Netherite Hunting Guide - Minecraft Java Edition

Netherite is the strongest material in Minecraft 1.16+. To craft a single set of gear you need to find 4 Ancient Debris in the Nether, smelt them, and combine them with gold. The process isn't fast, but it is predictable: the ore generates at specific levels and is mined using a few proven methods.

Preparation

Items required for mining Netherite

Step 1. Finding the right level

Ancient Debris generates most densely at level Y=15. The second peak level is Y=90–120, but there is far less ore there and mining is less efficient. For regular farming, Y=15 is the most worthwhile.

Netherite distribution

In the Nether, the coordinate display (the F3 key) shows the Y level beneath the player's feet. Descend to Y=15 and start digging horizontally.

Step 2. Choosing a mining method

There are three main methods. The choice depends on the resources you have.

• Method 1 – Pickaxe (the miner's way). You dig horizontal tunnels at level Y=15, spaced 2 blocks apart. Slow, but it only consumes pickaxes. Best if you have no TNT.

• Method 2 – TNT. You dig a tunnel all the way out, place TNT every 5–7 blocks, and detonate it. Ancient Debris isn't destroyed by the blast — it survives and stays lying among the rubble.

• Method 3 – Bed. Beds explode in the Nether when you try to lie down. The blast is stronger than TNT and also doesn't destroy Ancient Debris. You dig a small hole in the wall, place a bed horizontally, and trigger it from a distance. Beds are much cheaper than TNT: 3× wool + 3× planks.

Step 3. Collecting Ancient Debris

Ancient Debris looks like a grayish-brown block with a texture resembling wood. It generates in veins of 1–3 blocks. In a single mining session (2–3 tunnels using the TNT method) you can realistically collect 4–12 debris depending on luck.

The minimum for one piece of netherite gear: 4 debris → 4 scraps → 1 Netherite Ingot.

Step 4. Smelting and crafting

Put the Ancient Debris in a furnace or blast furnace. Each piece of debris yields 1 Netherite Scrap. A blast furnace smelts twice as fast.

Netherite Ingot recipe: 4× Netherite Scrap + 4× Gold Ingot → 1× Netherite Ingot (in the crafting table, the ingredients can be placed in any arrangement).

Netherite gear recipe (1.20+): Smithing Table + Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template + Diamond item + Netherite Ingot → Netherite item.

Alt: Smithing table with a Diamond Sword, a Template, and a Netherite Ingot

How much material a full set requires

Common mistakes

1. Leaving for the mine without gold items on you. Piglins attack any player without gold – a single Piglin is no threat, but a whole pack in a narrow tunnel can kill you.

2. Mining at Y=0 or Y=5 instead of Y=15. A common mistake when carrying over experience from the Overworld, where people mine at Y=-58. In the Nether the lower bound is Y=0, and the peak generation of Debris is exactly Y=15.

3. Bringing only 2 pickaxes. Ancient Debris takes several hits even with a diamond pickaxe, and the tunnels are long.

4. Forgetting buckets. The underground Nether regularly opens into lava pockets – without a bucket the mine quickly becomes impassable.

Conclusion

Hunting for Netherite is a predictable but monotonous task. The bed method at Y=15 gives the best result per resources spent for most players in survival mode. The TNT method is more efficient by area, but it requires substantial supplies. For planned farming sessions it's convenient to set up a lower portal right at level Y=15 in the Nether – that way you won't have to descend every time.