Minecraft wiki entry for Combat, associated text: Allied: After boss mobs, the iron golem is the most powerful mob in the game (they have 100 × 50 HP) and can kill most mobs in one or two hits. However, it is also extremely expensive to build, requiring 36 iron ingots, and apart from creating it, the player has no control over it. It also takes longer to build than a snow golem, making it less useful as a last resort. In general, it's a better idea to use wolves instead, as they are much easier to acquire. However, an iron golem has the advantage that it can attack where the player is far away or inattentive, making them useful in mob traps and base defending. It may also be useful when the player is in the Nether and fighting a blaze and wither skeleton. They are especially useful because they do not take fall damage and cannot be knocked back.