Wither Storm Phases Explained: From Phase 0 to the Final Phase

The Wither Storm in Crackers Wither Storm Mod is built around phases. Knowing roughly what each stage brings lets you prepare instead of panicking. Exact timings, abilities and thresholds can differ between mod versions and config settings, so treat this as a map of the progression rather than a stopwatch.

How phases work

When the storm spawns, it starts at phase 0 and a boss bar appears. As the bar fills, the storm develops and moves into the next phase. Each step makes it larger, more aggressive and more destructive to the world around it.

Two moments break the pattern: the end of phase 5, where the Formidi-Bomb becomes relevant, and the final phase, where the fight moves to the command block at the storm's centre.

Phase 0 and the early phases

You trigger phase 0 by placing the final wither skull on the unfinished structure beside the rundown house at X: 0, Z: 0. The storm is small at this point, but you still want to leave quickly. The usual advice is to get clear before the first boss bar fills.

• The storm begins pulling nearby blocks and grows as it feeds.
• It is most manageable now, so use this time to set a spawn point nearby but outside its range.
• Gather basic supplies: food, armour, a bow and building blocks for escape routes.

The middle phases

As the storm grows it becomes much harder to ignore.

• Stronger pull. Its tractor beam draws in blocks, mobs and players from further away.
• More threats. Its body and heads become more developed and dangerous.
• Spreading sickness. Wither sickness and sickened mobs start to appear around affected areas.
• The chase. The storm targets players. It cannot follow you through underground caves, but caves may shake and loosen blocks while it is above you.

This is the time for your longest preparation runs, especially a Nether trip for blaze rods. You will need blaze powder for the Formidi-Bomb.

The end of phase 5

The end of phase 5 is the turning point. The command block inside the storm summons the Withered Symbiont, a large mutated zombie affected by wither sickness. It only appears at this stage, so you may have to wait for the storm to reach it.

1. Check the storm's progress with a Phasometer. At the right time it shows that the storm is formidibombable.
2. Defeat the Symbiont. It drops the Command Block Book.
3. Craft Super TNT with the book, then craft the Formidi-Bomb.

The Formidi-Bomb is the only way to get the storm past phase 5. The full crafting route is in our defeat guide.

After the Formidi-Bomb and phase 7

Detonating the Formidi-Bomb near the storm is dramatic, but it is not a clean ending. The storm is pushed onward, and the final confrontation happens in its last phase.

• In the final phase, a hole opens in the storm's body.
• The command block at its centre is the weak point.
• Command block tools, made by combining a Command Block Book with a vanilla tool, are essential for breaking the core at phase 7.

Tracking the storm with the Phasometer

The Phasometer is the mod's way of reading the storm. Use it to check the current phase before committing to a plan, and especially to know when the Symbiont will appear. It saves long waits near a dangerous boss.

New to the items mentioned here? The items, mobs and blocks guide explains each one.