Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, community sites named in the text and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Blast Resistance for Raiders and Base Builders
Normal TNT cannot break any block with a blast resistance above about 16.5. That puts obsidian (1,200), water and lava (100) and ender chests (600) out of reach, while stone, cobblestone and bricks (6) and end stone (9) can be blown up. Some factions servers change these rules.
What are the blast resistance values of common blocks?
| Block | Blast resistance | Can normal TNT break it? |
|---|---|---|
| Bedrock, barrier, command blocks | 3,600,000 | No |
| Obsidian, crying obsidian, anvil, enchanting table, netherite block, respawn anchor, ancient debris | 1,200 | No |
| Ender chest | 600 | No |
| Water, lava, bubble column | 100 | No |
| End stone, end stone bricks, dragon egg | 9 | Yes |
| Stone, cobblestone, bricks, deepslate, iron bars, blocks of iron, gold and diamond | 6 | Yes |
| Iron door, iron trapdoor, monster spawner | 5 | Yes |
| Cobweb | 4 | Yes |
| Dispenser, dropper, furnace | 3.5 | Yes |
| Sand, gravel, dirt and most weak blocks | low | Yes |
minecraft.wiki lists the maximum blast resistance a TNT explosion can beat as 16.49. A charged creeper or end crystal (power 6) reaches about 25, which still leaves obsidian untouched.
What does blast resistance mean in practice?
Blast resistance is how much strength an explosion ray loses when it passes through a block. A block with a value of 6 eats a lot of a ray's strength, so only the blocks nearest the TNT break. A block of 9 such as end stone stops rays faster still. Above roughly 16.5, a TNT ray can never get through, no matter how close.
That is why cannons fire many TNT into the same spot in the same tick: the first explosions clear the weak blocks and open space for the next TNT to fly deeper. See tunneler cannons.
Why is water so important?
Water and lava have a blast resistance of 100, and TNT that explodes in water breaks no blocks. Covering walls with water is the classic defence. Raiders answer by replacing the water with falling sand first; see TNT and water and hybrid cannons.
Do factions servers change these values?
Some do. The CosmicPE community wiki, for example, describes obsidian on that server as a specialty block with 4 durability points and enchanting tables with 6, so they break after enough explosions. Always read the rules and wiki of the server you play on rather than assuming vanilla numbers.
How do walls hold up on ArtemisPvP?
On ArtemisPvP raids use the custom TNT on Custom TNT, and claims are protected by faction shields for part of each day; see Factions basics.
Frequently asked questions
Can TNT break obsidian?
Not in vanilla Minecraft. Obsidian has a blast resistance of 1,200 and TNT can only beat about 16.5. Some factions servers add plugins that let obsidian break after several explosions.
Can TNT break end stone?
Yes. End stone has a blast resistance of 9, which TNT can break, but it stops rays faster than stone.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.