Bastion remnants are the big blackstone fortresses of the Nether. They are home to piglins and piglin brutes, and they hold some of the best loot in the game, including gold blocks, golden gear, ancient debris and the netherite upgrade smithing template. That makes finding one a key step toward netherite. This guide explains how to find a bastion in Minecraft, where they spawn, how the four types differ and how to survive and loot them.
Quick answer
- Bastions spawn in nether wastes, crimson forests, warped forests and soul sand valleys.
- They do not spawn in basalt deltas.
- With cheats, use
/locate structure minecraft:bastion_remnant. - Without cheats, travel along the Nether roof or ceiling and look for blackstone towers.
How to find a bastion without cheats
- Enter the Nether through a portal. See how to make obsidian.
- Pick a direction and travel in a straight line. Use a tunnel or a bridge of blocks, since Nether terrain is dangerous.
- Look for large structures made of blackstone, polished blackstone bricks and gilded blackstone, with yellow gold and golden roofs.
- Check your coordinates; see how to see coordinates. Keep a note so you can find your way home with nether portal coordinates.
Bastions are large and often visible from far away. Light spots such as soul fire and lava lakes may hide them, so scan in all directions from a high point.
How to use the locate command
In a world with cheats, stand in the Nether and run the locate command for bastions. The game prints the coordinates of the nearest one. Travel there carefully. See how to enable cheats and how to use /locate.
The four bastion types
| Type | What it is | Loot |
|---|---|---|
| Treasure room | The central, ringed fortress with a lava-filled core | The best loot, many chests, gold blocks |
| Housing units | A set of small buildings | Several chests |
| Hoglin stables | Pens with hoglins and walkways | Chests and hoglins for food |
| Bridge | A long bridge with a few chests | Smaller loot |
Dangers inside a bastion
- Piglin brutes: strong melee mobs that always attack, even if you wear gold armour.
- Piglins: hostile unless you wear at least one piece of gold armour.
- Hoglins: aggressive, tough pigs that knock you back.
- Magma cubes and lava: some bastions have lava pools and magma cubes.
- Falling: the structure is tall with open edges.
How to prepare
- Wear at least one piece of gold armour. Your other armour can be iron or diamond. See how to make armor.
- Bring a strong sword and a shield.
- Carry a water bucket, Fire Resistance potions and plenty of food. See how to make a bucket and the potions guide.
- Bring blocks to bridge and block off lava, and a way to set your spawn.
- Take a bow for ranged fights.
What loot you can get
- Gold blocks and ingots, golden armour and tools.
- Ancient debris and netherite scrap, and sometimes netherite ingots.
- Netherite upgrade smithing template, which is key for upgrading to netherite. See how to get netherite.
- Crossbows, arrows, spectral arrows and obsidian.
- Music disc Pigstep from a treasure room chest in some cases.
- Crying obsidian and blackstone for building.
Tips for looting a bastion
- Approach from above so you can see structure layout.
- Kill or avoid brutes first.
- Open chests quickly. Piglins get angry if you open a chest near them.
- Do not break gold blocks near piglins; it angers them.
- Take the template, ancient debris and gold, then leave.
- Use pearls or bridges to get away fast if things go wrong.
Piglin bartering
Piglins trade with you if you give them gold ingots. They throw items back, including ender pearls, fire resistance potions, obsidian and more. It is a handy source of pearls and gravel. Always wear gold armour while bartering.
Bastion vs nether fortress
A nether fortress is made of nether bricks and is home to blazes and wither skeletons. A bastion is made of blackstone and home to piglins. They are different structures, and you need a fortress for blaze rods and a bastion for gold and templates.
Common problems
- No bastion in sight: you may be in a basalt delta. Move to another biome.
- The locate command fails: you need cheats on, and be in the Nether.
- Piglins keep attacking: wear a gold piece and avoid breaking gold blocks.
Step by step: planning your first bastion trip
- Set up a safe base in the Nether near your portal with a bed-free spot, some food and a chest.
- Travel in the direction of a biome that can hold a bastion. If you find a basalt delta, turn around.
- Climb a hill or a tower of blocks to look for blackstone shapes on the horizon.
- When you find one, scout from outside first. Look for the entrance and the treasure room.
- Clear a path with blocks, and set up a retreat route back to your portal.
Using bastions for gold
Even if you do not need the treasure, bastions are the best place to get gold quickly. Gold blocks sit in the walls and floors, and each block gives nine ingots when broken and crafted. Gold is useful for armor, powered rails, golden apples and bartering. Bring a pickaxe and break the blocks away from piglins, because breaking gold near them can anger them.
Hoglin stables and food
Hoglins give raw porkchops when killed, which is great food for long Nether trips. In the stables, kill them one at a time near a wall so you do not get surrounded. Hoglins turn into zoglins in the overworld, so do not bring them through the portal. Cook the porkchops on a campfire or furnace; see how to make a campfire.
Bastion trip checklist
- Gold armor piece and strong main armor.
- Sword, shield, bow and arrows.
- Two water buckets and one empty bucket.
- Fire Resistance potions and golden carrots or cooked meat.
- At least two stacks of building blocks, and a pickaxe with Efficiency.
- Ender pearls for quick escapes.
- Several empty chests or a shulker box to carry loot.
Best time to visit a bastion
Bastions are always dark and dangerous, so there is no best time. The Nether has no day and night. What matters is your gear. Go once you have iron armor at least, preferably diamond, and bring friends if you play multiplayer. If you are in the Nether for the first time, find a fortress first for blaze rods, then plan a separate trip for a bastion, so you are never carrying too much risk at once.
FAQ
Where do bastions spawn in Minecraft?
In nether wastes, crimson forests, warped forests and soul sand valleys, but not basalt deltas.
How do you locate a bastion?
Use /locate structure minecraft:bastion_remnant in a world with cheats.
Do piglin brutes attack players in gold armour?
Yes. Brutes attack even if you wear gold.
What is the best bastion loot?
Netherite upgrade smithing templates, gold, ancient debris and netherite scrap.
Are bastions the same as nether fortresses?
No. Bastions are blackstone and hold piglins; fortresses are nether brick and hold blazes.
Checked by the Game Respawned editorial team against the current Java and Bedrock versions. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.