Anvil Block - New Features coming in Minecraft 12w41a

Posted in minecraft

We recently disclosed the new Repair & Name feature coming in Minecraft 12w41a. The missing link was always going to be the actual block used to open the repair/name screen. Nathan has provided us with a new clue by showing us the Anvil block.

Anvils are typically a hard surface on which another object is struck. In the case of medieval repair, black smiths would use the anvil as a forging tool. Forging is the process of heating metal to high temperature where it becomes easier to shape and several items can be forged together to create the final object.

In the case of Minecraft , we know that the Anvil will allow us to repair an items durability by forging the items original material with the secondary item, thus creating a more tensile final item. How the enchantments are transferred during forging, we'll just leave that one down to magic!

Normally, you'd require tools to perform forging such as a hammer, chisel, tongs etc. It's unlikely that we'll see these added to Minecraft. Instead the anvil will work in a similar way to your normal crafting table which is built and then you right click to use it.

How do you craft an Anvil?

Not known yet, but a good guess would be a solid combination of high strength raw materials such as iron or maybe even the super strong obsidian. Obsidian, which is also used to create portals, has a very high blast resistance and is a safe bet for a forging tool.