Nether Fortress
A Nether structure essential for obtaining Blaze Rods to progress toward the End.
Nether Fortresses are structures in the Nether dimension where players can obtain Blaze Rods from killing Blazes. Blaze Rods are a required item for crafting Eyes of Ender, which are needed to locate and activate the End Portal to reach the End dimension and defeat the Ender Dragon. The fortress also contains Blaze spawners, which are key to farming Blazes for their rods.
- Location
- The Nether
- Key Mobs
- Blaze, Wither Skeleton
- Critical Loot
- Blaze Rods, Gold Ingots
Lore & Background
In Minecraft speedrunning, Nether Fortresses are a critical destination after the player has built and lit a Nether Portal. The runner's goal is to locate the fortress, kill Blazes to obtain Blaze Rods, and then combine Blaze Powder (crafted from rods) with Ender Pearls to create Eyes of Ender. The fortress is typically found after the player has visited a Bastion, as the common strategy is to locate and travel to a Bastion before a Nether Fortress. Players use the debug screen to identify data spikes correlated with certain mob entities and spawners to find the fortress easily.
In Their Own Story
In a typical 1.16.1 RSG speedrun, after bartering with Piglins at a Bastion for Ender Pearls and other resources, the runner travels to the Nether Fortress. There, they kill Blazes to collect Blaze Rods. The rods are then crafted into Blaze Powder, which is combined with Ender Pearls to make Eyes of Ender. These eyes are used to locate the Stronghold, leading to the End Portal and ultimately the Ender Dragon fight.
Reader's Guide
To complete a Minecraft speedrun, a player must obtain Blaze Rods from a Nether Fortress. After entering the Nether through a portal built with obsidian, the runner locates the fortress — often using the debug menu to spot entity spikes. Inside, they kill Blazes to collect Blaze Rods. These rods are crafted into Blaze Powder, which is combined with Ender Pearls (obtained from bartering with Piglins or killing Endermen) to create Eyes of Ender. The eyes are then thrown to locate the Stronghold, which contains the End Portal. The fortress is a mandatory stop in any glitchless speedrun, as Blaze Rods cannot be obtained elsewhere.
Did You Know?
- Blaze Rods from Nether Fortresses are required to craft Eyes of Ender, which lead players to the Stronghold and End Portal.
- In speedruns, players often use the debug screen to identify data spikes that correlate with Blaze spawners in Nether Fortresses.
- The most popular speedrunning version, 1.16.1, has a higher Ender Pearl rate from Piglin bartering, but Nether Fortresses remain the only source of Blaze Rods.
- Gold ingots can sometimes be found in chests within Nether Fortress towers, providing additional resources for Piglin bartering.
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