Farming Netherite in Minecraft: Best Methods & Tips for Armour and Tools

With the Nether Update 1.16, a completely new ore was introduced, which has finally given players a new path for progression, replacing diamonds after a long time. Netherite, however, works differently from iron or gold, which can be confusing for new players. Additionally, it is much harder to find and requires a lot of attention and patience. Therefore, today we will delve into this new material, what it can do, and how best to farm it. A journey into the Nether is definitely worthwhile if you are looking for the best armour and strongest weapons!

Netherite in Minecraft: Properties and Advantages of the Hardest Material

Netherite is just the end product because first, you need to look for ancient debris in the Nether. Once you have collected enough and these Netherite scraps drop, you can craft Netherite ingots. We will explain all of this in the following sections.

First, some cool features of all Netherite blocks:

• they do not burn in lava or fire
• immune to explosions
• float in lava
• can be used for a beacon
• are required for the recipe of a lodestone (“compass” of the Nether)

Finding Netherite: Best Locations and Tips in the Nether

To obtain Netherite, you need to search for ancient debris. However, it is extremely rare and can take several hours to find enough. This process cannot really be automated, so keep your eyes peeled.

The first option is to find Netherite like all other ores. You need to dive into the Nether because this rare material can only be found there. Ancient debris is always surrounded by other blocks and thus not directly visible. In a chunk (16x16 blocks), there is only a limited amount of debris to find. A vein of 1 to 4 ancient debris can be found between Y-Level 8 and 22, with an additional 0 to 2 veins spawning between 8 and 119. You can find a maximum of 5 ancient debris in a chunk. Your best chances are at Y-level 14.

Your second source for Netherite scraps or ingots are bastion remnants, as the loot in the chests can sometimes surprise you with them! You will also find other cool items when you search the chests and face the piglins. Be on your guard, though, as they can be quite a challenge.

Using Netherite: Enhancing Armour, Weapons, and Tools

To craft a Netherite ingot, you need four Netherite scraps and four gold ingots. You get the scraps by smelting ancient debris in a furnace. Unfortunately, you cannot use enchantments that increase item drops. This is why Netherite is so rare, as you need a lot of it.

Thankfully, Mojang has significantly adjusted the upgrade from diamond to Netherite. You only need one ingot for each of your tools. You must perform the upgrade at the smithing table. Besides a Netherite ingot, you also need a Netherite upgrade. Bastion remnants are your best bet for this as well. Once you find one, you can copy it with seven diamonds and netherack.

Farming Netherite: An Overview of the Most Effective Methods

There are three different methods for farming Netherite effectively. One of them might be familiar from the Overworld, but the other two options are quite explosive! Here, we take advantage of the fact that ancient debris is fire-resistant and does not explode. Which method you prefer depends on your resources. The best biomes for all methods are the warped forest, regular Nether, or the soul sand valley. Be careful not to dig under a lava lake!

Make sure to have the following:

• Fire resistance potions
• At least one diamond pickaxe (with Efficiency and Unbreaking enchantments)
• Adequate armour
• Enough food
• TNT + flint and steel
• Cobblestone
• Beds (preferably in the form of separate wood and wool, as beds cannot stack)

Normal Strip-Mining: A Simple Method to Find Netherite

This method requires few resources and is easy to implement. Simply dig down to Y-Level 14 and start your operation there. In the Java Edition, you should use F3 + G to show chunk borders. Then, always dig a 2x2 tunnel along two chunks to get the most out of strip-mining. With this method, you only need to ensure that your pickaxe does not break. You can find around 20 to 30 ancient debris per hour.

Farming Netherite with TNT Explosions: Here’s How

This method is probably the most effective, but it also costs quite a bit in resources. You need both gunpowder (Minecraft Creeper Farm: Unlimited Gunpowder Supplies for TNT and Rockets) and sand (Automatic Sand and Gravel Farm in Minecraft: Infinite Resources Made Easy) to produce enough TNT.

Similar to strip-mining, create a 2x1 tunnel along two chunks. It can be as long as you want. Place the TNT with a distance of 3 blocks between each and then ignite it. This creates a chain reaction that reveals around 12 blocks in radius. Be sure to use fire resistance potions to avoid burning. The exploded tunnel should reveal quite a bit of ancient debris, which you can mine with a pickaxe. You can obtain up to 70 ancient debris per hour if you are lucky.

Bed Explosions: A Cheap Method to Uncover Netherite

Finally, let’s look at explosions with beds. You can’t sleep in beds in the Nether, as you’ll get a nasty surprise. But we can take advantage of this mechanic! For this method, you only need a lot of wool (Automatic Sand and Gravel Farm in Minecraft: Infinite Resources Made Easy) and wood. It’s best to craft the beds on-site, as they take up a lot of inventory space otherwise.

Just like with TNT, dig a 2x1 tunnel along a chunk border. Place a bed first. Then step back 4 blocks and use a cobblestone block at the 4th block to protect yourself from the large explosion! This clears a large area, even better than TNT. However, this method is a bit slower, giving you about 40 to 50 ancient debris per hour.

Conclusion

Netherite can be difficult to find, but if you use the right methods and set up automatic farms for your resources, you’ll have enough for all your armour and tools in no time. Just be prepared for explosions and lots of lava, and have the right potions ready. Then, the search can begin! Transform your armour and tools into the best in the game, with an endless supply of Netherite on your own server. Rent your Minecraft server and dominate the game!