Nether strategies post-HCH

[BobSlingblade679]

HCH has made Steve's life much more dangerous but particularly in the Nether. The nerfed natural health regen coupled with wither skellies and blazes makes for a seemingly impossible endeavor.

However, there are a few strategies I've discovered that have made it possible and, once set up, quite easy to wander the Nether fortress as you farm your initial blaze rods and wither skulls:

First, roof every path in the Nether fortress that you commonly take. Make it at least three high and use the second strategy.

Second, place a one-block-wide line, three blocks off the ground of netherrack or cobble. This simple strategy has saved me three times in just the last hour. Using this simple strategy makes it so you never get surprised going around a corner by being met face-to-face with a wither skeleton because he can't get through the two-block high section you made. By making the rest of the fortress at least three blocks high they will still spawn but they'll never catch you off guard and you can farm them at will.

Lastly, if at all possible, approach a blaze spawner from a wall of netherrack and come into the room with your feet one block below the blaze room's floor. You can then make a one-wide section right at the close edge of the room where the blazes will try to get you but the roof of your tunnel prevents them from being able to shoot.


Anyone else have strategies they use in the Nether or anything to add to the ones I came up with?

[DNoved1]

Easy way to deal with blaze spawners: slab over the platform the spawner resides on 4 blocks in every direction, taking out the fences in the process and slabbing over where they previously were. Blazes can only spawn on netherrack and netherbrick, even from spawners, so that's why this surprisingly works. Also it is necessary to remove the fences because for some reason blazes seem to be able to spawn in the space it occupies if the block underneath is netherrack/netherbrick.

Also, bows are your best friend in the nether.

[BobSlingblade679]

Easy way to deal with blaze spawners: slab over the platform the spawner resides on 4 blocks in every direction, taking out the fences in the process and slabbing over where they previously were. Blazes can only spawn on netherrack and netherbrick, even from spawners, so that's why this surprisingly works. Also it is necessary to remove the fences because for some reason blazes seem to be able to spawn in the space it occupies if the block underneath is netherrack/netherbrick.

Also, bows are your best friend in the nether.

Oh, cool. I didn't think about slabbing the spawn area. Good idea. :)

[tom_savage]

One big recommendation that I realize not everyone can use, is, have a buddy with you. It always seems like this:

Steve looks left, nothing, silence. Steve looks right, the dark corridor is motionless, still, quiet. Looking up at the wall, Steve starts placing cobblestone to block off the area. Suddenly, he is knocked sideways! Reeling with pain, he tries to compose himself and look up at his attacker, just to find the massive black skeleton is already pressing on him again, desperately trying to switch to his sword, he stammers through his items as the wither skeleton's dull cobblestone blade applies another stroke of wither, pain, and ultimately...death.

Intro buddy watching back...ACTION:

Steve looks at his friend, I think I want to block off this corridor. His friend responds: "Alright man, I got your back." Pulling out his sword he stands at the ready. As Steve removes cobblestone from his pack and starts to place it, he hears his friend: "Wither Skelly incoming...I got this."

[MrPlatypus]

New idea: Minecraft the Movie.

[dawnraider]

Yeah, but most times I play either I am in SSP or nowhere near anyone, so that wouldn't work in most circumstances.

[Mud]

1) Build first Nether Portal in fresh post-HCH world.
2) Go in and collect 5 Netherack for Cauldron
3) Return to overworld, and tear down portal
4) Never. Visit. The Nether. Again.

I'll get over the crushing fear sometime... but ffffffuuuuu

[Simurgh]

Lmao, yeah the nether is suddenly a huge challenge. I guess quite rightly seeing as it's basically hell...

My tactics so far that have helped me

Start from the top of a fortress to the bottom, tear down or slab up areas you have visited
Go slow - theres no rush
Use the best bow you can get
Don't over-extend, if you see an encounter you won't be able to handle, head somewhere else and give those guys a chance to despawn.
Build a secure base with all mod cons at your entrance to you base, this will be a forward camp and also a place to fall back to if forced.
Bear in mind that Withers and blazes can spawn slightly outside the fortress now too, so ensure you have a safe passage back to base.

Once you get a few blaze rods...
Potions, lots of potions. If you started previous to HcH you may have some apples you can make into golden apples.

Expect it to be hard, it sounds daft but something as simple as not expecting a cakewalk mentally prepares you to stop taking careless risks.

[nmarshall23]

Once you have a brewing stand, start farming Ghasts. Regen potions are ridiculously powerful now.

I do agree Withers are very nasty, bring milk. until you can make regen potions.
Blazes are no joke now, an enchanted bow is your best bet.

Because combat is so deadly, building a nether mob farm is a must. I agree, it's no easy.
Bringing a buddy to help watch your back is a great idea. Share on Lan has changed how I play this game..

[BobSlingblade679]

Once you have a brewing stand, start farming Ghasts. Regen potions are ridiculously powerful now.

I do agree Withers are very nasty, bring milk. until you can make regen potions.
Blazes are no joke now, an enchanted bow is your best bet.

Because combat is so deadly, building a nether mob farm is a must. I agree, it's no easy.
Bringing a buddy to help watch your back is a great idea. Share on Lan has changed how I play this game..

Yeah, man. I just hit soul-forged steel and I'm thinking about the Wither fight... I'm gonna need those regen pots. Now I need to find a way to farm Ghasts.

Oh, don't forget fire resist pots. Blaze powder + slimeball = helpless blazes.

