What does a Sculk Catalyst do in Minecraft?

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Minecraft’s 1.19 The Wild update introduced a lot of dark and brooding architecture in the new Deep Dark biome. While the terrifying Wardan will definitely have you watching your step around these areas, you need to know what the various blocks on the ground around you will be doing as well. Here is what you need to know about the Sculk Catalyst block.

Related: How to find a Sculk Catalyst in Minecraft

Sculk Catalysts are blocks that generate in the Deep Dark and are dropped by Wardens upon death. You can tell the difference between them and regular Sculk blocks by the white bottom half of the block. Like other Sculk blocks, you can only carry and transport them if you have a tool with Silk Touch on it; otherwise, the block will disappear when you break it down.

The Sculk Catalyst blocks are used to generate more Sculk blocks around them (besides additional Catalysts). When a mob or player is killed and drops experience within an eight block radius of the Catalyst, that spot where the experience orb fell will generate into various other Sculk blocks. There is a 9% chance for a Sculk Sensor to spawn and a 1% shot at a Sculk Shrieker generating.

If a player is killed near a Sculk Catalyst, what generates depends on how many experience levels they have. Nothing will happen if they have no experience, but higher levels will activate the Catalyst more. If you want to spread Sculk blocks around your home naturally, just carry a Catalyst with you and place it in spots to revert blocks to Sculk. Kill Chickens or other mobs around it to make your home feel a little darker.