The Ultimate 5-Step Guide: How To Make A Netherite Ingot And Upgrade Your Gear In Minecraft (2025)

The process of obtaining Netherite Ingots and upgrading your Diamond gear has fundamentally changed in Minecraft's latest updates (1.20 and beyond), making the endgame material more challenging and rewarding to acquire. As of December 10, 2025, simply having a Netherite Ingot is no longer enough; you now need a rare item called the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template to perform the final transformation. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every critical, updated step, from locating the initial rare ore in the treacherous Nether dimension to crafting the final, fire-resistant ingot and applying it to your armor and tools.

The Netherite Ingot remains the most powerful crafting material in the game, providing superior durability, knockback resistance, and the crucial ability to float in lava, saving your precious gear from destruction. Mastering this updated sequence is essential for any player looking to dominate the endgame and secure the ultimate set of tools and armor.

Step 1: The Hunt for Ancient Debris (The Foundation of Netherite)

The journey to crafting a Netherite Ingot begins with finding Ancient Debris, the rarest ore block in the entire game. This precious block only generates in the hostile and dangerous Nether dimension, and it requires a specific mining strategy to maximize your chances of success.

• The Enduring Legacy Of Haylor 5 Shocking Facts About Harry Styles And Taylor Swifts Relationship 10 Years Later Sf662

Best Mining Strategy and Y-Level

• Required Tool: You must use a Diamond Pickaxe or a stronger tool (like a Netherite Pickaxe) to successfully mine Ancient Debris. Lower-tier tools will not drop the item.
• Optimal Y-Level: The absolute best elevation for finding Ancient Debris is Y-level 14. This level provides the highest concentration of the ore.
• Mining Method: The most efficient method is Strip Mining or, more commonly, Explosion Mining. Since Ancient Debris is blast-resistant, using TNT or Beds (which explode violently in the Nether) is the fastest way to clear large areas of blocks without destroying the debris itself.
• Safety First: Always bring fire resistance potions, a water bucket (for extinguishing fire, not for water!), and high-level diamond armor, as the Nether is filled with dangerous mobs like Ghasts, Blazes, and Piglin Brutes, especially near Bastion Remnants.

You will need a total of four Ancient Debris to craft a single Netherite Ingot. To upgrade a full set of tools and armor, you will need 32 Ancient Debris (8 Ingots total).

Step 2: Smelting and Crafting Netherite Scraps

Once you have successfully mined your Ancient Debris, the next step is to process it into a usable form: Netherite Scraps.

The Smelting Process

Ancient Debris cannot be used in its raw form. You must smelt it to obtain the scrap. Place the Ancient Debris into any furnace—a regular Furnace, a Blast Furnace, or a Smoker—and wait for it to cook. A Blast Furnace is recommended for its speed. Each block of Ancient Debris will yield one Netherite Scrap.

• 5 Shocking Facts About Anna Congdon Penn State Sweetheart To Nfl Fiances Social Media Firestorm Cc90e

The Netherite Ingot Recipe

The final crafting recipe for the Netherite Ingot is a shapeless recipe performed on a standard Crafting Table. You will combine the Netherite Scraps with Gold Ingots to form the ultimate material.

• 4 Netherite Scraps
• 4 Gold Ingots

Combining these eight items in the 3x3 crafting grid will produce one Netherite Ingot. The placement does not matter, as long as all eight slots are filled with the required materials.

Step 3: Finding the Crucial Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template

This is the step that separates the old Netherite process from the new. Since the 1.20 Trails & Tales update, you can no longer simply combine a Diamond item and a Netherite Ingot in a Smithing Table. You must first have the incredibly rare Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.

• The Untouchable Privacy 7 Secrets Of Rachel Mcadams And Jamie Lindens Life Beyond The Red Carpet E820e

Location: Bastion Remnants

The only place to find this essential template is inside the chests of Bastion Remnants, the massive, dangerous structures scattered throughout the Nether. The chance of finding the template is quite low (around 10% on average, depending on the specific Bastion structure), making this the most time-consuming and hazardous part of the entire process. You only need to find one template to upgrade all your gear, thanks to the duplication method.

Step 4: Duplicating the Netherite Upgrade Template (The Smart Way)

Since the template is so rare, having to find one for every single piece of Diamond gear (armor and tools) would be nearly impossible. Fortunately, the template can be duplicated using a simple recipe on a Crafting Table.

Template Duplication Recipe

Once you have your first template, you can craft a copy using the following materials:

• 1 Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template (The original you found)
• 7 Diamonds (Arranged in an upside-down 'U' shape on the crafting grid)
• 1 Block of Netherrack (Placed in the center slot)

This recipe allows you to efficiently create as many templates as you need for your full set of gear, making the initial perilous hunt for the first template a one-time effort. This is a vital game mechanic to master for any serious player.

Step 5: The Final Upgrade to Netherite Armor and Tools

With your Netherite Ingots and your duplicated Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates in hand, you are ready to perform the final, powerful upgrade on your Diamond Gear. This process is done using a Smithing Table.

The Smithing Table Process

The Smithing Table has three input slots:

1. Left Slot: Place the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.
2. Middle Slot: Place the Diamond Tool or Armor Piece you wish to upgrade (e.g., Diamond Chestplate, Diamond Sword, or Diamond Pickaxe).
3. Right Slot: Place the Netherite Ingot.

The output slot will then contain the upgraded, fire-resistant, and more durable Netherite Item. Repeat this process for all your diamond items. The template is consumed during the duplication process but is not consumed when used in the Smithing Table to upgrade your gear, meaning one template can be used infinitely once you have it. The Netherite Ingot, however, is consumed with each upgrade.

Key Entities and Materials Required for a Full Set

To fully upgrade a complete set of armor (Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots) and tools (Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel, Hoe, and Sword), you will need to gather a massive amount of resources. This final list helps you plan your ultimate mining trip and resource management.

Total Materials Needed (Full Set of Armor and Tools)

• Ancient Debris: 36 blocks (for 9 Netherite Ingots)
• Gold Ingots: 36 ingots
• Netherite Ingots: 9 ingots (one for each item)
• Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template: 1 found + 8 duplicated (or just 1 if you only upgrade your gear)
• Diamonds: Approximately 56 Diamonds (7 x 8 duplications) for the templates, plus the diamonds originally used for the Diamond gear.
• Netherrack: 8 blocks (for template duplication)
• Diamond Gear: 9 pieces (Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots, Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel, Hoe, Sword)

By following these updated steps, focusing on the optimal Y-level 14 for Ancient Debris mining, and prioritizing the hunt for the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in Bastion Remnants, you will successfully equip yourself with the strongest gear available in Minecraft's current version.