Stalagmites are a somewhat new item in Minecraft that many players are still confused by. In-game, they’re known as Pointed Dripstone, which comes in two different varieties. Stalagmites are Pointed Dripstone that point up, and they’re a hazard in caves where they most commonly spawn. To learn more about stalagmites and what they can do in Minecraft, keep reading the guide below.
What is Pointed Dripstone in Minecraft?
Pointed dripstone is the name for both stalagmites and stalactites in Minecraft. Stalagmites point up from the ground while stalactites point down from the ceiling. Both spawn in dripstone caves, where they form naturally when connected to dripstone blocks. Dripstone blocks have the ability to grow pointed dripstone beneath them.
You can mine both pointed dripstone and dripstone blocks in the caves where they spawn. Any tool can be used to mine dripstone, but a pickaxe is the quickest way. You’re also able to craft a dripstone block by combining four pointed dripstones at a crafting table. This allows you to choose where you place pointed dripstone and grow more of it.
How to get Pointed Dripstone in Minecraft
Now that you understand what pointed dripstone is, how can you go about finding it? Dripstone caves are located in overworld cave biomes and can be generated at any height. However, they most commonly occur away from water, so you want to mine as far inland as possible to find the caves. Essentially, you can find dripstone caves like any other cave.
Dripstone caves feature a plethora of stalagmites and stalactites, so you’ll immediately know when you’ve found one. Pointed dripstone occurs nowhere else naturally, which means if you see a block of it, you’re near or in a dripstone cave.
What can Stalagmites do in Minecraft?
Regarding stalagmites specifically, they don’t have a ton of use in Minecraft. However, stalagmites are one of the most dangerous blocks you can encounter. If you fall on top of one, your fall damage is doubled, which can mean death from certain distances. This also applies to mobs, so you can set up some nifty traps around your base using stalagmites if they’re placed properly. This doesn’t apply to mobs that are immune to fall damage.
Aside from dealing damage, stalagmites are mainly used for decoration in players’ bases. When paired with a stalactite, they can look quite nice in the corner of a room or as a focal point in a basement lair.
What can Stalactites do in Minecraft?
If you’re curious about stalactites as well, they have an additional use in Minecraft. By placing a stalactite connected to a water source over a cauldron, you have a small chance to drip water into the cauldron. This also works with lava, but the chances are much smaller. If water or lava is dripped into the cauldron, it raises the liquid level by one every time until the cauldron is full.
The water or lava source connected to the stalactite cannot be moving for this to work. The source needs to be still, but a waterlogged block works as well.
Stalactites can deal damage to you or mobs if they fall. However, this only occurs if the block connected to the stalactite breaks, so it’s not as useful as dealing damage with a stalagmite.