How to Find Netherite and Upgrade Your Gear
Netherite is the strongest material in the game. Here's the safe way to mine ancient debris and craft it.
Netherite gear survives lava, floats when you die, and outlasts diamond. It comes from ancient debris, found only in the Nether.
Best Y-level: 15 (or -16)
Ancient debris generates from Y=8 to Y=119, but it's most common around Y=15. Many players also mine at Y=-16. Either works — pick one and mine at that level.
The safe method: bed mining
Beds explode in the Nether, and that blast is strong enough to clear debris (which is blast-resistant enough to survive). At Y=15:
- 1.Dig a tunnel and place a bed a few blocks away.
- 2.Stand around a corner for cover.
- 3.Right-click the bed to detonate it, clearing a chunk of blocks.
- 4.Repeat. It's fast, but place a block behind you so the blast doesn't fling you into lava.
Crafting netherite
- 1.Smelt ancient debris into netherite scrap in a furnace.
- 2.Combine 4 scrap + 4 gold ingots to craft one netherite ingot.
- 3.At a smithing table, use a Netherite Upgrade smithing template plus your diamond item and a netherite ingot to upgrade it.
You'll need to find the upgrade template first — it's found in Bastion Remnants in the Nether.
Netherite keeps all the enchantments from your diamond gear, so upgrade your best pieces. New to the Nether? Read our Nether travel guide first.