If you’ve spent hours mining diamonds in Minecraft, you already know the drill — but netherite is a different beast. Getting a full set means venturing into the Nether, hunting down ancient debris, and understanding a crafting chain that trips up even experienced players. This guide walks through the exact steps: finding the ore, smelting it into ingots, and upgrading your diamond gear at the smithing table. The process works the same across Java and Bedrock editions for version 1.21 and later.

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Upgrade From: Diamond Armor · Key Material: Ancient Debris · Scraps per Ingot: 4 · Gold per Ingot: 4 · Full Set Pieces: 4

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact drop rates for ancient debris per mining session
  • Whether Fortune affects debris after future patches
3Timeline signal
  • Netherite introduced in version 1.16 (June 2020) (Minecraft Wiki)
  • Smithing templates added in version 1.20 (June 2023) (YouTube)
  • Process confirmed identical in 1.21 across editions (YouTube)
4What’s next
  • Stock up on diamonds before heading to the Nether — you’ll need 7 per template duplication
  • Enchantments carry over from diamond to netherite during upgrade

These specifications cover the complete resource chain from raw ore to finished armor pieces.

Field Value
Primary Ore Ancient Debris
Smelting Tool Blast Furnace
Upgrade Station Smithing Table
Ingots for Full Set 4
Ancient Debris for Full Set 16
Gold Ingots for Full Set 16
Optimal Mining Y-Level 15
Smelt Ratio (Debris to Scrap) 1:1

Do I need a smithing template to make netherite armor?

Yes — since Minecraft 1.20, a netherite upgrade smithing template is mandatory for this conversion. The template acts as a key that tells the smithing table what material you want to craft into. Without it, the interface won’t accept a netherite ingot as an upgrade material.

What is a netherite upgrade smithing template?

The netherite upgrade template is a small, stone-like item featuring a decorative trim that resembles a combination of gold and nether materials. It belongs to a family of smithing templates introduced in the 1.20 update alongside the new smithing interface. Templates are not craftable from raw ingredients — you either loot them from bastion remnants or duplicate an existing one.

Where to find netherite upgrade templates

  • Every bastion remnant contains at least one template guaranteed in the main treasure chest (BisectHosting)
  • Bastion remnants spawn in every Nether biome except basalt deltas (YouTube)
  • In Bedrock Edition, each 432×432 block region has a 66.6% chance of spawning a bastion remnant (YouTube)
  • Duplication recipe: 1 template + 7 diamonds + 1 netherrack = 2 templates (BisectHosting)
The catch

Each armor piece requires its own template — so a full set of four pieces needs four templates unless you duplicate them. Budget 28 diamonds total for template duplication alone.

How do I find ancient debris?

Ancient debris is the raw ore you need to smelt into netherite scraps. It spawns exclusively in the Nether, and unlike iron or coal, it doesn’t appear on the surface — you have to dig for it.

Best mining levels and methods

  • Optimal depth: Y-level 15, where lava presence is lowest while debris spawn rates remain high (Shockbyte)
  • Valid mining range spans Y-levels 8 to 22, with Y=15 widely considered the sweet spot (Shockbyte)
  • Strip mining at Y=15 with 2-block corridors is the most reliable method
  • Bed mining (placing and detonating beds) can expose ore faster but damages the player and risks lava encounters
  • TNT explosions clear stone without destroying ancient debris — the ore is blast-resistant (BisectHosting)

Tools and enchantments needed

  • Diamond pickaxe or netherite pickaxe required — weaker tools won’t drop the ore (Shockbyte)
  • Efficiency enchantment recommended to speed up mining
  • Fortune does NOT increase ancient debris drops — it has no effect on this ore (BisectHosting)
  • Bring fire resistance potions — lava pools are common at these depths
Why this matters

Y=15 is the sweet spot for mining ancient debris, according to server hosting guides. Mining too high (Y=20+) means less ore per tunnel; going lower increases lava hazards without proportional reward gains.

The implication is that depth selection directly determines whether your mining session yields enough debris or wastes time dodging lava.

How to make a netherite ingot

Once you have ancient debris in your inventory, the conversion to a usable ingot takes two steps: smelting and crafting.

Smelting ancient debris

  • Place ancient debris in a furnace or blast furnace
  • Fuel with coal, charcoal, or any burnable item
  • Each piece of ancient debris smelts into exactly one netherite scrap (Shockbyte)
  • Blast furnace processes scraps twice as fast as a regular furnace (Shockbyte)
  • Using multiple blast furnaces simultaneously cuts smelting time significantly

Crafting the ingot

  • Open a crafting table with a 3×3 grid
  • Place 4 netherite scraps in the center column: top, middle, bottom slots
  • Fill the left column with 4 gold ingots
  • The result is 1 netherite ingot (Minecraft Wiki)

Netherite items are more powerful and durable than diamond, and in dropped-item form are resistant to burning by fire or lava.

