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To make a Netherite Ingot in current Minecraft, smelt 4 Ancient Debris into 4 Netherite Scraps, then combine those scraps with 4 Gold Ingots in a crafting grid. Ancient Debris is found in the Nether, usually around Y=15–16, and requires a diamond or Netherite pickaxe to drop.
In Minecraft 1.20 and later, upgrading diamond equipment also requires a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. The template is separate from the Netherite Ingot recipe.
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Netherite progression at a glance
- Find and mine Ancient Debris in the Nether.
- Smelt Ancient Debris in a Furnace or Blast Furnace to obtain Netherite Scraps.
- Craft 4 Netherite Scraps and 4 Gold Ingots into 1 Netherite Ingot.
- Use the ingot, a compatible diamond item and a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in a Smithing Table.
This progression is the same in Minecraft: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. Netherite Scrap and Netherite Ingots cannot be made directly from gold, and Ancient Debris is not a block called “Netherite Ore.”
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Enter the Nether
Ancient Debris generates naturally only in the Nether. It can also appear as loot in some Bastion Remnant chests, but mining is the usual way to collect it. It is not craftable in an unmodified survival world. See the Ancient Debris reference for generation details.
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Mine around Y=15 or Y=16
Ancient Debris generates in scattered clusters below the Nether roof and is never naturally exposed to air. Its average generation peak is around Y=16, making Y=15–16 a practical level for mining. It can still generate outside this range.
Generation differs slightly between editions:
- Java Edition: up to two generation attempts per chunk, including a 0–3-block cluster between Y=8 and Y=24 and a 0–2-block cluster between Y=8 and Y=119.
- Bedrock Edition: up to five attempts per chunk, including two 0–3-block clusters between Y=8 and Y=23 and three 0–2-block clusters between Y=8 and Y=119.
The often-repeated advice to mine specifically at Y=11 is outdated as a general rule. Y=11 is associated with older bed-mining habits, not a unique Ancient Debris level.
Use the right pickaxe
Mine Ancient Debris with a diamond or Netherite pickaxe. A weaker pickaxe will not give you the block. Silk Touch is unnecessary because Ancient Debris already drops itself, and Fortune does not increase its drop: each correctly mined block yields one Ancient Debris.
Ways to expose Ancient Debris
Branch mining
Dig parallel tunnels around Y=15–16. Because Ancient Debris is hidden inside netherrack and other Nether blocks, tunnels can reveal nearby blocks without requiring large-scale explosions. Bring spare pickaxes, food, blocks and fire protection where possible.
TNT
TNT can clear surrounding netherrack because Ancient Debris has high blast resistance and normally survives the explosion. This method is fast but consumes gunpowder and sand, and stray lava can still create danger.
Beds
Beds explode when you try to use them in the Nether. Players sometimes use that explosion to expose Ancient Debris, but it is dangerous. Place a solid block between yourself and the bed, stand behind cover and be prepared for fire and lava. Fire Resistance is strongly recommended. Beds can kill you or destroy nearby drops when used carelessly. Mojang’s overview is available in How to Find Ancient Debris.
How to make Netherite Scrap
Each Ancient Debris produces one Netherite Scrap when smelted.
Using a Furnace
- Place and open a Furnace.
- Put Ancient Debris in the upper input slot.
- Put fuel in the lower slot.
- Collect the Netherite Scrap from the output slot when smelting finishes.
Removing the result awards 2 experience points per smelted Ancient Debris. A regular Furnace works; a Blast Furnace is optional.
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Using a Blast Furnace
A Blast Furnace can also smelt Ancient Debris into Netherite Scrap. The result remains one scrap per Ancient Debris. It is not required for the recipe.
How to craft a Netherite Ingot
Required materials
- 4 Netherite Scraps
- 4 Gold Ingots
These eight ingredients produce 1 Netherite Ingot. The recipe is shapeless, so the items can be placed in any arrangement.
Crafting steps
- Open your inventory’s 2×2 crafting grid or use a Crafting Table’s 3×3 grid.
- Place 4 Netherite Scraps and 4 Gold Ingots anywhere in the grid.
