Where to Find the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template in Minecraft

If you've been hunting for Netherite gear in Minecraft and hit a wall after the 1.20 update, you're not alone. The crafting process changed significantly — and the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template is now the key ingredient standing between you and your Diamond-to-Netherite upgrades. Here's exactly where it lives, how to get it, and what affects your chances of finding it.

What Is the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template?

Since Minecraft Java Edition 1.20 and Bedrock Edition 1.20, upgrading Diamond equipment to Netherite requires more than just a Smithing Table and a Netherite Ingot. You now also need a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template — a one-time-use crafting item that acts as a blueprint for the upgrade.

Without this template, the Smithing Table won't let you perform the upgrade at all. It's a deliberate design decision by Mojang to make Netherite gear feel more earned and exploration-dependent.

Where the Template Spawns: Bastion Remnants 🏰

The only natural source of the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template is Bastion Remnants — the large, bridge-filled structures found throughout the Nether biomes (excluding the Basalt Deltas).

Every Bastion Remnant is guaranteed to contain at least one Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template inside a treasure chest in the central treasure room. That room is typically guarded by a Piglin Brute, so going in unprepared will get you killed fast.

Bastion Types and Template Locations

Bastions come in four variants, and the template's exact chest location depends on which type you're in:

The Treasure Room variant is the most reliable — it has a high probability of containing the template directly. Other variants may or may not include it depending on world generation and loot table rolls.

How to Duplicate the Template (So You Don't Run Out)

Here's where things get strategic. Since each template is consumed when used, you'll want more than one if you're upgrading multiple pieces of gear. Fortunately, Smithing Templates can be duplicated.

To copy a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, you'll need:

• 1 existing Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
• 7 Diamonds
• 1 block of Netherrack

Arrange them in a Crafting Table in the standard duplication pattern (template in the center, diamonds surrounding it, Netherrack in the corner — matching the pattern shown in your inventory recipe book). This produces 2 templates, letting you scale up without farming multiple Bastions.

The cost matters here. If you're planning to upgrade a full set of armor plus tools and weapons, you're looking at several templates. A single Bastion run gives you a starting point, but the diamond cost of duplication adds up — which makes your existing diamond supply a real variable in how smoothly this process goes.

Factors That Affect How Quickly You Find One

Not every Netherite hunt plays out the same way. Several factors shape your experience:

World seed and Bastion proximity. Some seeds spawn Bastions close to your Nether portal; others require significant exploration. Using coordinates and mapping tools (like an in-game map mod or the F3 debug screen on Java) helps you navigate efficiently.

Game difficulty. Piglin Brutes that guard treasure rooms deal heavy damage on higher difficulties. Your armor level and combat readiness going in directly affects whether you can safely loot the chest.

Inventory and Piglin aggression management. Wearing at least one piece of Gold Armor prevents standard Piglins from attacking — but Piglin Brutes are always hostile, regardless. Knowing this distinction before you enter saves a lot of respawn frustration.

Platform version. The template system applies to both Java and Bedrock 1.20+. If you're on an older world that hasn't been updated past 1.19, the old crafting method (Netherite Ingot + Diamond gear directly in the Smithing Table) may still apply depending on your version.

What If You Find Multiple Bastions?

Each Bastion Remnant in a world generates independently, and each has its own loot. If you're playing on a large world or a server, farming multiple Bastions is a completely viable strategy — especially if you'd rather spend time exploring than spending diamonds on duplication.

However, Bastions are finite in any explored area, and they don't respawn. The duplication recipe exists precisely because Mojang expected players to need more templates than a single Bastion provides. 🔁

The Bigger Picture: Planning Your Netherite Progression

Finding the template is only one piece of the equation. To upgrade a single item you still need:

• 1 Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template
• 1 Netherite Ingot (crafted from 4 Netherite Scraps + 4 Gold Ingots)
• The Diamond item you want to upgrade

Netherite Scraps come from smelting Ancient Debris in a Furnace or Blast Furnace. Ancient Debris spawns most densely around Y-level 15 in the Nether, though it can appear anywhere between Y-levels 8 and 22.

That means a full Netherite armor set requires multiple Bastion visits (or template duplication), multiple Ancient Debris mining sessions, and a reliable gold supply. How long that takes depends heavily on your current resource levels, your Nether navigation skill, and how your world's terrain has generated around your base.

The template itself is always findable — the question is how many supporting resources you already have lined up when you get there. 🧱