Sulfur Cube Archetype Builder

Look up all 12 vanilla archetypes and the blocks that trigger them, then design your own for a Minecraft 26.2 datapack. This edits a behaviour file, not a mob.

All 12 sulfur cube archetypes in Minecraft 26.2

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A sulfur cube takes on an archetype from the block it absorbs. There are exactly 12, and 334 blocks trigger them between them — no block belongs to two. Every number below was read out of Mojang's own 26.2 client jar (behaviour from sulfur_cube_archetype/, blocks from the matching item tag, with nested tags expanded), not copied from a guide.

The twelve archetypes

Friction and air drag are shown as the multiplier the cube's movement is scaled by, which is what the add_multiplied_total operation does; hover a number for the exact value in the jar.

Regular

The baseline cube. Floats, moderate bounce, average drag.

Bounciness
0.5
Friction
x0.3
Air drag
x0.1
Knockback res.
-1
Floats in water
Absorb any of these 27 blocks

Black Concrete Powder, Blue Concrete Powder, Bone Block, Brown Concrete Powder, Clay, Block of Coal, Coarse Dirt, Cyan Concrete Powder, Dirt, Grass Block, Gray Concrete Powder, Green Concrete Powder, Light Blue Concrete Powder, Light Gray Concrete Powder, Lime Concrete Powder, Magenta Concrete Powder, Mud, Muddy Mangrove Roots, Orange Concrete Powder, Packed Mud, Pink Concrete Powder, Podzol, Purple Concrete Powder, Red Concrete Powder, Rooted Dirt, White Concrete Powder, Yellow Concrete Powder

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/regular12 entries in the vanilla file, expanded through 1 nested tag

Bouncy

Very springy and floats. Low knockback resistance so it flies far.

Bounciness
0.9
Friction
x0.3
Air drag
x0.01
Knockback res.
-2
Floats in water
Absorb any of these 59 blocks

Acacia Log, Acacia Planks, Acacia Wood, Block of Bamboo, Bamboo Mosaic, Bamboo Planks, Birch Log, Birch Planks, Birch Wood, Cherry Log, Cherry Planks, Cherry Wood, Crimson Hyphae, Crimson Planks, Crimson Stem, Dark Oak Log, Dark Oak Planks, Dark Oak Wood, Jungle Log, Jungle Planks, Jungle Wood, Mangrove Log, Mangrove Planks, Mangrove Wood, Oak Log, Oak Planks, Oak Wood, Pale Oak Log, Pale Oak Planks, Pale Oak Wood, Spruce Log, Spruce Planks, Spruce Wood, Stripped Acacia Log, Stripped Acacia Wood, Block of Stripped Bamboo, Stripped Birch Log, Stripped Birch Wood, Stripped Cherry Log, Stripped Cherry Wood, Stripped Crimson Hyphae, Stripped Crimson Stem, Stripped Dark Oak Log, Stripped Dark Oak Wood, Stripped Jungle Log, Stripped Jungle Wood, Stripped Mangrove Log, Stripped Mangrove Wood, Stripped Oak Log, Stripped Oak Wood, Stripped Pale Oak Log, Stripped Pale Oak Wood, Stripped Spruce Log, Stripped Spruce Wood, Stripped Warped Hyphae, Stripped Warped Stem, Warped Hyphae, Warped Planks, Warped Stem

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/bouncy4 entries in the vanilla file, expanded through 15 nested tags

Slow Bouncy

Springy but heavy — resists knockback and sinks.

