Netherite: How to Get, Use, and What Is it Good For?

As avid Minecraft players, we got used to seeing diamond gear as a symbol of power and strength, but with the introduction of Netherite in the 1.16 update, an even more formidable contender has emerged.

Netherite is a unique material, sometimes acting as an ore and sometimes as a crafted item. It’s expensive, but if you ask me, well worth it.

It’s not used to craft weapons, tools, or armor but to upgrade your diamond gear.

Steve wearing full netherite armor and holding a sword
Steve wearing full netherite armor and holding a sword

What Is Netherite? 

Netherite is an incredibly robust material found in the nether.

It surpasses even diamonds in terms of strength and durability while being resistant to lava destruction, making it incomparable when compared to conventional ore blocks or minerals like iron or gold.

For those wishing to obtain Netherite ingots, you must venture into the nether. You can find netherite by scavenging scrap pieces from Bastion Remnants or smelting Ancient Debris in a furnace. Combine four of these scraps with four Gold Ingots on a crafting table, and get a Netherite Ingot.

Netherite Ingot is resistant to fire and lava when dropped
Netherite Ingot is resistant to fire and lava when dropped

Why Choose Netherite?

Netherite offers several advantages when compared to Diamond armor and weapons, some immediately noticeable, while others may not be quite as obvious at first glance.

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As any experienced gamer knows, knockbacks are a real nuisance during battle.

However, you can rest assured knowing that your Netherite gear will keep you on your feet (or blocks) almost no matter how many swings occur around you!

Comparison: Netherite vs. Diamond

Beyond having about 30% more durability than diamond armor, tools, and weapons, upgrading your gear to netherite have other advantages, too.

A full set of netherite armor (left) and a full set of diamond armor (right)
A full set of netherite armor (left) and a full set of diamond armor (right)

Armor

When it comes to armor, each piece of Netherite provides an additional +1 Armor Toughness compared to Diamond, which is, in simple words, enhances the defence against strong hits.

Each piece of netherite armor also gives +1 knockback resistance. This attribute ensures that you withstand powerful blows without being thrown off balance.

Weapons

Although upgrading diamond tools and weapons doesn’t affect the attack speed, netherite weapons have +1 attack compared to diamond, increasing the damage dealt to other mobs.

Tools

Netherite tools are usually faster than diamond tools by at least 10% (sometimes up to 50% faster). This, in addition to the durability addition they have.

So, What Can We Take Away from All of This?

From our exploration, we can clearly conclude that Netherite has sparked an exciting shift in Minecraft’s landscape, offering players a greater degree of strength and power over its Diamond counterpart.

Its enhanced armor toughness rating combined with lava immunity makes it well worth the journey into The Underworld, especially when coupled with Knockback Resistance making battles all the more manageable!

Not to mention increased attack damage levels on weapons & tools, yielding faster harvesting times, plus improved durability, ensuring they’ll last longer even against constant wear-and-tear sustained during intense gaming sessions. 

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Upgrading Diamond Gear to Netherite

Before version 1.20, you could’ve just put any diamond tool, weapon, or piece of armor in a smithing table together with a Netherite Ingot and upgraded it to Netherite.

In version 1.20, upgrading your gear to Netherite became a bit harder, but not by a lot. In addition to Netherite Ingot, we’ll need a Netherite Upgrade smithing template, which we can find in a Bastion Remnant.

How to Get Netherite

Finding Ancient Debris 

To find Ancient Debris, we’ll go through a portal to the nether.

We’ll dig in Y level 15, below the lava ocean, so make sure you are well equipped with good armor, preferably diamond armor.

There are several strategies to look for ancient debris efficiently, each with its own pros and cons. Either way, ensure you have an iron, diamond, or netherite pickaxe to mine ancient debris because otherwise, they drop nothing.

Ancient Debris in the nether
Ancient Debris in the nether

Smelting Ancient Debris

Next, we need to smelt the ancient debris we mined. Once smelted, ancient debris becomes Netherite Scraps, which is used to craft Netherite Ingots.

Smelting Ancient Debris into Netherite scraps
Smelting Ancient Debris into Netherite scraps

Crafting a Netherite Ingot From Netherite Scraps

To craft a netherite Ingot, we’ll place 4 netherite scraps and 4 gold ingots in a crafting table:

Crafting recipe of a Netherite Ingot
Crafting recipe of a Netherite Ingot

Finding a Netherite Upgrade

Now that we have our Netherite Ingots, it’s time to get the last item we need to upgrade our gear.

Netherite Upgrade smithing templates are found in loot chests inside Bastion Remnants. Each chest has a 10% chance of containing it, except for treasure chests that are guaranteed to contain a Netherite Upgrade smithing template.

Combining Everything in a Smithing Table

Put your tool, weapon, or piece of armor in a smithing table, together with a Netherrite Ingot and a Netherite Upgrade smithing template, and collect your upgraded gear.

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Upgrading a diamond hoe to a Netherite hoe
Did I just upgrade a diamond hoe to a Netherite hoe?

Netherite Armor Trims

You can use Netherite as the color of an armor trim or use another color on a Netherite piece of armor.

Finishing Thoughts

Now you know how to get Netherite, how to upgrade your gear with it, and what else is required to do so.

We also saw that you can use Netherite as an armor trim.

That’s it for today. See you next time!

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