Configuration

Open and navigate

This guide describes the current Invasion Mod source for Minecraft 26.3 / NeoForge. From Minecraft's Mods screen, select Invasion Mod and open Config. This is a client editor for files in that Minecraft instance's config/ directory.

In Entities, search by all or part of the entity ID, such as invmod:zombie. Search is case-insensitive. Enter theme:SIEGE to filter by theme membership, including disabled members. Clear the search to see all entries; the arrow buttons change pages. Main Config has page navigation but no search field.

Add neutral opens the picker for additional eligible registered mobs. Search that picker by ID or display name and click an entry to add it to the draft. An empty result can mean it is already configured or is not eligible; it does not install another mod. Return with Back, then review the new entry's mode, cost and themes before saving. A selected mob is not a guaranteed wave spawn.

For building materials, the block picker supports ID/name search and page arrows. It offers blocks with an item form and full-block collision shape. Selecting a material returns to the parent editor. Done or Back in these dialogs does not save the file.

Page navigation and window size

Main Config lists its keys alphabetically across as many pages as the available window height requires. A taller window shows more rows per page; a smaller window or higher GUI scale shows fewer. The footer displays the current page and total, for example 2 / 4.

1. Edit a toggle or value field, then use < or > at the bottom to move between pages. An arrow is disabled at the first or last page.
2. Return to the earlier page to review your edit. Page changes preserve the unsaved draft; they do not save to disk.
3. If you resize the window, the editor recalculates the page size and selects the page containing the previously first visible entry. Its position within that page can change.
4. Choose Main Config → Save to apply the general settings. Follow the save rules before editing a different main area or closing the screen.

The Entities list also adapts to window height. Its search resets to page 1; Main Config has no search field. These arrows belong to the in-game editor, independently of this wiki's Previous/Next links.

The Core's Exchange/Mobs/Skills panels use adaptive lists and tabs rather than these editor page arrows.

Save and server setup

1. Edit one main area at a time. Return from any subdialogs to the main configuration screen.
2. For general options, select Main Config → Save. This writes config/invasion_config.cfg and reloads the general configuration.
3. For mob, ability, Globals, squad or theme changes, select Entities → Save. This writes config/invasion_mod_mobs.json and refreshes the mob configuration.
4. Check the saved confirmation, reopen the relevant area and verify the value. If an error appears, check the file and game log before assuming it was saved.

For singleplayer, use the instance running your world. For multiplayer, the server's files control the invasion; the client editor does not upload changes to a remote server. Back up the relevant server file, stop the server, merge your changes into its config/ directory, and restart. Preserve unrelated entries and the server's installed-mod settings.

Close the editor before editing files externally and reopen it afterward, so an old draft cannot overwrite your changes. Test roster changes with a new invasion: refreshing configuration does not rebuild a wave plan already in progress. Existing mobs are not a reliable check of newly configured spawn attributes.

Regenerate and restore

Regenerate is enabled in Entities. After confirmation, it immediately regenerates the mob JSON from detected defaults, including squad, theme and fallback settings, and reloads the editor. It is a reset, not a reload, and does not wait for a later Save. It does not reset the general CFG, but reloading also discards unsaved editor changes.

Keep a copy of both files before resetting. To restore a backup, close the editor and stop the world/server, replace the relevant file, then restart. To restore general defaults, move invasion_config.cfg out of the config directory while stopped; the mod creates a fresh file on startup. Regenerate is not needed to apply ordinary edits.

Current shipped mob defaults

A newly generated mob configuration uses the project's current preset of mob costs, wave base health/damage, abilities, spawn locations, theme assignments, squads and fallbacks. Existing valid user entries are read first and preserved on an ordinary refresh or mod upgrade; missing registered entries can be added with defaults. Installing an update therefore does not promise that an older world now uses the latest values.

The preset supplies five additional editable themes: BRUTES, UNDEAD, ZOMBIES, SKELETONS and PIGLIN. It includes optional-mod entries only when their registered types are available. Your installed-mod set and saved edits determine the usable roster; an unavailable registry ID does not install a companion mod.

