A shield is the cheapest answer to a skeleton. The recipe is the same idea on Java and Bedrock: planks around an iron ingot, with the bottom-middle slot left empty.
Recipe
| Top | Middle | Bottom |
|---|---|---|
| Any plank | Any plank | Any plank |
| Any plank | Iron ingot | Any plank |
| Any plank | Empty | Any plank |
That is six planks and one iron ingot. Any wood works. Put the shield in your off-hand on Java, or in the off-hand slot Bedrock shows beside the hotbar.
Using it
- Hold the use key or the shield button to raise it.
- Arrows that hit the face of the shield do not hurt you.
- An axe can disable a shield for a moment. Do not stand in front of a vindicator and assume you are a wall.
- Creepers still explode. A shield is not a license to hug them.
A banner on the front
Craft a banner, then combine it with the shield. On Java that combination happens in the crafting grid. The pattern is cosmetic and it makes your group easier to tell apart.
On this page
Each line jumps to a section. Click a line to change the words.