Allay

This article is about the Minecraft passive mob that collects items. For the hostile mob summoned by evokers, see Vex. For the mob in Minecraft Dungeons that inspired the allay, see MCD:Wisp. For the mob in Minecraft Legends, see MCL:Allay.

## Allay

### Spawn

Pillager Outpost
Woodland Mansion

### Usable items

* Amethyst Shard
* Lead
* Name Tag
* Any item

## Details

### Size

Height: 0.6 Blocks
Width: 0.6 Blocks

 The **allay** ( /əˈleɪ/ *uh-ʟᴀʏ*) is a flying passive mob that collects and delivers items for any player that gives it something or any note block it hears recently playing.

## Spawning

Allays can be found surrounding pillager outposts, confined inside dark oak cages. One to three allays can spawn in each cage. They spawn here with a 50% chance.

Allays can also spawn inside jail cells within woodland mansions. One to three allays can spawn in each cell. They spawn here with a 50% chance

## **Duplication/Breeding**

Allay can be duplicated/bred by playing a Music Disk in a Jukebox with Allay nearby and than clicking the Allay with a Amethyst Shard while they are dancing. Unlike other mobs only 1 allay is needed for breeding/duplication and they have no baby variant.

## Behavior

The allay's luminous texture allows it to be seen clearly in the dark, although it doesn't illuminate its surroundings.

The allay is small, peaceful and flies aimlessly until a player gives it an item with their use key. The allay starts following the player and seeks out dropped versions of the same item to deliver them to its player. The allay returns to wandering around if any player takes its item back by using an empty hand on it.

The allay locks onto the player that last gave it an item. This allay follows the player from up to a 64-block cubic area away and seeks items up to a 32-block cubic area away from the player. After delivering items, the allay has a delay of three seconds until it can seek items again. An allay has a single inventory slot to hold a stack of items (usually 64 items) in addition to the item it got from the player. While the allay does not discern enchantments, special item names or items in shulker boxes when it seeks, it still carries such items in separate trips.

Allays don't pick up any items if the game rule `/gamerule *mobGriefing*` is set to `false`, but the player can still give the allay items with the use key.

If the allay hears a note block play within 16 blocks of its location while delivering items, it will instead deliver its items to the note block and then spend 30 seconds around that particular note block, seeking items around it and returning them to it instead of its player. The allay returns to targeting its player after 30 seconds. A vibration particle emanates from the note block and reaches the allay to indicate the allay has locked on to the note block. Because the allay and the note block interact via a vibration particle, placing wool between the note block and the allay can prevent this sound interaction.

The allay can pick up items within a radius of about 1.3 blocks from itself and drop items up to 3 blocks away from its player or note block.

An allay performs a dance animation when there is a nearby jukebox playing. If the jukebox stops playing or if the allay gets too far away from the jukebox, it stops dancing. If the allay is given an amethyst shard while dancing, it plays a small amethyst sound, makes a heart animation and duplicates into another allay. After that duplication, both allays have a five minute cooldown before being able to duplicate again.

The allay cannot enter water, although it attempts to gather items that are under water.

Allays cannot be harmed by their interacted owners. If they are harmed by another source, they fly away for a few seconds. When killed, allays drop the items they were holding. If an allay dies while holding a totem of undying, it instead returns to full health and the totem is destroyed, as with any mob holding a totem of undying. Allays naturally regenerate 2 per second if damaged.

In *Java Edition*, using a lead or a named name tag performs the item's normal function, instead of giving it to the allay.

### Teleportation

**This feature is exclusive to  *Bedrock Edition*.**

When a player teleports through a nether portal, the player's allay teleports also, even if it does not enter the portal.

When a player teleports through an end portal, the allay teleports to the End only if a player gives the allay an item before teleporting and must be nearby the player as they teleport.

Allays holding an item follow the player through a portal if they are 21 blocks horizontally to the player or if they are within 22 blocks vertically of the player's legs. Allays do not travel through portals regardless of how close they are if they are tethered to a fence with a lead.

## Sounds

*Java Edition*: Allays use the Friendly Creatures sound category for entity-dependent sound events.

1. ↑ Can be 0.5625, 0.625, 0.75, 0.375, 1.0, 1.0, 1.125, 1.25, 1.5, 1.875, 2.0, or 2.25

*Bedrock Edition*:

1. ↑ Can be 0.5, 0.5625, 0.625, 0.75, 0.9375, 1, 1.125, 1.25, 1.5, 1.875, 2, 2.25, 2.5, 3, 3.75, or 4

## Data values

### ID

*Java Edition*:

*Bedrock Edition*:

### Entity data

Allays have entity data associated with them that contain various properties.

