Building Blocks

Occasionally, you’ll find a huge ruined portal, many blocks larger than a standard one. These seem to have once served some kind of ceremonial purpose, though it’s hard to say what that might have been. They’re big enough to fit a ghast through, which raises all kinds of terrifying questions.

Our geologists first started reporting the discovery of ancient cities after the Wild Update was released in June 2022. They take the form of an enormous, ancient settlement, made up of long corridors and guard towers, some of which contain the riches of the ancient world.

Essentially, you should think of a woodland mansion as a giant canvas on which you can express yourself – either in fierce combat against the inhabitants, or in rebuilding after you’ve cleared the place out. Or both, of course. Don’t expect that doing either of those things will be easy – but you can be sure that you’ll be proud of the results.

Speaking of loot, there are all kinds of goodies you’ll find in a trial chamber. The vaults are the main event, spawning rare tools, weapons, and armor. You’ll also come across a scattering of chests, barrels and pots containing resources to top you up between fights.

Be prepared to face some heavy opposition. Ocean monuments are populated by dangerous creatures called guardians that shoot lasers and are spiky enough that hitting them with a melee attack will hurt pretty bad. But they’re nothing compared to the elder guardians that you’ll find in the deepest parts of the structure. As well as the laser and the spikes, these ancient beasts will zap players with Mining Fatigue III, making it very difficult to attack or break blocks. Even an invisibility potion won’t save you from that one.

As you progress and upgrade your weapons and armor, you’ll find monster rooms less tricky to handle. But that doesn’t mean they’re not still useful. If you don’t destroy the spawner, it can be used to reliably pump out baddies that can be automatically or semi-automatically killed in what’s known as a mob farm – making it easy for their drops to be collected in large quantities. The Minecraft Wiki has some nice advice on setting those up.

Bastion remnants began appearing after the release of the Nether Update in June 2020 – the same patch that added piglins, netherite equipment, chains, and target blocks. They come in four different varieties – each with its own structure and loot opportunities: there’s a bridge variant, a variant made up of hoglin stables, one with housing units for piglins, and a treasure room piled high with gold.

You’re unlikely to get lost in an End city, but death from falling is a real risk because the shulkers that inhabit them will often apply the levitation effect. Feather Falling enchantments can help, but really you’re just gonna need to be careful – try to stay under low ceilings when you can, and if you do find yourself rising unexpectedly then either drink a bucket of milk to void the effect or place water below you just before you hit the ground to void the damage.

The best reason to visit a village is for trade. Villagers often have raw material needs that only outsiders can fulfil, and they’re willing to pay for those goods in emeralds. You can then use those emeralds to buy things off other villagers – including rarities like enchanted books and chainmail armour. As you trade with a villager, they’ll level up – and so the more you trade, the more interesting items can be obtained.

The first sign that you’re encountering an amethyst geode is a wall of smooth black basalt, with a layer of white calcite underneath. Break on through to the other side, as Jim Morrison once suggested, and you’ll suddenly find yourself in a cave of purple amethyst blocks, with shards of amethyst growing out of the sides. Some will appear cracked – these are budding amethyst blocks, which are extremely fragile but can grow new crystals over time.