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Sponge Block for Lava: "Pumice"

I think it makes sense to have a sponge-like block that works for lava, the same way 'sponge' works for water.

 

It could be called "Pumice" & "Saturated Pumice", after the Pumice rock that forms from volcanic eruptions that is light-weight and full of porous cavities (just like the 'Sponge' block).

 

It could be found as a treasure item in Nether Fortresses, just like Sponge is found in Ocean Monuments.

 

When you use it to soak up lava, it changes from Pumice, to Saturated Pumice.

You could change it back by 'melting' the lava out of it in a Blast Furnace.

 

Would make it a lot easier to clear out magma chambers in the Overworld to get to Ores, and to drain sections of the Nether, to create under-lava hidden bases.

 

It could have a texture similar to Sponge, except grey or black. Which would help it double as a nice decorative block.

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  • 3
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    I had a similar idea a few years back, but you have summarised it and perfected it more than I ever could, great premise!

  • 7
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    I had a similar idea, except that pumice would generate near the ceiling of the nether (giving a reason to go up there) and when used, it would turn into magma

  • 12
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    I think that the way you could get the lava back could be by right-clicking the block with a bucket to get a lava bucket. Love this idea

  • 10
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    Love this idea!
    I’m not sure if this is what you meant by “melting the lava out”, but the saturated pumace could even be used as a fuel source in a furnace, and when exhausted, would drop a dried pumace - similar to the way a lava bucket is used in a furnace

  • 2
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    with the upcoming nether update they'd be such a good feature, it would be a really good mid-game object, letting you get nine "lava blocks" and then being able to smelt it, I think we should also be able to leave them in water so they transform it into obsidian, making it easier to have obsidian without using lots of buckets

  • 3
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    Agreed.  This is a great option for the nether update, especially with the ancient debris encouraging people to mine areas out below the lava lakes now.  Previously there was no point in going that deep.

  • 4
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    I think Pumice obtain from smelting basalt in a Blast Furnace. When you use it to soak up lava, it changes to Magma Block.
    You can't change magma block to pumice back.

  • 3
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    I think it would be cool to replace saturated pumice with magma blocks. So when a pumice block sucks up the lava, it becomes a magma block.

  • 3
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    This is a great idea! I think, though, that it should be Scoria instead of Pumice. Both are volcanic rocks, but scoria has a dark red color and would therefore fit the aesthetic of the nether more.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    Yes, this! I have no other way of getting rid of those stinky lava lakes in my quarry!!!

    I would suggest resetting pumice by actually breaking it again, but it would take as long obsidian.
    As if you would break the lava inside but end up with the unsaturated pumice as dropping item.
    So no furnace but block duration as downside.

    Then again having a blast furnace exclusive use is also nice.

  • 1
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    Or perhaps you can use the filled Pumice to fuel the oven and get the usual Pumice after its drained

  • 0
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    great, I also follow sistemzee

  • 1
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    I like this idea a lot, though with the addition of crying obsidian you could go a different direction. You could either use Pumice, which could be a natural block, or you could combine a sponge with some crying obsidian and charcoal (maybe in a cross shape?) to create a Crying Sponge, or maybe a Evaporation Stone. I suck at names but something like that. You'd place it in water to let it get wet over a short bit of time, then when you place it near lava it turns all lava in a normal sponge's area into stone (lava source blocks) and cobblestone (flowing lava blocks), maybe with a magma block shell around the changed blocks, and the block dries out when used. Similar idea to the Pumice block, but I thought I'd add in my idea. It's not exactly a lava sponge, but I thought it would make more sense with how water and lava interact. Plus it ties into the piglins! Maybe they'd even toss one out on their own very rarely? Doubtful but just an idea.

  • 2
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    Although I completely support the idea of lava sponges, this could be difficult to prevent from becoming overpowered in Survival. If I remember correctly, normal sponges can absorb up to 64 blocks of water. Pumice should probably have an “absorption limit” of 48 lava blocks at most (which is 3-quarters compared to the sponge limit). 

    Even if this would be too OP for Survival, a way to soak up lava would be very useful for Creative mode! Sponges quickly became my favorite part of the update they were added in, because accidental flooding is super annoying, even in Creative. So even if this won’t work for Survival, please consider adding a lava-soaking block to the Creative inventory!

  • 2
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    I love the Idea of pumice being in Minecraft, but this is not the function it would have... Pumice blocks would be a unique falling block, like sand except they float at the surface of water or lava rather than falling through it. It would spawn in rafts above deep sea trenches, as well as in clusters around lava lakes. Pumice blocks would be mined with silk-touch to get the pumice item (four of these can be crafted into one pumice block)

    Pumice (as an item) is used in three ways:

    Whetstone: it can be used in the crafting menu to repair any tool by 1/16th, also disenchanting that tool for half the normal Exp yeild.

    Bone meal: pumice can be composted

    Natural cure: when crafted with a honey bottle (maybe using a brewing stand?) it creates a "natural cure" which can be stacked up to 4 and can remove any status effect (like milk) with the exceptions of Dolphin's Grace, Hero of the Village, Bad Omen, and the Wither Effect.

    Pumice block's main use would be traversing water/lava easier, and could be made renewable in a similar way to basalt.

    I do like the idea of a lava sponge, but pumice doesn't do that... How about an item that turns lava source blocks into cobble so you can clear it out quicker?

    To do that I would recommend… Pumice!!! When a pumice block carries too much weight, it can sink into water, and become a "Wet Pumice Block" which will do as I previously described with a similar range to that of a sponge. It dries out in the process (or becomes cobble if this sounds too "OP")

  • 0
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    I just came up with this idea with my son this weekend came to post a new topic and you created it the exact way we would, thought about using the saturated pumice as fuel source same as lava bucket in regular furnace.