Shahrukh Sial is a gaming content writer at Sparked Host. He covers game guides, tips, and updates to help players improve their skills and enjoy a better gaming experience.

The game has always been about crafting and building, but with recent major updates, a whole new layer of exploration and discovery has been introduced. The brush is a simple yet powerful tool that unlocks a world of ancient treasures and secrets.

If you are new to the game, or simply missed this addition, do not worry. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from crafting a brush to using it to uncover incredible finds.

What Does A Brush Do In Minecraft?

Before you start crafting, it is helpful to understand the purpose of this unique tool. Unlike other tools like a pickaxe or a shovel, the brush is not for breaking blocks. Instead, it is a tool for delicate excavation. Its primary purpose is to reveal hidden items from within special blocks called suspicious blocks, which come in two types: suspicious sand and suspicious gravel.

When you use the brush on a suspicious block, it begins a slow and careful brushing animation. As you continue to brush, a hidden item will gradually be revealed, as if you are dusting off an ancient artifact. This is part of the game’s archaeology system, which was introduced in a major update. Brushing these suspicious blocks is the only way to obtain a variety of special items and treasures that cannot be found anywhere else in the game. This includes rare pottery sherds, sniffer eggs, and even some enchanting books. The brush offers a completely different gameplay experience, encouraging players to be more observant and patient as they explore.

The brush is also a versatile tool with another important use. It can be used on an armadillo, a mob added in a more recent version of the game. Using the brush on an armadillo will cause it to drop an armadillo scute, a key crafting ingredient for wolf armor. This provides a safe and easy way to collect this item without harming the armadillo. The use of the brush for this purpose highlights its role as a non-destructive and useful tool.

Crafting A Brush In Minecraft

Crafting a brush is simple, but it does require a few specific ingredients. You can create a brush in any version of the game, including both Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. It is a straightforward crafting recipe that a beginner can easily complete. To get started, you will need a crafting table.

Here are the ingredients for the crafting recipe:

  • One stick

  • One copper ingot

  • One soft feather

To craft the brush, place the three ingredients in a vertical line in your crafting grid. The order is important: the feather goes in the top middle slot of the crafting grid, the copper ingot goes in the middle slot, and the stick goes in the bottom middle slot. Once you have placed the ingredients correctly, the completed brush will appear in the result slot of the crafting table. You can then move the new tool to your inventory.

Getting the ingredients should not be too difficult. Sticks are easily crafted from wooden planks. Copper ingots are made by smelting raw copper ore in a furnace. You can find copper ore in most biomes below the surface of the world. A soft feather is a common item dropped by chickens and can also be found in chests.

Keep in mind that the brush has durability, just like other tools in the game. It will lose durability with each use. You can repair damaged brushes by combining two of them in a crafting table, which will merge their durability into one brush and give a small bonus. The unbreaking and mending enchantments can also be applied to a brush to extend its lifespan.

How To Use The Brush

Using the brush is simple but requires a bit of care. Unlike other tools, you do not simply left-click to use it. You must right-click or use the action button on your controller to activate the brushing animation. It is important to know that the brush does not break any blocks, so you do not have to worry about accidentally destroying a block and losing its potential contents.

Brushing Suspicious Blocks

The main use of the brush is to excavate suspicious blocks. When you find a suspicious block, either suspicious sand or suspicious gravel, stand in front of it and use the brush.

A brushing sound and a special brushing animation will begin. A single suspicious block will take about five seconds of continuously brushing to reveal its item. As you brush, you will see the item slowly emerge from the block. Once the item is fully revealed, the suspicious block will turn into a regular sand or gravel block, and you can collect the item. It is a good idea to collect the item quickly, as it can disappear if you wait too long.

It is important to be careful with these blocks, especially if you are brushing suspicious sand or suspicious gravel. If you break a suspicious block with a shovel or a pickaxe, the hidden item will be destroyed and lost forever. Always remember to use your brush, as it is the only way to safely excavate the contents.

Brushing An Armadillo

Another important use of the brush is on an armadillo. To get an armadillo scute, find an armadillo and use your brush on it. This action causes a single scute to drop.

This is an excellent way to get armadillo scutes for crafting wolf armor. This use of the brush consumes a significant amount of the tool's durability, so it is a good idea to have backup brushes or a brush with the mending enchantment.

What Can You Find With The Brush?

The treasures you can uncover by brushing suspicious blocks are vast and can vary depending on the location and block type. The loot tables are distinct for suspicious sand and suspicious gravel, providing different items to find.

Pottery Sherds

Pottery sherds are one of the most unique items you can find.

These are ancient fragments with designs on them that can be combined on a crafting table to create a decorated pot. You can find different patterns on the pottery sherds, each telling a bit of a story about the world's history. They are a core part of the archaeology update.

Sniffer Eggs

Sniffer eggs are a very rare and exciting find.

These eggs can only be found in suspicious blocks. Once you have a sniffer egg, you can place it and wait for it to hatch. When it hatches, you will get a sniffer, a new mob in the game. The sniffer can then be used to find new seeds.

Armor Trims

You can also find smithing templates for armor trims.

These templates are used on a smithing table to customize the appearance of your armor with various designs. This is a great way to add a bit of flair and personal style to your gear.

Other Items

Beyond the unique finds, brushing suspicious sand or brushing suspicious gravel can also reveal other useful items. These include common materials like coal, wheat seeds, and sticks, as well as more valuable items such as emeralds, diamonds, and enchanted books.

What Are The Best Spots To Use The Brush?

Finding suspicious blocks is the first step to becoming an expert at Minecraft archaeology. They only appear in specific structures and locations within the game world. Knowing where to look will save you a lot of time and effort.

Trail Ruins

Trail ruins are a new structure that was added in a major update, and they are one of the best places to use your brush.

They are buried structures, often partially hidden in the ground, and can be found in various biomes. Trail ruins are full of suspicious gravel and suspicious sand, making them a prime location for finding pottery sherds and sniffer eggs. They are the ideal spot for a new player to start their archaeology adventure.

Ocean Ruins

Ocean ruins are another great place to find suspicious blocks.

These structures are found underwater in ocean biomes. You will often find suspicious gravel blocks mixed in with the regular gravel and sand. Be prepared with some water breathing potions or a conduit power to make your search easier.

Desert Wells and Pyramids

Suspicious sand can also be found in desert biomes.

Desert pyramids and desert wells are known to have a few suspicious sand items hidden within them. The items found here are often different from those in ocean ruins or trail ruins, so it is worth exploring all of them to get a complete collection of artifacts.

Conclusion

The brush is more than just a simple tool; it is your key to a whole new world of exploration and discovery in Minecraft. It is a testament to the game’s ever-evolving design and its commitment to providing players with new and exciting experiences. Whether you are a dedicated crafter, an intrepid explorer, or a beginner looking to understand the latest features, the brush offers something for everyone. From brushing suspicious gravel brush to uncovering ancient tales through pottery sherds, the world is full of secrets waiting to be found.

Final Thoughts

The art of archaeology in Minecraft is a patient and rewarding one. It is not about speed, but about carefully revealing the hidden treasures of the world. So, grab your copper ingot, a stick, and a soft feather, and prepare to embark on a journey of discovery. The mysteries of the past are waiting for you, and all you need is a brush to uncover them.