Technical blocks are blocks that cannot be acquired legitimately (not even with Silk Touch) and serve various purposes during events within the game. Interestingly, even though they cannot be obtained in Java Edition, in Bedrock Edition, they can be obtained in the inventory using Inventory Editors or addons.
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These blocks serve a purpose with pistons.
Piston Arm[]
Piston Arm, or Block 34 is a block used by the piston's extension arm. One of the data bits of this block defines if it is a normal piston or a sticky piston extension. If Block 34 is destroyed in creative mode, the piston/sticky piston will be destroyed too and will drop pistons/sticky pistons. In Bedrock Edition, the Sticky Piston and Piston Arms are separate IDs, being 34 and 472.
Piston Extension (Java Edition Exclusive)[]
Piston Extension, or Block 36 is a block used by pistons. It is a side effect of the method of storing moving blocks as tile entities instead of entities. This block's color, when located next to a block in the world, is black. When a block next to it is removed, it becomes invisible, can be walked through, and when light passes through it the light level decreases by 1.
They are unbreakable by traditional methods but can be removed by right-clicking. The game treats the block as stone when it comes to breaking animation and step sound.
In the inventory, it has the piston head texture, and it cannot be placed, it and Block 34 both have the same titles which are "tile.null.name."
This block is exclusive to Java Edition, as in Bedrock Edition, the Block ID is replaced with Element 0 (Unknown).
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Lit Furnace[]
This is a block used to make furnaces shed light when smelting. It has a different texture than the normal furnace and emits particles. If the lit furnace is activated and the fuel runs out, the block will not return to a normal furnace as of 1.5. If a lit furnace is mined, it will drop a normal furnace, along with any items that were in the furnace while it was lit. The Block ID of it is 62.
Lit Blast Furnace[]
The Lit Blast Furnace is basically just a lit Blast Furnace. It emits light, just like the regular lit furnace, and when mined, will drop a normal Blast Furnace. Its Block ID is 469.
Lit Smoker[]
The Lit Smoker is just a Lit Smoker. Just like the other lit furnaces, it emits light, drops a normal smoker when mined, and cannot be obtained in Java Edition. Its Block ID is 454.
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Glowing Redstone Ore[]
This is a block used to make Redstone Ore glow when stepped on, right-clicked, or left-clicked. While the redstone ore is lit, it will emit light but will wear off after a while. The block's ID is 74.
Unlit Redstone Torch[]
- Main article: Redstone Torch
Unlit Redstone Torch, or Block 75, is a block representing an off-state Redstone Torch. When a normal redstone torch (standing on the top of a block) receives power from a layer below the block it's standing on, it turns off, and stops giving power. When the torch stops getting power, it turns back to the normal on-state torch and gives power again. For the game to know the torch stopped getting power, the game must update the block - this happens when a block near the torch changes, and when it's turned off because of the Redstone current, this is not a problem, but when spawned into the world it will be turned off, and because no block is updated, it will stay this way, until a block updates. When the block is removed it will turn to a normal on-state torch.
Active Redstone Repeater[]
This is the 'on' state of the Redstone Repeater, it is titled "tile.diode.name." The block's ID is 94.
Powered Comparator[]
Powered Comparator is a block that represents the "on" state of a comparator. When obtained in the inventory, (Bedrock Edition) it is titled, "tile.powered_comparator.name". Basically it's also missing the translation string that gives it a proper name.
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Block 08 & 09[]
The flowing water block tells the game to check for any air blocks around it and put some water into them if applicable. If one puts enough flowing water in a certain order, one can make an infinite water source. If there is a hole six blocks or fewer from the point of origin, the water will tend to flow in that direction.
Block 10 & 11[]
The flowing lava block tells the game to check for any air blocks around it and put some lava into them if applicable. Flowing lava flows only 3 blocks from the point of origin in the Overworld while it flows 7 blocks in the Nether. It also causes a burning effect when touched by an entity.
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Farmland[]
- Main article: Farmland
Farmland is a block on which seeds can be planted and grown. It is made by using a Hoe on dirt or grass. If farmland is near water it becomes hydrated, and if not it turns dried again, and will eventually turn back to dirt. As of Minecraft 1.1, walking on farmland will not un-till the land. However, jumping will. Turning grass into farmland will cause it to become dirt, once reverted.
Also, this block is still obtainable, using /give [player] farmland and since 1.13 the creative inventory. The Block's ID is 60.
