BetterBlockZ guide for FTB StoneBlock 4 1.1.1 to 1.1.2
BetterBlockZ guide for FTB StoneBlock 4
Last verified for FTB StoneBlock 4 v1.1.2 on Oct 17, 2026 · text last changed Oct 17, 2026
A newer release (1.23.0) is out Guide for the current version
Also applies to:FTB Evolution 2 1.0.2 to 1.4.0FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.0.3 to 1.10.0Project Infinity 0.1 0.0.49.0 to 0.0.51.4-hotfix-2
- Sections
- 6
- Recipes shown
- 13
- Items named
- 48
4 sections are written for this pack; 2 are shared from another pack's guide.
Every recipe and number here was checked against FTB StoneBlock 4 1.1.2's own files.
What is BetterBlockZ?
3 parts
Same as in the FTB StoneBlock 4 1.21.0 guide
BetterBlockZ is a decorative building mod. It continues Ztones and adds modern, industrial, fantasy and futuristic block sets, with expanded variants and reworked textures. The pack ships version 0.2.10 for NeoForge 1.21.1, and the mod's author thanks the FTB team for including it.[1][2]
It is for builders. If you want your base to look like more than a pile of cobble, this is your palette. It doesn't add machines or progression content.[1]
What you get
- Block types: standard blocks, pillars you can rotate like logs, fully rotatable blocks for diagonal textures, and CTM (connected texture) variants on select blocks.[1]
- Lighting: Cyber Lights are no-shade, full-color light blocks that Redstone can toggle. They come as flat blocks and panels for walls, floors or ceilings. The Zeon set is neon-style, its blocks all emit light, and it comes in 16 colors.[1]
- Building tools: Cycler, Checkered Cycler, Placer, Cobble Crafter, Block Extender, Block Replacer and the BlockZ Master, which combines the 4 main tools.[1]
Switching variants
While holding a block, you can sneak and right-click in air, hold Alt and scroll the mouse wheel, or press V to open a selection screen. In your inventory, hover the block and use Alt plus the mouse wheel. Alt and V are default keybinds, so rebind them if another mod uses the same keys. For blocks already placed, use the Cycler tool in Block, Line or Area mode.[1]
Crafting in a nutshell
Each set has a base variant with a standard crafting recipe. Every other variant comes from the Stonecutter, and AE2 can auto-craft those Stonecutter recipes.[1]
How do you get started with BetterBlockZ?
5 parts
BetterBlockZ is a decorative mod with modern, industrial, fantasy and futuristic block sets. Nearly everything in it starts from one item, so your first steps are short and easy to follow.[1]
Step 1: Make BlockZ Core
BlockZ Core is the main ingredient for all sets. You combine it with a set-specific material to get the base variant of each set. The pack has several recipe entries that all produce it, and here is one of them.[1][3]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: betterblockz:blockz_core_stone
Step 2: Craft a base block
Each set has a base variant with a normal crafting recipe. BlockZ Stone is a simple one to start with.[1][3]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: betterblockz:stone_blockz
Every other variant of a set comes from a Stonecutter recipe, so you only craft the base block once. The tooltips also say the blocks support Stonecutter recipes for automation.[1][4]
Step 3: Switch variants
While holding a block, you can sneak and right-click in the air, hold Alt and scroll the mouse wheel, or press V to open the variant selector. In your inventory, hover the block and use Alt with the mouse wheel.[1][4]
Step 4: Build your tools
The BlockZ Cycler (BlockZ Cycler) changes the variant of blocks that are already placed. It works in Block, Line and Area modes. The pack changed its recipe, so use the in-pack recipe below.[1][3]
Crafting Shaped
| any gold storage block | ||
| any diamond gem | ||
| Empty slot | Empty slot |
Recipe id: betterblockz:omni_spade
The BlockZ Crafter is a portable crafting table and cobblestone placer. The pack changed this recipe too.[1][3]
Crafting Shaped
| any water bucket | any lava bucket | |
| Empty slot | Empty slot |
Recipe id: betterblockz:cobble_crafter
Next come the BlockZ Placer, which places a saved block in Line or Area mode with an undo feature, and the BlockZ Extender, which extends connected blocks. The BlockZ Replacer lets you select and replace blocks. The pack changed the Placer recipe, while the Extender and Replacer use the mod's own recipes.[1][3]
Crafting Shaped
| any iron storage block | ||
| Empty slot | Empty slot |
Recipe id: betterblockz:auto_placer
Step 5: Combine them into the BlockZ Master
The BlockZ Master combines the four main tools into one item. Its shapeless recipe uses the Placer, Extender, Replacer and Cycler, so make those first.[1][3]
Unverified The exact differences between the pack's changed recipes (Cycler, Checkered Cycler, Placer, Crafter, Cobblestone Transmuter, Azur Base) and the mod defaults are not confirmed by the available sources. The recipe blocks above show what applies in this pack.