Bounciness
0.6
Friction
x0.3
Air drag
x0.05
Knockback res.
0.4
Sinks
Absorb any of these 145 blocks

Block of Amethyst, Andesite, Basalt, Black Concrete, Black Glazed Terracotta, Black Terracotta, Blackstone, Blue Concrete, Blue Glazed Terracotta, Blue Terracotta, Bricks, Brown Concrete, Brown Glazed Terracotta, Brown Terracotta, Calcite, Chiseled Cinnabar, Chiseled Deepslate, Chiseled Nether Bricks, Chiseled Polished Blackstone, Chiseled Quartz Block, Chiseled Red Sandstone, Chiseled Sandstone, Chiseled Stone Bricks, Chiseled Sulfur, Chiseled Tuff, Chiseled Tuff Bricks, Cinnabar, Cinnabar Bricks, Coal Ore, Cobbled Deepslate, Cobblestone, Cracked Deepslate Bricks, Cracked Deepslate Tiles, Cracked Nether Bricks, Cracked Polished Blackstone Bricks, Cracked Stone Bricks, Crimson Nylium, Crying Obsidian, Cut Red Sandstone, Cut Sandstone, Cyan Concrete, Cyan Glazed Terracotta, Cyan Terracotta, Dark Prismarine, Deepslate, Deepslate Bricks, Deepslate Coal Ore, Deepslate Diamond Ore, Deepslate Emerald Ore, Deepslate Lapis Lazuli Ore, Deepslate Redstone Ore, Deepslate Tiles, Block of Diamond, Diamond Ore, Diorite, Dripstone Block, Block of Emerald, Emerald Ore, End Stone, End Stone Bricks, Gilded Blackstone, Glowstone, Granite, Gray Concrete, Gray Glazed Terracotta, Gray Terracotta, Green Concrete, Green Glazed Terracotta, Green Terracotta, Block of Lapis Lazuli, Lapis Lazuli Ore, Light Blue Concrete, Light Blue Glazed Terracotta, Light Blue Terracotta, Light Gray Concrete, Light Gray Glazed Terracotta, Light Gray Terracotta, Lime Concrete, Lime Glazed Terracotta, Lime Terracotta, Magenta Concrete, Magenta Glazed Terracotta, Magenta Terracotta, Mossy Cobblestone, Mossy Stone Bricks, Mud Bricks, Nether Bricks, Nether Quartz Ore, Netherrack, Observer, Obsidian, Orange Concrete, Orange Glazed Terracotta, Orange Terracotta, Pink Concrete, Pink Glazed Terracotta, Pink Terracotta, Polished Andesite, Polished Basalt, Polished Blackstone, Polished Blackstone Bricks, Polished Cinnabar, Polished Deepslate, Polished Diorite, Polished Granite, Polished Sulfur, Polished Tuff, Prismarine, Prismarine Bricks, Purple Concrete, Purple Glazed Terracotta, Purple Terracotta, Purpur Block, Purpur Pillar, Block of Quartz, Quartz Bricks, Quartz Pillar, Red Concrete, Red Glazed Terracotta, Red Nether Bricks, Red Sandstone, Red Terracotta, Redstone Lamp, Redstone Ore, Sandstone, Sea Lantern, Smooth Basalt, Smooth Quartz Block, Smooth Red Sandstone, Smooth Sandstone, Smooth Stone, Stone, Stone Bricks, Sulfur, Sulfur Bricks, Terracotta, Tuff, Tuff Bricks, Warped Nylium, White Concrete, White Glazed Terracotta, White Terracotta, Yellow Concrete, Yellow Glazed Terracotta, Yellow Terracotta

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/slow_bouncy94 entries in the vanilla file, expanded through 8 nested tags

Slow Flat

Sluggish and grippy. Resists being pushed around.

