Netherite does not generate as ore. You find its source block, ancient debris, in the Nether, and Mojang’s 2021 article Taking Inventory: Netherite Scrap says the best average chance to find it is at Y=15. That is an average, not a guarantee, and the rest of this guide explains how to use the level, which tool to bring, and how the block becomes netherite.
Where ancient debris generates
Ancient debris generates only in the Nether. Mojang describes two vein ranges, and both start at Y=8. The ranges show where veins can appear; they do not mean every level in them is equally productive.
| Vein range | Y-levels | What Mojang says |
|---|---|---|
| First range | Y=8 to Y=22 | Contains the Y=15 level, which Mojang identifies as having the highest average chance. |
| Second range | Y=8 to Y=119 | Describes where veins may occur across a much taller band; the article does not give a separate probability for it. |
Why Y=15 is the level to start
Duncan Geere, the Minecraft article author, writes in Taking Inventory: Netherite Scrap (published March 25, 2021): “On average, level 15 gives you the highest chance to find some, but no guarantees.” That makes Y=15 the most productive level in the article, but it does not mean every Y=15 tunnel will reveal debris. Treat it as the level to dig at first, then widen your search if nothing shows up.
How to search for ancient debris
Ancient debris never generates exposed to air, so you have to dig into Nether rock to reveal it. Kate Gray’s guide How To Find Ancient Debris (published December 29, 2022) describes two approaches.
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Tunnelling at Y=11, 12 or 15
- Dig horizontal tunnels at Y=11, Y=12 or Y=15. Y=15 is the level Mojang names for the highest average chance.
- Mine slowly and check the walls and floor for the dark, speckled blocks of ancient debris as you go.
- Keep the tunnel lit and marked so you can return to it; the Nether’s terrain is easy to lose track of.
The bed method
The guide also describes a faster and far more dangerous approach: placing a bed behind a block and detonating it to break through rock. Beds explode in the Nether, which is why the guide frames it as a use of explosions rather than a safe mining method. The guide says it is faster than breaking many pickaxes, but it is hazardous and uses many resources. The guide does not provide controlled measurements of speed, so treat the speed comparison as a qualitative description. If you use this method, enter with full health and enough supplies to recover from a bad blast.
How rare it is
Gray describes ancient debris as “really, really, really rare.” This is informal wording rather than a published spawn rate, so do not plan on a fixed number of blocks per hour or per chunk based on it.
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Which pickaxe you need
- The netherite-scrap article says a diamond pickaxe is needed to mine ancient debris successfully.
- Mojang’s block article says a diamond or netherite pickaxe can collect it.
In practice, a diamond pickaxe is the minimum tool. A netherite pickaxe also works, but it is not required.
From ancient debris to netherite
The mined block does not become netherite directly. It needs three steps.
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- Smelt the ancient debris in a furnace to produce netherite scrap.
- Combine four netherite scrap with four gold ingots to make one netherite ingot. Mojang’s netherite-scrap article gives this recipe.
- Use the netherite ingot at a smithing table to upgrade a piece of diamond equipment. Mojang’s release notes describe this upgrade path.
Version scope
The Y-level guidance here comes from articles published in 2021 and 2022. Mojang has explained that changes to world height and caves required adjustments to ore distribution, so a level that worked in one release may not map exactly to another. If you play a much newer version, check the current Minecraft patch notes for your edition before relying on the exact ranges above.
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