Compare or apply the preset

1. Back up config/invasion_mod_mobs.json and config/invasion_config.cfg from the instance/server running the world. Close the editor before external file edits.
2. To keep an existing setup, inspect the exact ID under Entities, its Abilities and Themes. Change just the wanted values, then use Entities → Save. The current preset is not silently merged over your old entry.
3. For a complete reset, select Entities → Regenerate and confirm. This immediately writes the detected mob defaults and reloads the editor; it does not wait for Save. This is the current button for the action sometimes called “Reset to Defaults” in release notes.
4. Reopen Themes to review memberships and fallback choices, then test a new invasion. Existing planned waves and already spawned mobs are not rebuilt. On a dedicated server, follow server deployment; a local client reset does not update the remote server.

Selected current preset values

These are configured costs and adult wave baselines, not universal final stats or every built-in pool price. Native variant pools, RANDOM/RANDOMHELL, squads, fillers, equipment and wave scaling have separate rules. Use the exact registry ID; a Brute has its own entry.

Vanilla Shulker: the preset is Active, cost 1, health 30, damage 0, base armor 0, above-ground spawn location and no assigned wave themes. Active alone does not put it in a themed purchase pool. Assign an eligible theme and save if you want configured purchases; the configured damage value does not promise that every native special attack is harmless.

Current per-theme fallback overrides are listed with the shipped themes. Check settings after reopening: an old cost or theme list usually means the preserved user entry is still in use. For recovery, follow Regenerate and restore.

New pumpkin entries and preserved Boss flags have a worked configuration guide; an older Big Pumpkin Boss choice is kept on upgrade.

Big Pumpkin and Pumpkin Ghost defaults

The current shipped preset gives IM Big Pumpkin and IM Pumpkin Ghost separate entries in config/invasion_mod_mobs.json. Use the exact entity ID in Entities; a spawn-egg item ID is not a configuration key.

These are budget and wave-stat baselines. Ghosts use support AI, so the damage setting does not add a normal melee attack. Big Pumpkin’s Fireproof preset is on and its type is also natively fire immune. Both use spawn_location: "default"; weapons, armor, mining and construction default to off. The separate Pumpkin Minion is a projectile, not another configurable wave mob.

1. Back up the server/world’s mob JSON, then open Entities and search invmod:big_pumpkin. Review its Boss button, cost, Abilities and Themes.
2. To adopt only the new boss setting, enable Boss and use Entities → Save. An older saved "boss": false remains false after an ordinary refresh or upgrade; it is not silently changed.
3. Search invmod:pumpkin_ghost. A missing registered entry is added during loading with Active, cost 1, 10 HP and an empty theme list. Existing Ghost edits are preserved. Active with no themes does not place Ghosts into themed purchases; their helmet-death creation is a separate native mechanic.
4. For a complete current preset, use Entities → Regenerate only after a backup. It immediately resets the entire mob configuration, including themes, squads and fallbacks, and supplies Big Pumpkin with Boss enabled. See regeneration and restore.
5. Follow server setup, reopen the entries and test a new invasion. Extra-boss selection is random in the last phase every fifth wave from wave 15. A Ghost test also needs a loaded, living Big Pumpkin in the same dimension.

Setting a configured entry Inactive is not a blanket switch for native special spawns; see mode limits. Changing stats or themes does not rewrite mobs or phases already created. Keep a custom setup by editing only these entries instead of regenerating everything.

Mob modes and attack targets

In Entities, search for the exact registry ID and click its mode button to cycle Inactive → Active → Attack. These settings belong to config/invasion_mod_mobs.json, not Main Config.

For supplied presets, generic Nexus behavior and a worked setup, see Vanilla and other-mod mobs. Specialized IM mutants have separate wave and boss rules.

Add a registered mob

1. Install the required mod on the world/server first, then open Entities → Add neutral. Vanilla mobs can also be selected.
2. Search by ID or display name and select an eligible entry. Players, armor stands, already configured entries and unavailable specialized integrations are excluded. Specialized original mobs use their IM counterparts.
3. The new entry starts Inactive. Change it to Active, set its cost, assign a theme, and review Abilities. For a controlled test, use a custom theme containing that entry.
4. Return to Entities → Save and follow server setup. Start a new invasion to rebuild its plan.

