Terracotta
Terracotta is a warm-toned building block smelted from clay or mined in badlands biomes, and the base for sixteen dyed variants.
Description
Terracotta serves as the base for every dyed variant: eight blocks plus one matching dye craft eight stained terracotta blocks in sixteen colors, and smelting stained terracotta produces patterned glazed terracotta. Since Java 1.20, one diamond, one Host, Raiser, Shaper, or Wayfinder armor trim, and one Terracotta block craft two matching smithing templates. Terracotta never burns — not even in lava — bringing stone-grade blast protection to builds where wood would catch fire.
Block properties
| Item ID |
minecraft:terracotta
|
|---|---|
| /give command |
/give @p minecraft:terracotta
|
| Stackable | Yes (64) |
| Best tool | Pickaxe |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Hardness | 1.25 |
| Blast resistance | 4.2 |
| Java Edition | 1.6.1 |
Guide
How to get Terracotta in Minecraft
-
1
Collect clay blocks
Mine clay from shallow water in rivers, lakes, and oceans of grassy biomes, pick up clay from lush caves floors, or craft one block from four clay balls. A shovel breaks clay fastest.
-
2
Smelt the clay
Place each clay block in a furnace with any fuel. One clay block smelts into one Terracotta block and grants 0.35 experience.
-
3
Carry any pickaxe
Break Terracotta with a pickaxe of any tier, starting with wooden. Mining Terracotta without a pickaxe drops nothing.
-
4
Harvest badlands and village deposits
Travel to a badlands biome and mine the exposed terracotta layers, or take Terracotta from the houses, lamps, and meeting points of desert and plains villages.
-
5
Dye the surplus
Combine eight Terracotta blocks with one matching dye on a crafting table to craft eight stained terracotta blocks, available in sixteen colors.
A Terracotta block placed one block from a creeper or TNT explosion is destroyed but protects every block behind it, so Terracotta works as a cheap blast shield.
How to craft this block
Clay
x1
Used in crafts
Frequently asked questions
Is Terracotta the same block as hardened clay?
Yes. The block debuted in Java 1.6.1 under the name hardened clay and was renamed to Terracotta in 1.12. Bedrock Edition still identifies the block internally as hardened_clay.
Is Terracotta renewable?
Yes. Mud converts to clay when a pointed dripstone hangs below, and that clay smelts into fresh Terracotta. On Java, mason villagers also throw clay blocks to players with the Hero of the Village effect.
Where does Terracotta generate besides badlands and villages?
Trail ruins have contained Terracotta since version 1.20, both on Java and Bedrock.
Which pickaxe breaks Terracotta fastest?
A golden pickaxe breaks Terracotta in 0.2 seconds. Diamond and netherite pickaxes follow at 0.25 seconds, and a wooden pickaxe needs 0.95 seconds.
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