You Found a Netherite Upgrade Template, Now What?
You’ve braved the Nether, dodged ghast fireballs, and finally looted a Bastion Remnant. In your inventory sits a precious Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. This small, intricate item is the key to crafting the most powerful gear in Minecraft, but it’s not a permanent tool. Like any stencil, it wears out with use.
The moment you use it to upgrade a Diamond item to Netherite, a sinking feeling hits. The template disappears. Now you need another one, but trekking back to the dangerous Nether for every single piece of gear is a daunting prospect. Fortunately, the game provides a way to duplicate this essential pattern, turning one find into a sustainable supply.
This guide will walk you through the exact, step-by-step process of creating, or more accurately, duplicating a Netherite Smithing Template. We’ll cover everything from gathering the specific materials to using the crafting grid, ensuring you can outfit yourself and your friends with full Netherite armor and tools without constant perilous journeys.
Understanding the Netherite Upgrade Template
First, it’s crucial to understand what this item is and isn’t. The Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template is not crafted from raw materials in a traditional sense. You cannot combine Netherite scraps and gold to create one from scratch. Its primary source is looting chests within Bastion Remnants in the Nether.
Once you have at least one template, however, you can duplicate it indefinitely. This duplication process is what most players mean when they ask how to “make” or “craft” one. The game’s mechanics treat the original template as a pattern that can be copied using specific, relatively accessible materials.
This system was introduced to balance the power of Netherite. It gates the top-tier gear behind an initial exploration challenge (finding a Bastion) and a material cost for duplication, rather than making it an infinitely reusable, free upgrade path.
Where to Find Your First Template
Before you can duplicate, you need an original. Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates generate in chests within all four types of Bastion Remnants: Hoglin Stable, Bridge, Housing Units, and Treasure Room. The Treasure Room variant has the highest chance to contain one.
Bastions are large, castle-like structures found in the Nether, primarily in the Basalt Deltas, Crimson Forest, and Nether Wastes biomes. They are guarded by Piglins and Brutes, so come prepared with gold armor to avoid provoking the regular Piglins, and be ready for a tough fight with the Brutes.
Materials Required for Duplication
To duplicate a Netherite Smithing Template, you will need two core components plus the original template itself. You must gather these materials every time you wish to create a copy.
The recipe is straightforward and performed in a Crafting Table. Here is the exact grid layout and material list:
- 1 Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template (the original pattern)
- 1 Netherrack (the base material for the copy)
- 7 Diamonds (the "ink" for stamping the pattern)
Place these items in the crafting grid in a specific configuration. The arrangement is not shapeless; it must follow the pattern of the template itself.
The Exact Crafting Recipe Pattern
Open your Crafting Table (the 3×3 grid). The duplication recipe mirrors the shape of the Netherite Ingot. Place the items as follows:
- Top Row: Diamond, Netherrack, Diamond
- Middle Row: Diamond, Diamond, Diamond
- Bottom Row: Diamond, Netherite Upgrade Template, Diamond
In this pattern, the Netherite Upgrade Template goes in the very center-bottom slot. The single block of Netherrack sits in the top-center slot. All other slots, seven in total, are filled with Diamonds.
When arranged correctly, the output slot will show two Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates. This process consumes the seven diamonds and the netherrack, but it returns your original template plus one new copy. You have successfully “made” a new template.
Step-by-Step Duplication Guide
Let’s break the process down into clear, actionable steps from start to finish.
Step 1: Secure a Safe Crafting Area
You’ll likely be doing this after returning from the Nether. Ensure you are in a well-lit, secure location like your base or a crafting room. Have your Crafting Table placed and accessible.
Step 2: Gather Your Materials in Inventory
Move the following items from your chests or ender chest into your personal inventory:
- Your original Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.
- At least one block of Netherrack. You can bring a stack, as it’s a common Nether block.
- At least seven Diamonds. For mass duplication, gather many more. A full set of gear (4 armor pieces, 1 sword, 1 pickaxe, 1 shovel, 1 axe) requires 9 templates, costing 63 diamonds.
Step 3: Open the Crafting Table Interface
Right-click on the Crafting Table to open the 3×3 crafting grid interface. Ensure you have the full grid view and not the simple 2×2 grid from your personal inventory.
