The Nether is a dangerous yet interesting biome in Minecraft that houses many unique mobs and materials. Therefore, it only makes sense for a curious traveler to venture into this crazy yet interesting world.
However, you might not get that much incentive by just exploring alone. Your goal might be to build the biggest fortress or to defeat certain mobs. Therefore, “Nether” might not have introduced itself to you before now.
In Minecraft, the Nether is a hell-like dimension that warrants much more than a visit if you want to clear the game. This is because the items in the Nether are generally better than in the Overworld and can help in an easier clear.
Venturing into a dangerous yet exciting dimension is worth the time and risk. Don’t believe us? Sit tight to know the exact reasons!
What is The Nether in Minecraft?
For those unaware, the term “Nether” refers to one of the three dimensions in Minecraft that serve as alternate yet interconnected worlds. Their main goal is to provide different flavors of adventure to the player.
However, they can be key at times since their loot is unique. Therefore, you will unlikely defeat the Ender Dragon without completing such adventures.
The Nether: Structure
As mentioned, the Nether depicts hell in the Minecraft sandbox. As such, it comprises areas with extreme heat. For instance, you can witness lava patches wherever you go.
Furthermore, the Nether’s dimly lit and craggy environment is perfect for housing certain exotic mobs that serve as good experiences and item suppliers.
Unlike the Overworld, the Nether is relatively smaller since it features an 8:1 block ratio. This means you’ll be able to traverse longer distances in shorter periods in the Nether. However, you will need a Nether gate to make that count since you cannot get in or out without one.
Importance of Nether in Minecraft
Venturing into the Nether is necessary for beating the Wither and the Ender Dragon. They are the two main bosses in Minecraft that serve as the guardians of game progression. Furthermore, you will also need to set up certain workshops to strengthen yourself for the battles.
While these might seem trivial, the inescapable reality is that you will need everything you can get to defeat the Ender Dragon.
That being said, certain factors contribute to the Nether’s importance much more than one might think. Therefore, we have listed the major ones for you below:
1. Setting Up a Potion Brewery
Brewing potions is an extremely important art to learn in Minecraft. You need a reliable stream of potions to get yourself going in the game’s later stages. This is because your potion requirements will increase to the point where any unreliable collection will become obsolete.
That being said, here is the basic equipment needed for a potion brewery:
- Brewing Stand
- Cauldron
- Glass Bottle
- Blaze Powder
2. Spawning The Wither
The Wither is the first main boss in the Minecraft saga. There is no way for it to spawn naturally. Therefore, you would need to try setting a proper spawning environment for him actively.
You will need to collect the following ingredients to make a spawning platform:
Soul Sand/ Soul Soil
The Soul Sand can be obtained in the Nether biome or the Ancient cities. There are some unconventional ways of obtaining it. However, the mentioned ones are generally preferred.
The Soul Soil can be found in the Soul Sand Valley in the Nether. Therefore, obtaining it will require you to travel to the Nether.
Nonetheless, you only need 4 blocks of either Soul Sand or Soul Soil, so obtaining one is generally good enough unless you aim to go for a constant marathon.
Wither Skulls
This item can only be obtained from the Nether since it is an exclusive drop from the Wither Skeleton. You can find these Skeletons in the Nether Fortress. Just cutting off their heads will do. However, you can choose to mangle their corpses if you desire.
No matter what you do, the chance of a Wither Skull dropping will remain at a low 2.5%. Since you will need 3 of them, you must kill hundreds of Wither Skeletons to fulfill the mentioned criteria.
How to Craft a Wither Summoning Platform
Despite the materials being hard to collect, the Wither summoning platform is simple. Just place the blocks in a Tetris T shape and place the Wither skulls on top. You will be able to see a strange phenomenon happening before you get to see the Wither spawning.
Nonetheless, we recommend you run for it since it is way beyond your league as a rookie Nether explorer.
3. Entering the End
Like the Nether and the Overworld, the End is one of the dimensions present in Minecraft. As the name suggests, it is the final dimension and the place where the Ender Dragon resides.
Entering the End isn’t as easy as pushing a single button. Instead, you must use the Minecraft tagline of Dig, Fight, and Explore to create the Eyes of Ender since it is the key to accessing Ender.
Luckily, we’ve done most of that part for you, so you can take a look at the steps needed to find the End Portal:
- Craft 12 Eyes of Ender: This might seem like a lot, but you’ll soon know why. That being said, here is the recipe for crafting a single Eyes of Ender:
- Blaze Powder: This item can only be created after finding sufficient Blaze Rods from a Blaze in the Nether Fortress.
- Ender Pearl: This item is a drop from the Enderman that can be found in all three dimensions.
- Locate a Stronghold: Use one of the Eyes of Ender to locate and enter a nearby Stronghold.
- Activate End Portals: Find the End Portals within the stronghold. Use the crafted Eyes of Ender and place them within the portal slots. Once done, the portal will activate.
Head inside and explore. We won’t recommend you go and start provoking the Ender Dragon on your first venture, but getting a feel out of everything is a must.
How to Enter Nether in Minecraft
Getting notified of the importance of the said region won’t do you any good unless you know how to enter the Nether. Like the End, you need a portal connecting to the Nether dimension.
Luckily, the Nether portal is less complex or painful than the End portal. However, you would still need to spend a little bit of effort.
- Procure 14 blocks of Obsidian by mixing lava with water.
- Make a 5 Obsidian High and 4 Obsidian wide structure hollow in the middle.
- Use a Flint and Steel or a Fire charge to activate and pass through the portal.
Once you’re through, all that will await you is the torment of the Nether region. Good luck surviving out there!
Overall, the Nether is an interesting place (quite literally). You will be progressing through the game once you reach the Nether. However, exploring the Nether might not be on your bucket list if you’re only into creative building.