The six-wing paradox: damage that refuses to multiply in Minecraft

I ran a small experiment in Minecraft and, honestly, the result didn’t just puzzle me — it made me rethink everything I knew about ghasts. At first, the thought was simple: “What if…?” But that “what if” turned into a full-on investigation I just have to share.

Preparing for chaos

Picture this. The wastes of the Nether, lava all around, ominous sounds. I needed two test subjects: a regular ghast, floating with a melancholic look, and its, let’s say, “charged” counterpart. Some call it six-winged or lucky — the one that spawns less often and looks more imposing. My task was to lure them both into one line of sight without turning to ash. It was wild! I ran in circles, built temporary cobblestone shelters, and I think I set a personal record for dodging fireballs. In moments like these, Minecraft feels like a survival trial.

Simple and logical? Not quite

My theory was straightforward. We know a reflected fireball deals massive damage to a ghast, usually killing it in one hit. I assumed that damage was a constant. Therefore, if you reflect a regular ghast’s projectile into its “lucky” kin, it should take that same colossal damage and probably die. Sounds logical, right? I thought so too. And I was so wrong — that’s Minecraft’s magic when expectations and reality don’t match.

Fireball volleyball for survival

Finally, everything’s set. Two ghasts hover at different heights, I’m between them, sword ready. The first ball comes from the regular ghast. I exhale, catch the timing, land a precise hit… and send the fiery “gift” straight at the six-winged one. Thud! Hit! I freeze, waiting for the familiar death scream and puff of smoke. But instead, the “charged” ghast just lets out an annoyed shriek, drifts back a bit, and keeps staring at me with those huge eyes as if nothing serious happened. It was alive.

My worldview collapsed

I repeated it several times, and the result was always the same. The reflected ball that reliably deletes a normal ghast dealt only minor damage to the “lucky” one. Honestly, I was shocked. It completely breaks the mechanics as I understood them. It seems this rare mob has some hidden resistance to reflected attacks, or the damage multiplier simply doesn’t apply to it. It’s not just rarer; it’s truly different. Apparently, Minecraft always has something to surprise even long-time players.

Not all ghasts are equally “useful”

My take? The “lucky” ghast isn’t just a reskin. It has its own, unique defense mechanic. Maybe the game treats the reflected ball as a specific type of “player” damage to which this mob is immune. Or maybe it’s a bug. But now I’m sure: the “return to sender” tactic is almost useless against it. Time to go old-school — use a bow.

I’m going to keep testing, but I’m dying to hear your thoughts. Has anyone run into this? Try your own experiment in Minecraft and share in the comments what you got. Let’s solve this mystery together!