How To Make Netherite Armor In Minecraft

Do you want to know how to obtain the most powerful gear in the game? In this tutorial I will show you how to craft the absolute best set of armor available in Minecraft. While many players spend their early game mining for diamonds, the true endgame goal is upgrading those pieces into Netherite.

Netherite armor is superior to diamond armor because it provides higher durability, increased knockback resistance, and most importantly, it does not burn in lava. Learn how to navigate the dangerous depths of the Nether to secure your gear.

The Prerequisites: Diamond Gear

Before you can create Netherite armor, you must first have a full set of diamond armor. You cannot craft Netherite pieces from scratch using a crafting table; instead, you must upgrade existing diamond equipment. If you are still mining for diamonds, focus on gathering enough to craft a helmet, chestplate, leggings, and boots.

Step 1: Mining for Ancient Debris

To make Netherite armor, you need a specific material called Ancient Debris. This rare ore is only found in the Nether. I'll show you the most efficient way to find it:

Location: Ancient Debris generates in all Nether biomes, but it is most common between Y-levels 8 and 22.
The Method: Because Ancient Debris is blast-resistant, the most effective way to find it is through "bed mining" or using TNT. By detonating explosives at Y-level 15, you can clear large areas of Netherrack to reveal the debris.
The Tool: You must use a Diamond Pickaxe or a Netherite Pickaxe to mine Ancient Debris. Any other tool will destroy the block without dropping the item.

Step 2: Smelting and Crafting Netherite Ingots

Once you have collected the Ancient Debris, you cannot use it immediately. You must refine it into Netherite Ingots through a two-step process.

Smelting: Place your Ancient Debris into a furnace or blast furnace. This will smelt the debris into Netherite Scraps.
Crafting the Ingot: To create one Netherite Ingot, you need four Netherite Scraps and four Gold Ingots. Arrange them in any pattern in your crafting grid to combine them.

Note: Since each piece of armor requires one ingot, you will need a total of four Netherite Ingots for a full set.

Step 3: Obtaining the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template

In recent updates to Minecraft, simply having an ingot is not enough. You now need a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. This item is found exclusively in chests within Bastion Remnants in the Nether.

Because these templates are rare and consumed upon use, it is highly recommended that you duplicate them before upgrading your entire set. You can duplicate a template using seven diamonds, one Netherrack block, and the template itself in a crafting table.

Step 4: Using the Smithing Table

Now that you have your diamond armor, your Netherite Ingots, and your Smithing Templates, you are ready to upgrade. You must use a Smithing Table for this process.

Follow these steps for each piece of armor:

Place the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in the first slot.
Place the specific piece of Diamond Armor (e.g., Diamond Chestplate) in the second slot.
Place the Netherite Ingot in the third slot.

The Smithing Table will then output the corresponding piece of Netherite armor. Repeat this process for your helmet, leggings, and boots.