Bounciness
0.4
Friction
x0.4
Air drag
x0.1
Knockback res.
0.5
Sinks
Absorb any of these 46 blocks

Ancient Debris, Chiseled Copper, Block of Copper, Copper Bulb, Copper Ore, Cut Copper, Deepslate Copper Ore, Deepslate Gold Ore, Deepslate Iron Ore, Exposed Chiseled Copper, Exposed Copper, Exposed Copper Bulb, Exposed Cut Copper, Block of Gold, Gold Ore, Block of Iron, Iron Ore, Nether Gold Ore, Block of Netherite, Oxidized Chiseled Copper, Oxidized Copper, Oxidized Copper Bulb, Oxidized Cut Copper, Block of Raw Copper, Block of Raw Gold, Block of Raw Iron, Waxed Chiseled Copper, Waxed Block of Copper, Waxed Copper Bulb, Waxed Cut Copper, Waxed Exposed Chiseled Copper, Waxed Exposed Copper, Waxed Exposed Copper Bulb, Waxed Exposed Cut Copper, Waxed Oxidized Chiseled Copper, Waxed Oxidized Copper, Waxed Oxidized Copper Bulb, Waxed Oxidized Cut Copper, Waxed Weathered Chiseled Copper, Waxed Weathered Copper, Waxed Weathered Copper Bulb, Waxed Weathered Cut Copper, Weathered Chiseled Copper, Weathered Copper, Weathered Copper Bulb, Weathered Cut Copper

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/slow_flat42 entries in the vanilla file, expanded through 3 nested tags

Fast Flat

Low friction and low drag, so it travels a long way fast.

Bounciness
0.5
Friction
x0.2
Air drag
x0.01
Knockback res.
-1
Sinks
Absorb any of these 26 blocks

Brain Coral Block, Bubble Coral Block, Carved Pumpkin, Chiseled Resin Bricks, Dead Brain Coral Block, Dead Bubble Coral Block, Dead Fire Coral Block, Dead Horn Coral Block, Dead Tube Coral Block, Dried Kelp Block, Fire Coral Block, Hay Bale, Horn Coral Block, Jack o'Lantern, Melon, Moss Block, Ochre Froglight, Pale Moss Block, Pearlescent Froglight, Pumpkin, Block of Resin, Resin Bricks, Sponge, Tube Coral Block, Verdant Froglight, Wet Sponge

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/fast_flat25 entries in the vanilla file, expanded through 1 nested tag

Light

Floats and drifts — positive air drag makes it hang in the air.

Bounciness
1
Friction
x0.3
Air drag
x1.8
Knockback res.
-1
Floats in water
Absorb any of these 16 blocks

Black Wool, Blue Wool, Brown Wool, Cyan Wool, Gray Wool, Green Wool, Light Blue Wool, Light Gray Wool, Lime Wool, Magenta Wool, Orange Wool, Pink Wool, Purple Wool, Red Wool, White Wool, Yellow Wool

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/light1 entry in the vanilla file, expanded through 1 nested tag

Fast Sliding

Almost frictionless. Slides a long way across the ground.

Bounciness
0.1
Friction
x0.05
Air drag
x0.01
Knockback res.
0.5
Sinks
Absorb any of these 3 blocks

Blue Ice, Packed Ice, Snow Block

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/fast_sliding

Slow Sliding

Slides, but heavily knockback-resistant so it barely moves.

Bounciness
0.1
Friction
x0.05
Air drag
x0.01
Knockback res.
0.8
Sinks
Absorb any of these 7 blocks

Brown Mushroom Block, Mushroom Stem, Mycelium, Nether Wart Block, Red Mushroom Block, Shroomlight, Warped Wart Block

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/slow_sliding6 entries in the vanilla file, expanded through 1 nested tag

High Resistance

Shrugs off knockback and explosions. Normal friction.

Bounciness
0.2
Friction
x1
Air drag
x0.01
Knockback res.
0.7
Sinks
Absorb any of these 2 blocks

Soul Sand, Soul Soil

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/high_resistance

Sticky

Maximum friction and no bounce — it stops where it lands.

Bounciness
0
Friction
x2
Air drag
x0.01
Knockback res.
-2
Sinks
Absorb this block

Honeycomb Block

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/sticky

Explosive

Detonates after a fuse. Power 3, no fire.