Cost, themes and bosses

cost is an integer with a minimum of 1 (default 5 when omitted). It controls configured pool purchases and automatic squad costs; a larger cost reduces affordability, not necessarily a fixed spawn percentage. Native predefined options can retain their own costs. RANDOM normally charges 5 for non-boss options; RANDOMHELL charges 5 for non-bosses and 20 for bosses. Squad overrides and extra spawns are separate.

themes is an array of theme names; use the row's Themes dialog to assign one or more. See Custom Themes for built-in versus custom pools. "boss": true adds an Active entry to the additional boss candidates: one boss is selected in the last phase of every fifth wave from wave 15 onward. The flag does not itself raise stats, guarantee selection or make the mob boss-only.

Attack mode and replacement

Attack targets enter the shared invasion targeting rules; normal attackability and ally protection still apply. Click Replace, search for a summonable entity ID and select it. This writes replace in the same entry. Save from Entities afterward.

When a configured Attack target dies while an active, non-discarded Nexus exists in that dimension, the mod attempts to spawn the replacement at its position and orientation, preserving its custom name. It does not copy its inventory or all entity data. This death handler does not require an invader to land the killing blow. With no replacement, an invalid/unavailable replacement, or no active Nexus, this handler creates nothing. For target-only behavior, omit replace in the file; the picker has no clear-selection button.

For example, merge this entry into the existing JSON to mark cows as targets that become IM Zombies on death. Do not replace the whole configuration with this fragment:

{
  "minecraft:cow": {
    "active": "attack",
    "replace": "invmod:zombie"
  }
}

Test with a cow near invaders in a disposable world, then repeat without an active Nexus to check the replacement condition. This feature is distinct from the automatic vanilla-to-IM conversions described on individual mob pages.

In a non-Versus Player Nexus invasion, eligible Attack Target mobs can distract invaders only while strictly closer than the owner. Selecting Attack Target does not guarantee every invader can attack that mob.

After acquiring a valid enemy, active Nexus-bound mobs can keep that combat target despite distance or lost sight. Choosing Attack Target controls eligibility, not an unconditional lock; Player Nexus and Versus retain their own priorities.

Per-mob abilities

Open Entities → Abilities on the desired registry entry. The settings below live inside its abilities object. Ability switches use JSON booleans; the height, building material and spawn location use the types shown below. Defaults vary by mob; switching an ability on permits its behavior when the mob, AI, terrain and Nexus conditions support it. It does not force the mob to perform that action continuously.

Terrain work remains subject to its applicable mob-griefing and placement checks. A material choice alone does not enable building. These permissions do not promise to strip already equipped items or undo completed terrain changes. Some permissions also affect naturally spawned or egg-spawned mobs of that type; the base-stat overrides below specifically apply during wave construction.

Use Done to return the ability changes to the draft, then Entities → Save to write the file. The legacy top-level canUseWeapons and canWearArmor fields are migrated to abilities.weapons and abilities.armor when completing the dialog.

For concrete ability combinations, see Skeleton Builder, Wither Skeleton Builder and Skeleton Breacher TNT. Disabling Breacher mining stops obstacle-clearing TNT, while its close-combat trigger still applies.

In Versus, Armor, Weapons and Shield skills supply chances, while these equipment permissions and species restrictions still apply. A 100% upgrade does not grant an unsupported equipment slot or replace native gear.

Snow Golems: an Active minecraft:snow_golem entry needs Weapons enabled for weapon and shield pickup. Existing weapons and occupied offhands are preserved.

Health, damage and base armor

The three numeric fields at the bottom of Abilities accept finite numbers, including decimals. Invalid editor values are marked red and disable Done; absent or invalid JSON stat values inherit the mob defaults.

These are base values, not guaranteed final combat values. Native tier, size and wave multipliers remain effective. They are applied to newly constructed wave mobs, including riders; changing them does not rewrite every existing mob or make a spawn egg a reliable test.

Example: merge these fields into the existing invmod:zombie entry's abilities object, keeping its other fields. Compared with a 20-HP baseline, 30 scales the native wave health by 1.5 before other applicable effects:

{
  "health": 30,
  "damage": 6,
  "base_armor": 4,
  "weapons": true,
  "armor": true,
  "high_jumping": true,
  "jump_height": 3,
  "building_block": "minecraft:cobblestone"
}

After Done and Entities → Save, reopen the dialog to confirm the values, then start a new test invasion. Compare the same entity variant, tier and size; check melee separately from ranged attacks and distinguish armor equipment from base armor. See Mobs for the individual default profiles.

