Iron Chain

Iron Chain

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	6
Hardness	5
Luminous	No
Transparent	Yes
Waterloggable	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

{
    "title": "Iron Chain",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes (64)",
            "label": "Stackable"
        },
        {
            "field": "<span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"height:32px;width:32px;--vertical-align:middle\">(link to File:Invicon Wooden Pickaxe.png article, displayed as 32x32px|link=Wooden Pickaxe|alt=|class=pixel-image|A wooden pickaxe or better is required to mine this block)</span>",
            "label": "Tool"
        },
        {
            "field": "6",
            "label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
        },
        {
            "field": "5",
            "label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Waterlogging article, displayed as Waterloggable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "Catches fire<br>from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [
        "Iron Chain"
    ],
    "images": [
        "Iron Chain.png"
    ]
}

Iron chains are metallic decoration blocks and the iron counterpart of the copper chain.

Obtaining

Breaking

Iron chains can be mined using any pickaxe. If mined without a pickaxe, they drop nothing.

Block	Iron Chain
Hardness	5
Tool
Breaking time (sec)[A]
Default	25
Wooden	3.75
Stone	1.9
Copper	1.5
Iron	1.25
Diamond	0.95
Netherite	0.85
Golden	0.65
Options
Efficiency	000
Haste	001 1JEBE

Legend

• incorrect tool, drops nothing
• correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
• correct tool, drops the block itself
• italicized can be instant mined

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Iron Nugget + Iron Ingot

Natural generation

Iron chains can generate in treasure room bastion remnants and sometimes in ruined portals that generate in the Nether. They always generate above magma cube spawners, also found in treasure room bastions.

Iron chains can also generate in mineshafts. They generate on the sides of a wooden bridge (a mid-air corridor) when the distance between the bridge and the highest solid block below it is higher than the distance to the lowest solid block above it. Iron chains here generate vertically in a pillar between the bridge and the ceiling. The lowest block of the pillar, connecting the chain to the bridge, is always an oak fence.

In addition, iron chains can also generate in trial chambers making up various hanging platforms in certain rooms.

Generated loot

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition and Bedrock Edition
Chain	Bastion Remnant	Generic chest	2–10	24.4% { "item": "Chain", "stacksize": "2–10", "chance": 0.24372395924512447, "structure": "Bastion Remnant", "container": "Generic chest" }

Usage

Iron chains can be used to suspend bells, hanging signs, lanterns, soul lanterns, and copper lanterns, as the iron chain texture connects to the chain of the lantern seamlessly as if it were part of it, and it connects the hanging sign chains together. Iron chains do not require a supporting block to be placed whether it is on the top, next to it or at the bottom. It can exist completely free-standing in mid air^[1] and it can be rotated. Iron chains connect horizontally or vertically, but not across different orientations (so a chain with N orientation does not connect to a chain with E orientation in the adjacent block). Horizontal iron chains one block above a surface may be walked over. Horizontal iron chains two blocks above a surface prevent players from traveling past them. Vertical iron chains block travel if targeted directly, but may be skirted.

Iron chains can be walked on.

Iron chains can be pushed by pistons without being broken.

In Bedrock Edition, iron chains are not conductive, but the comparator can work in being separated from the measured block by a chain.

Crafting ingredient

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Chain + Matching Stripped Log or  Block of Stripped Bamboo or  Matching Stripped Stem	666666666666

Sounds

Java Edition:

v t e chain sound type
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.chain.break	subtitles.block.generic.break​	0.5	0.8	16
	​Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.chain.place	subtitles.block.generic.place​	0.5	0.8	16
	​Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.chain.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit​	0.2	0.5	16
	​Something falls on a block	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.chain.fall	subtitles.block.generic.fall​	0.5	0.75	16
	​Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.chain.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps​	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

v t e chain sound type
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.chain	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.chain	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.chain	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.chain	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	step.chain	0.3	1.0
	Blocks	Jumping from the block	jump.chain	0.12	1.0
	Blocks	Falling on the block without fall damage	land.chain	0.22	1.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Item tags	Translation key
Iron Chain	iron_chain	Block & Item	chains	chains	block.minecraft.iron_chain

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Alias ID	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID[i 1]	Block tags	Translation key
Iron Chain	iron_chain	chain	541	Block & Giveable Item[i 2]	Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -286)	minecraft:is_pickaxe_item_destructible	tile.iron_chain.name

Block states

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

History

Java Edition

Java Edition
1.16			20w16a				Added chains.
							Chains generate in the newly added bastion remnants, and can be found in their chests.
							Chains currently use the generic metal block sounds.
			20w17a				Unique sounds have been added for chains.
			20w18a				Chains can now be waterlogged.
1.16.2			20w30a				The chance of finding chains in bastion remnant chests is decreased from 31.5% to 24.4%.
			Pre-release 1				Chains can now be placed in all orientations.
1.17			21w07a				Chains can now generate in mineshafts.
			21w13a				The model of chains has been changed so that the backside texture is mirrored.
1.19.3 Experiment Update 1.20			22w42a				Chains are now used to craft hanging signs.
1.20.3 Experiment Update 1.21			23w45a				Chains can now generate in trial chambers.
1.21.9			25w32a				"Chain" has been renamed to "Iron Chain".

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition
1.16.0			beta 1.16.0.57				Added chains.
			beta 1.16.0.63				Unique sounds have been added for chains.
1.16.100			beta 1.16.100.54				Chains can now be placed in all orientations.
1.19.50 Experiment Next Major Update			Preview 1.19.50.21				Chains are now used to craft hanging signs.
1.20.30			Preview 1.20.20.21				Increased the blast resistance of chains from 3 to 6.
1.21.111			Preview 1.21.110.23				"Chain" has been renamed to "Iron Chain".

Data history

Issues

Issues relating to "Iron Chain" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

• A vertical iron chain, being a solid, but not a full block, allows for many sizes of mobs and players to pass alongside each piece horizontally.
• Despite its name, it cannot be crafted into chainmail armor.^[2]
• Iron chains do not stick together when moved by pistons, regardless of orientation.

Gallery

Renders

• 
  A lantern hanging from an iron chain.
• 
  A monster spawner hanging with an iron chain found in the bastion remnants.

Mojang screenshots

• 
  Iron chains and stone bricks.
• 
  Iron chains and chiseled blackstone.
• 
  An evoker lifting weights.

References

Navigation

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