Bounciness
0.5
Friction
x0.3
Air drag
x0.3
Knockback res.
-1
Floats in waterExplodes — power 3, 120-tick fuse
Absorb this block

TNT

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/explosive

Hot

Burns whatever touches it via a contact damage type.

Bounciness
0.5
Friction
x0.3
Air drag
x0.1
Knockback res.
-1
Floats in waterDamages on contact — 1 (minecraft:sulfur_cube_hot)
Absorb this block

Magma Block

Tag #minecraft:sulfur_cube_archetype/hot

Start from a vanilla archetype

Loads the real values shipped in the game, so you can tweak one number instead of writing the file from scratch. Your namespace and name are kept.

Output

Archetype JSON

Save this as data/my_pack/sulfur_cube_archetype/my_archetype.json inside your datapack.

{
  "items": [],
  "attribute_modifiers": [
    {
      "attribute": "minecraft:knockback_resistance",
      "id": "my_pack:my_archetype_add_knockback_resistance",
      "amount": -1,
      "operation": "add_value"
    },
    {
      "attribute": "minecraft:explosion_knockback_resistance",
      "id": "my_pack:my_archetype_add_explosion_knockback_resistance",
      "amount": -1,
      "operation": "add_value"
    },
    {
      "attribute": "minecraft:bounciness",
      "id": "my_pack:my_archetype_add_bounciness",
      "amount": 0.5,
      "operation": "add_value"
    },
    {
      "attribute": "minecraft:friction_modifier",
      "id": "my_pack:my_archetype_mul_friction_modifier",
      "amount": -0.699999988079071,
      "operation": "add_multiplied_total"
    },
    {
      "attribute": "minecraft:air_drag_modifier",
      "id": "my_pack:my_archetype_mul_air_drag_modifier",
      "amount": -0.8999999985098839,
      "operation": "add_multiplied_total"
    }
  ],
  "buoyant": true,
  "knockback_modifiers": {
    "horizontal_power": 0.4125,
    "vertical_power": 0.09
  },
  "sound_settings": {
    "hit_sound": "minecraft:entity.sulfur_cube.regular.hit",
    "push_sound": "minecraft:entity.sulfur_cube.regular.push",
    "push_sound_cooldown": 0.5,
    "push_sound_impulse_threshold": 0.2
  }
}
Items: add at least one item id, or switch to a tag.

A file the game cannot read is skipped without an in-game message, so the archetype would simply not exist.

Share & export

Copy a link that reopens this exact archetype, or save it as the .json file itself.

How to use the Sulfur Cube Archetypes

Look up all 12 vanilla sulfur cube archetypes — what each one does, which blocks trigger it, and its real bounciness, friction and air drag, read out of the 26.2 client jar. Then design your own for a Minecraft Java datapack and export the JSON the game loads. Custom archetypes need 26.2 or later.

Quick steps

  1. 1Find the archetype you want in the reference table, and the blocks that trigger it
  2. 2Load one of the vanilla archetypes as a starting point (or build from scratch)
  3. 3Choose the trigger items — an item tag, or a list of item ids
  4. 4Tune the attribute modifiers (bounciness, friction, air drag) and knockback
  5. 5Optionally add an explosion or contact damage
  6. 6Export the JSON to data/namespace/sulfur_cube_archetype/name.json in your datapack

Example use cases

  • Work out which block to feed a cube to get the behaviour you want in survival
  • Make a sulfur cube that detonates like TNT when it absorbs your custom block
  • Build a frictionless cube that slides the length of a corridor for a puzzle map
  • Override a vanilla archetype to rebalance how far cubes knock players back

Tips

Every number and block list on this page comes from the sha1-verified 26.2 jar, with nested item tags expanded
This edits a behaviour file, not a mob — to summon a creature, use the Mob Builder instead
A malformed archetype is skipped silently in-game, so check the warnings before exporting
Your archetype is kept in the URL, so you can bookmark or share it

Frequently asked questions

How many sulfur cube archetypes are there in Minecraft?

