How to use armor stands in Minecraft

Last time I introduced how to make an armor stand, but this time I will focus on how to use an armor stand in Minecraft. Although it’s called an armor stand, it can actually hold other items as well. Especially in the Bedrock edition, these entities can also have multiple default poses. So, let’s get started!

What can I display on the armor stand ?

In addition to armor, Minecraft allows you to display carved pumpkins, mob heads, and elytra on armor stands. All of these can be equipped by the player. To place one of these items on an armor stand, select it in your hotbar and right-click.

You cannot place an item on a stand if the slot is already occupied. To remove an item from a stand, right-click in the general area with your empty hand. Doing this will remove the item from its stand and place it on your hotbar. There is no Armor Stand UI , so you can control it directly in-game.

Minecraft armor stand pose

Similar to banners and signs, armor stands can be rotated in multiple directions. But that’s not where the fun ends. What’s interesting is that you can attach different poses to the armor stand. However, in this case, the Bedrock and Java editions are different. In the Bedrock edition, you can easily and quickly change the pose of your stand by right-clicking on it while sneaking.

In addition, the stand has an arm that allows you to put items in your hands, so you can display it in a variety of ways other than armor. The Java edition does not allow armor stands to appear in different poses in the vanilla game. However, you can use Minecraft mods and commands to make this a reality.

Generate armor stand with arm

Technically, you can’t arm armor in Java Edition. But with the best Minecraft commands, you can spawn armored ones in your world. To do this, press T to open chat and use the command below to summon an armored stand with arms.

 /summon minecraft:armor_stand ~ ~ ~ {ShowArms:1}

Note that spawned armor stands will lose their arms if broken . So, only spawn it where you want it to be placed. Additionally, this custom armor stand can also hold items such as swords in the Java version. However, you will need to break the stand to get the item back.

Armor stand enchantment

Armor stands are physical, so they can be affected by Minecraft enchantments. For example, if you are using a sword with the Swept Edge enchantment, nearby armor stands will become airborne.

This mechanic is used in some farm designs, such as the extremely powerful Raid farm designed by Minecraft YouTuber ianxofour . Also, if the stand itself is equipped with enchanted armor, its effects can be reflected. The following enchantments apply.

• Frost Walker Boots turns water into blocks of ice when the stand is pushed by a piston.
• Depth Strider slows the movement of the armor stand when pushed by water.
• Players take damage when attacking armor stands with spiked armor.

In the Bedrock edition, armor stands can be given various status effects and can also be “dead” by attacks. However, if you first equip armor or other items, the game considers them to be “naturally generated.”

Now you know everything about how to use armor stands in Minecraft. As you can see, these entities help make the world feel more alive and inhabited. So, do you use armor stands a lot in your world? Would you like your Java edition stand to be like the Bedrock edition? Let us know in the comments below.