Combat / Defense
How to Win a Raid
A raid is seven waves of pillagers, vindicators, evokers, and ravagers marching on your village. Win it with a crossbow opener, an evoker-first kill order, and a walled kill box, then walk away with Hero of the Village and cut-rate trades.
The evoker-first kill order
Every wave has a priority list. Open from cover with the crossbow and thin the pillager line, then sprint the evokers (24 HP) before their fangs and vexes stack up. Save the ravagers (100 HP) for last in melee: shield their charge to cancel the stun, strafe to their flank, and chunk them with Sharpness V. Keep your villagers walled the entire time so the win actually grants Hero of the Village.
Quick answers
+How many waves are in a raid?
Three to seven depending on difficulty and your Bad Omen level. On Hard with Bad Omen V you fight all 7 waves, and ravagers begin appearing from roughly wave 3 onward.
+How do I start a raid?
Get the Bad Omen effect by killing a pillager patrol captain (the one carrying the ominous banner), then enter any village with a claimed bed and workstation. The omen converts into the raid the moment you cross the village border.
+What is the most dangerous raid mob?
The ravager (100 HP) for melee threat and the evoker for its armor-piercing fangs and vex summons. Kill evokers on sight so they cannot flood you with vexes, and never trade blows with a ravager that has a rider.
+Do villagers need to survive to win?
No, the raid is won when you clear all waves, but you only earn Hero of the Village if at least one villager survives. Keep them walled in so the bonus actually triggers.
+What is the best raid loadout?
Netherite armor with Protection IV, a Multishot or Piercing IV crossbow, a Sharpness V netherite sword, a shield, two totems, and golden apples. Bring a stack of arrows and a couple of splash potions of healing for emergencies.
+Can pillagers break into my base?
Pillagers and evokers cannot break blocks, but ravagers can trample crops and a vindicator can path through open doors. Iron bars and fences stop the crowd while still letting you shoot out, so seal every gap above ground.