Exactly 12 in Java Edition 26.2: regular, bouncy, slow bouncy, slow flat, fast flat, light, fast sliding, slow sliding, high resistance, sticky, explosive and hot. Some guides list 11 because they miss one. The count here is read straight from data/minecraft/sulfur_cube_archetype/ in the official client jar, where all 12 behaviour files ship, each paired with an item tag naming the blocks that trigger it.

How do I make a bouncy sulfur cube?

Let the cube absorb any log, stripped log, wood, plank or bamboo block — 59 blocks trigger the bouncy archetype. A bouncy cube has 0.9 bounciness, floats in water, and has negative knockback resistance, so hitting it sends it a long way. Absorbing wool instead gives the light archetype, which bounces even harder at 1.0 and drifts in the air rather than falling, because its air drag is scaled up instead of down.

Which block makes a sulfur cube explode?

TNT, and only TNT. Absorbing it gives the explosive archetype: power 3 (TNT itself is 4), a 120-tick fuse, so six seconds, and no fire left behind. The cube still floats. Magma block is the other single-block archetype — it gives hot, which damages anything touching the cube through the minecraft:sulfur_cube_hot damage type.

Which blocks make a sulfur cube slide or move fast?

Blue ice, packed ice and snow block give fast sliding, which scales friction to a twentieth and air drag to a hundredth, so the cube travels a long way. Mushroom, mycelium and wart blocks give slow sliding: the same low friction, but 0.8 knockback resistance means it barely gets going. Soul sand and soul soil give high resistance, which keeps normal friction but shrugs off knockback and explosions.

How do I make a custom sulfur cube in Minecraft?

Sulfur cube behaviour is data-driven in Java Edition 26.2 and later. Define an archetype JSON, then place it in your datapack at data/<namespace>/sulfur_cube_archetype/<name>.json. This builder writes that file for you — pick the items that trigger it, set the physics, sounds and damage, and export. Bedrock hardcodes its archetypes, so custom ones are Java-only.

What is a sulfur cube archetype?

An archetype is the behaviour preset a sulfur cube adopts when it absorbs a block. It controls whether the cube floats, how hard it knocks you back, what sounds it makes, which attribute modifiers it carries, and whether it explodes or damages on contact. Minecraft 26.2 ships 12 vanilla archetypes covering 334 blocks, and datapacks can add or replace them. The table on this page lists all 12 with the blocks and numbers behind each one.

Which Minecraft versions support custom sulfur cube archetypes?

Minecraft Java Edition 26.2 and later only. The sulfur_cube_archetype registry was added in 26.2, along with the bounciness, friction_modifier and air_drag_modifier attributes every archetype uses. An archetype JSON placed in a datapack on 26.1 or earlier is simply never loaded — the game does not error, it ignores the file.

How do I make a custom sulfur cube explode?

Add an explosion block to the archetype and set its power, fuse and causes_fire. Power controls blast radius (vanilla uses 3, TNT is 4), fuse is the delay in ticks before it detonates, and causes_fire decides whether the blast leaves fires behind. All three are required once the block is present. Loading the vanilla explosive preset and adjusting it is the quickest route.

Where does the archetype JSON file go in my datapack?

data/<your_namespace>/sulfur_cube_archetype/<name>.json. Use your own namespace for a new archetype. To change a vanilla one instead, use namespace=minecraft and match the vanilla name — for example data/minecraft/sulfur_cube_archetype/bouncy.json overrides the bouncy archetype globally.

Why is my custom sulfur cube archetype not working?

A malformed archetype file is skipped silently — the game logs it and carries on, so nothing in-game tells you. The usual causes are a missing required field (items, attribute_modifiers, knockback_modifiers and sound_settings are all mandatory, as is every field inside an explosion or contact_damage block), a file placed under the wrong namespace folder, or a datapack whose pack_format does not match 26.2. This builder flags each of those before you export.