Always include multiple escape routes from your farm. Raids can become overwhelming, and having quick exits can save your life and items.
Backup Systems: Install redundant collection systems in case primary hoppers become overwhelmed or blocked. This prevents valuable totems from despawning.
Lighting Management: Properly light all areas to prevent unwanted mob spawns. Use a combination of torches, glowstone, and sea lanterns to maintain optimal lighting levels.
Villager Protection: Secure your villagers in a raid-proof bunker. If villagers die during raids, your farm's effectiveness will decrease significantly. Use iron doors and proper lighting to keep them safe.
Item Management: Implement an efficient storage system with multiple chests and item sorters. This prevents inventory overflow and ensures you don't lose valuable drops.
Regular Maintenance: Schedule regular maintenance checks to repair any damage from raids, replace broken components, and restock necessary materials.
Advanced Tips for Maximum Productivity
For experienced players looking to push their totem farms to the limit, consider these advanced strategies:
Multi-Village Systems: Connect multiple villages to run simultaneous raids, dramatically increasing totem production rates.
Automated Bad Omen Generation: Create automated systems to generate Bad Omen effects, reducing manual intervention required.
Selective Mob Targeting: Use name tags and specific mob movement patterns to target Evokers while filtering out other raid mobs.
Conclusion
Building an efficient totem farm requires understanding Evoker mechanics, careful construction, and ongoing optimization. While the initial setup demands significant resources and time investment, the long-term benefits of having unlimited access to Totems of Undying make it worthwhile for serious Minecraft players.
Remember that totem farming is an advanced technique that works best when you have established infrastructure and resources. Since you can't make a totem of undying through crafting, farming is the only reliable way to obtain multiple totems. Start with smaller, simpler designs and gradually expand as you gain experience with raid mechanics and mob behavior.
With proper planning, construction, and safety measures, your totem farm will become an invaluable asset in your Minecraft survival arsenal, ensuring you're always prepared for the game's most dangerous encounters.
Author
San is a Minecraft customization expert specializing in custom totems and texture pack creation. As the lead creator for Custom Totems, San combines years of experience in digital art and game modding with deep knowledge of Minecraft's visual systems to help players create stunning personalized totems.
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