*Java Edition*:

Main article: Entity format

* Entity data
	+ Tags common to all entities
	+ Tags common to all mobs
	+ CanDuplicate: 1 or 0 (true/false) – true if the allay can duplicate. This is set to `false` when the allay duplicates, and `true` when `DuplicationCooldown` reaches 0.
	+ DuplicationCooldown: The allay's duplication cooldown in ticks. This is set to 6000 game ticks (5 minutes) when the allay duplicates.
	+ Inventory: List of items the allay has picked up. This list can contain at most one compound tag. The item given by the player to the allay is stored in its `HandItems[0]` tag, not here.
		- Tags common to all items
	+ listener: The vibration event listener of this allay.
		- distance: Nonnegative integer.
		- event: Optional.
			* distance: Nonnegative integer.
			* game\_event: A resource location of the game event.
			* pos: Three doubles representing the X, Y, and Z coordinates.
			* projectile\_owner: Optional. The projectile owner's UUID. The 128-bit UUID is stored as four 32-bit integers, ordered from most to least significant.
			* source: Optional. The source entity's UUID. The 128-bit UUID is stored as four 32-bit integers, ordered from most to least significant.
		- event\_delay: Nonnegative integer.
		- event\_distance: Nonnegative integer.
		- range: Nonnegative integer.
		- source: Position source.
			* type: A resource location of the position source type.
			* For type `block`
				+ pos: X, Y, and Z coordinates.
			* For type `entity`
				+ source\_entity: The entity's UUID. The 128-bit UUID is stored as four 32-bit integers, ordered from most to least significant.
				+ y\_offset:

*Bedrock Edition*:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Entity format.

## Issues

Issues relating to "Allay" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

## Trivia

* The allay was originally planned for the Nether Update.
* Some previous names considered for the allay were the **wisp** and the **pixie**.
* The allays were created to solve the problem of how players would build structures and collect resources in *Minecraft Legends* while focusing on defending the overworld.
* The reason why allay duplication uses amethyst shards is because the item is renewable, has a musical sound that fits with the allay, and it adds more value to amethyst geodes.
* According to the "meet the allay" article on Minecraft.net, the reason why allays can be tamed by players is because they form a "magical connection" when that player gives it an item. This bond is what prevents players from accidentally harming their allay.
* Originally, Mojang considered having allays naturally spawn within forest biomes. However, the reason they went with pillager outposts and woodland mansions, was because they wanted to highlight the companionship aspect.
	+ It has also been theorized that the reason for why Illagers capture Allays in the first place is likely because of their connection with the Vexes.
* Despite that they are flying mobs, allays can destroy turtle eggs when on top of them.

## Gallery

### Animations

* An allay holding an item.
* An allay idling.
* An allay flying.
* An allay flying in a different angle.
* An allay dancing.

### Screenshots

* An allay trapped in a prison in a woodland mansion.
* Some allays trapped in an outpost cage.
* Top down view of some allays trapped in an outpost cage.
* A few allays trapped in a prison in a woodland mansion from inside.
* Comparation between the Allay and the Vex.

### Developer Images

* The first in game image of the allay being teased in the top middle by Ulraf.
* An allay in Bedrock Edition beta 1.18.30.22.
* A few allays trapped in a cage in a savanna outpost in Bedrock Edition.

### Concepts

* One of the early concepts for the allay. This concept of the allay turned into the wisp from Minecraft Dungeons.
* Concept art of possible allay colors.
* Various iterations of how the allay could carry items.
* An early prototype of the allay. Its limbs resembles the Baby Ghast from Minecraft Dungeons.
* Prototype allay design with particles.
* Prototype allay design with a different set of particles.
* Prototype allay holding a cookie.
* An allay prototype with a model error, referred to as a **blooper** as a joke.
* Allay sticker showing it's old model with a thinner arm.
* An allay as it appeared in the Mob Vote animations.

### In other media

* An allay in official artwork for The Wild Update.
* An allay following Alex in a boat.
* An allay peeking into view of a spyglass.
* An allay in a mangrove swamp.
* Allay artwork.
* The Wisp, a precursor to the Allay featured in *Minecraft Dungeons*.
* Builder Allay, a unique variant featured in *Minecraft Legends*.
* Lego Minecraft allay.
* An official Allay tank top.
* A similar, white tank top.

## See also

* MCD:Wisp
* MCL:Allay

## References

1. ↑ "Allays are not item duplicators, they pick up items nearby on the floor that are the same item it has been given. So you could give it a dirt block, then it finds dirt blocks that are dropped, collects them, then returns and drops them to the player or a note block." – @kingbdogz on X, October 12, 2021
2. ↑ "They cannot get items from chests either. Only dropped items. You could feasibly use this for item sorting if you make a cool contraption :D" – @kingbdogz on X, October 12, 2021
3. ↑ a b "The Secrets of Minecraft: The Allay" – Minecraft on YouTube, March 29, 2022
4. ↑ "Minecraft Live 2022" – Minecraft on YouTube
5. ↑ "Seen some questions as to why we landed om amethyst shards as the item for Allay duplication \* They have a musical sound to them, which goes well with Allays \* They are renewable, something we really wanted \* The magical feeling of them resonates (pun intended) well with Allays" – @Badgerisi on X, June 9, 2022
6. ↑ "Also, adding extra value to the Geodes felt proper as well" – @Badgerisi on X, June 9, 2022
7. ↑ https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/meet-allay
8. ↑ https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/meet-allay
9. ↑ MC-248332

## External Links

* Meet the Allay – Minecraft.net on May 27, 2022
* Mob Menagerie: Allay – Minecraft.net on April 6, 2023