How to Transport Villagers in Minecraft: A Comprehensive Guide – TheLinuxCode (2024)

By Linux Code / November 8, 2023 November 8, 2023

As a Minecraft player, you may find yourself needing to move villagers from time to time. Whether you want to relocate an entire village closer to your base, bring villagers together for a special building project, or populate buildings, you‘ll need to safely transport villagers across various types of terrain. This in-depth guide will teach you expert techniques to efficiently move villagers in Minecraft.

Why Move Villagers?

Before jumping into the how, let‘s briefly go over some reasons you may need to transport villagers:

• Trading – Having villagers nearby your base is extremely convenient for trading since you don‘t have to travel back and forth constantly.
• Breeding – Moving villagers to a custom village area allows you to control breeding and growth.
• Relocating villages – Sometimes it‘s necessary to move villagers away from a village that‘s in a hazardous location or in the way of a build.
• Transportation – You may need to move villagers very long distances, even across oceans and between dimensions.
• Decoration – Populating structures like castles with villagers can bring your builds to life!

Methods of Moving Villagers

There are 3 main methods of transporting villagers, with their own pros and cons:

Using Boats

Boats are the cheapest and most readily available way to move villagers on water or land.

Pros:

• Easy to craft from 5 wood planks
• Can transport 1 villager per boat on water or land
• Great for short point A to point B trips

Cons:

• Slow on land – approx. 5 m/s according to official data
• Not automated – you have to steer the boat
• Can‘t auto-transport many villagers

Using Minecarts

Minecarts along rails are ideal for long-range transport and automating villager movement.

Pros:

• Much faster over long distances – up to 8 m/s
• Can be automated with powered rails
• Link carts together to transport many villagers

Cons:

• Expensive iron cost for rails and carts
• Have to build out rail system – 6 iron + 1 stick per 16 blocks of rails

Using Workstations

Unemployed villagers will seek out available workstations, which can lure them to new areas.

Pros:

• Takes advantage of villager behavior, so no resources required
• Simple method early in Survival Mode

Cons:

• Very short range – approx. 16 blocks
• Not precise – hard to control exact pathing

Detailed Steps for Moving Villagers

Now that we‘ve weighed the pros and cons of each method, let‘s go through step-by-step how to move villagers efficiently using boats, minecarts and workstations.

Moving Villagers Short Distances with Boats

For quick trips within sight of a village, boats are your simplest option. Here‘s how to use them:

1. Craft a boat – Arrange 5 wood planks in a U shape on the crafting table. This makes 1 oak boat.
2. Place the boat on any flat ground or water source. Villagers will automatically pathfind toward and enter the boat when they are close enough. You can also push them in.
3. Once the villager is in, right click the boat to take control. Steer the boat toward your destination using the movement keys.
4. On water, boats move at a speed of approx. 6 m/s. On land, speed is reduced to around 5 m/s. Still much faster than walking!
5. When you reach your destination, break the boat to eject the villager. Be careful not to crash and destroy the boat before arrival!

Boats are your cheapest transport option in early game or when travelling directly across bodies of water. Just be wary of obstacles and aim for short, uncomplicated trips within eyesight of the village.

Transporting Villagers Long Distances with Minecarts

To efficiently move villagers across long distances, fast-moving minecarts along rail tracks are ideal. Here‘s how to transport villagers with a rail system:

1. Craft rails by placing 6 iron ingots + 1 stick in a row on the crafting table. This yields 16 rails. Repeat to craft as many rails as you‘ll need for your journey.
2. Build out your rail tracks along the path you want villagers to travel. Use powered rails periodically to boost speed. Extend rails over obstacles like water or lava using supports beneath.
3. Craft minecarts by placing 5 iron ingots in a U shape on the crafting table. Craft 1 minecart per villager.
4. Link minecarts together by pushing carts into each other. Put villagers into each linked minecart.
5. Push the first minecart to set the train in motion. Use additional powered rails and minecarts with furnace engines to maintain speed.
6. Ride along in the minecart train using a spare cart to control the herd and keep them safe. Monitor for any gaps or obstructions.

With an efficient rail setup, you can transport villagers at speeds over 8 m/s according to the Minecraft wiki, much faster than boats or walking! Link many carts together in one train to quickly relocate entire villages.

Guiding Villagers with Workstations

Early in survival mode when resources are limited, you can take advantage of villager behavior by luring them with workstations. Here‘s how it works:

1. Check for any unemployed villagers, identifiable by their plain green robes. These villagers will seek out unclaimed workstations.
2. Craft a workstation block like a grindstone, lectern, or composter within 16 blocks of the unemployed villagers.
3. When an unemployed villager notices the unclaimed workstation, they will automatically pathfind toward it and begin a new trade profession using that station.
4. Once the villager arrives, pick up and move the workstation further toward your destination to pull them along. Repeat until you reach your target location.

The advantage of using workstations is that no resources are wasted making tracks or vehicles. However, the range is very limited and you have little control over the exact pathing. Use this method early on for short direct trips on a budget.

Additional Tips for Transporting Villagers

Here are some extra tips to ensure safe, successful transport:

• Move villagers in groups using linked minecarts whenever possible. Don‘t leave stragglers!
• Transport villagers during nighttime when they naturally pathfind toward their home beds. Less likely to wander off track!
• Use fence gates, water streams, bubble columns, rails and boats to easily guide villagers uphill or downhill.
• Bring a few stacks of food like bread to share with villagers mid-journey to keep them satisfied.
• Employ leads to control stubborn villagers who won‘t follow you or pathfind properly.
• Build tunnels or covered paths to protect villagers from threats along the way.
• Use Nether portals to transport villagers rapidly across extremely long distances in the overworld.

With these best practices, you‘ll be a pro at transporting villagers no matter where your adventures take you. Whether you need to relocate your trading partners to a new base location or move an entire village to a safer area, keep these detailed villager transport guides handy. Just remember to be patient, use the right method for the right distance, and keep your villagers safe!

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