You Just Found a Rare Armor Trim, Now What?
You’re deep in a Minecraft world, your inventory packed with treasures from a recent raid. Among the loot, you spot a unique item: an Armor Trim Smithing Template. It has a strange, intricate pattern. You know it can make your diamond gear look incredible, but you only have one. The thought hits you—what if you could duplicate it? What if you could get more of these upgrade templates to customize all your armor?
This moment of discovery is followed by the frustrating realization that these templates are consumable. Use one, and it’s gone forever. For players who love customization, this feels like a major roadblock. The good news is, there are reliable, intended methods to obtain more templates, ensuring your hard-earned designs are never lost.
This guide will walk you through every official way to find, duplicate, and secure upgrade templates in Minecraft. We’ll cover where to hunt for them in the wild, the simple crafting trick to make copies, and how to build a sustainable supply so you can experiment with every armor trim style without fear.
Understanding Minecraft Upgrade Templates
Before we dive into the how, let’s clarify the what. “Upgrade templates” refer specifically to Smithing Templates introduced in the Trails & Tales update. These are the items used at a Smithing Table to apply two key upgrades: Netherite upgrades and Armor Trims.
Think of them as stencils or patterns. The Netherite Upgrade Template transforms your diamond gear into powerful Netherite equipment. The various Armor Trim Smithing Templates (like the Wayfinder, Sentry, or Dune patterns) are purely cosmetic, letting you add unique designs to your helmet, chestplate, leggings, and boots.
The core challenge is that using a template at the Smithing Table consumes it. This mechanic pushes players to seek out methods for duplication, turning a single rare find into a renewable resource for their building and adventure projects.
Where to Find Your First Template
Your journey begins with locating an original template. These are found as loot in specific, often dangerous, structures. You cannot craft an initial template from raw materials; you must go out and find one. Here are the primary hunting grounds.
Bastion Remnants in the Nether are your most reliable source. These large, piglin-infested fortresses hold treasure rooms. Loot the chests found here, and you have a high chance of finding several types of Armor Trim Smithing Templates, such as the Snout, Rib, or Spire patterns. Be prepared for a tough fight.
Ancient Cities, buried deep in the Deep Dark biomes, are another treasure trove. The silent, sculk-covered halls hold chests containing exclusive templates like the Silence or Ward armor trims. The risk here is the Warden, so stealth and preparation are paramount.
For the essential Netherite Upgrade Template, there is only one source: a treasure chest within a Bastion Remnant. You’ll need this specific template to upgrade any diamond tool or armor to Netherite, making it a non-negotiable find for late-game progression.
Other structures like Trail Ruins (for the Wayfinder trim) or Desert Pyramids (for the Dune trim) offer more specialized hunts. The key is to identify which design you want and target the corresponding structure.
The Duplication Process: Making Templates Renewable
Once you have a single copy of a Smithing Template, the game opens up a duplication recipe. This is the answer to “how to get more.” You don’t find endless copies; you craft them using the one you found as a pattern.
The duplication recipe is consistent for all Smithing Templates. You will need a Crafting Table, your original template, a specific material block, and diamonds. The material block changes based on the template type, creating a meaningful cost for duplication.
Open your Crafting Table grid. Place the single Smithing Template in the center slot. Then, place the required material block directly above it and a diamond directly below it. The remaining six slots of the 3×3 grid must be filled with the same material block. This recipe yields two copies of the template.
Let’s break down the material costs. To duplicate an Armor Trim Smithing Template, you must use the block that matches its origin. For example, to copy a Coast Armor Trim (found in Ocean Monuments), you must use Prismarine. To copy a Wild Armor Trim (from Jungle Temples), you use Mossy Cobblestone. The game effectively asks for a tribute of the biome’s essence.
Duplicating the Netherite Upgrade Template requires Netherrack. Place the template in the center, Netherrack above and below, and fill all other slots with Netherrack. This yields two Netherite Upgrade Templates, securing your ability to upgrade future gear.
Step-by-Step Duplication Guide
Let’s walk through duplicating a hypothetical “Sentry” Armor Trim, found in a Pillager Outpost, which requires Cobblestone as its material.
