Bastion Remnants in Minecraft: Complete Guide to Piglins, Loot, and Hidden Dangers

There are four types of bastion remnants in Minecraft, and each one has an equal chance to generate with its own layout and loot:

• Housing Units – piglin homes around a Nether Wart courtyard
• Hoglin Stables – hoglin pens with a saddle and diamond-tool loot
• Treasure Room – the hardest, with a guaranteed Netherite Upgrade
• Bridge – a piglin-face rampart with a guaranteed Lodestone

While exploring Nether, you might have spotted a broken fortress-like structure made of dark blackstone. Well, that is the Bastion Remnants. These structures are challenging to conquer and raid, but equally thrilling if you know how to navigate through them.

Inside each of these structures, you will come across multiple hostile mobs that will make your journey a lot difficult. They are one of the toughest enemies you will face in the Nether, but not impossible to defeat.

You, as a player, are here to collect the treasure, such as enchanted gear, Ancient Debris, Netherite Scrap, the Netherite Upgrade smithing template and more gold than you’ll ever need. But it will not be easy, since Bastions have a lot of traps that will slow you down.

Before you can take a step further, let’s discuss everything you need to know: Bastion Remnants, Piglins, Loot, and other hidden dangers.

What Are Bastion Remnants?

Bastion Remnants are known to be the remains of an ancient Piglin civilization; grand fortresses that once stood tall, built to protect their hoards of gold and treasures. With time and multiple lava explosions, the entire structure has been brought to ruins, with a few Piglins still living in their homes.

These mobs protect every piece of gold and treasure like their own: Piglins attack you on sight unless you wear at least one piece of golden armor, and Piglin Brutes attack you no matter what you wear. Bastion Remnants generate in every Nether biome except Basalt Deltas. If a bastion tries to generate in a Basalt Delta, a Nether Fortress generates there instead.

That is all we know about the history and how this structure came into existence, but there is so much more to explore. Let’s talk about it.

How to Find a Bastion

Bastion remnants generate in every Nether biome except Basalt Deltas: Nether Wastes, Soul Sand Valley, Crimson Forest and Warped Forest. The game splits the Nether into regions of 432 x 432 blocks (Java) or 480 x 480 blocks (Bedrock), and each region holds either a Nether Fortress or a bastion. In Java Edition a region picks a bastion 60% of the time, in Bedrock Edition two thirds of the time, so if you have already found a fortress, the next structure in a neighbouring region is more likely to be a bastion.

The fastest ways to find one:

• Use the /locate command: /locate structure bastion_remnant (Java and Bedrock) shows the nearest bastion. This requires cheats ("Allow Commands") to be enabled for the world; on a server you need operator permission level 2 (Java) or 1 (Bedrock).
• Use a seed map such as Chunkbase: enter your world seed and version and turn on bastion markers.
• Explore the open Nether Wastes first: the large dark blackstone structures are much easier to see there than in the forests.

Bastion Types in Minecraft

Every bastion remnant is one of four types: Housing Units, Hoglin Stables, Treasure Room or Bridge. All four have the same chance to generate, so the only way to know which one you found is to look at its shape. Use this table to identify a bastion before you go in:

Hoglin Stables

The Hoglin Stables bastion is built around a three-part rampart with damaged hoglin stables on both sides, and Hoglins can spawn in it when the structure generates (they also appear in Bridge bastions). Hoglins are always hostile and their knockback can throw you into lava, so fight them from a stable position or keep them away with warped fungus – they avoid it. Its special chests can contain a Saddle, a Damaged Enchanted Diamond Pickaxe, a Damaged Enchanted Diamond Shovel, Ancient Debris, Netherite Scrap and stacks of gold blocks.

Structure: Complicated Yet Rewarding

There is an easy way to identify that this, in fact, is a Hoglin Stables. Let’s learn more about its structure.

1. Ramparts (Buildings): This is the only Bastion type that has three ramparts. If you are coming from the top or from the back, you can see the ruined structure with three ramparts, the most obvious way to identify this variant. The higher the Ramparts, the higher the chance you will find multiple chests right at the top guarded by the Piglins and Piglin Brutes

2. Wide, open central space: There is a huge central space in this structure with a two-block-wide gap right in the middle.

