Minecraft: Things You Must Do Once You Enter The Nether

Minecraft on the surface looks like a fun and friendly game for children and their families to play and explore. But under the surface, there are plenty of elements that can quickly turn Minecraft into a game that belongs in the horror genre.

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The moment players build a Nether Portal and are able to travel through the gate to the Nether, it becomes a point of no return. For some, it's an exciting adventure, but for others, it feels like a haunting and scary dimension where there's nothing but misery and death waiting on the other side of the gate.

Updated September 30, 2024 by Jacqueline Zalace: Struggling to figure out what to do first in the Nether? We've updated this list to have a few more tips on what to do when you arrive in this fiery Minecraft dimension.

18 Take A Deep Breath

Entering unfamiliar territory can be scary, so there's no shame in traveling back to the overworld and taking a deep breath. There's no reason to freak out or commit to something that will result in a ton of anxiety. It may seem scary or off-putting but most of that is likely due to it being slightly darker than normal and with mobs that spawn more unpredictably.

Explore at a reasonable pace and don't be afraid to slowly increase the time spent in the Nether over time as it starts to become more familiar and less alien in overall feel. Also, look out for the landmarks below so you know what to expect.

17 Organize Your Food Supply

Eating food is important in Minecraft, especially if you want to survive in dangerous biomes. The Nether is harsh, so it's important to have some food ready to eat in your hotbar. Rather than digging around in your inventory, we suggest placing a stack of food near the slots holding your main tools/weapons.

If you do take damage and need to quickly eat, you can just scroll over and take a few bites. In terms of the food options, Golden Carrots are the best, but you can also settled for a cooked meat or bread.

16 Take Refuge In A Warped Forest

Among the various biomes found in the Nether, the Warped Forest is considered one of its safest locations. None of the hostile mobs native to the Nether spawn inside this biome, but they can wander upon it depending on what other biomes are near. The only enemy that does spawn here is the Enderman.

If you're looking to gather vines, fungi, or warped roots this biome will have plenty of resources at your disposal. It's often advised to build a Nether base in this biome as it has the lowest chance of being destroyed and will offer a safe place to gather one's thoughts and traverse between the Nether and the Overworld as you see fit.

Hoglins run in fear from Warped Fungi (the little green mushrooms). You can use this to your advantage and place them around to avoid any unwanted attacks.

15 Create A Small Base For Safety & Storage

While building in the Nether, you probably won't initially be striving for something that looks good. The first time you arrive, it's a great idea to make a simple-looking structure to provide some safety from the outside. Within the structure, you can also place several chests for storage, as it's very easy to clog up your inventory with Netherrack.

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We also suggest building this structure around the Nether Portal, adding another layer of protection. If you find navigating difficult, consider making the structure out of a block that stands out, such as Diorite. You'll easily be able to spot the building from a distance.

14 Craft Soul Items

Light sources are important in Minecraft as they deter mobs from spawning, but also add a layer of dynamic vibrancy. In the case of campfires, they also serve as a place for you to be able to cook food.

In the Nether, you'll be able to collect Soul Sand and Soul Soil, which can be used to craft Soul Campfires and Soul Torches. These variants burn a turquoise flame but come at the cost of a lower light level.

13 Put On Gold Armor

If it's your first time entering the Nether, you most likely have either Diamond or Iron armor. This is great, but in order to avoid being swarmed and attacked by Piglins, you will need to have at least one piece of gold armor on. Just one piece will work; the rest can be enchanted Diamond armor.

When you wear this gold armor, Piglins will be passive towards you (unless you attack first). Right as you take the armor off, the nearby Piglins will immediately become hostile. If you don't want to fight, then keep the gold armor on whenever you are in the Nether.

12 Explore Bastions

Bastions, or Bastion Remnants, are large castle-looking structures that spawn in the Nether. They're mostly composed of Blackstone and serve as a more difficult version of a Nether Fortress.

In terms of enemies, you'll mostly find Piglins, Piglin Brutes, and hoglins spawning in and around the structure. Bastions also have treasure rooms that can contain the Pigstep music disc, snout banner pattern, and magma cube spawner. These items can only be found inside these unique Nether structures.

11 Look For The Nether Fortress

The Nether Fortress is a structure that spawns in the Nether and is essentially a castle of sorts. It is the only place to obtain the maroon brick found in the Nether and is home to various enemy spawns.

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Those looking to either fight Wither Skeletons or secure a Blaze spawner will need to find the Nether Fortress if they plan on accomplishing their goals. It's kind of hard to miss once it's found. Some players get lucky when they travel to the Nether for the first time as their gate can manifest next to or inside of the Nether Fortress.

10 Protect Your Footing

When traversing a newly built Nether Portal for the first time, it's important to know that it creates itself in the Nether at an area that correlates with the overworld location. This means it can spawn in a lava pool with few blocks surrounding it. Due to this, the safest way to enter is carefully, and don't move on the other side until everything is loaded around you.

You should also come prepared with plenty of dirt and cobblestone. These will be essential in building safe paths that will allow you to navigate successfully. Some players even go so far as to use stone fencing to make the area around your portal even safer.

9 Familiarize Yourself With The Resources

Nether-exclusive resources are most certainly a thing, and over the years the developers of Minecraft have added significantly to the list of things that only exist in the Nether. From Glowstone to blaze rods, it's important to understand what you should keep an eye out for when exploring.

Even veteran players may need to refresh themselves with a quick search, so they can understand the newer materials that now exist. Knowing is half the battle in most situations, and researching Nether resources is no different.