Step 4: Arrange the Items Precisely
Click and drag items from your inventory into the crafting grid slots. Follow the pattern meticulously:
- Place one Diamond in the top-left, top-right, middle-left, middle-center, middle-right, bottom-left, and bottom-right slots.
- Place the Netherrack block in the top-center slot.
- Place your original Netherite Upgrade Template in the bottom-center slot.
Double-check the arrangement. The visual should look like a diamond border surrounding the netherrack and template.
Step 5: Collect the Result
Once the pattern is correct, two Netherite Upgrade Smithing Templates will appear in the result box to the right of the grid. Click and drag them into your inventory.
Congratulations. You now have two templates. You can repeat this process by using one of the templates as the new “original” in the recipe, allowing you to exponentially increase your supply as long as you have diamonds and netherrack.
Strategic Farming for Mass Duplication
If you plan to upgrade multiple tools, armor sets, or share with a server, you’ll need a sustainable source of diamonds. Here are efficient strategies.
Efficient Diamond Mining Techniques
Diamonds generate most commonly between Y-level -58 and -64 in the Overworld after the Caves & Cliffs updates. The most effective method is branch mining.
Dig a main tunnel at Y=-59. From this tunnel, dig side branches (branches) every two blocks. This spacing exposes every possible block in the walls without missing any veins. Use a Fortune III enchanted pickaxe to multiply your diamond yield dramatically from each ore block you find.
Netherrack: The Easy Component
Netherrack is incredibly abundant. A short trip to the Nether with a decent pickaxe can net you a stack in seconds. Silk Touch is unnecessary, as netherrack drops itself when mined. Consider setting up a small, safe portal hub in the Nether near a large wall of netherrack for quick harvesting.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
If the recipe isn’t working, a few simple issues are usually the culprit.
The Recipe Yields Nothing
This almost always means the pattern in the crafting grid is incorrect. The most common mistakes are swapping the positions of the Netherrack and the Template, or using the wrong number of diamonds. Remember: Template in the bottom-center, Netherrack in the top-center. Count exactly seven diamonds in the other slots.
Also, ensure you are using a Crafting Table and not a Smithing Table, Stonecutter, or other workstation. The duplication recipe only works in the 3×3 crafting grid.
Using the Wrong “Template” Item
Minecraft has several smithing templates. Ensure you are using the “Netherite Upgrade” template. It has a brownish-gold, geometric pattern. Do not confuse it with the Armor Trim templates (like Sentry, Vex, Wild) which have different duplication recipes requiring other materials like Terracotta or specific stones.
How to Use the Template for Upgrading
Duplication is only half the journey. Here’s a quick reminder on how to use your new templates to get that powerful Netherite gear.
You need a Smithing Table. Place the Smithing Table and interact with it. Its interface has three slots:
- Left Slot: Place the Diamond gear you wish to upgrade (e.g., Diamond Chestplate).
- Middle Slot: Place a Netherite Ingot.
- Right Slot: Place the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template.
Once all three slots are filled, the output will show the Netherite version of the item. Taking the output consumes the Netherite Ingot and the Smithing Template. The diamond item is not consumed, merely transformed. This is why having a stockpile of duplicated templates is so important.
Maximizing Your Template Utility
Think beyond your own gear. A single found template can be duplicated to supply an entire server or friendship group. In multiplayer, consider setting up a public duplication station with a chest containing netherrack and a sign explaining the diamond cost.
Always keep at least one “master” template safe in an Ender Chest or a heavily secured vault. This ensures you can never lose the ability to create more, even if you die with all your copies on you.
Prioritize which items to upgrade first. A Netherite Pickaxe with Fortune III will accelerate your diamond mining, funding further upgrades. Next, upgrade your chestplate and leggings for maximum survivability, then your sword and other tools.
Your Path to Full Netherite Mastery
The process is clear: adventure to find the initial pattern, then invest in diamond mining to fund its duplication. This balance of exploration and resource gathering is core to Minecraft’s progression. By mastering template duplication, you remove the major bottleneck to obtaining the game’s best equipment.
Start by securing that first template from a Bastion. Then, set up an efficient diamond mine. With a steady supply of diamonds and a stack of netherrack, you can sit at your crafting table and turn one precious find into a full arsenal of legendary gear. The power of Netherite is now not just a rare treasure, but a repeatable craft, putting you in complete control of your Minecraft endgame.
