Netherite is the strongest material in Minecraft. Netherite tools last longer than diamond, deal more damage, and are immune to fire and lava — which matters a lot given where you have to go to find it. The Nether is dangerous, Ancient Debris is rare, and the crafting process has multiple steps. This guide makes all of it straightforward.

What Is Netherite

Netherite is a material obtained by processing Ancient Debris, a rare ore found deep in the Nether. It cannot be found in the Overworld and cannot be obtained from any chest or trade. The only way to get it is to mine Ancient Debris, smelt it into Netherite Scraps, and combine scraps with Gold Ingots to make Netherite Ingots.

Netherite gear is crafted by upgrading existing diamond gear — you cannot craft Netherite tools or armor from scratch. One Netherite Ingot upgrades one piece of diamond equipment.

Why Netherite Is Worth It

Netherite upgrades are significant across every category:

Durability: Netherite tools last roughly 30% longer than diamond equivalents.

Damage: A Netherite sword deals 8 damage compared to 7 for diamond. Netherite axes deal 10 damage.

Mining speed: Marginally faster than diamond for most blocks.

Knockback resistance: Netherite armor provides 10% knockback resistance per piece — full Netherite armor reduces knockback by 40%.

Fire and lava immunity: Netherite items do not burn. Drop them in lava and they float back up undamaged. This is critical for Nether exploration and accidental deaths over lava lakes.

Enchantments carry over: When you upgrade diamond to Netherite, all existing enchantments are preserved. Enchant your diamond gear first, then upgrade.

Where to Find Ancient Debris

Ancient Debris generates in the Nether between Y=8 and Y=119, with the highest concentration at Y=15. This is your target mining level.

Ancient Debris always spawns covered by other blocks — it never generates exposed to air. This means you cannot cave-mine for it. You have to actively dig into Nether terrain to find it.

Ancient Debris generates in small clusters of 1-3 blocks, with a maximum of 2 clusters per chunk. Expect to mine for a while — it is the rarest ore in the game.

How to Mine Ancient Debris Efficiently

Method 1: Strip Mining at Y=15

The most reliable method. Dig a straight tunnel at Y=15 through Netherrack, checking both walls, floor, and ceiling as you go. Every 2-3 blocks, mine out a side branch. This covers the maximum volume efficiently.

Branch spacing: Mine branches every 2 blocks apart. Ancient Debris clusters are small enough that wider spacing might miss them between branches.

Tools: Use a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe. Ancient Debris has high blast resistance — it cannot be broken by explosions in most cases, which also means TNT mining does not destroy it.

Method 2: Bed Mining

Beds explode in the Nether (the same way they do in the End). Place a bed at Y=15, stand behind a blast-resistant block like Crying Obsidian, and detonate it. The explosion clears a large area of Netherrack fast without destroying Ancient Debris.

Repeat this process along a tunnel at Y=15. Bed mining is significantly faster than pickaxe strip mining for clearing volume, though it requires a supply of beds and careful positioning to avoid self-damage.

Setup: Dig a small alcove at Y=15. Place the bed pointing away from you with a Crying Obsidian block between you and the bed. Right-click the bed, immediately back behind the blast shield. Each explosion clears roughly a 7x7 area.

Method 3: TNT Mining

Similar to bed mining but uses TNT. Less efficient per explosion than beds but works if you have a TNT supply. Ancient Debris survives the blast, so any exposed by the explosion is safe to collect.

How Much Ancient Debris Do You Need

Each piece of gear requires one Netherite Ingot. Each Netherite Ingot requires 4 Netherite Scraps and 4 Gold Ingots. Each Netherite Scrap comes from smelting one Ancient Debris.

So: 4 Ancient Debris = 1 Netherite Ingot = 1 upgraded piece of gear.

For a full set of armor plus sword, pickaxe, axe, shovel, and hoe: 9 pieces total = 36 Ancient Debris minimum.

Most players prioritize in this order: sword, pickaxe, chestplate, helmet, leggings, boots, axe. Start with the sword and pickaxe — the tools you use most.

Smelting Ancient Debris

Smelt Ancient Debris in a furnace or blast furnace using any fuel. Each Ancient Debris produces one Netherite Scrap. A blast furnace smelts twice as fast — use it to speed up processing.

Crafting Netherite Ingots

Combine 4 Netherite Scraps and 4 Gold Ingots in a crafting table (any arrangement) to produce 1 Netherite Ingot. Gold is common in the Nether — Piglins drop it and it generates as ore throughout Nether biomes. You should never be short on gold.

Upgrading Diamond Gear to Netherite

In Minecraft 1.20 and later, upgrading requires a Smithing Table and a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.

Getting the Smithing Template

Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates generate in Bastion Remnant chests. Each Bastion has a high chance of containing at least one template. You need one template per upgrade — but templates can be duplicated.

Duplicating templates: Combine 1 Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template + 7 Diamonds + 1 Netherrack in a crafting table to produce 2 templates. This lets you copy a single template as many times as needed.

Using the Smithing Table

Place the Smithing Template in the left slot, your Diamond gear in the middle slot, and a Netherite Ingot in the right slot. The output is your upgraded Netherite item with all enchantments intact.

Preparation for Nether Mining

Before descending to Y=15 for a serious Ancient Debris hunt, bring:

  • Fire Resistance potions — mandatory. Lava lakes at this depth are common and fatal without protection
  • Full diamond armor — you will encounter Ghasts, Piglins, and Magma Cubes
  • Multiple pickaxes — Netherrack mines fast but you are mining a lot of it
  • Food — a full hunger bar regenerates health faster
  • Beds or TNT — if using explosion mining
  • Ender Chest — store your Ancient Debris finds safely so a death does not lose your haul

FAQ

Q: Can I find Netherite in chests? A: Netherite Ingots and Netherite Scraps do not appear in chests. Ancient Debris does not either. The only way to obtain Netherite is by mining Ancient Debris in the Nether.

Q: Does Fortune affect Ancient Debris drops? A: No. Fortune has no effect on Ancient Debris — each block always drops exactly one Netherite Scrap when smelted. Use Silk Touch or a regular pickaxe.

Q: Can Netherite gear be destroyed? A: Netherite items are immune to fire and lava damage, but they can still be lost in the void or destroyed by Cacti. They also still take durability damage from use. Keep Mending on your Netherite gear.

Q: Is it worth upgrading all tools to Netherite? A: The sword and pickaxe are the highest priority. Armor comes next for the knockback resistance. The hoe and shovel are lowest priority — the durability and speed gains are less impactful for those tools.

Conclusion

Netherite mining is a grind, but the reward is gear that lasts the rest of the game. Prioritize your upgrades, enchant diamond first, and use bed or TNT mining to speed up the Ancient Debris hunt at Y=15. Once you have a full Netherite kit with good enchantments, you are genuinely prepared for anything Minecraft throws at you.

For your next major Nether goal, check out our guide on how to build a Blaze Farm — unlimited XP means faster enchanting, and faster enchanting means getting the most out of your new Netherite gear.