Sulfur Spike
Minecraft Wiki article. Categories: Renewable_resources, Stackable_resources, Pages_using_simple_calculator, Pages_using_calculator, Pages_with_sound_tables, Pages_with_Java_sound_tables, Pages_with_Bedrock_sound_tables, Java_Edition_upcoming…
This article is reproduced from Sulfur Spike on the Minecraft Wiki. Mirrored from revision 3705083. It is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 by the Minecraft Wiki contributors — not under the Codex’s CC BY-SA 4.0, and it may not be used commercially. Edits belong upstream, not here.
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Sulfur spikes are blocks found in sulfur caves that form stalactites and stalagmites.
Stalactites (which point downward) grow over time when attached from underneath sulfur and can serve as falling projectiles, similar to dripstone.
Stalagmites (which point upward) do not deal extra fall damage, unlike pointed dripstone.
Obtaining
Breaking
Sulfur spikes drop when mined by any tool or hand, but pickaxes are the quickest. Sulfur spikes break instantly when hit by a thrown trident. However, it cannot be broken with any other projectile.
| Block | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | 1.5 | |
| Tool | ||
| Breaking time (sec)[A] | ||
| Default | 2.25 | |
| 1.15 | ||
| 0.6 | ||
| 0.45 | ||
| 0.4 | ||
| 0.3 | ||
| 0.25 | ||
| 0.2 | ||
| Options | ||
| Efficiency | 000 | |
| Haste | 001 1JEBE | |
- incorrect tool, drops nothing
- correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
- correct tool, drops the block itself
- italicized can be instant mined
- ↑ These durations ignore any other influential factors (e.g., Mining Fatigue) and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Mining efficiency.
Natural generation
Sulfur spikes generate in sulfur caves in cluster formations. Sulfur spike stalagmites can also be found around sulfur springs.
Trading
| Villager | Probability | Villager wants | Player receives | Trades in stock | Villager experience | Price multiplier | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JE | BE | |||||||
| Ordinary | 7% | 7% | 2 × | 5 | — | — | ||
Post-generation
A sulfur spike can grow only if it is hanging directly under a sulfur block. It grows downward, forming a stalactite with a maximum length of 3 blocks. In addition, if there is a block with a full solid top surface less than 11 blocks below the tip of the stalactite, a stalagmite can grow on that block toward the stalactite. This does not occur if the stalactite is 3 or more blocks long. Neither stalactites nor stalagmites can grow if their tip is waterlogged.
Sulfur spikes grow slowly, with an average time of 5 in-game days (100 minutes) for every single growth step. More precisely, every time the tip of a stalactite receives a random tick, there is a small chance of 1.138% (64⁄5625) for it or the stalagmite below to grow one block.
Usage
Sulfur spikes can be found in two different forms, stalactites and stalagmites. Placing a sulfur spike between a stalagmite and stalactite without sneaking connects them. Sulfur spikes can also be waterlogged. They behave similarly to pointed dripstone.
Stalactites

Stalactites are created when sulfur spikes are placed on the bottom of a block.
If the block supporting a stalactite or any block of the stalactite is broken, all of the unsupported sulfur spike below the broken block drops, causing damage to any player and mobs standing beneath it, similar to a falling anvil. When a player dies by a stalactite falling on them, the death message "<player> was skewered by a falling stalactite" appears.
In Bedrock Edition, gray dust particles fall from stalactites.
Stalagmites

Stalagmites are created when sulfur spikes are placed on the ground.
Unlike pointed dripstone, falling on a sulfur stalagmite does not affect the amount of fall damage taken.[1] Dying by falling onto a sulfur spike stalagmite treats the death as standard fall damage, meaning the death message "<player> was impaled on a stalagmite" is not displayed.
It is possible to climb up portions of stalagmites entirely composed of differently sized parts because of the different collision box sizes of the sulfur spikes from which it is composed.
Columns

