The Nether is, along with the Overworld, likely the dimension where you spend most of your time in Minecraft. However, unlike the normal world, it’s significantly more challenging to navigate! Thankfully, there are some helpful tools, mobs, and tricks that can make the Nether much easier for you. This is especially beneficial for advanced players who want to conquer the Nether and explore a large portion of their surroundings. Let’s take a look at some important aspects you must know for your journey through this hellish dimension!
Use Striders for Lava Crossing
Striders are a fantasy creature you can only find in Minecraft. They have a large head and two long legs. Their skin is red, but it can turn to a grayish purple when they are not directly standing in lava. They even start to shiver when they are on land. This brings us to one of the coolest features of Striders: you can walk on lava with them! In the Nether, this function is extremely practical and can save you some long detours.
You can find Striders near almost any large lava lake in the Nether. They usually appear in groups of 2 to 4 and can have baby Striders with them. Amusingly, Striders can walk on top of each other through lava, which is quite a funny sight.
To ride a Strider, you actually only need a saddle. The creature doesn’t need to be tamed by you beforehand, so you can start right away! To control the Strider, you need a fishing rod—though not with a carrot, but with a warped fungus. You can also let the Strider eat the fungus to make it run faster. However, this consumes the rod. Striders are especially useful when you want to travel long distances over lava lakes. While doing so, you should definitely keep an eye out for Nether fortresses or bastion remnants. (The Ultimate Guide to Minecraft Bastion Remnants in the Nether)
You can also breed Striders with warped fungi if you want more of them. If you like one of the Striders, you should pen it in and use it for your travels through the Nether. Because you only get the saddle back if you kill the Strider—which you certainly don’t want to do. You should also avoid dismounting a Strider over lava. It’s best to always have a potion of fire resistance with you, just in case.
Efficient Respawning with Lodestone and Respawn Anchor
Now let’s take a look at two more blocks that will definitely help in your Nether adventure. First, we have the Lodestone, which ‘fixes’ your compass, and then the Respawn Anchor, which finally serves as an alternative to the bed. We already have a guide to the Nether in general if you want to know why these two items are so crucial for your exploration. (Surviving Minecraft Nether: Tips and Tricks for Experienced Players)
Using the Lodestone
You can use the Lodestone in any dimension, but it’s probably most practical in the Nether. Your regular compass won’t do much good here, as the needle moves erratically and doesn’t point you in any specific direction. Lodestones can be found, for example, in bastion remnants, but you can also craft them yourself. Thankfully, the recipe has been reduced to eight chiseled stone bricks and one iron ingot, so you no longer need a netherite ingot.
Once you’ve placed the Lodestone at your desired location in the Nether and right-click it with a compass, the compass will be attuned to the Lodestone and will point towards it until the Lodestone is broken.
Using the Respawn Anchor for a Safe Spawn Point
Since beds explode in the Nether, you couldn’t set your spawn point in the Nether for a long time. But the Respawn Anchor brings this functionality to the hellish dimension! However, the anchor isn’t that straightforward to use, so we’ll explain how it works.
Craft the anchor with six crying obsidian and three glowstones. Place it in a secure location of your choice. You must first charge the anchor with full glowstones for it to serve as a spawn point later. You can see how full the anchor is by the filled dot or the light it emits. You need at least one charge to respawn upon death. After that, click on the anchor with your free hand, and your spawn point will be set. The charge is consumed when you die and reappear next to the Respawn Anchor. Always carry enough glowstones to refill the charge.
The anchor also works if you leave the Nether. It essentially overrides your last set spawn point. And just like the bed in the Nether, it explodes if you place it in the Overworld.
Cleverly Destroying Bedrock in the Nether
A final tip for navigating the Nether is somewhat controversial, but it is now used by almost every player. With a few tricks, you can reach the “roof” of the Nether, even though it is technically covered with a layer of bedrock. Over the years, ingenious Minecraft players have found various methods to bypass this. Many players use this technique to build a large network of transportation options in the Nether. (How to Build a Nether Hub: Travel Faster in Your Minecraft World) You don’t have to do this, but we believe it’s something you should at least know about.
To get to the roof, you must throw an Ender Pearl at bedrock on level 127 (look for “targeted block” in the F3 menu on the right). This works best if you place some ladders on the bedrock. One throw should suffice.
However, you shouldn’t do this with empty pockets because now you need to destroy the bedrock. For this, you need: 2 TNT, 2 pistons, obsidian, trapdoor, lever, and a full building block. First, place a piston facing upward over the bedrock you want to destroy. Next to it, place obsidian and behind it a TNT. Place TNT above the piston, next to it the full block, and then the lever at the end. Attach the trapdoor to the obsidian.
Change your right-click to a key you don’t usually use. Crawl under the trapdoor, activate the lever, hold the other piston in your hand, and aim at the gap between the extended piston, the trapdoor, and the obsidian. Hold the changed key down. Wait until the TNT explodes, and the bedrock should be destroyed! It may take a few tries to get it right.
Conclusion on Your Nether Adventure
The Nether has many secrets to offer and is packed with all sorts of exciting features that many players might not be aware of. From the lava-loving Strider to the Respawn Anchor to the ability to destroy bedrock—your options for adventure in the Nether are endless! Rent your own Minecraft server with us for you and your friends and explore the various aspects of the Nether together. Perhaps you can build a cool base on the roof of the Nether together.