- Take the Netherite Ingot from the result slot.
You do not need a Crafting Table: the recipe fits in the inventory crafting grid. Gold Nuggets are not accepted; the recipe requires Gold Ingots. A Netherite Ingot is crafted, not smelted.
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How many resources do you need?
| Result | Ancient Debris | Gold Ingots |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Netherite Ingot | 4 | 4 |
| 9 Netherite Ingots | 36 | 36 |
| 1 Block of Netherite | 36 | 36 |
Because one Ancient Debris smelts into one Netherite Scrap, the Ancient Debris total matches the number of scraps required.
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How to upgrade diamond equipment to Netherite
A Netherite Ingot does not turn into Netherite equipment by itself. In modern Minecraft, place these three items in a Smithing Table:
- A Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
- The compatible diamond tool, weapon or armor item
- 1 Netherite Ingot
- Place and open a Smithing Table.
- Put the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in the template slot.
- Put the diamond item in the item slot.
- Put the Netherite Ingot in the material slot.
- Take the Netherite result from the output slot.
The upgrade works for diamond pickaxes, axes, shovels, hoes, swords, helmets, chestplates, leggings and boots. It does not convert arbitrary items into Netherite variants.
The template is consumed each time you upgrade an item. The diamond item’s enchantments, durability state and custom name are preserved. The template requirement was added in Minecraft 1.20, Trails & Tales, and applies to equipment upgrades—not to crafting Netherite Ingots.
How to get and duplicate the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
Find one in a Bastion Remnant
Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates generate in Bastion Remnant chests. A Treasure Room Bastion Remnant guarantees two templates, while other Bastion chests can contain them randomly. Bastions are dangerous structures, so prepare for hostile piglins and lava before searching.
Duplicate the template
Use a Crafting Table with:
- 1 Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
- 7 Diamonds
- 1 Netherrack
The recipe produces 2 templates: it preserves the original and creates one additional copy. For this template, the copying material is Netherrack, not Ancient Debris, Netherite Scrap or a Netherite Ingot. The template change and duplication recipe were introduced with the 1.20 smithing changes; see Mojang’s smithing-template announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Commands for Netherite materials
Commands require cheats or the appropriate permissions. The /give command supplies an item to a player. Microsoft documents the command syntax in its Bedrock /give reference.
Java Edition
/give @s minecraft:ancient_debris 1
/give @s minecraft:netherite_scrap 1
/give @s minecraft:netherite_ingot 1
/give @s minecraft:netherite_upgrade_smithing_template 1To give a full stack of materials:
/give @s minecraft:ancient_debris 64
/give @s minecraft:netherite_scrap 64
/give @s minecraft:netherite_ingot 64Current Java syntax uses the namespaced item identifier followed by an optional count. Guides using older item-NBT syntax may not match modern releases.
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Bedrock Edition
/give @s ancient_debris 1
/give @s netherite_scrap 1
/give @s netherite_ingot 1
/give @s netherite_upgrade_smithing_template 1For 64 items:
/give @s ancient_debris 64
/give @s netherite_scrap 64
/give @s netherite_ingot 64Bedrock’s documented form is /give <player> <itemName> [amount] [data] [components]. The amount is optional and defaults to one. Use command autocomplete to confirm the identifier accepted by your installed release.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes
- Mining with the wrong pickaxe: use diamond or Netherite.
- Expecting Ancient Debris to smelt instantly: it must go through a Furnace or Blast Furnace.
- Using one scrap and one gold: one ingot requires 4 scraps and 4 Gold Ingots.
- Using Gold Nuggets: only Gold Ingots work.
- Searching for Netherite Ore: the block is Ancient Debris.
- Using Fortune for extra drops: Fortune does not multiply Ancient Debris.
- Assuming a Blast Furnace is mandatory: a regular Furnace works.
- Following old Smithing Table guides: since 1.20, upgrades need a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in addition to the diamond item and ingot.
- Expecting one template to last forever: templates are consumed per upgrade, but they can be duplicated with 7 Diamonds and 1 Netherrack.
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