Elder Guardian

Hostile Mob

Health Points: 80

Attack Strength: Laser: Easy: 5

                                          Normal: 8

                                          Hard: 12

                              Spikes: Easy and Normal: 2

                                           Hard: 3

Elder guardians are larger and stronger variants of the guardian. Three elder guardians spawn with each ocean monument, one in the top of the structure, and one in each wing. When killed, they will drop 0-2 prismarine shards, one wet sponge, and 10 experience if they were killed by a player or a tamed wolf. There is a 1/2 chance of them dropping one raw cod (cooked cod if killed while on fire on Java Edition), a 1/3 chance of them dropping one prismarine crystal instead of cod, and a 1/6 chance of them dropping neither cod nor prismarine crystals. There is also a 2.5% chance of them dropping one random fish: a 60% chance for raw cod, a 25% chance of raw salmon, a 13% chance for pufferfish, and a 2% chance for tropical fish. In addition, there is a 20% chance for them to drop a Tide armor trim.

Elder guardians will retract their spikes when swimming, and when they are stationary, the spikes will extend and they will slowly sink. They will attack any players, squid, glow squid, or axolotls that come within range of its laser. If the player swims toward them, they will retract their spikes and swim away, unless they are cornered. If they are cornered, they will instead extend their spikes and shoot their laser. They will flop around squeaking while on land, and cannot suffocate when out of water, meaning they can survive indefinitely on land.

Elder guardians have three main forms of attack: their laser, which shoots from their eye, their spikes, when extended, and the ability to inflict the Mining Fatigue status effect on players.

The laser's maximum range is fifteen blocks, and will take 2 seconds to charge up, starting purple and fading to yellow, and will do no damage as it does so. When it is fully charged, the laser will flash green and deal damage. The laser cannot be dodged or blocked by a shield, but if its path is blocked by a solid block, it will disengage.

When an elder guardian's spikes are extended, any mob or player that hits it will be inflicted by a small amount of damage, similar to the Thorns armor enchantment.

Elder guardians will inflict Mining Fatigue on any players they detect within 50 blocks. The effect will last for 5 minutes, and when it runs out will be renewed by the elder guardians if they are still alive. When the player is inflicted with Mining Fatigue, a ghostly face of the elder guardian will appear and fade away on their screens, and a ghostly noise will play. Mining Fatigue will decrease the player's attack speed by 30%, and will also greatly increase the time it takes to break blocks. Mining Fatigue III, the only level that can be obtained in survival Minecraft, will make the breaking time for all blocks 37 times longer. Like other status effects, it can be removed by drinking a bucket of milk.