First, ensure you have the following items in your inventory:
– 1 Sentry Armor Trim Smithing Template
– 7 blocks of Cobblestone (1 for the top slot, 1 for the bottom slot, and 5 to fill the remaining slots)
– 1 Diamond
Open your Crafting Table. In the 3×3 grid, follow this exact arrangement:
– Place the Cobblestone block in the top-center slot.
– Place the single Sentry Template in the center slot.
– Place the Diamond in the bottom-center slot.
– Place one Cobblestone block in every other remaining empty slot (left-top, right-top, left-middle, right-middle, left-bottom, right-bottom).
The crafting result will appear: two Sentry Armor Trim Smithing Templates. You have successfully doubled your supply. You can repeat this process as long as you have diamonds and the required blocks, using one of the new copies as the “original” for the next craft.
Building a Sustainable Template Supply
Duplication is the core mechanic, but smart resource management turns it into a sustainable system. Running out of diamonds or specific blocks can halt your customization projects. Here’s how to build a reliable pipeline.
Establish dedicated farms for your duplication materials. If you love trims from Ocean Monuments, consider a Guardian farm for Prismarine shards. For templates requiring stone variants like Cobblestone or Deepslate, a simple stone generator or branch mine will provide limitless supplies.
Diamonds are the universal cost. Setting up a diamond mining operation with a Fortune III pickaxe is essential. Strip mining at Y=-58 or exploring deep caves will yield the diamonds needed to fund your template production. Every diamond vein is potential for several template copies.
Organize your templates. Use labeled chests or an item sorting system in your base. Keep original templates separate from your “working copies.” Always leave at least one template in reserve, stored safely, so you never risk losing a design permanently. Losing your only copy means another dangerous trip to its source structure.
Consider building safe access to template sources. If a particular trim requires a material from a dangerous biome, like the Netherrack for Netherite templates, you might build a fortified pathway or a secure mining outpost. This turns a risky collection run into a routine supply trip.
Troubleshooting Common Template Problems
Even with a plan, you might hit snags. Here are solutions to frequent issues players encounter.
The recipe isn’t working. Double-check your grid. The most common mistake is misplacing the diamond and the material block. Remember: Material block on top, template in the middle, diamond on the bottom. The other six slots must be the material block, not a mix of items.
You can’t find a specific template. Some structures are rare. Use online biome locator tools or seed viewers if you’re comfortable, or prepare for a long exploration journey. Ensure you’re searching the correct structure—the in-game Advancements menu can offer clues for where to look.
Running out of a specific material. This is a signal to specialize. If you’re constantly duplicating a Netherite template, build a Netherrack quarry in the Nether. If you need lots of Prismarine, that Guardian farm becomes a priority. Treat the material not as a one-time cost, but as a renewable resource for your customization hub.
The Warden destroyed you in an Ancient City. The Silence trim is one of the coolest, but the Deep Dark is unforgiving. Use stealth: wool to mute your footsteps, avoid triggering Sculk Shriekers, and never dig straight down. Have a swift escape plan, like a dedicated Ender Pearl or a Minecart track leading out.
Mastering Armor Customization
With a steady supply of templates, the real fun begins: applying them. The Smithing Table is your workshop. Place a piece of armor in the left slot, the matching Armor Trim Smithing Template in the middle, and an ingot (like Copper, Iron, Gold, or Netherite) in the right slot. The ingot determines the trim’s color, allowing for further personalization.
Experiment with combinations. A Diamond Chestplate with a Gold Trim using the Sentry pattern looks regal, while the same chestplate with a Copper Dune trim gives a weathered, explorer aesthetic. Since you can duplicate templates, you can try every combination without worry.
This system rewards exploration and clever resource management. The hunt for the first template is an adventure. The process of duplication is a simple but meaningful craft. The final application of a unique design to your gear is the satisfying payoff. It ties progression, exploration, and creativity together in a way that feels uniquely Minecraft.
Your next steps are clear. Identify the armor trim you desire most. Gear up for an expedition to its source structure. Secure that first, precious template. Then, return to your base, gather the required blocks and diamonds, and start your duplication line. Build a collection that lets you express your style on every piece of armor you own. The world is your canvas, and now you have all the stencils you need.
