How to Find Netherite in Minecraft

In Short
  • To find netherite in Minecraft, you need ancient debris and it generates only in the Nether dimension, mostly at the Y level 15.
  • You have to use a diamond or netherite pickaxe to mine it.
  • Once you have ancient debris, smelt it into scrap. Then combine four of them with four gold ingots and you'll make a netherite ingot.

As you may know, netherite is the strongest material that you can use to make powerful weapons, long-lasting tools, and the strongest armor in Minecraft. It Is much more valuable than diamonds, even though they are still considered OG precious items. In this guide, we’ll be teaching you where you can find netherite, or more precisely ancient debris in Minecraft. Also, learn how you can turn netherite into an ingot here. So, with that said, let’s jump right in!

Where Does Netherite Generate in Minecraft

Contrary to other armor materials in the game, netherite doesn’t have a direct ore block. Instead, the block you should look for is called ancient debris. It is a material block that only generates rarely in the Nether dimension.

Ancient debris blocks and item

Here are some of the facts to keep in mind while searching for ancient debris:

  • With Minecraft’s ore generation, you can get a maximum of five ancient debris blocks per chunk. But on average, the actual spawn rate is close to two blocks.
  • It commonly spawns between Y (height) levels 8 and 22. Also, it can spawn in the entire chunk, so that’s why you may find ancient debris high up in the Nether. Though, that’s very rare. Your best bet is to search for it at Y level 15, as per Minecraft Wiki.
  • Unlike many other ore blocks, ancient debris spawns away from air exposure. It means that you will always find it surrounded by other blocks or lava.

There are no biomes that have a higher rate of ancient debris (or netherite) spawns. But it is much easier for you to locate it in all but one biome. The biome you should avoid is basalt delta. This is because the terrain underneath all other biomes is mainly made of netherrack, a block that you can easily instantly mine, even if you don’t have the best pickaxe enchantments.

However, the terrain below the basalt delta is all made of tough blocks like basalt and blackstone. So, it’s far harder to mine through them than netherrack. However, one more thing to keep in mind is the mobs that spawn in each biome. If you create a large enough area below, the mobs, including a ghast will be able to spawn. So, be careful.

What You Need to Get Netherite in Minecraft

Since netherite or ancient debris generates only in the Nether dimension, you’ll need to first access it. So, gather 10 obsidian at least and a flint and steel and make a Nether portal in Minecraft. Apart from reaching the Nether though, you have to also prepare to find netherite in Minecraft. These are the items we recommend you bring:

  • Pickaxe(s)
  • TNTs
  • Beds
  • Potions of Fire Resistance

Due to netherite generating low in the Nether, you have to first uncover it. So, mining with a pickaxe is the easiest option, but not the fastest. Furthermore, a diamond or netherite pickaxe is required to mine ancient debris. So, if this is your first time obtaining netherite, you need to have a diamond pickaxe.

The TNT blocks are completely optional but are better solutions than mining with a pickaxe. You’ll uncover a lot larger area rather quickly and you can even be at a safe distance from the explosions, so lava doesn’t fall on your head.

In case you didn’t know, if you try to sleep in the Nether, the bed will explode. So, the third method for mining is by using beds. Though beds are far more dangerous, but also cheaper than TNT. So, in case you’re inexperienced with the bed method, you should stick to using the pickaxe and TNT.

Potion of Fire Resistance is the item we 100% recommend you bring along, as it will negate all the fire damage from lava or fires. And if you’ve ever been to the Nether, you know that lava and fires are everywhere. Also, single lava sources are generated everywhere in the Nether terrain, so this potion may very well save your life.

Find and Mine Ancient Debris in Minecraft

Now that we know where to look for ancient debris, it’s time to find and mine it. Follow these steps to reach ancient debris and get netherite in the game.

  • After you make a Nether portal and enter the Nether, make sure you’re in a biome that’s not basalt delta. Then, start mining till you reach the height Y=15. You can use the “F3” debug screen on the Java edition to view your coordinates.
  • Meanwhile, on the Bedrock edition, you can turn them on in the game settings. Also, while mining, make sure to keep building blocks in your inventory to avoid any accidental lava breakout.
Player's f3 debug screen showing they are at Y level 15 in the Nether, perfect level for finding netherite in Minecraft
  • Once you are at the netherite level, you can start mining in all directions with the pickaxe. But, if you brought TNT, you can create a long tunnel, as if you’re branch mining in the Overworld.
  • Then, start going backwards while also placing TNT blocks every other block or so.
Tunnel in the Nether filled with TNT blocks
  • Then, you’re free to light the TNT with flint and steel or a flame bow. But make sure you’re not too close to the explosion. The explosion of the first TNT will trigger a chain reaction.
  • In case you’re wondering whether the explosions will destroy ancient debris, they won’t. This block has a high blast resistance, so it’s immune to explosions. So, you can use the TNT to clear out the surroundings without damaging ancient debris. Also, you can enable chunk borders by pressing F3 + G. The most efficient method is to cause explosions along the edge of a chunk, so two chunks are uncovered at once.
Revealed ancient debris blocks from TNT explosions

Note:

You need 4 blocks of ancient debris to make one Netherite ingot. So, don’t leave the Nether without finding and collecting at least that many blocks.

How to Make Netherite from Ancient Debris

Once you have mined four blocks of ancient debris, the next step is to convert them into netherite. Follow these steps to do so:

  • First, make a furnace and open its UI by right-clicking it or using the secondary action button.
  • Smelt the ancient debris into netherite scrap. You get one netherite scrap out of each ancient debris block.
Smelting ancient debris into netherite scrap in Minecraft
  • Finally, you have to combine four netherite scraps with four gold ingots in a crafting table to craft a netherite ingot. There is no shape to the recipe, so you can place the ingredients anywhere in the crafting area.
Crafting recipe for netherite ingot

Other Ways to Get Netherite in Minecraft

If finding and mining netherite in Minecraft feels like too much work, you can also obtain it from chest loot in the Nether. Ancient debris, netherite scraps, and whole netherite ingots spawn in the chest loot of bastion remnants. The Netherite scrap has a higher spawn rate than the ancient debris. But, you can only get one scrap in each chest. Meanwhile, you can get up to two blocks of ancient debris in non-generic chests.

But keep in mind that these structures are dangerous. Piglins are pretty easy to deal with Minecraft mobs, but piglin brutes hit very hard and are not distracted by gold. But if you’re a pro, or really do not want to spend time mining, looting piglin bases can prove to be both exciting and rewarding.

With that, you now know how to find and obtain netherite in Minecraft and also have access to the best armor and strongest weapons in the game. As you can see, netherite is pretty difficult to get, especially in large quantities.

Not only that, but it’s useless without a netherite upgrade. This is a smithing template necessary for upgrading your diamond gear to netherite. That said, what is your favorite way of getting netherite? Tell us in the comments below!

Is netherite really worth it?

In most cases, probably no. Diamond equipment is pretty decent and can easily be repaired with mending and XP. But, netherite gear does have a lot more durability. So, if you’re working on massive projects, then having netherite tools is definitely better than diamond.

Moreover, all the netherite-related items don’t burn in lava, so are great for projects in the Nether dimension. Besides all of that, netherite is still pretty cool, so flexing to your server mates is one of the reasons it’s worth it.

Is it better to enchant diamond or netherite?

Netherite weapons, tools, and armor have a greater chance of getting better enchantments in the enchanting table. So, if you can help it, enchanting netherite is better than diamond.

comment Comments 1
  • armandas says:

    ill first make netherite boots then all armor or so xD

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