
Some blocks in Minecraft appear so infrequently that it feels absurd. Of course, these blocks are intentionally designed to be difficult, but that doesn’t make the search process any less frustrating.
Of all the valuable blocks and items in Minecraft, Ancient Debris is near the top of the list. This block demands your focus, but your reward is some of the game’s best armor. Let’s explore everything the Ancient Debris Minecraft block has to offer, such as how to find it and how to use it.
What Is Ancient Debris in Minecraft?
Ancient Debris is one of the rarer blocks in Minecraft. It’s a block you can only find in the Nether and one that doesn’t spawn facing outward. Instead, you must dig through quite a bit of Netherrack to find it.

This block’s hidden nature can make it a bit of a pain to find, but the rewards are well worth it.
This block is so rare that there’s an achievement you unlock once it’s mined.

How To Find Ancient Debris?
To start, you’ll want to create a Nether Portal to enter the alternate dimension. We already have a guide on this, so we won’t cover it here.

Make sure to bring your most powerful Diamond Pickaxe. Enchant it with Efficiency if you must, as it’ll be much more helpful than unenchanted tools. Efficiency II will destroy Netherack immediately, which should be your minimum target. You may also want Unbreaking to ensure your pickaxe lasts a bit longer. Also, you must use a Diamond or Netherite Pickaxe, as lower-level pickaxes will only break the block.
From here, find a wall of Netherack and start digging. Fortunately, Netherack breaks quite quickly, so you can move through the Nether without much issue.

Eventually, you’ll come across an Ancient Debris block. Mine it and keep that resource safe! Over time, you’ll find more and more to add to your collection. Once you have a stack or so, you can probably return home to store it. You don’t want to risk your luck too much!

Believe it or not, you can also find Ancient Debris in chests while exploring a Bastion Remnant. The chances of this are low, but it’s certainly possible.
The Best Way To Find Ancient Debris
There are a few strategies you can follow to mine Ancient Debris. The block’s high blast resistance makes it impervious to TNT blocks or bed explosions. In fact, this block is so blast-resistant that it won’t burn from lava when mined; it will just float over the fire instead. However, the block’s blast resistance also makes it a prime subject for blast mining.

As you may know, using a bed in the Nether causes it to explode. This is super beneficial, as the explosion destroys a ton of blocks in the surrounding area. Explode enough blocks, and Ancient Debris is sure to appear.
But keep in mind that explosions hurt you, too. To properly use beds when mining for Ancient Debris, make sure to place a block or two in front of the bed before you interact with it. While you’ll still take a little damage, some Diamond Armor will mitigate most of it. Just make sure to bring a ton of beds, as Ancient Debris is rare.

The best place to obtain Ancient Debris is around Y levels 11 to 15. You can view your Y level using the in-game coordinates option.
Keep in mind that Ancient Debris typically generates in up to two groups per chunk—these groups typically add up to five blocks per chunk. However, Ancient Debris may only appear from y levels eight to 24, which can make it a bit of a pain to find. For this reason, it is best to use the blast method in adjacent chunks.
How To Use Ancient Debris In Minecraft?
The funny thing about Ancient Debris is that you don’t want it for its aesthetics, like you may want Glowstone or other rare blocks. Instead, you want what’s inside of Ancient Debris.
By smelting Ancient Debris in a Furnace, you can find Netherite Scrap. You can then turn Netherite Scrap into Netherite Ingots and, in turn, Netherite Armor. Netherite Armor is the game’s rarest and most potent armor, which is why finding Ancient Debris is so essential if you want to take on end-game content.

Understand that making Netherite Armor does require a Smithing Table and the incredibly rare Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. From here, the process demands a set of Diamond Armor, as you must upgrade the Diamond set into the Netherite one. You cannot make one from scratch without it.
Now that you’re aware of how difficult it is to find Ancient Debris, wouldn’t it be better to find some with friends? After all, multiple people setting up bed explosions will cover way more ground than just one person doing so.
If you’re interested in playing Minecraft with some friends, why not check out one of NameHero’s servers? NameHero offers multiple server packages with support for up to 50 players, various layers of DDOS protection, and comprehensive backups. Higher packages even include enough RAM for some intensive mods. For more information on NameHero Minecraft servers, check out this page.
Looking to create your own gaming server? It only takes a few minutes.

Max is a freelance writer with a love for gaming and technology. He’s always looking for the next big game to play and tinkers with tech in his remaining free time.
Leave a Reply