Conquering Bastion Remnants
Bastions are the heart of the Nether split. They are the primary source of Ender Pearls, Fire Resistance, and Obsidian. Mastering bastion routing is the difference between a reset and a record.
1. Finding Bastions
Bastions generate in all Nether biomes except Basalt Deltas. Use these techniques to locate them:
E-Ray (Entity Raycasting)
Look at your F3 debug screen. The E: x/y value shows entities in your field of view.
- High E-Values (20+): Often indicate a Bastion because Piglins spawn in groups.
- Direction: Sweep your camera. If the E-value spikes in a specific direction, head that way.
- Render Distance: Increase render distance to load more chunks and detect entities further away.
Pie Chart
Use Shift+F3 to check for spawners (Treasure Bastion) or piglins in the entity
pie chart.
2. Bastion Types
Identifying the bastion type early is crucial for routing.
Treasure (Housing Units)
Identifier: Two tall towers and a central bridge.
Pros: Massive gold reserves in the central treasure room. Magma Cube spawners.
Cons: Dangerous. Magma Cubes can knock you into lava.
Housing
Identifier: Courtyards with nether wart patches.
Pros: Easy to route. Piglins are often already grouped.
Cons: Can be confusing to navigate vertically.
Stables
Identifier: Broken bridge sections and Hoglin stables.
Pros: High chest density. Good for obsidian and string.
Cons: Hoglins deal massive knockback.
Bridge
Identifier: A long, narrow bridge structure with a gold block snout.
Pros: Simple layout.
Cons: Often lacks enough gold blocks. Requires good RNG.
3. Trading Strategy
Once you have the gold, you need to trade efficiently.
- The Hole: Dig a 1x2 hole or trap Piglins in a boat/corner.
- Aggro: Mine a gold block or open a chest to anger them. They will run to you.
- Trade: Throw gold ingots at them. Do not look at the inventory; just throw.
- Loot Priority:
- Ender Pearls: You need 12-16.
- Fire Res: Essential for Blaze fighting.
- Obsidian: Need 10+ for a portal, or Crying Obsidian for a respawn anchor.
- String: For crafting beds (explosives).