🐷 Bastion Remnant Raid Guide: Netherite & Piglin Strategy

Bastion Remnants are massive Nether structures filled with Piglins, Piglin Brutes, and some of the best loot in Minecraft — including guaranteed Netherite ingots in the Treasure Room variant. However, raiding a bastion is dangerous, requiring careful preparation and knowledge of each structure type. This guide covers all four bastion variants, combat strategies, and loot optimization.

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What is a Bastion Remnant?

Bastion Remnants are massive Nether structures built from blackstone, gilded blackstone, and polished blackstone, added in the 1.16 Nether Update. They are the primary home of Piglin civilization and contain some of the best loot in the game, including the only guaranteed source of Netherite Ingots outside of mining ancient debris yourself.

• Found in all Nether biomes except Basalt Deltas
• Four distinct structure types, each with different layouts and loot
• Piglin Brutes are always hostile — gold armor won't protect you from them
• Only one bastion generates per 432×432 block area in each Nether quadrant
• Bastions never generate adjacent to Nether Fortresses in the same chunk region
• Structures generate between Y 33 and Y 79 — check MC Seed View's Nether layer to spot them from above

From the surface, Bastions are identifiable by their distinctive black silhouette rising above Netherrack and lava. The structure type determines how you approach entry, what combat encounters await, and which chests are worth prioritizing.

The 4 Structure Types

1. Treasure Room (Best Loot)

The most valuable variant. Recognizable by a central chamber over a lava pool, with a gold block bridge leading to a gilded blackstone wall. The treasure chest is hidden behind that wall — mine through it to access guaranteed Netherite.

• Guaranteed Netherite Ingot in the central treasure chest
• 2–3 additional chests with enchanted diamond gear, gold blocks, and ancient debris
• The sub-floor below the lava pool contains extra ancient debris — don't skip it
• 1–2 Piglin Brutes guard the treasure bridge; deal with them before mining

2. Bridge

Defined by a large open bridge spanning a lava lake, with exposed gold blocks visible on the underside. This is one of the easier variants to raid if you approach from below rather than walking straight across the guarded top.

• Exposed gold blocks on the bridge underside — accessible without triggering Piglins
• Multiple loot chests along the bridge walkway and flanking towers
• 2–4 Piglin Brutes patrol the bridge; use ranged attacks from below before climbing
• Crossbow Piglins on the bridge deal significant damage at range — shield is mandatory

3. Hoglin Stables

A farm-like structure containing Hoglin pens built around a central feeding trough area. Hoglins are aggressive pig mobs that deal knockback — dangerous near any lava floor or open ledge.

• Hoglin pens occupy most of the ground floor; lava floors are common between pen walls
• Chest loot includes golden gear, cooked porkchops, and food supplies
• Hoglins attack on sight and deal knockback — fight from elevated positions or doorways
• 2–3 Piglin Brutes scattered through the upper floors; clear them before ground exploration

4. Housing Units

The largest and most complex variant — a multi-story residential structure with rooms spread across several floors. Highest chest count but also the most dangerous due to Piglin density.

• 8–12 chests distributed across multiple floors and rooms
• Dense regular Piglin population — highest risk of mass aggro if a chest is opened early
• Good source of golden items, enchanted books, and saddles
• Multiple Piglin Brutes on upper floors — sweep each floor before descending to loot

Pre-Raid Preparation

A bastion run without proper preparation ends with lost gear and no loot. Prepare these before entering:

Equipment Checklist

• Gold armor (at least helmet) — Pacifies regular Piglins. Full gold armor is better for pacification coverage but provides little protection; wear diamond armor over it if possible.
• Diamond or Netherite sword — Piglin Brutes have 50 HP (25 hearts); weak weapons mean long, dangerous fights.
• Shield — Blocks crossbow bolts from Piglin ranged attackers. Essential for bridge and housing unit bastions.
• Bow with Power II+ — For dealing with Brutes and Piglins from safe distances before entering rooms.
• Blocks (cobblestone or similar) — For sealing doorways, creating elevated positions, or bridging over lava gaps.

Potion Setup

• Fire Resistance (8 min) — Non-negotiable. One knockback near a lava edge without Fire Resistance is fatal.
• Regeneration or Healing — Piglin Brute fights are attrition battles. Having healing available prevents retreating mid-fight.
• Strength II (optional) — Shortens Brute fights significantly, reducing exposure time.

