Ancient city vs trial chamber: Which structure is more challenging in Minecraft?

Inarguably the largest feature of Minecraft 1.21, also known as Tricky Trials, is the trial chamber. These are stronghold-sized underground structures flush with monster spawners and danger. However, there is a long list of dangerous structures in the game, begging the question of how trial chambers match up against other challenging iterations, like the ancient cities added in Minecraft 1.19.

Trial chambers have been designed from the ground up, quite literally, to be the most challenging structure to conquer in the entire game, even when compared to these deadly cities. A direct comparison between ancient cities and trial chambers can be found below.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.

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Trial chambers and ancient cities: Which Minecraft structure is deadlier?

Trial chambers

An example of the multi-story design of trial chambers (Image via Mojang)

Trial chambers are imposing underground structures from 1.21 Tricky Trials. They are the deadliest and most challenging Minecraft structures, as mentioned previously. Their lethality is easy to see, even down to how they generate. Trial chambers are quite labyrinthine, filled with high ledges and pitfalls. This means that players can easily take significant damage due to falls.

Additionally, trial chambers have an incredibly deadly range of mobs. Bogged Minecraft skeleton variants and cave spiders can deal large damage with poison, strays can keep players back with slowness arrows, and husks can stop them from healing via hunger. These mobs also spawn in large numbers thanks to trial spawners not caring about light level.

Trial chambers are safer than ancient cities in one specific area, however. Copper bulbs keep trial chambers quite bright, making it easier to see hostile mobs and threats than in ancient cities. This also means that there are very few naturally-spawning hostile mobs to worry about.

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Ancient cities

Ancient cities are very deadly structures, not to be taken lightly (Image via Mojang)

Ancient cities are found deep underground, like trial chambers. However, while trial chambers are kept free of many random spawns thanks to copper bulbs, ancient cities have no such blocks. While ancient cities are dark and creepy, players need not worry about facing Minecraft mobs like skeletons and creepers, as they don't spawn in the Deep Dark biome and ancient cities. Their only concern should be to avoid triggering a sculk shrieker.

On the surface, ancient cities might seem deadlier. Minecraft's warden mob, the single deadliest in the entire game, appears within these areas, summoned by noise caused by players. However, this conditional spawning is what makes ancient cities less challenging than trial chambers.

The warden might deal enough damage to one-shot even well-armored players, but that's only if it spawns. Assuming that players take their time while exploring, they can avoid making any noise at all. The warden can only be a threat if it actually exists, after all.

Ancient cities are also safer than trial chambers in their layout. They're much flatter than their competitors. This makes them safer to explore, as there are fewer falls that can deal damage to players within them.

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Put it all together: Trial chambers are the deadliest in Minecraft

Trial chambers are ancient cities can spawn near enough other, making both much deadlier (Image via Mojang)

To recap, Minecraft's trial chambers are a more challenging structure when compared to ancient cities. There are a few reasons for this. First, the mobs found within trial chambers can often be deadlier than those found in ancient cities. The warden is very dangerous, but can be avoided entirely.

Additionally, while ancient cities have many dangerous mobs in them due to being so dark, trial chambers can be deadlier due to the guaranteed spawns from trial spawners. Finally, they are harder to navigate in general due to the natural pitfalls and ledges found within. While both structures are dangerous, trial chambers are deadly on another level entirely.