How can I make a skeleton shoot a creeper?

I believe this is the way to get records. Has it always just been a matter of luck for everyone, or has anyone set out to deliberately do this? If there is some kind of technique to this, please share. ;-)

Solution 1:

One way you can do this is hitting a creeper with an iron sword twice, and then run around until you find a skeleton. From there, run circles around the two until the skeleton (hopefully) hits the creeper.

Another way takes a bit more preparation but is safer. Make something like this . . .

. . . and lure a creeper into the middle pit, a skeleton into one of the sides, and then go into the other side. The skeleton will shoot the creeper.

(Now that I think about it, you could probably suffice with the pits being one square wide instead of two.)

Solution 2:

I have always gotten them by accident. However, it shouldn't be too hard to make it happen if you know what you're doing.

If you have a flat area, it is fairly easy to kite creepers. You can run as fast as them. The other important thing to note is that the skeleton should only need to land the killing shot - it doesn't have to do all the damage.

If I was going for records, I would get to a high place, at night, with relatively flat areas around it (in my case, the tower at my main base). Wait a little while and look for where skeletons and creepers spawn. Go get a creeper's attention first. Kite him around, and get a few shots in with sword or bow/arrow. Then, head toward the skeleton you spotted. You need to strafe or circle the skeleton to avoid his shots, and the nearly-dead creeper will be following and get hit.

I believe the creeper will switch targets to the skeleton as soon as he gets hit, so he needs to be one arrow away from death, or he'll just turn and blow up the skeleton.

Obviously, there are several risky elements to this, so you may want to practice kiting creepers and strafing skeletons (seperately!). I'd also suggest emptying your pockets of anything important. You may want armor for survival, or you may want to ditch it, rather than use it up on record-farming.