Globals: bulk edits and randomization

Open Mods → Invasion Mod → Config → Entities → Globals. Back up config/invasion_mod_mobs.json first. Each action immediately changes the shared editor draft for all configured entity entries, including inactive mobs and entries hidden by the current search. The cost, material and randomization buttons do not add missing entities, enable participation, or change the world's blocks. Restrict to vanilla mobs also fills missing custom-species defaults so saving cannot silently reactivate them.

Randomization is a one-time edit when clicked, not a reroll on every spawn or wave. Repeated clicks replace the affected values again. These bulk actions leave squad and fallback metadata alone; the global fallback buttons separately replace all theme choices or assign distinct random fallbacks.

1. Apply the desired action, then use Back to return to Entities.
2. Inspect several entries, including ones outside your previous search. Adjust individual costs, abilities or themes as needed.
3. Use Entities → Save, check the saved confirmation, reopen and verify. Back alone does not save; Main Config → Save discards the unsaved entity draft.
4. Test a new invasion in a test world. Existing wave plans and mobs are not rebuilt by these edits. For multiplayer deployment and rollback, follow Save and server setup and restore a backup.

Restrict to vanilla mobs

Use Entities → Globals → Restrict to vanilla mobs to disable custom species in the shared mob configuration draft. It is a one-time bulk edit, not a permanent whitelist or a switch that enables every Vanilla mob. Hidden rows and inactive entries are included.

1. Back up config/invasion_mod_mobs.json on the world/server you intend to change.
2. Open Mods → Invasion Mod → Config → Entities → Globals and click Restrict to vanilla mobs.
3. Use Back, inspect entries in Entities, then choose Entities → Save. Back alone does not save. Reopen to confirm; for a remote server follow server setup.
4. Start a fresh test invasion so the wave plan uses the saved choices. Check Versus availability separately if you use an army catalog.

The match uses registry IDs: all minecraft: entries qualify; an invmod: entry qualifies only when Minecraft registers the same path. Display names and themes do not decide the result. Nonmatching Attack Target entries also become Inactive. Costs, abilities, theme memberships and squad/fallback metadata remain stored.

Missing custom-species entries supplied by the mod defaults are added to the draft and disabled, so a sparse file cannot restore them to Active when saved. Review fallback choices afterward: an inactive custom species cannot remain an eligible configured fallback. This action does not replace those choices with another mob.

Existing mobs and already purchased wave plans are not removed. The action is not a global ban on natural spawns, spawn eggs, commands or every special summon. Re-enable individual entries and save to allow them again, or restore your backup to recover the exact earlier modes. Newly discovered or added entries require a fresh review; the button does not establish an ongoing filter.

Fallback mobs: global and per-theme

Each theme has its own fallback. Use the fallback: button between its name and Entities in the Themes screen to change one theme. Follow Per-theme fallbacks for the complete selection workflow, JSON example and fresh-invasion test.

Selections and randomization edit the shared draft immediately. Return with Back and use Entities → Save; Back alone does not save. Random assignments are stored, not rerolled for every purchase. To preserve individual exceptions, apply global selection before setting theme-specific choices.

Which mobs can fill a phase?

The candidate must be a registered, summonable mob permitted as a direct wave purchase and an Active wave participant. Inactive and Attack-mode entries cannot be selected. Theme membership is ignored. Specialized original mobs use their IM counterparts; unavailable companion-mod mobs and environmental-only Guardians cannot be selected. See mob modes before enabling a new candidate.

The JSON stores the global ID in _fallback_mob and theme-specific IDs in _theme_fallbacks. An eligible per-theme choice wins; an invalid or disabled choice uses the eligible global fallback, then another eligible active mob if needed. An active Zombie is the editor's usual safety default. If no eligible active mob exists, fallback fillers are omitted rather than spawning an inactive mob.

After ordinary mob and squad purchases, each leftover budget point buys one fallback at cost 1. Free fallback purchases bring a phase's purchase list to at least wave × 5 when a fallback is available. Its configured ordinary cost does not determine these filler prices. These purchases use the phase's equipment rules and can appear outside their assigned themes; they are planned purchases, not guaranteed successful spawns. See budgets and extra additions.