How does BetterBlockZ work?
6 parts
BetterBlockZ is a decorative building mod, so its core mechanics are about placing, switching and crafting blocks. According to the project page as it currently reads, it adds modern, industrial, fantasy and futuristic block sets, plus a handful of tools to make building faster. The page also notes that not all tools are currently available on Forge.[1]
Block types
- The project page currently lists Standard as regular blocks with no special properties or orientation.[1]
- The project page currently lists Pillar as rotatable along the X and Y axes, like logs.[1]
- The project page currently lists Rotatable as fully rotatable blocks for diagonal textures, placeable on floors and walls.[1]
- The project page currently lists CTM as connected textures on select variants. This needs the Athena mod to be installed.[1]
Switching variants
The project page currently describes variants as something you pick by switching the block you are holding, instead of crafting each one. The block tooltip shows the controls when you hold Shift.[1][4]
- Holding the block, as currently described: Sneak + Right-Click in air, Alt + Mouse Wheel to scroll variants, or press V to open the variant selector screen.[1][4]
- In your inventory, as currently described: hover the block and use Alt + Mouse Wheel.[1]
- On blocks already placed in the world, as currently described: use the BlockZ Cycler tool, which has Block, Line and Area modes.[1][4]
Crafting and automation
The project page currently says BlockZ Core is the main ingredient for all sets. You craft it first, then combine it with a set-specific material to get the base variant of a set.[1][3]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: betterblockz:blockz_core_stone
BlockZ Core has several recipe entries in the pack, all listed with the same stone-type ingredients.
The project page currently says only the base variant has a standard crafting recipe and all other variants come from the Stonecutter. It also says AE2 fully supports auto-crafting with these Stonecutter recipes, which makes the mod friendly to automation.[1][4]
The pack changes the recipe for the Azur set base, so check the recipe below rather than assuming the mod's default.[3]
Crafting Shaped
| any lapi gems | ||
Recipe id: betterblockz:azur_custom
This recipe is changed by the pack.
Building tools
Most tools show a short help text when you hold Shift over their tooltip. Here is what the project page currently says each one does:[1][4]
- BlockZ Cycler: currently described as cycling block variants in Line or Area mode.[1]
- BlockZ Checkered Cycler: currently described as cycling checkered pattern variants.[1][3]
- BlockZ Placer: currently described as placing a saved block in Line or Area mode, with an undo feature.[1][3]
- BlockZ Crafter: currently described as a portable crafting table and cobblestone placer.[1][3]
- BlockZ Extender: currently described as extending connected blocks.[1][3]
- BlockZ Replacer: currently described as selecting and replacing blocks dynamically.[1][3]
- BlockZ Master: currently described as combining 4 main tools.[1]
The pack changes the recipes for the Placer, the Checkered Cycler and the Crafter. Use these recipes, not the mod defaults.[3]
Crafting Shaped
| any iron storage block | ||
| Empty slot | Empty slot |
Recipe id: betterblockz:auto_placer
This recipe is changed by the pack.
Crafting Shaped
| any gold storage block | ||
| any gold storage block | any diamond gem | any gold storage block |
| Empty slot | Empty slot |
Recipe id: betterblockz:checkered_spade
This recipe is changed by the pack.