Pumpkin Stem[]
The block that is planted on farmland when Pumpkin Seeds are used on it. It starts off-set/under-ground, and rises up as the plant grows, as opposed to the method wheat seeds uses, where each growth stage is an individual texture. The stem is colored green by the game, and then brown once fully grown.
The stem will change to the second image once a pumpkin has grown off the stem. A single stem will connect to any pumpkin in an adjacent square, thus there are 5 possible appearances to a stem. When the pumpkin is removed, the stem will return to its original image.
A single pumpkin will grow off of a full-grown stem at a time, but once that pumpkin is removed, another can grow in its place.
Destroying a fully-grown stem yields 0–3 pumpkin seeds. This allows for melon/pumpkin seed farming.
Melon Stem[]
The block that is planted on farmland when Melon Seeds are used on it. The coloring and growth methods are the same as the pumpkin stem.
The stem will change to the second image once a melon has grown off the stem. A single stem will connect to any melon in an adjacent square, thus there are 4 possible appearances to a stem with a melon on it and 1 without. When the melon is removed, the stem will return to its original image.
A single melon will grow off a full-grown stem at a time, but once that melon is removed, another can grow in its place.
Destroying a fully-grown stem yields 0–3 melon seeds.
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Monster Egg[]
Monster Egg (Block 97) is a block that may look like a Stone block, a Cobblestone block, a Stone Brick block, or any stone brick variant; however, is actually a block that when destroyed will spawn a Silverfish. The block is easily destroyed by hand and is harder to mine with a pickaxe than regular stone, distinguishing it from regular blocks. If one attacks a silverfish directly with a sword or a bow (without killing it), nearby monster eggs will break, spawning other aggressive silverfish. With the silk touch enchantment , this block may be mined and placed elsewhere to create traps for players. In the Creative inventory, Block 97 is called the Stone Monster Egg, Cobblestone Monster Egg Stone Brick Monster Egg, etc. (Alternatively the Silverfish Stone, Silverfish Cobblestone Silverfish Stone Brick, etc. in the console versions).
Trivia[]
- In certain versions of the game, any stone brick variants and cobblestone will turn into smooth stone when a silverfish enters into them.
- When viewed in F3 mode (Java edition) one can identify these blocks as they end in Monster_Egg at the end of the block name.
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Nether Portal[]
Nether Portal blocks are generated when a portal is formed, standing on them will teleport a player from the Overworld to the Nether and vice versa. However, they become transparent when another "portal" block is placed next to it (the only way to do this is through inventory editing). When invisible they are still detectable and can still send one from the Overworld to the Nether. In Creative mode, one can break this block and it will make the glass breaking sound. The block's ID is 90.
End Portal[]
Ender Portal is a block that will teleport a player into the End dimension. It looks like a white-on-black two-dimensional star map, and emits light and black smoke particles. Only the top side of the block is visible, and the bottom side is invisible. In addition, the bottom and top cannot be passed through, although the sides can be. The collision box for this block takes up the lower 1/16th of the block, similar to Snow. These can be found in the End encased in bedrock, if a player throws an ender pearl in, they will be teleported to the outer end where end cities can be found. The block's ID is 119.
Invisible Bedrock[]
Only found in the Bedrock Edition. Invisible bedrock is a special form of bedrock found around old world types to stop players from dropping into the Void. Invisible bedrock cannot be mined in either survival or creative mode, so the only method of removing them is by using cheats, however players discovered in creative mode you could fly above the invisible bedrock and walk around on the top. Invisible bedrock can also be obtained by inventory editing or Plug PE. The block's ID is 95.
Command Blocks[]
This block serves a purpose for making "game maps." It is used as a command. A very common usage is teleportation. Only way to remove is to go into Creative mode. Command blocks and their minecart variant used to be in the Creative inventory up until 1.13.
Block 70[]
Only found in Pocket Edition. Block 70 is a block with a colourless texture that includes the word "update", and has an ID of 256. It breaks instantly when any tool is used on it. It can only be obtained through world edit, creative mode mods, and other means. Block 70 is used as a placeholder for future blocks.
Trivia[]
- The invisible bedrock field is blocked off by the world height limit, so if one goes to the top of the world and walk into the invisible bedrock field, one will walk over it.
- PC technical blocks used to be obtainable by the
/givecommand. Now, one must do/setblockor use NBTedit to obtain these blocks.