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Sparkane

Minecraft challenge

Only Strongholds

Stone surrounds you. Find supplies in strongholds and dig tunnels to reach the next one.

How to start your run
  • Java & Bedrock
  • Private server
  • No extra mods

Underground

A world of stone and strongholds

The Overworld is almost all stone, with separate strongholds. You start at a safe spot, in a library if possible and away from lava or spawners. You are not given tools or food.

Find wood in libraries, water in fountains and perhaps more items in chests. Dig your own tunnels between strongholds. The Nether and End stay normal. Their End portals still need Eyes of Ender.

You do not start in the portal room; find it yourself.

Example round: you find a library and use its wood to make early tools. Then you search corridors for chests and a fountain before exploring the portal room. The loot depends on the stronghold.

Bookshelves and cobwebs in a narrow library aisle with a mossy stone floor.
A narrow aisle runs between the bookshelves in the stronghold library.

What to expect from your run

Rule complexity
Explore native strongholds and their portal rooms in a stone world.
What helps
Mark your routes and save food and wood.
What takes time
You need time to find supplies and dig tunnels.

Plan underground

Tips for Only Strongholds

Look for wood and supplies first. Then make your way to the portal room or the next stronghold.

01Use libraries
Break planks and bookshelves in libraries to get materials.
02Mark your route
Long corridors and your own tunnels soon look alike. Mark junctions and the way back.
03Prepare for the portal
Seek water and iron for a bucket; portal-room lava may later help you reach the Nether.

Another twist

Combine Only Strongholds

Another rule changes underground exploration.

Only Strongholds + Protect Your Wolf
Keep your wolf away from lava and spawners while moving through the corridors.
Protect Your Wolf
2 simultaneous challenges · Host needs Pro

The configurator shows which rules you can enable together. Some combinations do not suit every goal.

Only Strongholds FAQ

What awaits you in the stone world.

Do I receive starter items?

No. The starting location is checked for safety, but tools, food and Eyes of Ender are not supplied.

Are all strongholds connected?

No. The complexes are separated in the stone world. You dig your own tunnels between them.

How do I reach the Nether?

Find water in a fountain and collect iron for a bucket. Use the water and portal-room lava to cast an obsidian frame for a Nether portal. Ready-made obsidian is not supplied.

How do I reach the Ender Dragon?

Find a stronghold portal room. Explore its rooms for wood, water and possible chest loot, reach the normal Nether and craft Eyes of Ender. The supplies you find depend on the world.

Your first run

Start your Only Strongholds run

You need Minecraft, but no extra mods or server hosting of your own.

How to join on Java & Bedrock
  1. 1

    Join Sparkane

    Connect to play.sparkane.com. We support 1.21.11 – 26.3 on Java. The “How to join on Java & Bedrock” guide covers both editions.

  2. 2

    Choose your challenge in the lobby

    Choose your challenge at the NPC in the lobby. You can play straight away with its preset rules. To change settings or combine challenges, open the browser settings from there.

  3. 3

    Start your server and invite friends

    Create your server and wait for it to be ready. Invite friends with /invite. Java and Bedrock players can play together.

  4. 4

    Start the timer and play

    Everyone ready? As the host, use /timer start. You can then break blocks and the challenge rules become active. Use /timer pause and /timer resume to take a break and continue your run.