How to Find a Nether Fortress in Minecraft

Minecraft

Minecraft is a renowned sandbox survival game produced by Mojang that is considered one of the most influential titles of the last 10 years. With every passing year, it delivers updates that keep fans coming back for more. One of the most notable of these updates was the Minecraft Halloween update, also called Alpha 1.2.0, which first introduced the Nether. The Nether is an alternate realm in the game that players can explore. It was initially added as a traveling mode across great overworld distances but has since become a critical part of the game’s crafting progression. Today, players need to find a Nether Fortress to reach endgame crafting, but this is no easy feat. Read on to learn How to Find a Nether Fortress in Minecraft.

What Is a Nether Fortress?

As mentioned, the Nether Fortresses were introduced into Minecraft through the Minecraft Halloween update of 2010. They are large bridge-like structures and towers located in the nether realm that can be used to access several resources in Minecraft. Essentially, players use them to make beacons and portions and access wither and brewing boss battles. The nether fortresses also yield Wither skeletons and Blaze rods, without which you cannot fight the game’s ender dragon.

Getting to the Nether in Minecraft

To find a Nether Fortress, you will first need to enter the Nether. Getting into the Nether requires you to gather 10 Obsidian blocks and use them to prepare a Nether Portal. Once you enter the Nether, you can then start looking for a Nether Fortress. Although rare, you may get lucky and spawn close to one. It can be difficult to see through long distances in the Nether on Moody Lighting, which is why you should turn up the brightness through the options menu. You should also increase your render distance, especially when walking through a large magma cavern. According to Game Rant, Nether Fortresses are large structures that will usually not spawn close to Bastion Remnants. This means that you should not waste time searching close to large Blackstone castles.

Tips for Finding a Nether Fortress

The Nether is a treacherous area with hostile mobs and tricky terrain. Once you get there, try to find a large lava ocean and stand over it on a bridge for the best view of the surrounding landscape. Make sure that the bridge is made from explosion-resistant material like cobblestone so that you don’t get blasted by the Ghasts that litter the Nether. Remember, although you can find a Nether Fortress anywhere in the Nether, the placement of these structures is not entirely random. You are more likely to see one on the X-axis’s positive side. This means that your best search area is a straight line north or south on the positive side of the X-axis. If you follow this trajectory, find an unobstructed view of the landscape, increase your render distance, and raise your lighting, you are very likely to find a Nether Fortress.

5 Ways of Finding a Nether Fortress

Overall, there are 5 strategies involved in finding Nether Fortresses. Here is a breakdown of each one:

1. Increasing the Render Distance

Lower render distances limit your ability to spot structures that spawn in the distance. By increasing your render distance while in the Nether, you raise your chances of spotting a Nether Fortress faster. Sportskeeda says that a render distance of 32, for example, is a deal because it will allow you to see a fortress that is about to spawn while it is still 32 chunks away from your current position.

2. Walking Toward the Nether Fortress

This one is less of a strategy for finding a Nether Fortress and more of an action plan once you find it but need more. Once you spot your Fortress, you can look for others in the direction of the Fortress’s bridge. This is because they tend to spawn in that direction. Check the direction by pressing F3 when you get to the end of the bridge. You should also keep your render distance high.

3. Bridging Over a Lava Ocean

Sometimes, a Nether Fortress can be found rising over a lava ocean. You can find such Fortresses by bridging over lava oceans after you create a nether bridge. Again, make sure your nether bridge is made from material with high blast resistance, such as blocks or cobblestones. Avoid using netherrack blocks.

4. Exploring Nearby Locations

Since they don’t have a spawn limit, Nether Fortresses can generate anywhere. When exploring the area, go at least 100 to 200 blocks in every direction and remember to look behind netherrack blocks. Don’t search close to Bastion Remnants, however, because Fortresses do not generate here.

5. Move Towards the Positive X-Axis

Nether Fortresses are more likely to generate on the positive side of the X-axis in your Minecraft world. This means that you should search in the positive quadrant towards the positive Z-axis, which is East, or the positive X-axis, which is to the north.

Step-by-Step Guide to Finding a Nether Fortress

Now that you know what to do and not do when looking for a Nether Fortress, let’s put all the information together in a step-by-step guide. Remember, Nether Fortresses are dangerous areas, so you need to be careful if you are to get out alive.

  • Step 1: Raise the Brightness: We have already established that it is almost impossible to find a Fortress in moody lighting, so start by changing it to Bright.
  • Step 2: Scan the Lava Oceans: Next, find a spot over the lava oceans that gives you an unobstructed view of the surrounding landscape. Fortresses tend to spawn here.
  • Step 3: Avoid Bastion Remnants: If you spot Bastion Remnants, eliminate the surrounding landscape as a possible search area. Fortresses cannot spawn near these structures.
  • Step 4: Search for Blocky Structures: Now, look around for a structure that resembles a giant red wall with legs. The Fortresses have a unique look, so you shouldn’t miss them.
  • Step 5: Prepare a Path: Lastly, if you spot a Nether Fortress, prepare a path from your portal to it so that you have a return route when you are done exploring.