After saving, reopen Themes to confirm each intended choice. Test a newly started invasion on the world/server; saving does not rebuild the current wave plan. If a choice changes or disappears, check that the selected ID is registered, Active and wave-eligible on that server. For backups and multiplayer deployment, follow Save and server setup.

Per-mob spawn location

Open Entities → Abilities for the exact mob registry entry. Click Spawn Location to cycle underwater → underground → lava → above ground → default. Choose Done, then Entities → Save.

Underwater

Underground

Lava

Dry land

Edit the JSON directly

In config/invasion_mod_mobs.json, merge the key into the mob's existing abilities object. For example, this fragment selects underwater spawns:

"spawn_location": "underwater"

Preserve the other ability keys and valid JSON commas. A missing, invalid or non-string value uses default. General configuration uses the hyphenated key spawn-layer in the CFG; the per-mob JSON key is spawn_location.

These settings affect new Nexus wave spawns, including waves around a Player Nexus. They do not relocate existing mobs or control ordinary natural or spawn-egg spawning. Collision checks, mob dimensions, candidate locations and wave eligibility still apply. An explicit choice can override miners only, but cannot guarantee a suitable spawn point. “Surface” uses the height check explained below. See Mini Squid and Lava Creeper for environment-specific examples.

Examples: Mole defaults to underground, Gift Zombie to above ground, and Charger Zombie and Flying Creeper to default. Their individual guides cover fixed behavior and configurable abilities.

Spawn layer

spawn-layer filters candidate wave spawn locations for mobs using the default spawn location. Explicit per-mob locations take precedence. It does not change the Nexus spawn radius, remove mobs already present, or guarantee that a valid location exists.

Wave support includes dry lower slabs, carpets, snow layers and supported rails, buttons and plants. If placements fail, the temporary radius search expands to 1024 then shrinks to 8 without changing the configured radius or bypassing this layer.

“Surface” uses the world's surface height at the spawn column and the mob's height. Glass and leaves count as roofs too; this is not simply a check for stone caves or darkness. Invalid text falls back to both. Other collision, fluid and spawn checks still apply in every mode.

General rules

These options belong in Main Config. In the CFG, use the exact values below; the editor displays boolean switches as On/Off.

See the family conversion rules. The Overworld conversion check reads the reloaded general setting, so a successful Main Config save in the instance running the world affects ongoing conversion checks. A remote client's Save cannot change that server check.

Versus Infestation also requires enable-silverfish=true for new spawn infection rolls. Pigman Conversion recruits a family into an army; it is separate from the Overworld zombification switch.

Unbound mob sight and sense ranges

In Main Config, night-mob-sight-range defaults to 20 blocks and night-mob-sense-range to 12 blocks. Supported IM mobs without a Nexus binding use these ranges for their respective target searches. Sight-based searches require visibility; sense-based searches can detect a target without line of sight.

night-mob-sight-range=20
night-mob-sense-range=12

The historical “night” prefix does not restrict these settings to nighttime. Nexus-bound mobs use separate ranges; these keys do not change an arena's spawn radius or apply universally to vanilla and other-mod enemies. The mob's target goals still determine which targets it can select.

Use Main Config → Save in the instance running the world, or edit the server CFG while stopped and restart. Test an unbound supported IM mob, such as an IM Zombie, with and without cover; a bound wave attacker is not a valid test of these settings.

Global natural monster cap

mob-limit-override=70 is the default in config/invasion_config.cfg. A different value makes Invasion Mod attempt to change the capacity of Minecraft's entire MONSTER category during startup. It affects natural monster spawning generally, including vanilla and other-mod monsters in that category; it is not an IM-only limit.

mob-limit-override=70

Back up the server CFG, stop the server, set the desired integer value and restart. Raising the cap can increase server load. The category capacity is part of Minecraft's natural-spawning rules, not a promise that exactly that many monsters will exist. It does not set the purchase count or budget of a Nexus wave.

Custom block strength

The logical key is block-<namespace>:<id>-strength. A finite positive number overrides the mod’s base block strength; zero, negative or invalid numbers do not establish an override. Strength affects route costs, obstacle-clearance selection and other mod mechanics. It does not replace Vanilla hardness or directly lengthen timed mining. Datapack construction bonuses and other breaking restrictions still apply; this is not blast resistance.

