XP Farming with Blackstone Stairs in Trails and Tales
Trails and Tales breathes new life into vanilla design with a wealth of blocks that invite clever builds. Blackstone stairs are one such block that players often overlook for their practical potential beyond looks. In this guide we dive into how to leverage the different states of Blackstone Stairs to make compact XP farms in a Trails and Tales world. Here you will find clear ideas you can test in your own base, whether you are new to XP farms or sharpening a long standing setup 🧱
Understanding the block and its states
Blackstone stairs carry a compact set of properties that matter when you plan a farm channel. The block supports four facing directions north south east and west and can be placed as straight steps or as inner and outer curves. Each stair can be top or bottom half which helps you craft low profile supports or ceiling transitions. Importantly you can make a stair waterlogged which allows a water flow inside the block itself. This combination of facing shape and waterlogged timing lets you design tight corridors that still transport XP orbs and items efficiently.
Living up to its name the block has a rugged texture that blends with basalt and other dark themed blocks. When used in an XP channel the stairs do not impede orb movement but rather guide it along a desired route. The mod friendly and update ready nature of blackstone means you can reuse these stairs across a single farm as you expand your collection system. In short the key is to think of the stairs as more than a decorative edge and treat them as a modular conduit for your XP flow 🧭
Three practical layouts using Blackstone Stairs
- Compact mob grinder spine Start with a small drop chamber and place a narrow funnel at the bottom. Line the funnel with blackstone stairs to form a clean edge around the kill area. The stairs help keep the space tight while you position the trap or crusher out of the main flow. Use different shapes to bend the channel around corners without creating dead zones that mobs can clog.
- Water guided XP channel In a waterlogged configuration you can place a shallow water stream along the stair spine. Angle the stairs toward a central collection point so XP orbs glide along the channel and drop into a hopper or chest. The water helps move orbs gently and the stairs provide a visually pleasing guiding path that is easy to maintain.
- Aesthetic kill floor with edge detail If you enjoy a cinematic look, build a multi level kill floor where each level uses stacked blackstone stairs to frame the platform. The stairs act as a decorative barrier that still allows XP to escape toward the lower chamber. This approach keeps maintenance simple while giving your farm a distinctive look.
Tips for building in Trails and Tales
- Test with XP orbs as you go to confirm the flow path from spawn area to collection point
- Mix straight and curved shapes to avoid sharp corners that might trap mobs or slow orb movement
- Pair blackstone stairs with water and signs to control flow without blocking the channel
- Keep the grinder area well lit to minimize unintended spawns in adjacent rooms
Performance notes and version context
XP farming mechanics in Trails and Tales remain consistent with prior updates: mobs drop XP orbs when defeated, and orbs travel through air and water toward a player nearby. The value of Blackstone Stairs lies in architecture and channeling rather than altering XP physics. By shaping the flow with stairs you can create more compact farms that still feel open and functional within your base design.
Maintenance friendly design
One advantage of using Blackstone Stairs is the ease of expanding your setup later. The four facing directions enable you to adapt the channel to the layout of your base, while the top and bottom halves help you conceal or reveal sections of the conduit as you add more grinders. The waterlogged option lets you keep channels clean and unobstructed without needing extra blocks to hold water in place. As always test your channel with real gameplay and tweak spacing until you get a smooth XP collection experience 🛠️
For builders who enjoy a cohesive aesthetic, pairing Blackstone Stairs with a broader industrial or dungeon theme keeps your XP farm feeling like a natural part of the world. The texture and modular nature of the block make it easy to blend with basalt, gray concrete, and weathered bricks to assemble a robust system that demonstrates both form and function.
Remember that the best XP farm design is one that you can maintain and upgrade. Start simple, iterate with different stair shapes and water layouts, and document the flow so you can reproduce it in other wings of your base. The Trails and Tales environment rewards thoughtful layout and consistent testing more than any single trick, and Blackstone Stairs give you a reliable set of tools to achieve both.
If you enjoyed this practical look at a vanilla approach to XP farming, consider sharing your own layouts and iterations with the community. The more builders contribute designs that leverage existing blocks in clever ways, the richer our open Minecraft ecosystem becomes. Let curiosity drive your next build and keep tinkering with stair shapes to discover new pathways for XP and efficiency 🧱
Ready to support the open Minecraft community and keep projects like this thriving
Support Our Minecraft Projects