Where You Can Find Netherite In Minecraft
"Minecraft," the indie gem created by a single person that went on to become the best-selling game of all time, is still going strong with almost 140 million monthly users as of April 2021 (via GameSpot). "Minecraft" has remained ahead of the competition thanks, in part, to regular updates that debut a new batch of content ranging from cosmetic to meta-changing block mechanics. These additions are completely free and require no extra purchases, keeping players supplied with new elements to explore.
The 2020 1.16 "Nether Update" added a host of fresh features and secrets to uncover in the titular Nether dimension and expanded the traditional wood-stone-iron-diamond material hierarchy. Stronger and more durable than diamond, Netherite is currently the most powerful tier of gear and tools that players can achieve. Those preparing to reach the "Minecraft" End dimension would benefit from upgrading to Netherite equipment before facing the Ender Dragon. Netherite is also an essential ingredient for making the Lodestone, an incredibly useful block that can recalibrate compasses to point towards it.
Thanks to its utility, Netherite is harder to find than even diamond ores if you don't know where to look.
What levels does Netherite spawn in?
As its name implies, Netherite appears in the Nether, making it inaccessible until you've obtained diamond tools. Unlike the other mined materials, Netherite doesn't come in the form of Netherite Ore — you have to locate blocks of Ancient Debris instead, which you can then smelt into Netherite Scraps and combine with Gold Ingots to create Netherite Ingots.
In pure technical terms, Ancient Debris has two spawn perimeters per chunk (a 16 by 16 block area unit). Every chunk has the chance to spawn 1-3 Ancient Debris veins between the y-levels (altitudes) of 8-22, and a separate chance of spawning 0-2 veins between 8-119. According to the Minecraft Wiki, y-level 15 has the highest average of vein spawns, making y-level 14 the sweet spot to stand on while mining for Netherite.
Additionally, Ancient Debris tends to spawn near chunk borders, so mining along them will help your chances — "Java Edition" users can press the G key while holding F3 to enable chunk border frames, while "Bedrock Edition" users will have to enable the "Show Coordinates" option in the "World Options" setting. Every x and z coordinate that's a multiple of 16 lies on a chunk border, so it's a matter of doing a bit of math as you move to ensure that you continue mining along the edges.
What biomes are best for mining Netherite/Ancient Debris?
While Ancient Debris veins spawn in any Nether biome, not all of them have the most accommodating conditions for extensive mining. Popular Minecraft Youtuber and tutorial maker Eyecraftmc points out that the Warped Forest biome is the best environment for Netherite farming, as it doesn't have the chance of spawning hostile mobs nor particularly dangerous or difficult to mine blocks. He designates the Basalt Deltas as the worst biome due to its many blast-resistant blocks and naturally difficult terrain.
Another point against looking for Ancient Debris in Basalt Deltas is the fact that it's the only biome that can't generate Bastion Remnants. These structures resembling broken-down fortresses or castles contain hostile mobs, as well as chests of loot that, as it happens, have a small chance of containing Ancient Debris blocks. Of course, exclusively raiding Bastion Remnants in pursuit of Netherite is less efficient than mining for them at the coordinates mentioned above. However, if you find a Bastion near your home base's Nether Portal, it's worth gearing up and popping in for a chance at some quick extra Netherite pieces.