Minecraft, Mojang's legendary sandbox survival game, will be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its official release in November. As one of the most influential games of the past decade, Minecraft continues to pull in new players and returning fans alike. The game has had numerous massive updates, greatly expanding the world and its possibilities.
One of the most influential of these updates was the Alpha 1.2.0, also known as the Minecraft Halloween Update. It was this patch that first added the Nether, an alternate realm that players could explore. The Nether was initially designed as a method of traveling great distances on the overworld, but subsequent patches have made it a core part of Minecraft's crafting progression. Key items like Wither Skeleton Skulls, Nether Wart, and Blaze Powder can only be found in the mysterious Nether Fortresses.
Updated January 17th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: With the latest Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part 2 update, players are hopping back into Minecraft to explore all the new biomes, crafting, and resource additions. Consecutive updates have transformed the once simplistic Minecraft into a world teeming with a wide array of things to see and do, including an expanding Nether. Because of this, it's harder than ever to locate elusive Nether Fortresses. In order to better help players on how to find a Nether Fortress in Minecraft, the following guide has been updated and expanded on. It now includes more information about building a Nether Portal, arriving in the Nether, and how to find a Nether Fortress.
Building A Nether Portal
The first step in finding a Nether Fortress is getting into the Nether. This requires players to collect at least 10 Obsidian blocks and form them into one of Minecraft's Nether Portals. The portal must be constructed in a three-block-tall by two-block-wide design. It is possible to construct a portal only using 10 blocks by placing throw-away blocks at the corners, but many players will simply collect 14 Obsidian Blocks and create a five-block-tall by four-block-wide construction. Nether Portals must be a minimum of this size but can also be as large as 23-by-23.
Once players have constructed the frame for the Nether Portal, they can "light it" by using a Flint-and-Steel. This will cause the inner frame of the portal to produce a swirling purple veil-like substance. By stepping into this veil and waiting a moment, players will be transported to the Nether.
Players are free to experiment will all sorts of shapes and designs when crafting a Nether Portal and many have turned to making elaborate creations that look and feel like massive monument-like structures. There can be multiple Nether Portals in a given world but players should spread them out to avoid creating unnecessary entryways or portal systems that don't link correctly.
First Arriving In The Nether
Since Minecraft's creation, the Nether has gone through its fair share of changes and updates. When it was first introduced, it was nothing more than a "difficult" biome that was filled with hazardous creatures, mobs, and terrain. It has since evolved into something much larger, featuring multiple biomes of its own, each with its own unique blocks, resources, and environmental effects.
Players that enter the Nether in the modern age of Minecraft will now find it blooming with its own unique trees, or sprawling "deserts" that feature Soul Sand. There is a lot to see and do in the Nether, with many new experiences to be had.
It's highly recommended that players that spawn into the Nether immediately build a "base" around the generated Nether Portal, no matter where it spits them out. Due to the hostility of the Nether, players will need to construct walls quickly to avoid any potential mob threats that may be nearby. It's important that players consider carrying a wide array of building blocks through the portal the first time they spawn into the Nether for this reason. It's also important to note that Beds will not work as a spawn point in the Nether and will actually explode if players try to place and use them. Those that wish to respawn will have to create specialized Respawning Anchors.
Where Do Nether Fortresses Spawn?
Once inside the Nether, players can begin searching for a Fortress. It's possible to get lucky and spawn within sight of one, but not all players will be that fortunate.
When the Nether is generated in Minecraft, it begins a process in which it will spawn a Fortress or Bastion Remnant. It does so by sectioning off large "areas" and will only spawn one Fortress or Bastion Remnant within these parameters. Currently, in Java, these areas are 432-by-432 and increase to 480-by-480 in Bedrock Edition. For this reason, If players manage to find a Bastion Remnant or Fortress, they will need to move a considerable distance away before they are able to find another Bastion Remnant or Fortress.
It is sometimes possible for Fortresses to spawn within Nether Rack (the blocks that comprise the Nether). In these instances, the hallways of the fortress will be open as normal but the tops of the fortress may be covered up by blocks.
Tips to Find a Nether Fortress
Turning up the brightness is a good first step to being able to spot a Fortress from a distance, as Moody lighting makes it hard to see far in the Nether. Similarly, increasing the player's render distance in the options menu is another good idea, particularly in the larger magma caverns. Nether Fortresses are huge structures made from dark Nether Bricks, often with many bridges connecting different sections. They don't spawn near Bastion Remnants, so if players see a large Blackstone castle, they should move to a different area to search.
The landscape of the Nether can be difficult to navigate, particularly with so many of Minecraft's hostile mobs around. If there's a large lava ocean nearby, moving out into the middle of it on a bridge will give an unobstructed view of the surrounding area. However, the bridge should be made from cobblestone or a similarly explosion-resistant material, to avoid the risk of it being destroyed by Ghasts.
While Nether Fortresses can be found scattered across the Nether in Minecraft, their spawning isn't entirely random. Nether Fortresses are more likely to spawn on the positive side of the X-axis, therefore moving north or south while keeping the X-axis positive is the best way to search for them. Following this line, keeping lighting and render distance high, and maneuvering for an unobstructed view should give players the best chance of finding a Nether Fortress in Minecraft.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.