[wirer]

one of the more general strategies i have is to immediately wall up the entrance portal, and remodel the floor to prevent pigmen spawning. when exploring for a new portal location, dig into netherrack and make a straight road to rail later on. you get netherrack for cauldrons and hellfire, as well as a relatively secure path. make sure to pave the ground to prevent spawns.

on Nether forts, i have yet to tackle HCH and forts in conjunction, but i bet on getting some soul sand to make a soul hopper for exp in a mob farm. use the levels to enchant a bow, preferably with punch, infinity or power II or higher.

Punch keeps the mobs from reaching you.
Infinity is actually not as useful if you have a mob farm putting out rotted arrows, but is better on a composite bow to make up for arrow manufacture. i assume infinity on a composite bow outputs normal high-velocity arrows. yet get an infinite composite bow.
Power is fairly obvious, and is highly recommended if hunting instead of exploring. Punch works better for exploration.

Lastly, bring a (minimum) stone pickaxe. harvesting even netherrack for anti-mob walls is very beneficial, and being able to create makeshift camps after escaping a bad fight to heal up is a plus.

as for slabbing blaze spawners, its not a bad idea, but i feel it should only be tackled after getting anti-fire potions, as blazes can spawn during the slabbing process.

as for hunting, i like the structured crossroads with gateways. those are only 3 high, so a 1 high wall will keep the wither skeletons at bay to tackle with a battleaxe or sword of your choice.

buried path sections of the fort are also 3 high, making the above strategy valid too.

Blaze hunting wise, i prefer to make a wall with a small window to shoot out of. the fire spread by the shots is a pain though. not too sure on how to tackle a spawner yet. probably focus on killing two or so before running off with the rods, get a brewing stand and magma cream for anti-fire potions.

[Sarudak]

on Nether forts, i have yet to tackle HCH and forts in conjunction, but i bet on getting some soul sand to make a soul hopper for exp in a mob farm. use the levels to enchant a bow, preferably with punch, infinity or power II or higher.

Punch keeps the mobs from reaching you.
Infinity is actually not as useful if you have a mob farm putting out rotted arrows, but is better on a composite bow to make up for arrow manufacture. i assume infinity on a composite bow outputs normal high-velocity arrows. yet get an infinite composite bow.
Power is fairly obvious, and is highly recommended if hunting instead of exploring. Punch works better for exploration.

:(

I'm looking forward to when Flower finally rips out the default enchanting table. I really hate that thing it's stupid, annoying, and OP all at the same time and it takes away a lot of the motivation for getting arcane scrolls. I wonder how people will handle it when they don't have easy enchants available...

[Mud]

Yeah, man. I just hit soul-forged steel and I'm thinking about the Wither fight... I'm gonna need those regen pots. Now I need to find a way to farm Ghasts.

Oh, don't forget fire resist pots. Blaze powder + slimeball = helpless blazes.

Also Golden Apples for Wither, though since apples were removed from Oak trees in the last update, the only way to get them now is by finding them in chests or trading with NPC villagers.

Also I feel incredibly dumb for not thinking about fire-resist pots.

[TSA]

i am not sure if the blaze spawner can be stopped just by putting slabs on the ground.

If i know correctly they do spawn in middle air. so that said they may still spawn on top.

It is best to cover the spawner with netherrack in a 8x8x5 area (almost 2 stacks of blocks)

secure the zone. you don't want to be snipped by a ghast or ambushed by a skeleton.

buid your farm as you want

[wirer]

@Sarudak

Spoiler

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Ripping out the Vanilla enchanting system would actually be interesting, as enchanted loot from mob kills would skyrocket in value. i know getting an enchanted bow from a skeleton pre-enchanting table is a big deal, but this would make it even more worthwhile.

A skeleton farm would be able to produce randomly enchanted bows without reaching steel and infernal enchanters or consuming levels, and not just for bones/bonemeal. Who needs vMC enchanting randomness when mobs do it for you?

BTW: Making mob drops and mob farms extremely practical.

Forgot about blazes doing the mid-air spawn. Considering the blaze farm design I use removes the floor, I should have noticed.

Pre-automating their demise, get the spawner boxed up. the section under a blaze spawner is always a pillar, which can be incorporated into a mobfarm design. the important bit is setting up a secure location and keeping the flaming buggers off you while you install the saws of doom or whatever weapon of death to end their unnatural existence.
Pre-BTW, i used CraftPixel's Design, but considering that it uses block suffocation, I think a BTW-style conversion using saws, chopping blocks and soul sand hoppers would be simple.

Spoiler

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Touching a blaze with anti-fire on still deals damage, and a significant amount. Bring iron armor, and health/regen potions.

[nmarshall23]

I'm looking forward to when Flower finally rips out the default enchanting table. I really hate that thing it's stupid, annoying, and OP all at the same time and it takes away a lot of the motivation for getting arcane scrolls. I wonder how people will handle it when they don't have easy enchants available...

If the enchanted equipment from a Mob farm wasn't so damaged, as to be unusable.
However, I would like more then one way of playing. I'd rather have Mob farm be an optimal strategy not a required step.

I do agree, that the default enchanting table has a kind of design smell. And is very annoying.

Back on topic, now that the nether is so much more dangerous, I find I am building more. I've build safe rooms and have stores of food around.

Also I've started to use Broadhead Arrows. I can't seem to get a power II bow.. It's killing me.