How to find Ancient Debris in Minecraft
To locate Ancient Debris, you’ll need to go to the Nether. This is the only realm and area where blocks can spawn, so come with pickaxes (at least a diamond one) and items to defend against Ghasts and other hostile mobs in this area.
Ancient Debris can only form between Y levels 8 and 119 while in the Nether, but are most abundant around area 15. Between Y 8 and 22, you can find one to three Ancient Debris clustered together . Outside of that area, the most you can find clustered together are two.
Finding ancient debris is one of the most challenging quests in Minecraft. It is very rare and only found in the Nether, which you travel to through a Nether Portal. The scarcity of ancient debris is roughly equivalent to that of lapis lazuli in the Overworld.
Ancient Debris usually spawns deep underground. Your best chances of finding it are between level y 8 and 22, with level y 15 having the greatest chance of spawning. So a typical Ancient Debris quest involves mining (carefully) down to level y 15 and then patiently doing a lot of mining.
What to Bring When Mining Ancient Debris
Before mining Ancient Debris in the Nether, you will need to prepare for your Nether Expedition. Of course, mining ancient debris isn’t easy, nor can it be done quickly. You’ll need the right set of tools and equipment when searching for and mining Ancient Debris, mainly because you can only do it in the Nether, a dangerous and hostile dimension in Minecraft.
- You can’t mine ancient debris without a diamond pickaxe. This is the most important tool you need to carry to start mining this extremely rare resource. You can also use a netherite pickaxe, a taller and stronger version of a pickaxe. Using a lower-type pickaxe while mining Ancient Debris will destroy the block and drop nothing.
- Wear a full set of iron or diamond armor. The Nether is home to many hostile mobs, so being properly equipped is the best option if you want to survive the search for this rare resource.
- Carry at least one weapon with you. Typically, you should bring an iron or diamond sword, a bow, and a few arrows. Carrying a good weapon will increase your chances of survival.
- Bring food for healing and hunger. You’re bound to encounter some hostile mobs in the Nether, so it’s best to come prepared. You may bring cooked chicken, steak, cooked pork chop, or anything else that is edible.
- Don’t forget to bring extra pickaxes in case your current diamond pickaxe breaks before you manage to find some Ancient Debris.
- Always carry torches with you. Torches will help light your way as you dig deeper. The Nether is relatively dark, so having something to light your way will help you navigate better, especially when mining. You can also carry a lot of night vision potions as an alternative, but torches are much easier to craft.
- Always bring a workbench. You never know when you might need to create something along the way. It’s always best to be prepared when embarking on a mining adventure, especially when in the Nether.
- Bring an extra set of blocks. You can choose to carry a 64 set of cobblestone or netherrack when mining for Ancient Debris. Because it spawns relatively deep underground, you may encounter lava along the way. It’s best to bring extra blocks to easily cover lava fountains or lava pools.
- Carry explosives to easily mine ancient debris. Ancient debris is an extremely rare mineral that can only be found deep underground. You might run out of pickaxes and still not find a single Ancient Debris, so it can be easier to use TNT or beds to mine it since it’s immune to blasts.
- Carry at least one Flint and Steel with you. You can use flint and steel to open the Nether portal and activate the TNT explosion.
Mining
If you want to mine ancient debris, be sure to bring a diamond or netherrite pickaxe. You can’t mine it with anything less than Diamond.
Ancient Debris attempts to spawn one to four blobs between Y 8 and Y 22 in each block. A second blob from zero to two Ancient Debris attempts to spawn from Y levels 8 to Y119.