Overview
Snowballs deal no damage to most things and 3 damage to blazes, which is the entire reason to carry them. Blazes are fire mobs, and a stack of snowballs kills one in about seven hits from a safe distance without spending an arrow — genuinely useful on the fortress trip that has to happen before brewing. Against everything else a snowball is knockback only, which still has its uses: shoving a creeper away, interrupting an enderman, or knocking a mob off a ledge without getting close. They stack to 16, so a full inventory of them is a real commitment, and they are gathered with a shovel from snow layers and snow blocks in any snowy biome. The renewable source is a snow golem: place two snow blocks and a carved pumpkin on top and the golem leaves a snow trail wherever it walks, which a shovel turns into an unlimited supply. Golems also throw snowballs at hostile mobs themselves, which makes them a passable base defence in a snowy biome. Free ammunition that beats a blaze is worth the inventory space.
Killing blazes at range for 3 damage a hit, knocking mobs backwards or off ledges, and — through snow golems — providing a renewable, free ranged attack.
In Minecraft, Snowball is a miscellaneous item. One slot holds 16 at most. It drops from Snow Golem.
It goes into exactly one recipe: Snow Block.
How to get it
Dig snow layers or snow blocks with a shovel; each snow block gives 4 snowballs. A snow golem — 2 snow blocks and a carved pumpkin — leaves a permanent trail to harvest from.
Tips
- Blazes take 3 damage per snowball; a stack kills one without using a single arrow.
- Snowballs stack to 16 only, so a serious supply takes several inventory slots.
- Build a snow golem on a snowy biome floor for an endless supply; it melts in warm biomes without protection.
- Snow golems damage nothing but they anger mobs, which makes them useful bait for a farm.
Properties
One inventory slot holds 16, so a double chest holds 864.
- Stack size
- 16
- Renewable
- Yes
- Category
- Miscellaneous
Dropped by
1 mobs drop Snowball: Snow Golem. Looting raises the maximum on most of them.
Dropped by blocks
Mining Snow Block drops Snowball.
Used to craft
Snowball is an ingredient in 1 recipes, producing Snow Block.
Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do you make Snowball in Minecraft?
Snowball is not crafted — you get it by breaking Snow Block.
What is the stack size of Snowball?
Snowball stacks to 16.
