Skip to main content
← All Guides
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.

RAID, BAD OMEN V
WAVE
5
of 7
RAVAGER ×2PILLAGER ×6VINDICATOR ×3EVOKER ×1
VILLAGERS
3 / 5 ALIVE
1
2
3
F
4
-19
CRIT -28
BAD OMEN cleared on first hit, fight in the village to spawn the raid
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.

The raid roster, by what it does to you

A raid is a sequence of specific mobs, and they are not equally dangerous. The ravager hits for 12 with 75 percent knockback resistance, the vindicator for 5 plus its axe, and the evoker for nothing at all. That last one is the most valuable target on the field and the one that cannot hurt you.

MobHealthHit damageMovement speedFollow rangeXP
Ravager100120.353220
Vindicator2450.351212
Evoker2420.51210
Vex1440.7163
Witch2620.251612

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.
+

What order should I kill raid mobs in?

Evokers first, because they keep producing vexes and cannot fight back. Then vindicators, whose axes take your shield away, and leave the ravager for last since it is the one you can out-position on high ground.
+

Why does knockback not work on the ravager?

It carries 75 percent knockback resistance, the highest of any raid mob, so three quarters of the push you land is absorbed. Kiting it is not a plan; terrain and stuns are.

Blocks and items in this guide

Netherite Sword in MinecraftNetherite SwordSplash Potion in MinecraftSplash PotionGolden Apple in MinecraftGolden AppleWind Charge in MinecraftWind ChargeIron Bars in MinecraftIron BarsCrossbow in MinecraftCrossbowPotion in MinecraftPotionShield in MinecraftShield

All 8 of these are named in the guide above, starting with Netherite Sword. Look them up in the item database.

More guides on this site

Guides that go with this one

Hero of the Village: How to Win a Raid in Minecraft
Complete guide to defending a village raid and earning Hero of the Village. Wave breakdown, combat...
How to Beat a Guardian
Kill ocean guardians fast: break line of sight to cancel the laser, burst DPS between beams, and bring...
How to Beat an Evoker
Kill the Evoker fast: dodge the fang lines, ignore the vexes, and rush it down before it casts again....
How to Fight a Spider in Minecraft
Beat spiders and cave spiders fast: take high ground, time the pounce, sweep the cluster, and use...
How to Beat a Breeze in Minecraft (Trial Chamber Guide)
Kill the Breeze in trial chambers: dodge wind charges, control knockback, land the mace slam, and avoid...
How to Beat a Ravager in Minecraft
Kill a charging ravager with 100 HP using high ground, a shield, and sprint-mobility. Exact damage...
Database
Mob Database
Stats, drops, spawn conditions and behaviour for every mob.
Database
Item Database
Every item with its stats, IDs, recipes and uses.
Guides
More Combat & Survival guides
Boss fights, mobs, gear, potions and staying alive.