3. Pen-like sections or platforms: made of Blackstone and polished basalt, often stacked on top of each other.

4. Hoglins spawn naturally in the lower pens, while Piglins and Piglin Brutes roam the upper walkways.

5. Floors: The entire structure has random blocks broken here and there. There are multiple floors with Piglins on each of them and multiple chests scattered around.

Overall, Hoglin Stables has a bit of a complicated structure, and you need to be careful while climbing down the stair-like structure since there are random holes where you can directly fall into the lava.

Loot You Can Find

Now, let’s look at everything you will find in the Hoglin Stables bastion variant. The chests here are usually found in tucked-away corners, under bridges, or along narrow walkways near the Hoglin pens.

1. Gold Blocks and Gold Ingots: plenty of them scattered across the structure.
2. Ancient Debris and Netherite Scrap: rare finds. In Java Edition a hoglin stable chest has a 12% chance of one Ancient Debris, a 5% chance of two and an 8% chance of Netherite Scrap.
3. Cooked Porkchops: courtesy of the Hoglins, often found in chests.
4. Crimson Fungus, Crimson Nylium, and Crimson Roots: Crimson Fungus lures and breeds Hoglins, while Hoglins flee from Warped Fungus; Nylium and Roots are decorative blocks for building.
5. Damaged Enchanted Diamond Shovel and Pickaxe: Extremely valuable early or mid-game finds. The enchantments can range from Efficiency, Unbreaking, or Fortune.
6. Glowstone Dust: For brewing (Potions of Healing), lighting, or decoration.
7. Saddle: This can be pretty useful in the Nether, as you can put it on a Strider and ride across lava, steering with a Warped Fungus on a Stick.
8. Soul Sand: These, too, can be found in the chests and are used for building Soul Sand elevators or crafting Wither setups.

These aren’t all of the loot. You can even find Golden Apple, Strings, random blocks, and much more in the chests here at the Hoglin Stables.

Mobs and How To Tackle Them

Considering this is a Hoglins stable, you will find a lot of deadly Hoglins on the lower part of this structure. Also, there are Piglins and Piglin Brutes, too, which roam around in the ramparts guarding the loot and gold.

The real question is, how are you going to deal with them? Since there are a few specific areas where you can find the loot, the best way is to stay clear of them, but it may not be possible at all times.

So, you can use your bow and arrow to kill them from afar and always carry a shield to defend yourself from Hoglins' Knockback. To be able to open the chests safely, you can use blocks around the chest to avoid the Piglins' sight.

Another way to kill these mobs is by using a lava bucket. It is the most efficient way, as lava is found everywhere in the Nether.

Bridge

The Bridge bastion is easy to spot because its rampart has a Piglin face carved into it, with a long, damaged bridge leading out of the mouth. Every chest from the bridge loot table contains a Lodestone, and the bridge itself holds 16 Blocks of Gold. Its chests can also hold enchanted golden armor, an enchanted crossbow and, more rarely, a Netherite Upgrade.

Next, we have the Bridge Bastion. It's pretty easy to recognize this structure since it resembles a Piglin’s face. If you look at it clearly, it will have proper eyes, nose, and even arms, which are basically the ramparts.

To enter the Bastion, you can see a long bridge made of Blackstones. And right at the start, there are at least 16 blocks of Gold stacked a little high up. It is an easy-to-grab loot since the Piglins are generally far from it.

It does not have as many levels as the Hoglin Stables. There is another bridge right below the entrance, one with lava flows everywhere when you enter it.

Loot and Rewards

This is what you're here for, so let’s talk about the loot. The Lodestone is guaranteed in every bridge chest, but only in Bridge bastions, not in the other three types.

1. Lodestone: When you enter one of the nostrils in the Bridge Bastion and climb up the stairs on the left. Just opposite the lava pool, or better say Piglin’s eyes, you will see a chest with a 100% Lodestone block.
2. Damaged Enchanted Crossbow: A partially used crossbow, typically with enchantments like Quick Charge, Piercing, or Multishot. Commonly in the main bridge chest (same chest as Lodestone).
3. Enchanted Golden Axe: A randomly enchanted golden axe. Found with Lodestone or in a secondary rampart chest.

Apart from these, you might also find some food sources, strings, and other basic chest loot.