To add a new key, edit the CFG while the world/server is stopped. The editor only lists existing keys. The file uses Java Properties syntax: escape the colon in the key. For example:

block-minecraft\:stone-strength=10.5

After loading, inspect a test block with the Material Probe. Its whole-number readout includes applicable construction bonuses, so it need not equal the decimal value you entered. Removing the key restores the normal calculation on the next load.

Legacy health overrides and Entity values

Main Config accepts positive integer health overrides keyed by the mob's legacy name, not its registry ID. For a tier-1 IM Zombie, these are two independent keys:

IMZombie-T1-invasionSpawn-health=30
IMZombie-T1-nightSpawn-health=24

• -invasionSpawn-health selects the base health for the relevant Nexus-bound IM mob family/tier.
• -nightSpawn-health selects health for unbound IM mobs. “nightSpawn” is the legacy category name, not a restriction to nighttime.

Use the exact legacy key for the mob and tier. The example is not a universal override for all zombies or all registered mobs. Add absent keys to the CFG while stopped; remove a key to inherit its default again.

The separate Entities → Abilities → health value is a per-entity wave base value in the mob JSON, with a range of 1–1024 HP. It is applied to newly constructed wave mobs and can scale the native baseline derived from the CFG. Tier, size and wave scaling remain relevant; a CFG entry alone does not guarantee the final HP when a JSON health value is also set. Review both files when diagnosing a mismatch, and use newly spawned mobs for checks. The JSON's damage and base-armor fields are separate from these legacy health keys.

Additional diagnostic logging

enable-log-file defaults to false in config/invasion_config.cfg. Set it to true in Main Config and Save, or edit the file while the world/server is stopped and restart. For multiplayer, change the server's configuration; a client setting does not change server diagnostics.

enable-log-file=true

This enables additional messages sent through InvasionMod.log(...), at WARN level through the normal game logger. Look in the running instance's usual console/log output, such as logs/latest.log. Despite its name, this option does not create a separate Invasion log file. Regular messages and errors continue when it is false.

1. Reopen Main Config to confirm the saved value, then reproduce the problem in a test world and inspect the corresponding log time.
2. Additional messages only appear when the relevant code path runs; no extra line by itself does not prove the setting failed. Include mod versions and reproduction steps when reporting a problem.
3. After collecting diagnostics, set the option back to false and Save (or restart after an external edit). For locating mobs, use /invasion debug.

Debug Wand — registration-time tool

This developer tool is registered as invmod:debug_wand only when debug=true is loaded before item registration at startup. The default is false. Use a disposable test instance; there is no crafting recipe.

1. Stop the game/server and back up config/invasion_config.cfg. Set debug=true in that file on the server and participating clients before launching them.
2. Restart fully. Changing the toggle in an already running editor cannot add an item to the registry.
3. With command permission, run /give @s invmod:debug_wand. An unknown item means that registration did not happen: check the instance, file, startup value and matching build.
4. Hit a Wolf with the wand as a player to tame it. This is a hit, not a right-click feeding interaction. Right-click a placed Nexus Core to remember its Nexus for the tool's test code.

Use registered spawn eggs for actual mob creation, the Engineer Hammer for Nexus test mode, and /invasion debug to highlight loaded mobs. To return to normal registration, remove test wands from the disposable world, stop the instance, restore debug=false on server and clients, and restart.

Datapack setup — offspring and construction

These world/server datapack tags are separate from the CFG and mob JSON editor. The examples below target Minecraft 26.3 / NeoForge, whose data pack version is 121.0. Back up the world and test changes in a copy. On a dedicated server, install into the server world, not a client's resource-pack folder.

1. Create <world>/datapacks/invasion-tuning/. Put pack.mcmeta at its root, alongside data/, with this content:

{
  "pack": {
    "description": "Invasion offspring and construction tuning",
    "min_format": 121,
    "max_format": 121
  }
}

Add only the tag files you want to change at the paths listed below. Each path is relative to invasion-tuning/. The directory names are singular: entity_type and block. Use exact registered IDs of installed entities/blocks. A # prefix includes another tag.

"replace": false merges your values with lower-priority packs, including the mod defaults. "replace": true replaces the lower-priority values for that tag; include every value you want to keep. Higher-priority packs can still change the result. Each JSON example is a complete file, not a fragment to paste into the CFG.

