Overview
Being slowed in open snow with three more archers around is far worse than the arrow that slowed you, and that is the Stray in one sentence. Its arrows are arrows of Slowness, so the first hit takes away your ability to close the distance or run, and everything after it lands on a player who cannot manoeuvre. The damage itself is ordinary — 20 health, the same 4-damage bow attack as a skeleton — but snowy plains and ice spikes offer no cover, so the fight happens entirely on its terms. A shield ends all of that, which is why it belongs in the off-hand on any northern expedition. The compensation is loot: a Stray drops its tipped arrows of Slowness at 0 to 1 on a player kill, and those are genuinely useful, for slowing a raid ravager or an opponent in PvP without brewing a single potion. Strays replace roughly 80% of skeleton spawns on the surface of snowy biomes and nowhere else — the caves underneath spawn ordinary skeletons, not strays. They burn at dawn like the rest of the skeleton family. Compare the Bogged, which poisons instead of slowing.
Free arrows of Slowness. Each one applies Slowness on hit without any brewing, which is the cheapest way to disable a ravager, a fleeing mob or another player.
Strays shoot arrows of Slowness, and being slowed in open snow with more strays around is far worse than the arrow damage itself, because you cannot close the distance or run. Their arrows are collectable, giving free Slowness arrows for PvP or for slowing a boss. Bring a shield. Like skeletons they burn at dawn, and they spawn only on the snowy surface, not in caves beneath it.
Stray sits under Hostile mobs in Minecraft 1.21.4. Health sits at 20 points (10 hearts). It deals 4 damage on Normal difficulty.
Expect 5 experience per kill.
Properties
Stray has 20 health, which is 10 hearts. It drops up to 5 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 0.6 blocks wide and 1.99 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Added in
- 1.10
- Burns in daylight
- Yes
Damage by difficulty
Stray hits for 4 on every difficulty; its damage does not scale the way most hostile mobs' does.
A full set of diamond armour cuts that by up to 80% against a small hit and less against a large one, and Protection IV on all four pieces — 16 EPF — takes a further 64% off what is left.
| Difficulty | Attack damage | Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 4 | 2 |
| Normal | 4 | 2 |
| Hard | 4 | 2 |
Spawns in
Replaces roughly 80% of skeleton spawns on the surface of snowy biomes.
It is restricted to Snowy Plains, Ice Spikes, Frozen River, Snowy Slopes, Frozen Peaks and 2 more, so it will never turn up outside those biomes however dark it gets.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Light level
- 0
- Biomes
- Snowy Plains, Ice Spikes, Frozen River, Snowy Slopes, Frozen Peaks, Jagged Peaks, Snowy Taiga
- Added in
- 1.10
Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.10
Drops
Killing Stray drops Bone, Arrow, and Tipped Arrow, plus up to 5 experience. Looting raises the maximum on most of these by one per level.
- Bone: 0–2
- Arrow: 0–2
- Tipped Arrow: 0–1 — Arrow of Slowness; only when killed by a player.
How it behaves
The Stray attacks on sight within its detection range, so light, walls and distance are all valid answers. Most hostile mobs notice you inside about sixteen blocks, though a few — ghasts especially — see very much further.
Killed by a player it drops up to 5 experience; killed any other way it drops none.
Command
In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Stray where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:stray ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Stray and a skeleton?
A Stray shoots arrows of Slowness and spawns only on the surface of snowy biomes. Its health and damage are otherwise identical.
Do strays drop tipped arrows?
Yes — 0 to 1 arrow of Slowness on a player kill, raised by Looting.
Where do strays spawn?
On the surface of snowy plains, ice spikes, frozen rivers, snowy slopes, frozen peaks, jagged peaks and snowy taiga.
Do strays burn in sunlight?
Yes, exactly like skeletons, unless they are in water, in shade or wearing a helmet.
How much health does the Stray have in Minecraft?
The Stray has 20 health points, which is 10 hearts.
What does the Stray drop?
It drops Bone, Arrow, and Tipped Arrow, plus 5 experience when killed by a player.
Where does the Stray spawn?
Replaces roughly 80% of skeleton spawns on the surface of snowy biomes.
How much damage does Stray do?
4 on Normal difficulty — 2 hearts — with 4 on Easy and 4 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
Strays replace about 80% of skeleton spawns on the surface of snowy plains, ice spikes, snowy slopes, frozen peaks and snowy taiga at light level 0. A player kill drops 0 to 1 tipped arrow of Slowness alongside bones and arrows.
Tips
- Carry a shield in every snowy biome — blocked arrows apply no Slowness at all, which removes the whole problem.
- Collect the tipped arrows rather than buying brewing ingredients; each Stray kill can yield one on a player kill.
- Fight near a wall or a tree line, because open snow gives a Stray perfect sightlines and you none.
- Look on the surface only: caves beneath a snowy biome spawn ordinary skeletons rather than strays.