Crafting Shaped
| any water bucket | any lava bucket | |
| Empty slot | Empty slot |
Recipe id: betterblockz:cobble_crafter
This recipe is changed by the pack.
The pack also has crafting recipes for BlockZ CTM Toggle Tool (the CTM Toggle Tool) and BlockZ Color Changer.[3]
The project page currently lists two creative-only tools: the BlockZ Pallete, which instantly places a full set (Sneak Right-Click to place 5x5), and the Checkered Builder, which instantly places a checkered pattern.[1]
Lighting
Cyber Lights are no-shade, full-color light blocks. You can toggle them on and off with Redstone. They come as flat blocks and panels, and you can place them on walls, floors or ceilings. The Zeon set is neon-style, with multiple patterns and variants that all emit light, in 16 colors.[1]
You can swap between the full and flat forms of a Cyber Light with a shapeless recipe, such as the one below.[3]
A shapeless recipe that turns the full Cyber Light into the flat version.
Number blocks and config
Number blocks change their displayed number when you Right-Click them, cycling through 0 to 9.[4]
The mod's common config is small and only holds logging and example settings. items is set to a list containing only an iron ingot, and logDirtBlock is true. magicNumber is 42, which matches the mod default, and magicNumberIntroduction sets the intro message for that number.[5]
How do you progress through BetterBlockZ?
5 parts
This mod has no quest line in the pack, so there is no quest-driven order to follow. Progression comes from the crafting chains: everything grows out of one starter item, and each tier builds on the one before it. Here is how the tiers stack up.[3]
Unverified No quests were found that involve this mod, so the tier order below comes only from the in-pack recipes, not from a quest path.
Tier 0: the BlockZ Core
Nearly every recipe in the mod starts with BlockZ Core, so this is your entry point. The recipe dump lists several Core recipes, all marked as the mod's own and not changed by the pack. This is the one shown here.[3]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: betterblockz:blockz_core_stone
Tier 1: base blocks from the Core
The Core opens up a large set of decorative bases, such as BlockZ Stone, Polished Stone Base (CTM), Cray Base, Reed Base, Tank Base and Vena Base. The Luxe metal bases (Luxe Iron Base, Luxe Gold Base, Luxe Diamond Base) and the Nether-themed Lair bases like Lair Blood Base belong to this tier too. Here is Luxe Iron as an example.[3]
Crafting Shaped
| any iron ingot | ||
Recipe id: betterblockz:iron_custom
The pack changed one of these: Azur Base uses a pack-specific recipe, not the mod's default.[3]
Crafting Shaped
| any lapi gems | ||
Recipe id: betterblockz:azur_custom
Tier 2: second-stage bases
The next step is crafting from the Tier 1 blocks. BlockZ Aurora is the key intermediate. It is made from the Core, and it feeds several other recipes.[3]
Crafting Shaped
| any dye | ||
| any dye | any dye | |
| any dye |
Recipe id: betterblockz:aurora_blockz
- Aurora branch: Agon White, Bitt Base, Tinted Glass White and Number Decal White all use Aurora in their recipes.[3]
- Iron Slate branch: Iron Slate Base leads to Crimson Slate Base, Hazard BlockZ Caution and Iron Slate: Redstone Base.[3]
- Synth Alloy branch: Synth Alloy Base leads to Amber Core Base and Lab Link Base.[3]
- Eclipse branch: Eclipse Base leads to Armz Base and the whole Zeon colour family.[3]
Tier 3: Ztyl and Zeon blocks
This tier is where the Aurora and Eclipse branches pay off. Fort Base, Zane Base and Iszm Base are the Ztyl-based blocks, tied to Ztyl 8, Ztyl 9 and Ztyl 10. The Zeon bases, such as Zeon Red Base (CTM) and Zeon Cyan Base (CTM), build on the Eclipse branch together with the matching coloured Cyber Light block, for example Cyber Light Red for red. Fort and Zeon Red are shown below.[3]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: betterblockz:fort_custom
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: betterblockz:zeon_red_custom
Cyber Light White also has simple shapeless conversions to its flat version and back, and the same goes for the ◇ variant and its panel version, such as Cyber Light Flat White and Cyber Light Panel White.[3]
Tools
The building tools also start from the Core. Four of them have pack-specific recipes: BlockZ Placer, BlockZ Cycler, BlockZ Checkered Cycler and BlockZ Crafter. The Cobblestone Transmuter block is also changed by the pack.[3]
The tools with the mod's default recipes are BlockZ Extender, BlockZ Replacer, BlockZ CTM Toggle Tool and BlockZ Color Changer. The Color Changer also needs Aurora.[3]
The end of the tool path is BlockZ Master. It is a shapeless recipe that combines the Placer, Extender, Replacer and Cycler, so make those four first.[3]
Which BetterBlockZ config options matter?