2. With operator/cheat permission, run /reload, then /datapack list enabled. If the pack is available but disabled, enable it with /datapack enable "file/invasion-tuning" last. Check the server log for missing IDs, malformed JSON or version errors.
3. Test newly produced offspring and newly evaluated block strength as described below. Removing/disabling this pack and reloading restores the other enabled packs' tags; it does not remove already spawned offspring or repair damaged terrain.

Continue with Mother Spider offspring and construction bonuses and boulder defense.

Mother Spider offspring tag

Mother Spiders choose their offspring from invmod:queen_spider_offspring. Create data/invmod/tags/entity_type/queen_spider_offspring.json following datapack setup. Defaults are invmod:spider, invmod:jumping_spider and invmod:cave_spider.

For example, extend the default pool with Vanilla spiders:

{
  "replace": false,
  "values": ["minecraft:spider"]
}

To replace the pool with only IM Cave Spiders instead:

{
  "replace": true,
  "values": ["invmod:cave_spider"]
}

Each offspring batch attempts 3–6 random choices from the resolved pool; the same type can be chosen repeatedly. An empty pool produces no offspring, and failed entity creation can reduce the number. Mob children are marked as babies where supported; not every entity type has baby visuals or behavior. Only children implementing the mod's NexusEntity contract inherit an existing maternal Nexus link. Adding a Vanilla or other-mod entity does not by itself make it a Nexus-bound invader.

For a controlled check, use the replacement example, reload successfully, and let an adult Mother Spider lay and hatch a new batch in a test arena. Expect Cave Spider offspring rather than retroactive changes to existing spiders. Restore the merge example or remove the file to restore the default pool after reloading.

Construction bonuses and boulder defense

Follow datapack setup. All four block tags use data/invmod/tags/block/<tag-name>.json. These affect Invasion's block-strength calculation and normal boulder handling, not Vanilla hardness or universal explosion immunity.

Only the six face neighbors count, so the maximum strength bonus is 60%: base × (1 + 0.1 × matching neighbors). With base strength 10 and three matches the result is 13. Overlapping categories use the first match in order brittle → solid → repulsive; bonuses do not stack. The default stone-brick overlap therefore uses the same-type brittle rule.

Example extension for brittle_construction_materials.json: add glass, retaining defaults.

{
  "replace": false,
  "values": ["minecraft:glass"]
}

Example extensions for a solid iron-block structure: put this content in both solid_construction_materials.json and stone_construction_bonus_materials.json. Keep the categories disjoint from brittle for predictable results.

{
  "replace": false,
  "values": ["minecraft:iron_block"]
}

For an Obsidian-only repulsive category, use this complete replacement in repulsive_construction_materials.json:

{
  "replace": true,
  "values": ["minecraft:obsidian"]
}

Boulder limits: this random defense belongs to the normal Thrower/Big Thrower boulder block-hit path. It is not a guarantee and does not cover every iron-ball or lava-boulder variant, direct entity hits, or direct Nexus Core hits. The path also excludes negative-hardness and Wither-/Dragon-immune blocks. Repulsive membership loses precedence when the hit block also belongs to brittle or solid. Mob-griefing separately governs whether the remaining explosion can damage terrain.

1. After reloading, inspect isolated glass with the Material Probe, then place identical glass against its faces and inspect again. Three neighbors should give about 30% higher strength; the probe displays whole numbers.
2. For the solid example, inspect an iron block with matching tagged neighbors. A support block need not be the same type, but must belong to the bonus tag.
3. Test normal boulders against an eligible repulsive wall in a disposable arena. Repeat hits: a single impact cannot establish a 50% chance. Keep cover and do not rely on this rule to make the Core safe.

Check your changes

1. Back up both files and use a test world with the same installed mods as the server.
2. Set spawn-layer to surface in Main Config, save, and reopen to confirm it persisted.
3. Start a fresh invasion in an open arena using a Nexus Core or the start command. Inspect newly spawned attackers; a lack of space can still prevent spawning.
4. For miners only, check both the mob's Mining setting and the world's mob-griefing rule before expecting underground spawns. For missing custom mobs, check the Entity search filter, installed mods, participation and theme membership.
5. If settings revert, check which Save button context you used, the actual world/server config directory, error messages, and the block-key limitation above. Restore the backup to undo the test.

Continue with Custom Themes and Custom Squads to customize the roster.