Bastion Remnants are the Nether’s most dangerous — and most rewarding — structures. They’re the only place to find the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template you need to craft netherite gear, and they’re packed with gold, ancient debris, and enchanted diamond loot. This guide covers the four bastion types, how to loot without getting swarmed by piglins, and where the best loot hides.
Where bastion remnants generate
Bastions spawn in every Nether biome except basalt deltas. They compete with Nether fortresses for spawn slots:
| Edition | Bastion chance | Region size |
|---|---|---|
| Java | 60% (vs 40% fortress) | 432×432 blocks |
| Bedrock | 66.6% | 480×480 blocks |
They’re large floating fortresses of blackstone, often suspended over lava seas with no support pillars — so watch your step.
The four bastion types
Each type generates with equal probability and changes where the best loot sits:
| Type | What it looks like | Loot focus |
|---|---|---|
| Treasure Room | Central vault guarded by a piglin brute | Best odds for the netherite template + gold blocks |
| Bridge | Huge rampart with a carved piglin face | Hoglin stables, generic loot chests |
| Hoglin Stables | Three-part rampart with damaged stables | Hoglins for food/leather, loot chests |
| Housing Units | Blocky residential structures | Scattered generic loot chests |
The mobs: piglins and brutes
Bastions are guarded by piglins and piglin brutes that spawn on generation and never despawn — but once killed, they don’t respawn either.
- Piglins are hostile to any player not wearing gold armor. Wear at least one piece of gold to avoid aggro.
- Piglin brutes are hostile regardless of gold armor and hit hard with axes. They guard treasure rooms — deal with them first.
- Bridge and hoglin-stable types also spawn hoglins (mob food + leather).
Critical rule: opening a loot chest, mining gold blocks, or attacking any piglin turns every piglin in the bastion hostile at once. Loot carefully.
The best loot
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template | Required to craft netherite gear — bastion-exclusive |
| Ancient Debris & Netherite Scrap | Skip mining — grab it straight from chests |
| Enchanted diamond gear | Often better than early hand-made gear |
| Gold blocks & ingots | Bribe/barter material and armor crafting |
| Gilded Blackstone, Pigstep disc, Snout banner pattern | Bastion-exclusive decoratives |
The Treasure Room gives the best odds for the netherite template — it’s typically found in the vault chest guarded by a brute. If you only raid one bastion for netherite, aim for a treasure type.
How to loot safely
- Wear gold armor (at least boots) before you arrive so basic piglins ignore you.
- Kill piglin brutes first — they aggro no matter what.
- Bring blocks: fire-resistance potions and cobblestone/blackstone let you wall off chests and cross gaps over lava.
- Grab a chest, then immediately pillar up or wall yourself in — every piglin turns hostile the moment you loot.
- Consider throwing gold ingots on the ground to distract piglins while you escape.
Once you have the template, follow our netherite armor guide to upgrade your diamond gear.
FAQ
Do I need to raid a bastion for netherite? You need the smithing template at least once — it’s the only way to unlock the netherite upgrade recipe. After that you mine ancient debris and reuse or duplicate the template.
Can I trade with piglins in a bastion? Yes — bartering with gold ingots works, though the loot chests are more valuable. See our piglin bartering guide.
What’s the fastest gold armor? Just a single gold item (boots) is enough to stop basic piglins from aggroing.
Take on the Nether on your own server
Bastion raids are a rush with a squad watching your back over the lava. XGamingServer Minecraft hosting gives you a persistent, low-latency world for group Nether expeditions and netherite runs. Plan your enchanted gear with our free enchantment calculator.
Ready to play?
Run your own Minecraft server with XGamingServer
Spin up an always-on Minecraft server your friends can join in minutes — no port-forwarding, no tech headaches.
