Combat profile
For Minecraft 26.3 / NeoForge, wave base values and supported behavior can be changed per registry entry: see health, damage and base armor and mob abilities. Tier, size and wave scaling still apply.
Behavior
It retains vanilla vibration sensing, anger, melee and sonic-boom combat, while binding to and advancing on the active Nexus.
XP healing
An injured IM Warden consumes nearby experience orbs to restore health. It searches its hitbox expanded by 2.5 blocks in every direction, heals by each orb’s XP value in HP, and removes that orb. Healing stops at maximum health; a fully healed Warden leaves the orbs alone. Consumed XP is no longer available to players.
Nexus sonic boom
When not occupied by vanilla combat or investigation, it walks toward the active Nexus. Within 15 blocks horizontally and 20 blocks vertically of the Nexus center, it stops and charges a sonic boom for 34 ticks (about 1.7 seconds at 20 TPS). A completed shot deals 10 Nexus HP, followed by a 40-tick cooldown before another charge.
This attack does not require line of sight, so walls alone cannot protect the Core. A combat target, roar target, disturbance to investigate or sniffing activity interrupts the Nexus charge; leaving range also cancels it. Ordinary Warden attacks against entities remain separate. The Player Nexus ignores this virtual block damage: the owner is fought as a player instead.
Defense
Collect XP before an injured Warden reaches it and avoid leaving orb piles near your defensive line. Intercept it outside sonic range and draw its attention away from the Core. Do not rely on a sealed wall to stop its Nexus attack. See Nexus defense basics.
XP and Nexus-attack mechanics checked against the Minecraft 26.3 / NeoForge branch.
Drops
Loot follows the vanilla Warden table.
Sculk Catalyst • vanilla tableVanilla replacement
Active-Nexus vanilla Wardens may convert with 30% health.