BLOCK OF THE WEEK #2: Netherite Scrap
By Lela S.
Remember my article about the Nether 1.16 Update that I wrote all the way back in August? The Netherite Scrap - and everything else netherite - was a major item that was released back then. This article will tell you everything about this item, so let’s get started!
As you’re exploring the depths of the Nether, you’ll occasionally come across ancient debris, embedded deep within the rock. The remnant of some long-forgotten civilization, ancient debris is tough – it’s highly blast resistant, and will even float on lava. You’ll need a diamond pickaxe to successfully mine it.
If you find some, you’ll be able to smelt it down into a new material – netherite scrap, our item of the week, which is also found occasionally in treasure chests in bastion remnants. This substance, which was added in the Nether Update, is how you get netherite ingots and access to the top tier of Minecraft’s weaponry.
So, how does it all work? Well. Ancient debris isn’t easy to find – it never generates exposed to the air, so you’ll have to go digging. There’s a chance for up to two veins to generate in each chunk – one between y-levels 8 and 22, and another between y-levels 8 and 119. On average, level 15 gives you the highest chance to find some, but no guarantees.
After a lot of blood, sweat and tears, let’s assume that you found some and you’ve successfully melted it down into netherite scrap in a furnace or blast furnace. What next? Well, you’ll need to combine four scrap with four gold ingots in a crafting grid to acquire a single netherite ingot.
Yeah, we know that’s a lot of work for a single ingot. No-one ever said Minecraft was easy, and this is the top tier of equipment, after all. If you can’t be bothered, then your diamond equipment will do just fine, but if you want the best then you’ll have to put the work in.