What are the uses of a lever in Minecraft?

Minecraft has a lot of features. One of the oldest, as well as continually most confusing, is redstone. Players have done some incredible things using redstone, with some even going so far as to recreate real-world video games using redstone and structure blocks.

Redstone is, at the highest end, incredibly complex. However, at a basic level, redstone is a useful way to add some creativity and functionality to any Minecraft base. Some of the more basic components that players can use to dip their toes into redstone are as follows:

• Levers
• Buttons
• Pressure plates
• Observers

Levers are the easiest permanent on/off source of redstone power in the game. They also have the benefit of being able to be placed on the top, sides, or bottom of blocks, as well as being able to fully power any blocks above, below, or next to the lever.

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The various uses of Minecraft levers

1) Doors

An iron door on a base opened using a lever (Image via Minecraft)

Doors are the most basic way for players to keep their bases sealed off from hostile mobs. However, wooden doors, while aesthetically pleasing, do not hold up to the stresses of the game. Zombies, for example, can break them open given enough time, exposing the player to potential damage.

One possible solution to this problem is to use an iron door instead of a wooden one. Iron doors cannot be broken down by zombies, making them incredibly safe.

However, they also cannot be opened by players like wooden doors as they require redstone input. Levers allow for players to open or close their doors permanently, meaning they can make multiple trips without the annoyance of repeatedly clicking buttons or waiting on pressure plates.

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2) Lights

A cave lit with restone lamps (Image via Minecraft)

Lights are the best way to keep areas of the game safe, as an adequate light level will prevent hostile mobs from being able to spawn.

Players can use redstone lamps in combination with levers to have a permanent light source that can be turned off, should the player desire to do so. When the player requires mob drops, they can turn the lights in a cave off, allowing mobs to spawn in the area.

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3) Pistons

A player with a hidden base using a dirt piston door (Image via Minecraft)

Pistons, and their sticky counterparts, are incredibly useful for basic redstone engineering. Sticky pistons can be used to retract doors, and regular pistons can be used for things like activating, deactivating, or swapping water elevators.