Melee combat
Swords deal full base damage with each strike. Without shields or offhand items, controlling distance and hitting mobs before they close in is essential.
Weapons
| Weapon | Damage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fist | 1 (half a heart) | Last resort. |
| Wooden sword | 4 | First real weapon. |
| Stone sword | 5 | Cheap and reliable. |
| Iron sword | 6 | Standard mid-game weapon. |
| Diamond sword | 7 | Best melee in Beta 1.7.3. |
Axes and picks deal far less damage than a sword and use durability doing it. Keep a sword in your hotbar; use tools only on blocks.
Armour
In Beta 1.7.3, all complete armor sets provide identical damage reduction. A full suit of leather absorbs the same incoming damage as diamond; only durability varies. See Beta vs modern for the full list of armour changes.
- Each equipped piece reduces incoming damage; a full set gives the highest damage reduction regardless of material.
- Iron and diamond armour protect equally: craft iron armour first and keep diamonds for tools and a sword.
- Durability is the only material difference: leather wears out fastest, diamond the slowest.
- No Protection enchantments, no armour toughness, no netherite and no armour trims: a plain full set is the protection ceiling.
Weapons and armour recipes
Sword and armor recipes share the same grid layouts across all tiers. Substitute wood, stone, iron, gold or diamond into the pattern to craft that material tier.
Wooden Sword
Sword
Iron Helmet
Iron Chestplate
Iron Leggings
Iron Boots
Ranged options
Bows provide ranged combat in Beta 1.7.3, firing arrows crafted four at a time from flint, a stick, and a feather. Skeletons also drop arrows when defeated.
Bow
Arrow
Fighting each mob
| Mob | How to fight it |
|---|---|
| Zombie | Backpedal while swinging; fight them one at a time in a doorway. |
| Skeleton | Close distance or use cover rather than trading shots in the open. |
| Creeper | Hit and back off. Never fight one next to your base. |
| Spider | Kill it before it climbs above you; watch low ceilings. |
| Slime | Small slimes deal chip damage; clear them before mining. |
Funnel mobs through a one-block gap, keep your back to a wall, and always leave a retreat lane. Without sprint you cannot disengage from a bad position.