How to Locate and Raid a Minecraft Bastion

Last Updated: May 20, 2022

Minecraft's 1.16 update revamped the entire Nether dimension, adding with it new biomes, mobs, and structures. This is your go-to guide on the basics of Bastion Remnants, one of the new structures, and how to successfully loot one without dying in the process.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Locating a Bastion Remnant

1
Gear up. Bastions should typically be explored after you have gone to the End and defeated the Ender Dragon. Piglins, the defenders of the bastions, are much harder to defeat, especially with their speed boost. You should be bringing items with enchantments similar to those found in an End City.
- You will want full enchanted diamond armor, along with enchanted diamond tools and a sword. You should also bring along a bow, arrows, blocks, golden apples (enchanted if possible) or potions of fire resistance, an elytra, fireworks, a hopper to loot chests, one piece of gold armor, a lava bucket, food, and multiple shulker boxes.
- Having a good shield and regenerative items are always a good idea for this situation.^{[1]
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2
Enter the Nether. If your current world was created in a version older than v1.16.0, you'll need to travel to an un-generated area of your Nether in order to have a chance at finding the new biomes and structures.
- Make sure to equip your gold armor, as this will prevent Piglins from attacking you.^{[2]
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3
Avoid Basalt Deltas. Basalt Deltas are the only biome in the Nether where Bastion Remnants will not spawn.^{[3]
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Research source} They can be identified by their spiky pillars of basalt, blackstone, pools of lava, and magma blocks.
- Bastion Remnants can spawn in the Crimson Forest, Nether Wastes (the only biome pre-1.17 Nether), Soul Sand Valley, and the Warped Forest.
4
Identify a Hoglin Stable Bastion. Hoglin Stables are perhaps the most useless of Bastions, and should typically be avoided. These places contain stable-like structures and consist of two separate buildings. These should not be confused with Housing Bastions, which do not have an abundance of Hoglins inside. The loot in these structures is minimal, and will rarely contain any useful items.
5
Identify a Housing Bastion. Piglin Bastions, although similar to Hoglin Stable Bastions, can be identified through the Nether Wart, which grows in the center courtyard of the Bastion. This is the only place where you have a chance at finding the rare Pigstep music disc, or the Piglin Banner Pattern.
6
Identify a Bridge Bastion. Bridge Bastions are noticed for their use of gold blocks. There can be up to around 24 blocks of gold in this bastion, excluding any found in chests. This bastion can be identified through its monster like opening, and use of a gold figurehead at the front of the bridge.
7
Identify a Treasure Room Bastion. Treasure Room Bastions are very abundant in loot, and can contain around 16 blocks of gold, enchanted but damaged diamond armor, and Netherite Ingots. This Bastion can be identified through its use of two structures connected by a singular bridge, with lava pools under it. This bastion should always be explored, as it's loot can be extremely valuable.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Raiding a Bastion Remnant

1
Explore the outer building(s). Before entering the main treasure room, explore the outer buildings, which can contain loot, which can be used for possible trading and for XP by removing its enchantment via the grindstone.
2
Loot the chests. Opening any chests or shulker boxes will anger the surrounding Piglins. To avoid this, place a hopper under the chest you want to loot, and take the loot from the hopper. If you want to place the loot in your shulker box, place the shulker box under the hopper.
- You can always loot the chests without a hopper, but beware of any Piglins that may backstab you.
3
Kill the Piglins. You don't always have to do this, although they may become a bit annoying. To avoid angering surrounding Piglins, kill the Piglin(s) using a lava bucket. Unlike the majority of Nether mobs, Piglins are not fire-resistant and will die of fire.
4
Mine any blocks of gold. Especially if a large amount of Piglins is nearby, you will either need to kill them all or block yourself in, as they will become aggravated if you mine any gold-related block.
5
Enter the main part of the bastion. The main part of the treasure room only contains 2 - 7 chests. A singular chest will be located midway down, and the other possible four will be located in the corners of the ground floor. The other 1 - 2 chests will be located in the central treasure room, located at the center of the bottom floor.
6
Drink a Fire Resistance Potion if you fall in the lava. To protect yourself from dying, make sure you drink Fire Resistance if you fall in the lava.
- Enchanted Golden Apples also work, and will also provide you with Regeneration, Resistance, and Absorption along with the five minutes of Fire Resistance
7
Destroy the Magma Cube Spawner. Under the bottommost bridge, there will be a Magma Cube spawner. Destroy this spawner and kill any remaining Magma Cubes that may have spawned.
8
Mine the central blocks of gold. At this point, you should be prepared to take some damage. Unless you completely cover yourself from all Piglins, you will be attacked when mining these gold blocks. Be prepared to battle, and beware of Piglins that may jump from the bridge above to attack you.
9
Loot the main chests. You do not need to use a hopper, especially since the Piglins should already be mad, so feel free to open the chests and take their valuable contents.
10
Escape the bastion. Now that you have gathered all the loot, use your elytra and fireworks and get out of the Piglin's sight.
11
Leave the Nether. Congratulations on all your loot!

Community Q&A

Question

What about the piglin brutes?

Vortrexion

Top Answerer

Piglin Brutes typically cannot be recognized through the masses of piglins. Therefore, you should still follow the guide as you would normally, except use a lava bucket (especially for piglin brutes) to kill them, as this will avoid aggravating an other piglins. Besides from this, piglins brutes rarely spawn, and are rare to find in the bastion.
Question

What if you encounter a Ghast or a blaze, what do you do?

Vortrexion

Top Answerer

Blazes shouldn't spawn within a Bastion Remnant, only if a fortress intersects one. However, in either case, you should use your bow to shoot and kill both the Ghast and Blaze, and that should solve the problem.
Question

What if there are alot of piglin brutes in a bastion?

Vortrexion

Top Answerer

If there are a lot of piglin brutes, use a lava bucket. You can tower up two to three blocks, and place lava on top of them. If you are worried, use a fire resistance potion to protect yourself in this process.