Quick Links
At some point during your Minecraft adventure, you'll probably want to head to the Nether. After all, there's plenty to do in the dangerous and fire-filled world. However, traveling to the Nether isn't like heading to a different biome in the overworld. This place is in a whole other dimension.
RELATED: Minecraft: Things To Know Before Entering The Nether
Thankfully, you can build a Nether Portal, which transports you to the burning world. Yet, players who haven't been playing for years might not know how to make one. So, here is everything you need to know to build a portal, including how to craft one without needing to mine Obsidian.
What's Needed For A Nether Portal
To make a Nether Portal, you must have at least ten blocks of Obsidian and a Flint and Steel.
Getting Obsidian
Obsidian is one of the toughest blocks in the game. It's created when flowing water touches a block of lava. In a typical seed, there is a bunch of it underground, or you can also make some yourself. If you have a diamond pickaxe or stronger, you can mine the material. However, even if you don't have a tool like that, you can still make a portal using the bucket method mentioned later.
Getting Flint And Steel
The fire starter known as Flint and Steel can sometimes be found in dungeons or Nether Fortresses. Yet, it's much easier just to make the tool. To do so, you need a piece of Flint and a single Iron Ingot.
You can get Flint by destroying blocks of Gravel with your hand, a shovel, or for those who like fan-fare, a piece of TNT. Not every Gravel block will drop some Flint, but luckily, the blocks are not among the rarest in the game. The resource spawns underground, next to bodies of water, and in various other places. It shouldn't take too long to discover some.
Iron, on the other hand, is found underground. You can mine the metal with a stone pickaxe. Once you do, you'll have a block of Iron Ore, which you can smelt in a furnace to make an Ingot.
Put the Flint and Iron into your crafting grid to make Flint and Steel.
RELATED: Minecraft: Guide To Every Nether Biome
Building A Nether Portal
A Nether Portal requires at least ten blocks of Obsidian.
If that's how many you have, here's the step-by-step guide on what you need to do (you can make bigger portals, this is just how to make one with minimal resources):
Place two pieces of Obsidian on the ground, with a different type of block on either side of them. These non-Obsidian pieces will be used as temporary corners that you'll take away later.
On top of those different blocks, place a column of three Obsidian. Then on them, use two other blocks again to create top corners.
Next, connect the two top corners using pieces of Obsidian to complete the rectangle.
You can then remove all four non-Obsidian blocks. And use your Flint and Steel on the inside of the rectangle to light it up.
Now you have a working Portal.
RELATED: Minecraft: The Ways To Get Food In The Nether
Using The Bucket Method
The Bucket Method is another way of creating a Nether Portal that doesn't require you to mine Obsidian.
As such, you don't need to find diamonds and craft a pickaxe with them. Yet, it's a little more tiresome to do. Here's the steps you need to take:
Make at least two buckets. Each one requires three Iron Ingots.
Find a source of water and also one of lava. Lava is often found underground, but sometimes there are pools of it on the surface. It's easier to make the Nether Portal near your lava source. But you can build it close to your home. You'll just need to make plenty of buckets or be willing to travel back and forth.
Now fill one bucket with water and another with lava.
Next, make a wall that is five blocks tall and four blocks wide.
At the bottom of the wall, dig a hole and pour the lava inside.
Then pour the water on the block directly above it, so it flows onto the lava and creates Obsidian. Try to grab the water with your bucket afterward, as otherwise, you'll have to fill it up again.
Repeat this same process for at least ten pieces of Obsidian. However, because you won't be able to move the blocks after you've created them, you need to craft each piece of Obsidian in the exact spot it fits into the Nether Portal frame. The frame should include two blocks in the hole at the bottom, three blocks for the columns on each side (starting one block up from the bottom two), and two blocks at the top. It should look like the picture above.
*Quick Note: There will be no hole to pour the lava into for the side and top pieces. Therefore, you must pour the lava directly onto the wall and quickly pour the water on the block right above it (which is also a part of the wall).*
After the frame is built, you can destroy the wall behind it and activate the portal up with a Flint and Steel.
NEXT: Minecraft: How To Make Concrete
