Java Edition guides/Redstone Update

Redstone Update

Edition	Java Edition
Official name	Redstone Update
Version(s)	1.5 1.5.1 1.5.2
◄ Pretty Scary UpdateHorse Update ►

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This guide is a simplified overview of all the changes in the Redstone Update (Java Edition 1.5.x releases), which assumes at least some familiarity with the Pretty Scary Update (Java Edition 1.4.x releases).

Mobs

Changed

Name	Image	Changed
All mobs		No longer walk over rails unless they are pursuing the player.
Skeletons		Now shoot from 15 blocks away, instead of 10. Now shoot faster when their target is close, depending on difficulty.
Slimes		Spawn rates in swamps now depend on the current moon phase.
Zombies		Now group up on targets. They can now set players on fire when on fire themselves. Increased zombies attack damage. Increased player detection range.

Blocks

New

Name	Image	Obtaining	Tool Required	Uses
Activator rail		Ingredients Crafting recipe Iron Ingot + Stick + Redstone Torch 6	Pickaxe	Minecarts eject their passengers, if on an activated rail. Can be used to explode TNT minecart.
Block of redstone		Ingredients Crafting recipe Redstone	Pickaxe	Acts as a redstone power source.
Daylight sensor		Ingredients Crafting recipe Glass + Nether Quartz + Any Wooden Slab	Any	Produces redstone power only during the day.
Dropper		Ingredients Crafting recipe Cobblestone + Redstone	Pickaxe	Ejects item entities out of its inventory, can be used for item transport.
Hopper		Ingredients Crafting recipe Iron Ingot + Chest	Pickaxe	Picks up item entities into its inventory, can be used for item transport.
Redstone comparator		Ingredients Crafting recipe Redstone Torch + Nether Quartz + Stone	Any	Compares redstone signals.
Trapped chest		Ingredients Crafting recipe Chest + Tripwire Hook	Axe	Can be used for traps.
Weighted pressure plates		Ingredients Crafting recipe Iron Ingot Ingredients Crafting recipe Gold Ingot	Pickaxe	More items on pressure plate increases the redstone signal. Full signal strength on light weighted plate is reached at 60 items. Full signal strength on heavy weighted plate is reached at 600 items.
Nether quartz ore		Generates in any Nether biome.	Pickaxe (drops Nether quartz unless Silk Touch is used)	Source of Nether quartz.
Block of quartz		Ingredients Crafting recipe Nether Quartz	Pickaxe	Can be used as a decorative block.
Quartz pillar		Ingredients Crafting recipe Block of Quartz 2	Pickaxe	Can be used as a decorative block.
Chiseled quartz block		Ingredients Crafting recipe Quartz Slab	Pickaxe	Can be used as a decorative block.
Quartz slabs and stairs		Ingredients Crafting recipe Block of Quartz 6 Ingredients Crafting recipe Block of Quartz 4	Pickaxe	Can be used as decorative blocks.

Changed

Name	Image	Changed
Beacon		Increased effect radius from 16/24/32/40 blocks to 20/30/40/50 blocks.
Brewing stand, chest, detector rail and jukebox		Now emit a redstone signal into an adjacent comparator. Signal strength depends on the fullness of the block.
Dispenser		Now equip armor to players that are up to 1 block away. Can place and activate TNT. Now use bone meal on a crop or sapling in front of them. Can create fire in front of them with flint and steel, which consumes durability. They can now face all 6 directions and use a different texture when facing up or down. No longer fire while updated, instead they fire when their input becomes powered. Now emits a redstone signal into an adjacent comparator. Signal strength depends on the fullness of the dispenser.
Lava		Flows faster in the Nether. Updated texture.
Nether brick block		Now has a crafting recipe of 4 Nether brick items.

Items

New

Name	Image	Obtaining	Uses
Nether brick (item)		Ingredients Smelting recipe Netherrack + Any fuel	Can be used to make Nether brick blocks.
Nether quartz		Is now dropped from Nether quartz ore.	Is a crafting ingredient for daylight sensors and redstone comparators. Can be crafted into building blocks.

Changed

Name	Image	Changed
Bone meal		Now picks a random stage of growth each time, as opposed to automatically pushing them to the final growth stage. Saplings take 2–4 bone meal to sprout into a tree. Gives off green particles when used.

Non-mob entities

New

Name	Image	Creation	Drops	Note
Minecart with hopper		Ingredients Crafting recipe Hopper + Minecart	Minecart with Hopper	Can only be emptied by passing over a hopper. Can pick up items from containers when it passes under them.
Minecart with TNT		Ingredients Crafting recipe TNT + Minecart	Minecart with TNT	Gets triggered by activator rails. Explodes more violently the faster it goes. Doesn't destroy rails, supporting blocks or redstone materials.
Minecart with spawner		Can only be spawned in through commands.	Minecart	Functions the same as a spawner, but can move like a minecart.

Structures

Changed

Name	Image	Changed
Mineshaft		Now generates loot in minecarts with chests, instead of chests.

Enchantments

Changed

Name	Changed
Fortune	Now affects apples and potatoes.
Efficiency	Tools enchanted with Efficiency now only speed up the mining of blocks that the tool is intended for.