Raid Strategy

1. Identify the bastion type first — Circle the exterior before entering. Treasure Room bastions have a visible lava pool with a bridge; Hoglin Stables have animal pen fencing at ground level. Knowing the type changes your entry point and priority targets.
2. Wear gold armor before approaching — Piglins become hostile if you approach unequipped. Put on at minimum a gold helmet before coming within ~16 blocks of the structure.
3. Eliminate all Piglin Brutes before looting — Brutes are always hostile and have 50 HP. They will interrupt looting and kill you if ignored. Identify and kill every Brute before touching any chest or gold block.
4. Open chests only after clearing the immediate area — Chest interaction aggros all Piglins in range (~16 blocks). Once Brutes are down, clear a room before looting so only passive Piglins remain.
5. Use blocks for cover and crowd control — Seal doorways to fight Brutes one-on-one. Build a raised platform to shoot down into Piglin-dense rooms before entering.
6. Mine gold blocks last — Mining gold blocks aggros all nearby Piglins instantly, similar to chest opening. Collect all chests first, then mine gold blocks as you exit.

Best Loot from Bastions

Item	Source	Notes
Netherite Ingot	Treasure Room	1 guaranteed in central chest
Ancient Debris	Treasure Room sub-floor	1–2 blocks, often overlooked
Enchanted Diamond Gear	All types	Weapons and armor with random enchants
Snout Armor Trim	All types	Bastion-exclusive cosmetic trim
Gold Blocks	Bridge, Treasure Room	9 gold ingots each; aggros Piglins when mined
Spectral Arrows	All types	Apply Glowing effect; useful for tracking mobs
Pigstep Music Disc	All types	Rare (~5%); exclusive to bastions
Crossbows (Enchanted)	All types	Often Multishot or Quick Charge

Piglin Bartering in Bastions

Regular Piglins inside bastions will barter in exchange for gold ingots — throw an ingot at any Piglin (not a Brute) and they'll toss back a random item. Bastions are the ideal location for a high-volume bartering session because Piglins are already densely concentrated, letting you trade with 10–20 simultaneously without building a dedicated bartering room elsewhere.

Best Items From Bartering

• Crying Obsidian — Used to craft Respawn Anchors (6 crying obsidian + 3 glowstone); only reliably obtained from bartering or ruined portals; approximately 9% chance per ingot traded
• Ender Pearls — 4–8 pearls per barter at roughly 5% chance; one focused session can supply a full 12-pearl Eye of Ender requirement without hunting Endermen
• Fire Resistance Potions — A useful backup supply, especially if you're running low during the bastion raid itself
• Blackstone — Nether-exclusive building block, hard to find in large quantities by mining alone; bartering produces 8–16 per trade
• Soul Sand — Required for Wither boss construction and soul campfires; no dedicated Nether mining needed if you barter for it
• Spectral Arrows — Apply the Glowing status effect, making hit targets visible through walls and solid blocks even in pitch darkness

Bring a dedicated stack of gold ingots specifically for bartering when you plan a bastion run. Housing Unit bastions — with their 15–20+ Piglin density — offer the most efficient barter sessions available without a dedicated bartering farm. Since you're already inside and Piglins are passive toward gold-armored players, a 64-ingot session takes under 5 minutes and can yield all the crying obsidian you need for Respawn Anchors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all bastions have a Treasure Room?

No. There are 4 bastion types — Treasure Room, Bridge, Hoglin Stables, and Housing Units — each with different layouts and loot. They generate with roughly equal probability. Use MC Seed View's Bastion Finder to preview the type for any seed before entering.

Does gold armor protect me from all Piglins?

Gold armor prevents regular Piglins from attacking, but Piglin Brutes are always hostile regardless of your equipment. Every bastion contains Piglin Brutes — budget time to defeat them before looting.

Can I bring Piglins into the Overworld?

Piglins transported to the Overworld convert to Zombified Piglins within 15 seconds. You can move them by minecart or boat, but the transformation is guaranteed outside the Nether.

How do I find the Treasure Room fastest?

Look for the central lava pool with a gold block bridge spanning over it — Treasure Room bastions have this layout. The hidden chest is behind a gilded blackstone wall on the far side. Use MC Seed View to preview bastion structure type before traveling.