Are you an avid Minecraft fan looking to learn how to use basalt? You have come to the right place!
Basalt is one of the fancy blocks added to the Nether in the latest Minecraft updates, i.e., the Nether update and Caves and Cliffs update. This new addition has been a long time coming, and now that it is here, players are excited about the possibilities the blocks present.
If you are a bit late to the game, you are probably wondering what is basalt used for in Minecraft. In this article, I explain where you can find this new rock and the cool things you can do with it in the Nether.
So, let’s jump in and let the fun begin!
What is Basalt in Minecraft?
Basalt is an igneous rock that Minecraft players can use to create different constructions in the Nether. You can find the rock in specific places, i.e., the Soul Sand Valley as pillars and in the Basalt Deltas Biomes as part of the regular terrain.
Other places where basalt can be found are in ancient cities, bastion remnants, and the amethyst geode’s outer layer. While these areas have basalt, you won’t find the rock in plenty; the best places to look are in the Deltas and Soul Sand Valley.
Soul Sand Valley is a new biome in the Nether, which came with the Nether update. This large cave is rich with fossils, soul sand, and soul soil. In the Soul Sand Valley, massive basalt pillars stand tall from the floor to the ceiling.
The Basalt Delta is also filled with basalt rock. The Deltas are volcanic and are filled with many blocks of basalt, but there are also dangerous creatures lurking in this biome that you will need to watch out for.
You can do much with basalt if you know where to find it.
Let us now look at the basalt you can find in the Nether.
Raw, Polished, and Smooth Basalt
There are three kinds of basalt blocks available to players: raw, polished, and smooth basalt. You can make polished basalt using four blocks of raw basalt.
So, if you wondered what is basalt used for in Minecraft, you now know you can use the raw form to make polished basalt. You will need a pickaxe to harvest the four blocks of raw basalt to form a polished block.
The other type of basalt is smooth basalt. This is a new block introduced in Minecraft’s Caves and Cliffs update (2021). As the name suggests, smooth blocks have a smooth texture and tend to be lighter colored than raw or polished ballast.
Smooth ballast occurs naturally in ancient cities and amethyst geodes in the Overworld. Players can also smelt it from raw basalt but making smooth basalt blocks from basalt is the better choice. You will need a furnace and fuel in Minecraft to convert raw basalt to smooth basalt.
To start, open the furnace through the menu and add fuel. After igniting the furnace, place the raw basalt at the top section of the furnace to smelt it into smooth basalts.
How To Use Basalt in Minecraft
Basalt is quite a new addition to Minecraft’s rock collection. For now, players cannot use this rock to build special projects, but there are many other cool things you can do with basalt in Minecraft.
Here are some of the things basalt is used for in Minecraft:
1. Decorating Building Structures
Basalt is an excellent option for decorating your buildings. If you prefer a dark, majestic structure, try using basalt blocks in raw or polished form.
Because basalt is abundant, you do not have to undergo a lot of problems to access these building rocks while you are in the Nether. Players can easily mine basalt in the Salt Soul Valley and the Basalt Delta to start building immediately.
A major advantage of basalt is that you can build with it horizontally or opt to place the blocks vertically. Placing one building block on top of another is fuss-free, and the resulting structure is seamless.
2. Making Pillars and Pathways
Both light and dark-colored basalt do a great job of decorating walls, pillars, floors, and paths. The building blocks have a wonderful texture and visually appealing neutral color, giving you clean and classy structures.
Talking of pathways, did you know that basalt blocks produce a unique sound when you walk over the building blocks? Basalt building blocks produce an interesting sound when you walk over them, making them a nice addition to your pathways.
Because they are easily stackable, basalt is also one of the best options for making pillars for your buildings. Pillars not only make your buildings visually attractive, but they can also reinforce them against intruders.
3. Constructing Bridges
Basalt is clearly a nice pick for constructing strong and attractive structures. Something else you can use basalt for in Minecraft is constructing bridges.
Random shooting fireballs can damage your structures, including bridges, in the blink of an eye. The solution? Use basalt to build your bridges!
The upside of basalt is its structural strength. This building material is highly resistant to impact, making it the perfect choice for building formidable bridges.
While in the Nether, you can create an automatic bridge maker that uses basalt for the construction process. Bridges are an important structure; they act as a means of transport where there is a lava ocean.
An automatic bridge maker can be made when lava mixes with soul soil and blue ice, converting it into a formidable ballast bridge.
4. Creating Music
Minecraft is not just for building block geeks; video-game-loving musicians who like to create beats will also love the game.
As mentioned earlier, basalt blocks produce an interesting sound. Players can create music using the note blocks. Take your time to experiment with the various blocks, and you will be surprised by the kind of music you come up with.
Using note blocks, you can create a variety of musical instruments, including bass, drums, guitar, piano, harp, and so much more. To create a bass drum sound, simply place a note block on top of a basalt block and enjoy the ensuing sound!
5. Developing Smooth and Polished Basalt
Raw basalt is in plenty and readily available in the Nether. If you are more aesthetically inclined, you might prefer using smooth or polished basalt in your construction projects.
You can use the readily available raw basalt to make any number of smooth and polished basalt blocks. To create polished basalt, you will need to combine four raw basalt blocks, and voila! You’ll have a nice, clean, smooth textured building block.
Making smooth basalt is slightly more involving, but it is something any player can do. First, you will start with the raw basalt and then smelt it in a furnace. Alternatively, you can use a stonecutter to chisel the raw basalt into a smooth block.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, I will address a few questions new players usually ask about using basalt in Minecraft.
How strong is basalt in Minecraft?
Basalt is one of the strongest blocks in Minecraft, making it an excellent choice for building strong, impact-resistant structures. Basalt has a blast resistance of 45 and is 1.5 times resistant to explosions as other regular stone blocks. Being an igneous rock, basalt can be quite hard to mine; compared to stone, it takes 13 times longer to extract.
Do mobs spawn in the Basalt Deltas?
Aside from the Soul Sand Valley, basalt is abundant in the Basalt Deltas. Mobs can and do spawn in the Basalt Deltas, with the magma cubes being the most common and aggressive mobs on the Basalt Deltas. Magma cubes are more dangerous than the slimes of the Overworld as they directly attack the player.
Can you make a ballast generator in Minecraft?
There is a process to making a ballast generator. First, you must dig a hole two inches deep and add the soul soil into the hole. Next, replace one of the blocks next to the hole with a lava source and another with blue ice. When lava flows into the block on the soul soil, it will immediately transform into basalt.
Summary: What is Basalt Used For in Minecraft?
Minecraft has been around for over a decade, and the game keeps improving. The Nether update and the Caves and Cliffs update added basalt as one of the building blocks players can use to construct various structures. From making polished and smooth basalt, decorating pathways and walls, to building pillars and bridges, there is a lot you can do with the new basalt blocks. Go try it for yourself!