Creeper

**Creepers** are one of the most unique and iconic hostile mobs found in *Minecraft*. A creeper can easily be recognized by its tall vertical structure (roughly the size of a player), green, pixelated skin, and four legs. It is one of the most dangerous enemy in the game, as it is not affected by sunlight (but it can despawn after a while), which makes it a constant threat as it silently roams the map, searching for a player to explode upon. It should be noted, however, that most creepers do Despawn during the day, along with Spiders. It is often used as the game's mascot by *Mojang.*

## Origin

The creeper was created by accident by Notch, the creator of *Minecraft*. While Notch was trying to create the first ever passive mob, the pig, the code went wrong, and he accidentally swapped the height and length. As a result, he got a tall, slim being with the face and torso in the shape of a player instead of a pig. With no arms and 4 stubby legs, this creature became known as the creeper, a mob that when provoked or within distance of player blows up. It has earned *Minecraft* billions in marketing, and it is one of the most recognizable *Minecraft*mob and character, another example being Steve.

## Behavior

A creeper who has found a player will chase down that player until the distance between them is only a few blocks. It should be noted that creepers tend to walk to the right of a player. The creeper makes use of a suicide-bomb attack involving getting within close proximity of a player (usually 2–3 blocks) before exploding. A player's only warning to when the creeper is about to explode is by a very distinctive hiss, as well as the swelling and flashing of the creeper itself, which starts about 1–2 seconds prior to the explosion. If a player tries moving away when a creeper is hissing, it will cancel the detonation; however, the harder the Difficulty, the further away a player has to get. It takes three full seconds for the creeper to detonate. After it explodes, it will leave a large crater in the ground. The size of this crater is solely dependent on what the terrain is made from. Typically, a hole in the topsoil is created. However, they can be powerful enough to destroy Stone.

When a creeper is killed by an arrow shot by a Skeleton, it will drop a random Music Disc, which can be played in a Jukebox. It doesn't matter what dealt most of the damage, as long as the last blow was the arrow of a skeleton. Creepers cannot use doors, but they can climb ladders and vines, unlike other hostile mobs and despite being armless.

If a Creeper has been inflicted with a status effect, it will leave that effect behind on the ground, similar to Lingering Potions.

## Charged Creepers

If struck with lightning, a creeper will become a "Charged Creeper". Charged creepers are stronger, and they have a larger blast radius than a normal creeper. They also have a visible, electric aura surrounding them.

Attack Strength:

* **Easy**:49HP (24.5x hearts)

* **Normal**:97HP (48.5x hearts)

* **Hard**:145HP (72.5x hearts)

## Strategy

Creepers can be somewhat formidable foes when encountered as their stealth gives them the upper hand. Creepers are slow, and they will also reverse their detonation time if a player leaves their range. This can be used to a player's advantage in melee combat. A player can simply hit the creeper with their Sword and then quickly back away before the creeper detonates which lets a player get at least two hits in before having to retreat. If this process is repeated, a creeper can be easily defeated. This is easily done by all players, even those who have started a new world.

The most effective and safest way to eliminate a creeper is to simply use a bow as ranged combat will surmount the creeper's slow speed. A player would need at least three arrows with a regular bow; however, this can be minimized with enchantments. Another effective way is to light the ground on fire with a Flint and Steel and lead the creeper up to it.

## Tips

* Whenever possible, try to minimize contact with creepers until a player has a ranged weapon, such as a bow, in order to fight them with. If a player only has a sword and a creeper does attack a player, move backwards as well as moving either left or right while slashing to maximize the distance between the creeper. If a player has a sword enchanted with Knockback, the sword will knock the creeper several blocks backward depending on the level of enchantment, thus retreating and attacking again will no longer be needed (This can also be done by sprint-hitting the creeper). It is possible to prevent a creeper from exploding, by moving away from the creeper fast enough. The range of a creeper is determined by a player's difficulty mode.
* It should be noted that creepers do spawn unexpectedly and prowl silently, so it is not recommended to go out at night without protection. Look for an area where creepers cannot reach a player before quitting the game to ensure one doesn't sneak up on them when they return.
* Fighting creepers in water also gives a player an advantage, since they can swim faster than the creeper and easily knock it out of detonation range. A player can have a similar advantage if they get the higher ground while fighting on land.
* If a player knows that they can't escape, try to get at least a couple of blocks away from it while its detonating. The damage can be reduced also by blocking with a sword (or a shield in 1.9 or higher).