— Minecraft Wiki (Official Wiki)

Ancient debris is resistant to explosions, so there is no need to worry about accidentally destroying it.

— BisectHosting Gaming Guide

The pattern here is that one debris always yields one scrap, meaning sixteen raw ore blocks convert to sixteen scraps, which then become four ingots.

How to upgrade gear to netherite

The smithing table is your upgrade station. It requires a 3×3 grid of materials but behaves differently from a regular crafting table.

Setting up the smithing table

  • Place the smithing table on the ground and interact with it
  • The left slot accepts equipment (diamond armor pieces)
  • The center slot accepts materials (netherite ingots or iron, gold, copper, diamond for other upgrades)
  • The right slot accepts the appropriate template (YouTube Guide)

Step-by-step upgrade process

  • Position one diamond armor piece in the equipment slot
  • Drop one netherite ingot in the material slot
  • Insert the netherite upgrade template in the template slot
  • Click “Upgrade” — the piece transforms, retaining its name, lore, and enchantments
  • Enchantments on diamond armor carry over to the netherite version (BisectHosting)
  • Repeat for each piece: helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots

What this means is that enchantments survive the upgrade process — players who already invested in Protection IV or Thorns don’t lose that progress.

Bottom line: You upgrade one piece at a time. A full set costs 4 netherite ingots and 4 templates — plan your diamond supply accordingly before heading to the Nether.

How to make a full netherite set

Building a complete set from scratch involves coordinating multiple resource chains. Here’s what you need for all four pieces.

Materials for complete set

  • 16 ancient debris (mined from the Nether at Y=15) (Shockbyte)
  • 16 gold ingots (typically smelted from gold ore or obtained from piglin trades)
  • 4 diamond armor pieces already crafted and enchanted
  • 4 netherite upgrade templates (1 guaranteed in each bastion treasure chest) (BisectHosting)

Bedrock edition notes

  • Bastion remnants spawn more frequently in Bedrock — 66.6% chance per 432×432 region versus 60% in Java (YouTube)
  • The upgrade process works identically in Java and Bedrock for versions 1.21 and later (YouTube)
  • No Bedrock-exclusive items are required — same materials, same recipe
The upshot

Netherite armor outlasts diamond and survives lava contact when dropped — a meaningful advantage for players exploring the Nether after their armor breaks. The investment pays off whenever fire or lava is a real threat.

Related reading: Garden Tower Defense Codes · Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Guide

Additional sources

youtube.com, youtube.com, youtube.com, youtube.com

After smelting ancient debris into scraps, many players use a step-by-step Netherite guide much like this one to combine them with gold for superior ingots.

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Frequently asked questions

How rare is ancient debris?

Ancient debris is one of the rarest ores in Minecraft. It generates in small veins of 1-3 blocks, and finding enough for a full set requires significant mining time. The rarity is why netherite remains a late-game material — most players don’t pursue it until diamond armor is maxed out.

What’s the rarest armor in Minecraft?

Netherite armor is currently the rarest and most durable armor in vanilla Minecraft. It surpasses diamond in both durability and protective stats, and it provides fire and lava resistance when dropped as an item.

Can you make netherite armor in Bedrock?

Yes. The crafting and upgrade process works identically in Bedrock Edition for Minecraft 1.21 and later. Bedrock players actually have a slight advantage: bastion remnants spawn more frequently per region (66.6% versus 60% in Java Edition).

How do I get a smithing template without going to the Nether?

You can’t — the netherite upgrade template only generates in bastion remnant treasure chests within the Nether. Trading with piglins may yield gold or other valuables, but no vanilla method produces templates outside the Nether fortress biome.

Can I upgrade tools alongside armor?

Yes. The same smithing table process upgrades any diamond tool or weapon, not just armor. Each piece still requires its own netherite ingot and upgrade template. Players commonly upgrade pickaxes and swords at the same time as armor.

Do enchantments carry over when upgrading to netherite?

Yes. When you place an enchanted diamond item in the smithing table with a netherite ingot and template, all enchantments transfer to the upgraded netherite version. This makes netherite upgrades much more efficient than crafting from scratch.

How do I make netherite armor without a template?

You cannot — since Minecraft 1.20, the template is a required component. There is no crafting recipe that bypasses it. Your options are looting templates from bastion remnants or duplicating existing ones using the 1 template + 7 diamonds + 1 netherrack recipe.

How many ancient debris do I need for a full armor set?

Sixteen ancient debris total. Each debris smelts into one scrap, and each ingot requires four scraps — so four ingots means sixteen scraps, and therefore sixteen raw ancient debris pieces.

For players who’ve already built diamond gear, the upgrade path is straightforward but resource-intensive. Gather ancient debris at Y=15, smelt it into scraps, craft ingots, and work through each armor piece at the smithing table. The payoff is armor that doesn’t burn in lava and lasts longer than diamond under heavy combat conditions. Budget your diamonds before heading to the Nether — you’ll need them for both templates and protection.