1 part
Same as in the FTB StoneBlock 4 1.21.0 guide
Good news: BetterBlockZ has a very small common config, so there's not much to tweak. The file has four options, and none of them change how the decorative blocks look or behave. They mostly control what gets written to the log when the game starts.[6]
What the pack sets
- items is a list of items to log on common setup. This pack sets it to a single entry, Iron Ingot.[6]
- logDirtBlock controls whether the dirt block is logged on common setup. This pack has it set to true.[6]
- magicNumber is just "a magic number", and it must be greater than 0. This pack sets it to 42, which is also the mod default, so the pack did not change it.[6]
- magicNumberIntroduction is the introduction message shown with the magic number. This pack sets it to "The magic number is... ".[6]
What changed in BetterBlockZ between versions?
2 parts
FTB StoneBlock 4 1.1.2 ships BetterBlockZ 0.2.0 for Minecraft 1.21.1 on NeoForge. The pack's mod list says it was already included in 1.1.1 or earlier. Below are the changes from the mod's own changelogs for the two versions covered by the sources.[7]
v0.2.0 (the version in this pack)
- Added a new Zeon Full Glow block set in 16 colors, with 8 variants each.[8]
- Added the CTM Toggle Tool, which connects or disconnects textures on CTM variants.[8]
- Added a new Ambercore variant.[8]
- Changed the ingredients used in the tool recipes. The changelog describes it as a switch from ingot to block.[8]
- Fixed block explosion resistance.[8]
v0.1.9
- Added the Tank block to Ztones, with a retexture and new Explosion Resistant variants.[9]
- Added Flat Number Decals for 0 to 9, in 16 colors.[9]
- Added Lair Pillar blocks.[9]
- Tweaked the tooltip.[9]
- Tweaked block blast resistance and destroy time.[9]
Since the pack is on 0.2.0, you get everything from both lists. The explosion resistance fix and the blast resistance tweaks are worth knowing about if you use these blocks in your base.[7][8][9]
Unverified No pack changelog entries for BetterBlockZ were available, so the exact StoneBlock 4 release that first added it, and any pack-specific changes to its blocks or recipes, are unverified.
Sources
- BetterBlockZ project page (modrinth) · official mod data
- FTB StoneBlock 4 1.21.0 mod list · pack file
- FTB StoneBlock 4 1.1.2 recipe dump: recipes making BetterBlockZ items · pack recipe dump
- betterblockz tooltips and descriptions (English lang file) · official mod data
- FTB StoneBlock 4 1.1.2 config: config/betterblockz-common.toml · pack file
- FTB StoneBlock 4 1.21.0 config: config/betterblockz-common.toml · pack file
- FTB StoneBlock 4 1.1.2 mod list · pack file
- BetterBlockZ 0.2.0-1.21.1-neoforge changelog · changelog
- BetterBlockZ 0.1.9-1.21.1-neoforge changelog · changelog
Where this guide comes from
Written from what FTB StoneBlock 4 itself ships: its files and recipes, the in-game guidebooks and the mods' own pages. Every statement links to the source it came from, and the numbers are checked against the pack before publishing.
Guide last verified Oct 17, 2026.
Guides for other versions: 1.2.0 to 1.23.0