Preparing to Enter a Nether Fortress

Finding a Nether Fortress is one thing and getting out alive is another. Even if you are confident you can find your way out, you should never venture into the Nether without proper tools and weapons. Here is a checklist of the things you need to do to prepare for your trip to the Nether Fortresses:

1. Create a Portal

The Nether real can be found on the regular game map under the rolling hills and idyllic scenery. Because it is underneath the regular Minecraft world, you can only get there through a portal. Luckily, it is very easy to build one if you have at least 10 Obsidian Rocks. If you don’t, The Gamer confirms that you can find them in:

  • Secret rooms on the second and third floors of the Woodland mansions.
  • Ruined portals.
  • Deep caves and ravines where lava and water meet.

You will require a diamond pickax to mine the rocks and flint and steel to ignite it. If you cannot find any in these locations, you should consider trading with Piglins or looting – a route that has an 8.71 percent chance of yielding one block. Remember, you will need at least 10 for a standard portal. After you gather the blocks, find a suitable location in which to build the frame of your portal. You can be as elaborate and fancy as you wish, but all you need to do is place two blocks on the bottom and top and use three to create the sides. The portal should resemble a door. Next, use the steel and flint to light the portal and fire. Your portal is activated when a translucent, purple, liquid-like substance covers the entrance.

2. Collect Armor and Weapons

Before you enter the portal, you will need to collect appropriate equipment. What you bring will depend on the available resources and your character level, but the Nether is a hostile environment, so you should at least have the following:

  • Armor: Gold or diamond armor and Fire Protection, Protection, Thorns, Unbreaking (armor), and Feather Falling (boots) Enchantments.
  • A Sword: Netherite, Diamond, or Iron sword. Looting, Smite, Unbreaking, and Sharpness Enchantments.
  • Arrows: Any material, spectral arrows, and zero Enchantments.
  • A Bow: Any material and Infinity, Power, and Unbreaking Enchantments.
  • Pickaxes: Iron, Diamond, or Stone and Efficiency and Unbreaking Enchantments.

It is also advisable to bring other miscellaneous items, such as several sacks of cobblestones, which you can use to block passages, build staircases, or stone tools. You should also stock a cauldron and several water buckets to use as a fire extinguisher. Additionally, you can carry torches or materials that you can use to craft torches. They will help you limit mobs from generating in cleared areas.

3. Carry Food

While food could easily go on your list of miscellaneous items, it is best to create a separate checklist since food is the main healing item in Minecraft, according to Polygon. Generally, you want to pack as much nutrition as possible, which means high-nutrient foods like pork and steak. If you can find them, carry some golden apples with you too. They might not be essential, but they are easy to gobble down in the middle of a battle.

4. Prepare a Temporary Base Kit

Your checklist is designed to ensure you have everything you need for your journey to the Nether realm, but there is always the chance that some items might run out. You can create a temporary base in the realm so that you have somewhere to prepare these items if needed. For the base, you can bring a crafting table and furnace, among other essential components. Although there is wood in the Nether realm, you cannot turn it into charcoal or use it as fuel so carry some logs. You should also consider bringing along more Obsidian rocks in case you are far from your base and need to return to it through a portal. This is optional, but a portal could save you a lot of energy if you have traveled a long way to a Nether Fortress.

5. Carry Fire Resistance Potions

The Nether realm is crawling with hazards, including several fiery dangers that could send you up in flames. To counter these, you should bring along splash portions or fire resistance portions as you explore the Nether Fortresses. You can brew the portions yourself or trade for them with other characters in the game. If you decide to brew the portions, you should know that you will need an ingredient only available in the Nether. Your best move is to carry all the other ingredients then brew the portions when you get to the realm.

Inside the Nether Fortress

Once you find a Nether Fortress, check that you have all the supplies you need to make your way in and out successfully. Begin by exploring every corner of the Fortress to see if there are any resources or loot you might claim. Some Fortresses don’t have a lot to offer, but others may contain a Nether wart plantation. You will usually find this behind a staircase or blaze spawned. If you decide to farm a Fortress, you should create a portal there before you begin. Doing this will ensure you have a quick way back to the Overworld and will give you access to the resources you have stored in your temporary base. While there, you should also search for Wither Skeletons. These bony characters are very slow and cannot skip over 2-block passages, so you should be able to trap them easily using barriers.

Bottom Line

The Nether Fortresses in Minecraft are the only regions in the game where Wither Skeletons and Blazes can spawn. Since you need the former to fight the Wither and the latter to fight the Ender Dragon, the Fortresses are a key part of the game. In fact, you will likely need to find one at some point in the game. This task should be easy now that you know How to Find a Nether Fortress. Remember, these structures are large and blocky and greatly differ from their surroundings, so they should be hard to miss. You can increase your chances of finding them by increasing the lighting and searching over the lava oceans, among other strategies discussed.

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