How to get started in Minecraft 1.21 as a returning player

One of the best parts of Minecraft is that it is constantly updated, added to, and improved. However, this is also a double-edged sword, as it means that missing an update or two can make it feel nearly impossible to catch up and learn everything. For example, if you're just returning to 1.21, you must learn about trial chambers, ominous events, bad omen's revamp, new items, and more.

Everything you need to know about getting started with 1.21 can be found in detail below. This should make transitioning into the more advanced modern game much easier.

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How to jump into Minecraft 1.21 as a returning player

1) Read the wiki

The wiki is one of the best sources of information on the game (Image via the MC Wiki)

While it's not very flashy, the best thing to do when returning to the game is to read the Wiki page on the update. This will give you a great overview and introduction to all of this major Minecraft update's features, changes, and additions. It won't elaborate on everything, leaving a bit of mystery to the update, but it will let you see everything that was added.

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2) Set up a villager trading hall early

Villager trading is even more essential in Tricky Trials (Image via Mojang)

The first thing you'll want to do in a new Minecraft survival world on 1.21 is set up a villager trading hall. Since trial chambers are exclusively found underground, they can be hard to locate intentionally. To combat this, Mojang added a new cartographer trade for a trial chamber explorer map. This will allow you to see exactly where the nearest trial chamber is.

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3) Collect ominous bottles

Ominous bottles are required to see the best of 1.21 (Image via Mojang)

After getting a trial chamber map, you'll need to find some ominous bottles. This is a new 1.21 item that has replaced how bad omen is applied. Rather than being automatically given to you when a raid captain is killed, they instead drop ominous bottles, which can be consumed to get the effect.

Bad omen will cause trial chambers to switch to their ominous variants. This is required to observe the best parts of the update, like the mace and its best Minecraft enchantment.

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4) Hunt down a trial chamber

The inside of a trial chamber (Image via Mojang)

Now that you've obtained both the means to find a trial chamber and the ominous bottles needed to activate an ominous event, it's time to hunt the Minecraft structure down.

Almost all of 1.21's new features relate to trial chambers in some way. Both new mobs, the bogged skeleton variant, and the breeze, can also be found in trial chambers. All of the new copper and tuff blocks make up the structure's walls, and they are the only place to get wind charges.

Follow the map until your player icon is right over it, and then dig a downward staircase. After finding the trial chamber, take one of the ominous bottles you collected previously. This will start an ominous event and give you a chance to find ominous trial keys.

These keys can, in turn, be used to open ominous vaults. These contain a multitude of different items new to 1.21, including the heavy core needed to craft a mace and the wind burst weapon enchantment.

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5) Make and use the crafter

A new crafter block (Image via Mojang)

One of the only Tricky Trials features that doesn't directly relate to trial chambers is the revolutionary new Minecraft crafter. These blocks are a new redstone component that can take raw materials as input and automatically craft them into more complex items as output.

The potential to combine different automated farm outputs in a way that automatically makes useful items, such as dried kelp blocks, firework rockets, or Minecraft hoppers.