Netherite ingots are crafted by smelting ancient debris into scraps, then combining scraps with gold. Exploding beds in the nether is the quickest way to gather ancient debris.
This guide is current for 2026 (Minecraft Java 26.3 and Bedrock 26.50, Wilderness Bound).
Netherite is the strongest equipment tier in the game. It’s stronger than diamond, quicker, knockback-resistant, and netherite items have the unique ability to not burn in lava. Drop your sword in lava and it just floats there waiting for you! Getting it can be a lot of work though, so here’s the full guide on how to find netherite.
Step 1: Find Ancient Debris (Y 14 to 16)
Ancient debris is the rare brown block that netherite comes from. It generates only in the nether (between Y 8 and Y 119), with the sweet spot at Y 14 to 16. Press F3 (Java) or turn on coordinates (Bedrock) and tunnel at Y 15.
Two things make it different. First, it never generates exposed to air, so you won’t find it on cave walls while you wander. Second, it only breaks with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. Any lower quality tool drops nothing.
Expect only one or two ancient debris per chunk, and most of it sits close to Y 15. Mining netherite can be a grind, so it can be smart to bring enough supplies for a long trip.
Step 2: Bed Mining
Beds explode in the nether, and this mechanic can be used to gather netherite quicker. Since netherrack has low blast resistance and ancient debris has high blast resistance, an explosion removes the netherrack and leaves the debris visible, ready to be mined.
- Tunnel to Y 15 and dig a 1×2 tunnel.
- Place a bed at the end of the tunnel, take one step back.
- Right-click the bed and it explodes instantly (you can’t sleep in the nether).
- Stand back far enough or shield the blast with a block so you don’t die with it! The explosion also starts fires, so watch where you step afterward.
- Collect any exposed ancient debris, repeat every 8 to 10 blocks.
Beds cost 3 wool and 3 planks each, which makes them the cheapest explosions in the game. The wool has to be all the same color. On my nether trips I bring a shulker of beds, a fire resistance potion, and an ender chest so the debris goes straight into safe storage. Beds don’t stack, so a full shulker box holds 27 of them. TNT works too if you have some extra handy.
Tip: Fire resistance potions are very helpful here. One bed blast into a hidden lava pocket ends a gathering session fast, and at Y 15 lava can be found everywhere.
Don’t bring straw beds. The new straw beds from the Wilderness Bound drop are cheaper, but they don’t explode in the nether. They just break when you use them, so stick with regular beds for mining.
Step 3: Smelt Scrap, Craft Ingots
Smelt ancient debris in a furnace or blast furnace to get 1 netherite scrap. Then combine 4 netherite scraps with 4 gold ingots (any arrangement in the crafting grid) to make 1 netherite ingot.
Each upgrade costs 1 ingot, so 4 armor pieces plus a sword and pickaxe costs 6 ingots: 24 ancient debris and 24 gold.
Step 4: Netherite Upgrade Template
Since version 1.20, a smithing table needs a Netherite Upgrade smithing template in addition to your gear and the ingot. The only place templates can be found is bastion remnant chests (every bastion type can have one, and the treasure room type guarantees one).
The nice part is that you only need to find one. A template can be duplicated in the crafting table with 7 diamonds + 1 netherrack + the template, giving you two.
Keep in mind that each upgrade uses up one template. For the full set of 6 items above, you need 6 templates, so after finding your first one you will spend 35 diamonds and 5 netherrack making copies. Always keep one template spare so you never have to raid another bastion.
Step 5: Upgrade at a Smithing Table
Place the template, your diamond equipment, and a netherite ingot in a smithing table (not an anvil!). Your diamond equipment will be upgraded into netherite. All enchantments carry over untouched, so upgrade your best enchanted diamond gear with confidence.
Read more: The best enchantments to have on that gear before you upgrade it
Can You Get Netherite From Chests?
Yes, but not very much. Bastion remnant chests can hold ancient debris or netherite scrap, and rarely even a full ingot. Treat it as a bonus and not the main method. Tunneling and bed mining at Y 15 is faster than bastion-diving for scraps.
Netherite Questions
Does Fortune work on ancient debris?
No. Ancient debris always drops itself as a block, so Fortune does nothing here. Every debris is exactly one scrap’s worth, no multipliers.
Can a bed explosion destroy ancient debris I already mined?
Yes. Ancient debris and netherite items survive lava and fire, but explosions still destroy them once they are lying on the ground as dropped items. Always pick up every block of debris before you set off the next bed.
How much better is netherite armor than diamond?
It gives the same number of armor points, but each piece has higher armor toughness (3 instead of 2), which cuts damage from big hits more. Netherite also lasts longer, and each piece adds knockback resistance, so you get pushed around less in fights.
That’s all our information on netherite! Are you using beds or TNT for mining? Leave a comment below!
