Ghast

Ghasts are very large white jellyfish-like mobs that float through the air and shoot fireballs from their mouths. Their bodies are 4 by 4 by 4 block cubes with 9 tentacle-like limbs hanging from the bottom. They first appeared in the Halloween Update. Ghasts are able to spawn anywhere in the Nether, as long as there is sufficient space (5*5*5 space is required to spawn) and the game is not in Peaceful mode.

m nb

Behavior

Ghasts normally float around with their eyes and mouth closed and periodically make high-pitched, child-like sounds. They open their eyes and mouth when attacking. They make a chirp-like noise when shooting and scream loudly when taking damage. The sounds that Ghasts make have a minimum intensity regardless of their distance, so they often sound closer when they are actually far away. As of Beta 1.8.1, the Ghast will let out a death rattle upon being killed - similar to the death cries that Zombies and Spiders use when killed.

Unlike most other aggressive mobs, the Ghast does not have a pursuit mode - it does not attempt to draw closer to the player when at long range (and likewise is not particularly likely to float away). Compared to other mobs, the Ghast has a very long search range and can target a player up to 100 blocks away. When the player comes within about sixteen blocks, the Ghast will open range and attempt to gain altitude.

Ghasts will not fire at the player without a line-of-sight - this can be blocked by Glass, Glass Panes, Leaves, Nether Portals, Vines, Iron Bars, both types of Fences, and Cobwebs - making safe scenic paths through the Nether a viable possibility. When not moving, Ghasts within firing range will face the player, giving the impression that they can see through transparent materials. Ghasts can draw a line-of-sight through curtains of lava, and their fireballs can pass through it meaning players near a pillar of lava can be struck without seeing the source. However, the Ghast can "cancel" its fireball while shooting if the player moves behind an obstruction or builds one.

Ghasts may drop a Ghast Tear when killed, but this can be hard to collect - because it is a flying mob, the tear may fall into lava or an inaccessible area. Ghast tears are a positive potion ingredient, so Ghast tears are well worth obtaining.

If shot at by a Ghast just try to hit the fireball back at the ghast, if you happen to hit the ghast it will die in one hit.

Ghasts can shut down and reopen your portal - which makes them very dangerous, as then you cannot get out of the Nether for some time.

Tips

Combating a Ghast is nearly impossible to do without sufficient preparation. It is suggested that you have a bow and arrows, along with a full set of armor, when attempting to fight one.

Because of the bow's charge time, you have to time each attack. Wait for the Ghast to shoot its fireball, then dodge and loose an arrow. Repeat the process until the Ghast dies, then retrieve the drops.

The hit-box is off, and the head "no-clips", thus you need to hit the tentacles, making ghasts harder then they look.

It is recommended to bring Iron Bars to make a "Ghast-Proof" wall around since Ghast Cannot destroy iron bars.

Trivia

• It is possible to kill Zombie Pigmen by deflecting Ghasts' fireballs at them.
• Ghasts are not affected by light, and thus appear the same brightness anywhere.
• Ghasts' eyes look like they have tears.
• In the Beta 1.9 Pre-release, an item called a Ghast tear is obtainable.
• When a Ghast shoots a fireball, it looks like a flaming snowball. However, in 1.9 there is a new magma stone texture for the fireball.
• If the cursor is over the Ghast's fireball the box around the equipped item will light up.
• Ghasts are the largest mob, being eight times as large as the largest variation of slime.
• Ghasts always aim at the camera so going into 3rd person can cause the Ghast to miss(patched, now aims at player).
• They can fly down into the lava, and actually die from going under the lava, catching on fire, and burning to death (but they are regularly immune to fire for a period of time after spawning.)
• The ghast looks like a giant ghost(read the name of ghast and ghost), which makes the fact it can burn and die from lava or arrows ironic.
• The ghast can anger a horde or one zombie pigmen and the zombie pigmen will try to attack it.
• The player can actually go through the ghasts.