Sulfur spike columns can be found naturally in sulfur caves, and are formed when stalactites and stalagmites join together in mid-air. When grown, they stop where they join (unlike in real life).
Columns can be created manually by stacking sulfur spikes on either the stalactite or the stalagmite or both until they join together, the last sulfur spikes placed being the most slender part of the whole column. Based on the direction of the last block placed, the shape of the column's slender part can vary.
Crafting ingredient
| Name | Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfur | Sulfur Spike |
Sounds
Generic
sulfur sound type | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Closed captions | Source | Description | Identifier | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 1.0 | 16 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 1.0 | 16 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 1.0 | 16 | |
| Something falls on a block | Entity-Dependent | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 1.0 | 16 | |
| Footsteps | Entity-Dependent | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 10 | 16 | |
sulfur sound type | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Closed captions | Source | Description | Identifier | Translation key | Volume | Pitch |
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | block | subtitles | 0.3 | 0.5 | |
| Something falls on a block | Blocks | Falling on the block with fall damage | block | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.75 | |
| Footsteps | Blocks | Walking on the block | block | subtitles | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Footsteps | Blocks | Jumping from the block | block | subtitles | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Footsteps | Blocks | Falling on the block without fall damage | block | subtitles | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
Unique
| Sounds | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Closed captions | Source | Description | Identifier | Translation key | Volume | Pitch | Attenuation distance |
| Block broken | Blocks | When a sulfur spike lands from falling | block | subtitles | 2.0 | 0.9–1.0 | 16 | |
Data values
ID
| Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
sulfur_spike | Block & Item | None | block |
| Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sulfur_spike | 1380 | Block & Giveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -1125) | minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructible |
tile |
- ↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
- ↑ Available with
/givecommand. - ↑ The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.
Block states
| Name | Default value | Allowed values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| thickness | tip
| tip_mergetipfrustummiddlebase | The thickness of the sulfur spike. |
| vertical_direction | up | updown | The direction of the sulfur spike. |
| waterlogged | false | truefalse | Whether or not there's water in the same place as this sulfur spike. |
| Name | Metadata Bits | Default value | Allowed values | Values for Metadata Bits |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dripstone_thickness | Not Supported | tip
| mergetipfrustummiddlebase | Unsupported | The thickness of the sulfur spike. |
| hanging | Not Supported | true | falsetrue | Unsupported | Whether or not the sulfur spike is pointing down. |
History
Announcement
| April 14, 2026 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Java Edition
| Java Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.2 | snap3 | ||||||
| Wandering traders are intended to sell sulfur spikes, but currently do not.[2] | |||||||
| snap5 | Sulfur spikes now have unique sounds when falling rather than reusing pointed dripstone sounds. | ||||||
| snap6 | Wandering traders can now sell sulfur spikes.[2] | ||||||
| The map color for sulfur spikes is now 18 COLOR_YELLOW instead of 48 TERRACOTTA_BROWN.[3] | |||||||
| Upcoming Java Edition | |||||||
| 26.3 | snap3 | ||||||
Bedrock Edition
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.30 | Preview 26.30.20 | ||||||
| Preview 26.30.25 | Added sulfur spikes to the Creative inventory. | ||||||
| Wandering traders can now sell sulfur spikes. | |||||||
| Four sulfur spikes can now be used to craft one sulfur block. | |||||||
| 26.40 | Preview 26.40.20 | Sulfur spikes now have their own unique sounds. | |||||
| Preview 26.40.26 | Limited how long spikes can grow. | ||||||
| Preview 26.40.30 | |||||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Sulfur Spike" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Gallery
Mojang screenshots
-
A sulfur cave with sulfur spikes
-
Ari in a sulfur cave looking up and observing a sulfur spike hanging from the ceiling. A sulfur cube to the right eagerly watches.
References
Navigation
Sources
- Sulfur Spike — Minecraft Wiki, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, revision 3705083.