Minecraft wiki entry for Survival_in_an_infinite_desert, associated text: Your starting weapon in the desert is your fist, or if you prefer, a stick or a chunk of cactus. These all do the same amount of damage and are a slow way to kill any mob. In this way you can kill single mobs, mobs that are stuck behind a defensive obstacle you have created, or maybe a wounded one that breaks through. Almost any mob at full strength can easily kill you, and multiple mobs in the open are likely to kill you because you have weak weapons and no armor.