Fence

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Fence
First Appearance Alpha 1.0.17
Type of Block Solid Block
Stackable Yes 64
Template:Tnavbar

A fence is a translucent wood block that acts as a barrier to mobs and players.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Fences have a 1.5 block tall hitbox, meaning they cannot be jumped over by a player or mob, unless the mob is a horse, has Jump Boost, or is standing on a slab. A fence block becomes a wooden pole when there is no block directly next to it. If a block is placed next to it, they will connect to each other, extending the hitbox horizontally. A gate can be used to continue a fence line, while granting players access to the other side.

Fences come in a variety of colors, depending on the type of wood planks of which they are made.

Sources[edit | edit source]

Fences are found in NPC villages, where they act as small enclosures around some of the houses, on roofs of some houses, pillars for wells, lamp-posts with a block of black wool placed on it, or in houses with a pressure plate placed on top of it, forming a table-like structure.

Fence blocks also appear in abandoned mineshafts, where they form part of the support beam structures.

Dark oak fences generate as part of pillager outposts as of 1.14 - Village and Pillage.

Oak, dark oak and birch fences generate as part of woodland mansions.

Acacia fences generate as part of savanna villages and jungle fences generate as part of desert village armorer houses.

Nether Brick fences generate as part of nether fortresses.

Spruce fences generate in witch huts and in taiga, snowy taiga, and snowy tundra villages.

Wooden fences can generate as part of shipwrecks.

A fence can also be created in a crafting table, by arranging the components in the manner detailed below.

Fence x3
None None None
Wood Planks Stick Wood Planks
Wood Planks Stick Wood Planks


Uses[edit | edit source]

A fence's primary use is enclosing an area. It functionally serves to keep mobs and players either inside or outside. This is because fences are 1.5 blocks tall to players and mobs (although they appear to be only 1 block tall). A large area can be made resistant to hostile mobs, by enclosing it with an unbroken fence line, and lighting the inside portion heavily. This keeps any monsters from spawning within the fenced area, and keeps most hostile mobs that spawn outside, from coming in. A notable exception is spiders, which can climb over a fence. However, fences can be "spider-proofed" by placing a normal block on top of a two-block-tall fence. The spider will hit the bottom of the block when climbing the fence, and fall back down. Fences cannot always protect players from skeletons either; While a skeleton is unable to cross a fence, it can still shoot arrows over it. This risk can be lessened, by making a fence two or more blocks tall. Torches can be placed on top of fences, creating a well-lit, safer perimeter.

Fences can also be used as railings, especially on the edges of balconies, or floating platforms. Since fences cannot be jumped over accidentally, this keeps players and mobs from falling off, while still allowing them to easily see past the fence. Fences can be used as an anchor for animals, if they are attached to a lead.

Fences can be smelted as fuel in a furnace, smelting 1.5 blocks per fence; however, this is inefficient, as it costs five planks worth, and one plank also smelts 1.5 blocks.

Mining[edit | edit source]

A Fence can be harvested with any tool or by hand, but an axe is the fastest.

Tool This block needs Axe to be mined
Hardness 2
Breaking time[note 1]
Default
3
Wood
1.5
Stone
0.75
Iron
0.5
Diamond
0.4
Netherite
0.35
Gold
0.25
  1. Times are for unenchanted tools in seconds.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • Standing on top of a fence in multiplayer used to count as an illegal move, causing players to get stuck. This action has also crashed the server in the past. This bug was fixed in the Beta 1.3 update.
  • Fences became flammable as of Beta 1.6.
  • As of the Beta 1.9 pre-release, fences will also connect to blocks they are placed next to.
  • For some reason, fences will break faster with swords rather than axes.
  • Placing a fence under a tilled dirt block will allow any player or mob to trample on that block and not have the plant break.
  • If lava is beside or under a Fence, it will not burn away; however, if the Lava is above the Fence, the fence will be destroyed.
  • In 1.6.4, if a player digs a 2 block deep hole and puts a fence in front of their head as well as a glowstone or Redstone block, a player won't suffocate, and the fence won't connect to the glowstone or Redstone block.
  • If a carpet is put on a fence, a player can then jump over fences, but mobs can't.
  • Fences and Nether Brick Fences do not connect.
    • This allows players and villagers to go through these kinds of fences, but not mobs.
  • In 1.9, fences can be jumped with an elytra: by jumping forward (against anything, for that matter), and holding jump, which activates the elytra and commands a player to jump a second time, which will result in a jump greater than 1.5 blocks.
  • Fences were added in a Secret Friday update.
  • Foxes can jump over a fence if they see any prey (e.x. a chicken), this can be a problem in some kinds of farms when they utilize mostly on fences.