Iron Chain

For other uses, see Chain (disambiguation).

Iron Chain

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	6
Hardness	5
Luminous	No
Transparent	Yes
Waterloggable	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Map color	0 NONE
Note block instrument	Default (Harp)

Iron chains are metal decoration blocks and the iron variant of the 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	125 (JE) 25 (BE)
Wooden	13.75 (JE) 3.75 (BE)
Stone	11.9 (JE) 1.9 (BE)
Copper	11.5 (JE) 1.5 (BE)
Iron	11.25 (JE) 1.25 (BE)
Diamond	10.95 (JE) 0.95 (BE)
Netherite	10.85 (JE) 0.85 (BE)
Golden	10.65 (JE) 0.65 (BE)
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
Iron Chain	Bastion Remnant	Generic chest	2–10	24.4% { "item": "Iron Chain", "stacksize": "2–10", "chance": 0.24372395924512447, "structure": "Bastion Remnant", "container": "Generic chest" }
Bedrock Edition
Iron Chain	Bastion Remnant	Generic chest	2–10	27.2% { "item": "Iron Chain", "stacksize": "2–10", "chance": 0.2724236654071044, "structure": "Bastion Remnant", "container": "Generic chest" }

Usage

For information about the placement mechanics of all bars, see Chain § Usage.

Iron chains share several common block placement functionalities with copper chains.

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

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Hanging Sign	Iron Chain + Matching Stripped Log or  Block of Stripped Bamboo or  Matching Stripped Stem	6666666666666

Sounds

Java Edition:

chain sound type
Sound	Closed captions	Source	Description	Identifier	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​[until: JE 26.4]	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:

chain sound type
Sound	Closed captions	Source	Description	Identifier	Translation key	Volume	Pitch
	​Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.chain	​ ?	1.0	0.8–1.0
	​Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.chain	​ ?	1.0	0.8–1.0
	​Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.chain	​ ?	1.0	0.8–1.0
	​Footsteps	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.chain	​ ?	0.4	1.0
	​Footsteps	Players	Walking on the block	step.chain	​ ?	0.3	1.0
	​Footsteps	Blocks	Jumping from the block	jump.chain	​ ?	0.12	1.0
	​Footsteps	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%.
			pre1				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.
?							Changed the UV mapping of chains.
1.21.111			Preview 1.21.110.23				"Chain" has been renamed to "Iron Chain".

Data history

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

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.^[1]
• 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