Uploaded December 2018 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
▼▼▼▼▼ Please read description! ▼▼▼▼▼
CORRECTION:
♣ Instead of cobble walls, use glass blocks with a half slab on top, see image: https://i.imgur.com/zKijtuV.jpg . This will improve rates up to 20% by preventing medium magma cubes, but not block line of sight between wither skeletons and iron golem, or interfere with spawn rates. Sorry for the error. (Thanks Mushushu for pointing this out)
Up to 42 wither skeletons/minute, or 2.31 wither skulls/minute with looting 3. My location was around 25 wither skeletons/minute with NO slabbing. Choosing your location is ESSENTIAL. Test the EXACT location in creative before building in survival! Write down coordinates of problem spawn areas to slab as well. The spawn fail rate (carpet mod feature) is around 30% with perfect slabbing, so this is nearly optimal. Uses the same techniques as my slime farm, but better height precision was required for wither skeletons.
World download
mega.nz/#!xxoHiajK!yeNmMr457xS3z7LMONNh6ayBOq1PnFaGMOfH68ZTfYw
Stuff I forgot to say:
♣ When building a path to the farm, be careful not to create spawnable spaces. Suggestion is to build it low, or build an ice path (normal ice, not packed), or use the nether ceiling.
♣ Should work in multiplayer, but you need to coordinate between players. Either be alone on server, or have a friend stand on the overworld side of the farm to prevent despawning.
♣ Verify the view distance is 12 or above. This farm may NOT work otherwise.
♣ Can lower ground with TNT instead of slabbing, to get it out of spawn radius. MORE FUN!
♣ 1.12 compatibility: no sea pickle for golem to stand on, but other height may be possible. No turtle eggs for pigmen. In theory should work with some changes: iron golem stands on boat, 7 snow layers surrounding golem. OR stands on carpet + boat, path blocks surrounding golem. The "top of grindstone" is likely another height option in 1.14 (thanks rays works).
♣ Rays Works entity/block heights video: youtube.com/watch?v=SsUu_WKepc0
♣ Gnembon's spawning research for buttons: youtu.be/RD1wT-f3W5A?t=870
♣ Ilmango's video showing anvils for pigmen: youtu.be/l9oteFEj770?t=312
♣ "Fast Math" in optifine could possibly be an issue due to ray intersection calculations (visibility). Same with large x/z numbers. The ray calculations are VERY precise.
♣ I can make an install guide video for carpet mod if people desire.
♣ Runs around 40-50 MSPT on my very old processor. About 700 spawning spaces.
♣ You CANNOT replace the cobble walls with carpets. That will raise up skeletons just far enough to see the iron golem, potentially shooting a blaze and starting a massive fire fight.
♣ It is possible to make this fully AFK, but I doubt it's worth it. You'd want to have a portal on top of the nether (bedrock breaking required), and transport the wither skeletons up to the AFK height. A slime system or rail system would work. I designed one but I didn't think it was worth including.
Please leave any questions below.
▼▼▼▼▼ Please read description! ▼▼▼▼▼
CORRECTION:
♣ Instead of cobble walls, use glass blocks with a half slab on top, see image: https://i.imgur.com/zKijtuV.jpg . This will improve rates up to 20% by preventing medium magma cubes, but not block line of sight between wither skeletons and iron golem, or interfere with spawn rates. Sorry for the error. (Thanks Mushushu for pointing this out)
Up to 42 wither skeletons/minute, or 2.31 wither skulls/minute with looting 3. My location was around 25 wither skeletons/minute with NO slabbing. Choosing your location is ESSENTIAL. Test the EXACT location in creative before building in survival! Write down coordinates of problem spawn areas to slab as well. The spawn fail rate (carpet mod feature) is around 30% with perfect slabbing, so this is nearly optimal. Uses the same techniques as my slime farm, but better height precision was required for wither skeletons.
World download
mega.nz/#!xxoHiajK!yeNmMr457xS3z7LMONNh6ayBOq1PnFaGMOfH68ZTfYw
Stuff I forgot to say:
♣ When building a path to the farm, be careful not to create spawnable spaces. Suggestion is to build it low, or build an ice path (normal ice, not packed), or use the nether ceiling.
♣ Should work in multiplayer, but you need to coordinate between players. Either be alone on server, or have a friend stand on the overworld side of the farm to prevent despawning.
♣ Verify the view distance is 12 or above. This farm may NOT work otherwise.
♣ Can lower ground with TNT instead of slabbing, to get it out of spawn radius. MORE FUN!
♣ 1.12 compatibility: no sea pickle for golem to stand on, but other height may be possible. No turtle eggs for pigmen. In theory should work with some changes: iron golem stands on boat, 7 snow layers surrounding golem. OR stands on carpet + boat, path blocks surrounding golem. The "top of grindstone" is likely another height option in 1.14 (thanks rays works).
♣ Rays Works entity/block heights video: youtube.com/watch?v=SsUu_WKepc0
♣ Gnembon's spawning research for buttons: youtu.be/RD1wT-f3W5A?t=870
♣ Ilmango's video showing anvils for pigmen: youtu.be/l9oteFEj770?t=312
♣ "Fast Math" in optifine could possibly be an issue due to ray intersection calculations (visibility). Same with large x/z numbers. The ray calculations are VERY precise.
♣ I can make an install guide video for carpet mod if people desire.
♣ Runs around 40-50 MSPT on my very old processor. About 700 spawning spaces.
♣ You CANNOT replace the cobble walls with carpets. That will raise up skeletons just far enough to see the iron golem, potentially shooting a blaze and starting a massive fire fight.
♣ It is possible to make this fully AFK, but I doubt it's worth it. You'd want to have a portal on top of the nether (bedrock breaking required), and transport the wither skeletons up to the AFK height. A slime system or rail system would work. I designed one but I didn't think it was worth including.
Please leave any questions below.
