Tendrils

Tendrils are a map block encountered on certain Mindustry maps that act as environmental obstacles and hazards rather than player-constructed buildings. They appear as fleshy, organic growths that occupy tiles and interact with units and the battlefield in predictable ways. Tendrils belong to the world terrain layer of blocks and are placed by map authors or the game’s map generation to create choke points, slow movement, and add area denial to corridors and open ground.

Tendrils cannot be built, moved, or directly controlled by the player. They are destructible tiles: when attacked they have hit points and drop specific items (if any) defined by the map or block definition. Tendrils are treated like other destructible environmental blocks in the engine: they have a size (occupying one or more tiles), a minimap color, and typical block properties such as whether they float on liquids or can be replaced by other blocks. Tendrils update like other tile entities when their block definition sets update = true, and they participate in the game's block replacement and deconstruction logic according to group and breakable flags.

Tendrils affect gameplay primarily by blocking placement and pathing and by damaging or slowing units that pass through them (map definitions determine exact effects). On maps with organic decor and lifeform themes, Tendrils are commonly used to reinforce map identity and to create strategic constraints for base layouts and defense lines. Since Tendrils are placed by the map, they can appear adjacent to resources, cores, or derelict ruins and thereby influence where cores spawn and how waves approach.

Practical notes for dealing with Tendrils:

• Treat Tendrils as destructible terrain: use direct-fire turrets or units with concentrated damage to clear them quickly if you need to place blocks or open a chokepoint.
• Building on or adjacent to Tendrils follows normal placement rules: whether a block can replace Tendrils depends on block flags and placeableOn settings in the map's block definitions.
• Tendrils often appear near valuable resources or strategic map features; prioritize clearing only the sections that impede your economy or wall lines to conserve time and ammo.
• When defending, use Tendrils as natural obstacles to funnel enemy waves into kill zones rather than clearing them immediately.
• Because Tendrils behave like other destructible blocks, their minimap color and size make them visible at a glance; include them in your planning for wall placement and pathing-based defenses.

Technical modding notes relevant to Tendrils:

• Map authors define Tendrils using standard block properties (size, destructible, drops, floating, update, etc.). These properties determine whether Tendrils have a tile entity, what they drop when destroyed, whether they can be placed on liquid, and how they appear on the minimap.
• Tendrils inherit behavior available to blocks via the engine’s Block API (such as bars displayed on damageable blocks and whether they consume tap events). Modders control Tendril-specific behaviors by setting the appropriate Block fields (group, breakable, instantTransfer, shadow, layer2) when registering the block.