Why the Lodestone Makes Bridge Bastions Special

Most Bastions give you random loot. The Bridge Bastion, however, guarantees a Lodestone every time, which means:

• It’s the only bastion type that guarantees a Lodestone in every bridge chest. Since Java 1.21.5 and Bedrock 1.21.70 you can also craft a Lodestone from eight Chiseled Stone Bricks and one Iron Ingot, and Lodestones can turn up in Ruined Portal chests.
• You can create Nether navigation points, marking bases, portal links, or gold farms.
• For multiplayer worlds, Lodestones can act like beacons or markers, keeping teams coordinated underground or across vast distances.
  

In short, if you’re exploring Nether Bastions for utility rather than just loot, the Bridge Bastion is the one you want.

Treasure Room

The Treasure Room is the most dangerous and most rewarding bastion. At the bottom of a room full of bridges above a lava floor sits a pile of gold blocks with one or two treasure chests, guarded by a Magma Cube spawner. Every treasure chest contains a Netherite Upgrade smithing template, the item you need to turn diamond gear into netherite.

This is one of the most dangerous and also the most valuable Bastions among all. Speaking of the structure, there are two ruined buildings connected by a broken bridge right in the middle. Just below the bridge, there are multiple lava pools arranged in a systematic order.

Now, if you enter one of the buildings, you will find a massive open interior with tall blackstone columns and bridges around the chamber. There are multiple layers to this bastion, and each layer has Piglins and Piglin brutes guarding the area.

Among these layers, you will find a few chests with some basic loot. When you cross the bridge and get over to the other building or rampart, you will find a few more single and even double chests with Ancient Debris, Golden Apple, and other basic loot.

Loots and Rewards

As mentioned above, this bastion is the most rewarding among all the variants. Not only will you find loot such as Ancient Debris, weapons, etc., but there are some jackpots too.

1. Treasure Pile: At the bottom of the bastion, you will see a pile of gold blocks. Along with that, there are one or two treasure chests. Each one always contains a Netherite Upgrade smithing template and might also give you Diamond armor and weapons, an Enchanted Golden Apple, Netherite Ingots, Ancient Debris, and much more of this valuable loot.
2. Gold blocks: There are multiple gold blocks hidden inside the walls of this bastion and other parts of the rampart.
3. Gold Ingot: This, too, can be found in the Treasure Pile itself or in other chests.

Mobs and How To Tackle Them

So, every bastion kind of has Piglins and Piglin Brutes everywhere. But this bastion also spawns Magma Cubes, which can be very annoying and deadly too if not taken care of.

Right in the middle, where you will find the Treasure pile, you have a Magma Spawner that will keep spawning Magmas unless destroyed. Hence, that is the first thing you need to do.

Use your best sword to attack these mobs, and even use blocks to cover up the area around chests to stay clear of these mobs.

Housing Units

The Housing Units bastion is a cluster of ruined piglin homes around one courtyard. The courtyard grows Nether Wart, which otherwise mainly appears in Nether Fortresses, so this is a handy place to start a potion farm. Its chests use the generic bastion loot table, which can include Ancient Debris, the Snout Banner Pattern and the Pigstep music disc.

This Bastion was known to be the housing area for the Piglins, and now you can only see the ruins of it. At first glance, you will see multiple housing units like buildings spread across a large area.

There isn’t any specific loot that you will find in each chest, but you might find something valuable, like Gold Ingots, a Golden Apple, armor, and much more.

One unique loot that you can grab from this bastion is Nether Warts. Right at the bottom center area of these buildings, you can see a small area where Nether Warts grow. Apart from bastions, you mainly find it in Nether Fortresses, which makes it a valuable find.

Preparation Before Entering

Now that we know everything about Bastion Remnants, there is another important thing we need to discuss. You cannot visit this part of the Nether without being prepared. Here are a few things you will absolutely need before starting out on this journey.

1. Wear at Least One Piece of Gold Armor

The most important rule in this expedition is that you need to wear at least one piece of Gold armor. It can be anything you have, boots, a helmet, a chest, etc.

Piglins are obsessed with Gold. Without golden armor they attack you on sight; with at least one piece they stay neutral. They still turn hostile if you open or break a chest or mine gold blocks near them, and Piglin Brutes attack you no matter what you wear. Hence, to avoid being attacked instantly, you need this.

2. Carry Some Building Blocks

This is yet another super important item you need to bring with you in your inventory. Having the right set of blocks helps you stay clear of lava, prevent attacks from Piglins, and even helps you build bridges.

