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

With the Nether Update 1.16, a completely new ore was introduced, which finally replaces diamonds after a long time and gives players a new path for progression. Netherite, however, works differently than iron or gold, which can be confusing for new players. Moreover, it is significantly harder to find and requires a lot of attention and patience. Today, we will take a detailed look at this new material, what it can do, and how you can best farm it. A journey into the Nether is definitely worth it if you’re looking for the best armor and the strongest weapons!

Netherite in Minecraft: Properties and Advantages of the Hardest Material

Netherite is just the end product; first, you need to look for ancient debris in the Nether. Once you’ve collected enough and crafted Netherite scraps, you can create Netherite ingots. We’ll explain all of that 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
• required for the recipe of a lodestone (“compass” of the Nether)

Finding Netherite: Best Places and Tips in the Nether

To obtain Netherite, you need to hunt for ancient debris. It is extremely rare and can take hours to find enough. This process cannot really be automated, so keep your eyes open.

The first option is to find Netherite like any other ores. You need to delve into the Nether, as 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 is 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 is bastion remnants, as the loot in the chests can sometimes surprise you with it! You will also find other cool items when you search the chests and face the piglins. Be on your guard, though, as they can pack a punch.

Using Netherite: Upgrading Armor, 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 can’t use enchantments that yield more items. Hence, Netherite is so rare because you need a lot of it.

Thankfully, the upgrade from diamond to Netherite has been significantly adjusted by Mojang. You only need one ingot for each of your tools. The upgrade must be done at the smithing table. Besides a Netherite ingot, you will also need a Netherite upgrade. Bastion remnants are your best bet for this. Once you’ve found one, you can copy it with seven diamonds and netherrack.

Farming Netherite: An Overview of the Most Effective Methods

There are three different methods for farming Netherite. One of them might be familiar from the overworld, but the other two options are very explosive! Here, we take advantage of the fact that ancient debris is fire-resistant and doesn’t explode. Which method you prefer depends on your resources. The best biomes for all methods are the warped forest, nether wastes, or the soul sand valley. Make sure that you don’t dig under a lava lake!

Here’s what you should definitely have with you:

• Fire resistance potions
• At least one diamond pickaxe (with efficiency and unbreaking enchantments)
• Adequate armor
• Plenty of food
• TNT + flint and steel
• Cobblestone
• Beds (preferably as wood and wool separately, as beds cannot be stacked)

Regular Strip Mining: A Simple Method to Find Netherite

This method requires few resources and is very easy to implement. Simply dig down to Y-level 14 and start your operation there. In the Java Edition, use F3 + G to display the chunk borders. Then always dig a 2x2 tunnel along two chunks to get the most out of strip mining. In this method, you just need to make sure your pickaxe doesn’t 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 will cost you a lot of resources. You need both gunpowder (Building a Minecraft Creeper Farm: Infinite Gunpowder Supplies for TNT and Rockets) and sand (Automatic Sand and Gravel Farm in Minecraft: Easily Build Infinite Resources) 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 every 3 blocks and then ignite it. This will create a chain reaction that clears about a 12-block radius. Be sure to use fire resistance potions to avoid burning. The exploded tunnel should reveal a fair amount of ancient debris that you can mine with a pickaxe. You can get up to 70 ancient debris per hour if you’re lucky.

Bed Explosions: A Cost-Effective Method to Reveal Netherite

Lastly, let’s examine the bed explosion method. You can’t sleep in beds in the Nether, as it will yield a nasty surprise. But we can use this mechanic to our advantage! For this method, you only need a lot of wool (Automatic Sand and Gravel Farm in Minecraft: Easily Build Infinite Resources) and wood. It’s best to craft the beds on-site, as they take up a lot of inventory space otherwise.

Similar to TNT, dig a 2x1 tunnel along a chunk border. First, place a bed. Then go back 4 blocks and use a cobblestone block at the 4th block to protect yourself from the big explosion! It will expose 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 hard to find, but if you use the right methods and set up automatic farms for your resources, you’ll have enough for all your armor and tools in no time. Just be prepared for explosions and lots of lava, and make sure to bring the right potions. Then the search can begin! Transform your armor 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!