Quick Answer: How to Get Netherite
Enter the Nether → go to Y=15 → use bed explosions or TNT to blast through netherrack, exposing ancient debris → collect 4 ancient debris → smelt into 4 netherite scrap → combine 4 netherite scrap + 4 gold ingots = 1 netherite ingot → use a smithing table to apply the ingot to one piece of diamond gear. Full set (armor + tools + weapons) requires 16 ancient debris total.
Netherite is the ultimate gear tier in Minecraft — better than diamond in durability, enchantability, knockback resistance, and it floats in lava. Getting it requires mining ancient debris in the Nether, one of the most hazardous environments in the game. This guide covers every mining method, safety protocols, and the upgrade process.
Table of Contents
- Nether Preparation & Safety
- Bed Mining (Fastest Method)
- TNT Mining (Safer Alternative)
- Strip Mining (Reliable Low-Tech)
- The Upgrade Process
- What to Upgrade First
- FAQ
Nether Preparation & Safety
The Nether is lethal. Go in prepared or go in twice (to retrieve your items).
| Essential Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Diamond Pickaxe (Efficiency IV+) | Mine ancient debris — nothing else can mine it |
| Full Diamond Armor (at minimum) | Piglins, ghasts, blazes, magma cubes, and lava will kill you otherwise |
| Gold Helmet or Boots | Wear one piece of gold armor to prevent piglins from attacking on sight |
| Fire Resistance Potions (8:00) | Negates lava and blaze damage. Bring at least 3. |
| Beds (for bed mining) — 10-20 | Explode beds in the Nether to blast through netherrack |
| Blocks (cobblestone or any non-flammable) | Ghast fireballs can't destroy cobblestone. Wall off areas. |
| Ender Chest | Store ancient debris immediately — if you die, your debris survives |
| Food (golden carrots or steak) | Regeneration between fights |
Bed Mining (Fastest Method)
Beds explode violently when you try to sleep in the Nether. This explosion clears a large sphere of netherrack, exposing ancient debris (which is blast-resistant and survives). Bed mining is the fastest ancient debris collection method but also the most dangerous.
- Dig down (or across) to Y=15 in the Nether. Use F3 (Java) or coordinates setting (Bedrock) to check your Y-level.
- Dig a 1x2 tunnel into a netherrack wall — at least 8 blocks deep.
- At the end of the tunnel, place a bed against the far wall.
- Place a block between you and the bed (cobblestone or any blast-resistant block) at your feet level. Stand behind this block, 4-5 blocks from the bed.
- Right-click the bed. It explodes instantly, blasting a ~6-block radius sphere.
- The block between you and the bed absorbs most of the blast damage, but you'll still take some — bring food to heal.
- Walk into the crater and collect any ancient debris (brownish block with lighter swirls on top).
- Repeat in a new direction. Each bed clears one area.
TNT Mining (Safer Alternative)
TNT mining sacrifices speed for safety. You need a gunpowder farm (creeper farm) and a sand duper or desert to supply TNT, making this more of a mid-to-late-game method. Place TNT every 5 blocks along a Y=15 tunnel, light with flint and steel, and retreat. TNT blast radius is smaller than beds, so you need more explosions, but you take zero damage if you step back.
- Light TNT, step back 6+ blocks, and wait. The explosion clears a 3-4 block radius.
- Chain TNT every 5 blocks along a long tunnel for maximum coverage.
- TNT dupers (Java Edition) automate this process — a flying machine drops lit TNT while moving forward, creating a wide blast tunnel at Y=15 with no player risk.
Strip Mining (Reliable Low-Tech)
Strip mining in the Nether at Y=15 is the slowest method but requires zero explosives. Dig a 1x2 tunnel through netherrack with an Efficiency V pickaxe. Ancient debris generates ~1.7 blocks per chunk on average and is always encased in netherrack. A dedicated strip mining session at Y=15 will reliably produce ancient debris — just slower than blasting methods.
- Dig a 1x2 tunnel at Y=15 extending hundreds of blocks
- Use Efficiency V + Unbreaking III diamond/netherite pickaxe
- Watch for ancient debris's distinctive texture among netherrack — it's easy to miss if you're auto-mining without paying attention
- You'll find nether gold ore and quartz along the way as bonus resources
The Upgrade Process
- Smelt ancient debris in a furnace (or blast furnace for 2x speed) → 1 netherite scrap per debris
- Combine 4 netherite scrap + 4 gold ingots in a crafting table → 1 netherite ingot
- Place a smithing table. Place 1 piece of diamond gear in the left slot, 1 netherite ingot in the middle slot, and 1 netherite upgrade smithing template in the right slot (required since 1.20)
- Output: netherite gear. Enchantments are preserved during the upgrade.
- Duplicate the netherite upgrade template: place the template + 1 diamond + 1 netherrack in a crafting table to create a copy. You need one template per gear piece (9 total for full set + tools).
What to Upgrade First
| Priority | Item | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pickaxe | You mine more ancient debris faster for remaining upgrades. Netherite pickaxe mines ancient debris faster than diamond. |
| 2 | Sword | Higher base damage. Nether is full of hostile mobs. |
| 3 | Chestplate | Highest armor value; most damage reduction per ingot spent |
| 4 | Leggings | Second highest armor value |
| 5 | Helmet | Lower armor; many players keep gold helmet for piglin immunity |
| 6 | Boots | Lowest armor value; upgrade last |
| 7-9 | Axe, Shovel, Hoe | Quality of life; mining speed increase is nice but not essential |
Related Guides
- Minecraft Ore Distribution Guide
- Minecraft Diamond Mining Guide
- Minecraft Best Enchantments Guide
- Minecraft First Night Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can ancient debris be blown up by TNT or beds?
A: No. Ancient debris is completely blast-resistant — it cannot be destroyed by TNT, beds, creeper explosions, ghast fireballs, or wither attacks. This is precisely why blasting methods work: the explosions clear away netherrack but leave ancient debris intact for collection.
Q: Does Fortune enchantment work on ancient debris?
A: No. Ancient debris always drops exactly one block when mined, regardless of Fortune level. It cannot be Silk Touched either — the block drops as itself. Each ancient debris block smelts into exactly 1 netherite scrap, every time.
Q: Why do I need a netherite upgrade template?
A: Since Minecraft 1.20 (Trails & Tales), upgrading diamond gear to netherite requires a netherite upgrade smithing template in addition to the netherite ingot. You find these templates in bastion remnant chests. Each template is consumed on use but can be duplicated with diamonds and netherrack.
Q: Is netherite gear worth the effort?
A: Yes, for the knockback resistance and lava survival alone. Netherite gear gives you +1 armor toughness per piece and 10% knockback resistance per piece (40% for full set). Netherite items float in lava and don't burn — if you die in lava, your netherite gear survives on the surface.
Q: How much ancient debris do I need for a full beacon pyramid?
A: A full netherite beacon requires 9 netherite blocks = 81 netherite ingots = 324 netherite scrap = 324 ancient debris. This is an extreme endgame goal. Most players never build a netherite beacon — it's purely a flex item.