• Cobblestone or Basalt- cheap blocks that survive Ghast fireballs (but not TNT or Creeper explosions), so you can quickly wall yourself off from Ghasts or Piglins.
• Blackstone (if mined nearby)- blends naturally with the structure.
• Avoid wood- it burns instantly in lava or fire.

3. Fire Resistance Potion Is A Must

The moment you enter the Nether, you will find lava everywhere. Even in the bastions, there are lava pools, lava flowing from the ceiling, and if you are not careful, you will definitely fall into these pits.

To tackle this, you need a lot of Fire Resistance Potions. It is recommended to have at least three of these and drink them when you are exploring the different parts of the bastions, especially Hoglins Stable.

You can choose to craft it before entering the Nether, but there is another way to get this. You can trade it with the Piglins while exploring the Nether.

4. Type Of Weapons

We all know that a Sword is the best weapon you can carry for any purpose. However, you do need a bow and arrow as well to fight the piglins and hoglins from afar.

Here is what you can bring:

• A bow or a Crossbow with enchantments like Power, Punch, or Quick Charge.
• A sword is a must if you come into a close-range attack with Piglins and Hoglins.
• A shield is also very much required to block the attack of Hoglins.
• At least 2 stacks of arrows or spectral arrows.

5. Bucket of Lava

It’s one of the most underappreciated tools in a Bastion raid, and if you know how to use it right, it can completely flip a fight in your favor.

The best part about this is that it is infinitely available since you are surrounded by it in the Nether. Instead of using Swords, you can directly throw some lava on these mobs, resulting in instant death.

Moreover, while you are opening a chest and collecting the loot, you can throw some lava on the floor around you so that no mobs can attack you. This comes in handy a lot of times.

6. Stock Up Food

Lastly, we have food. This is a no-brainer that you will need some good food sources for your journey. Healing quickly and keeping your hunger bar full can save you from lethal follow-up attacks.

Here is everything you can bring:

• Golden Apples (2–3 minimum)- instant regeneration during fights.
• Cooked pork chops or Steak- high saturation keeps health regenerating.
• Potion of Healing or Regeneration- optional, but great for prolonged raids.

Apart from all the items we have mentioned above, you can also bring a few gold ingots to barter with the piglins. They can give you a Fire Resistance Potion in return, which is the most important item for you.

Bastion Remnants FAQ

How many types of bastions are there in Minecraft?

There are four: Housing Units, Hoglin Stables, Treasure Room and Bridge. Each type has an equal chance to generate.

Which bastion type has the best loot?

The Treasure Room. Its treasure chests always contain a Netherite Upgrade smithing template and can also hold Netherite Ingots, diamond gear and an Enchanted Golden Apple.

How do I know which bastion type I found?

Look at the outside. A carved Piglin face with a long bridge is a Bridge bastion, a three-part rampart with stables on both sides is a Hoglin Stables bastion, ramparts around a Nether Wart courtyard are Housing Units, and a room of bridges over a lava floor with a gold pile at the bottom is a Treasure Room.

Where do bastion remnants spawn?

In every Nether biome except Basalt Deltas. A bastion and a Nether Fortress never generate in the same region, and in Java Edition a region chooses a bastion 60% of the time.

Will piglins attack me in a bastion if I wear gold armor?

Normal Piglins stay neutral if you wear at least one piece of golden armor, but they still turn hostile when you open a chest or break gold blocks near them. Piglin Brutes always attack, no matter what you wear.

Conclusion: Extra Tips

We are finally done with Bastion Remnants and everything you needed to know about it. At the end of the day, it entirely depends on you, how you want to explore these types of Bastions and your approach towards it.

There are a few things you can do to make combat and exploring easier. Such as if you are stuck with a horde of Piglins and see no way out of it, simply throw a gold block towards them and run away. The gold will keep them distracted for a while, and you can save yourself or even collect the loot.

Other than this, you can put a saddle on a Strider and steer it across the lava with a Warped Fungus on a Stick (crafted from a Fishing Rod and a Warped Fungus). They are a good way to locate these bastions, just for fun. For travelling, if you have Elytra, bring that too, with some fireworks, which will make it easier to reach places and cover larger areas in a shorter time.

Overall, this might look a bit overwhelming, but the loot is worth it and so much fun. Once you have conquered and cleared the Bastions, you can move over to exploring the Nether Fortresses.

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