Combat profile
Documented for Minecraft 26.3 / NeoForge. Values below are base attributes; entity configuration and wave scaling can change wave-spawned mobs.
It is larger and slower than a Guardian. The attack attribute is separate from Nexus damage. Entity ID: invmod:elder_guardian.
Combat and Nexus beam
It inherits vanilla Elder Guardian combat, swimming and defensive spikes, while adding attacks on player allies and persistence while Nexus-bound.
When bound to an active Nexus and without a living attack target, it approaches the Core and charges a visible beam within 16 blocks. Each completed beam deals 2 Nexus damage. Moving out of range or stopping the goal clears the charge. This block-targeted beam does not perform a line-of-sight check, so a wall alone does not protect a nearby Core.
Its charge lasts 60 ticks (about 3 seconds at 20 TPS), compared with the Guardian’s 80 ticks. The damage per completed Nexus beam remains 2.
The vanilla aura checks approximately once per minute and applies Mining Fatigue III for five minutes to eligible players within 50 blocks. This can slow emergency mining and repairs near the arena.
Evolution, replacement and egg
The main wave route is Guardian evolution after a squid kill, with a chance equal to the current wave percentage, capped at 100%. It keeps the original Guardian’s remaining-health fraction and Nexus link. There is no additional wave-15 unlock.
Neither Guardian type can be bought directly from the wave budget; the Elder is not one of the built-in periodic extra boss choices. The active-Nexus vanilla replacement path can also convert a vanilla Elder Guardian, setting maximum and current health to 30% of the original’s maximum (normally 24 HP).
Use invmod:elder_guardian_spawn_egg or /summon invmod:elder_guardian for a direct spawn. For the first aquatic spawn step, see water-spawned Drowned replacements.
Drops
The mod delegates to the corresponding vanilla loot table: 0–2 Prismarine Shards before Looting, a possible Cod or Prismarine Crystals roll, plus the vanilla rare fish roll on player kills. Looting and smelting conditions apply. These entities do not inherit the IM living-mob 25% Small Remnants drop.
The Elder table additionally drops a Wet Sponge on a player kill and has a 20% Tide Armor Trim Smithing Template roll. Evolution does not itself drop the original Guardian’s loot.
Prismarine Shards
Wet Sponge • player kill
Tide Armor Trim • 20%