The Minecraft world comprises building blocks, each with unique traits and identities. Some of these blocks can be found virtually wherever your eyes go, while others need time, dedication, and exploration to be extracted.
Certain tiles and ores are so rare that it can take hours to find one. Such is the case with Iron ores. There are multiple variants of Iron, each with its own set of challenges to obtain. However, it does not mean all hope is lost.
Iron is generally found in the overworld, spawning naturally in iron ore. These ores are hard to get by but can provide decent iron. The iron can then be used to create different unique items, tools, and armor.
Certain methodologies can help you find as many iron ores as you need. This guide will help you filter the methods according to their feasibility.
Iron Farming in Minecraft
While Iron cannot be systematically produced out of thin air, it is still possible to gain iron using a few village mechanics. You might also gain certain byproducts from this method, such as poppies and string.
With that said, the strategy involves farming Iron Golems and collecting iron drops from them. It works better than zombies or skeleton farming because they are considered higher-quality mobs. Therefore, they have higher chances of dropping iron in much greater quantities.
Alternatively, you can dig around aimlessly until you find a few iron ores.
Iron Farming in Java Edition
Farming iron in the Java edition is relatively easier than the complex methodologies used in its alternative Bedrock one. You must place three transparent blocks above an Iron Golem spawning surface.
Here is an example of an iron farm in the Minecraft Java Edition:
Spawn Farm: Modifications
You can lure and trap multiple zombies near your iron farm to increase the Golem spawn rate. Alternatively, this technique can be used on zombies by placing villagers near them.
Once the villagers see the nearby zombies, they will start to panic. Thus, the spawn will be increased marginally. In hindsight, you will have an outermost layer of villagers, with the inner layer of zombies and the Iron Golem farm in the middle.
Iron Farming in Bedrock Edition
Unlike the automatic spawners in Java edition, the Iron Golems in Bedrock can only be spawned when certain conditions are met. Add all this to the fact that there is only a 1 in 700 chance of a successful zombie spawn, and you can find this process arduous.
However, it is still multiple times faster than the traditional digging method. Adding a few enhancements can even help in alleviating the time lost.
Golem Spawning: Prerequisites
The villages need to fulfill a set of requirements before being able to spawn Iron Golems. These Golems act like the guardian deities of the village and are intended to protect them from outsiders.
Upon the death/destruction of these Golems, a village will spawn more Golems if the following conditions are met:
- There are at least 20 beds in the village.
- There are at least 10 villagers currently living in the village.
- All the villagers have occupied/linked a bed.
- At least 75% of the villagers worked the previous day. This work should be done on their specific workstations.
- There is less than one naturally spawned or generated Iron Golem for every 10 villagers in a village. Therefore, a 1-for-10 ratio will dictate the number of Golems you can spawn.
Around 98.3 % of the spawn attempts will find success. Therefore, you need to prepare for every possible scenario.
How to Make an Iron Golem Farm
There are specific ways to convert a normal village into an Iron Golem farm. There is no need to go and look for certain hard-to-get materials to make this work. Instead, we will use the Golem spawning mechanic to gain iron.
The rate can go as high as 200 ingots/hour, but it all boils down to the functionality of your farm.
Required Materials
You will need the following materials to build a successful Iron Golem farm:
| Basic tools |
| Bucket (Water and Lava) |
| Hopper |
| Torches |
| Stone and Iron Pickaxes |
You can choose the rest of the materials by yourself. However, try to avoid the village premises while collecting materials to avoid garnering unwanted attention. Having villagers die before the construction can be a marginal setback.
Creating the Farm
To get started, build a fence around the entire village to protect them from a zombie invasion. An L-shaped crook seems to work best, protecting the villagers near the job sites.
From there, start building sleeping bunkers that will contain the Iron Golems. Place beds on both floors which will create the spawning area for the Golems. Create water channels to help the Golems pathfinder towards the butcherer’s workshop.
Your workshop will contain a block of lava and a hopper to transport the loot into a collection chest nearby. The Golems will be expected to enter the lava and get killed while dropping the loot onto the placed hopper.
The tutorial below sets a good example of an ideal Iron Golem farm:
The Iron Golems are great for gaining Iron, but you need to tinker with a few factors for them to shine. An Iron Golem farm is a great way of creating multitudes of Iron without constant effort.
Iron is scarce in Minecraft; therefore, use the mentioned steps to gain as much as possible. Your friends might get a jumpscare after seeing the sheer amount of Iron at your disposal.
Once you have built the groundwork for your farm, some mobs might spawn in the village and find their way into the grinder. Therefore, it is common to find Broken Arrows, Rotten Flesh, and other Golem materials.