Is an ancient city loot worth it in Minecraft?

Ancient city is one of the scariest structures in Minecraft. It was added in the 1.19 Wild update and instantly became one of the spookiest areas to explore. This was particularly because of the strange sculk blocks and the terrifying Warden mob, which was capable of obliterating even the strongest players. Being one of the toughest structures to explore, it also offered some of the best loot in the game.

However, the ancient city's loot value-to-danger ratio makes it too dangerous to loot in Minecraft.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

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Why ancient city is not worth looting in Minecraft

Warden's immense power

Warden is arguably the most powerful being in the game (Image via Mojang Studios)

It is safe to say that Warden is arguably the deadliest mob in the game, even more so than the final boss mob, Ender Dragon. With the Warden, Mojang Studios wanted to create a creature that players simply flee from instead of trying to kill it. Though players could kill the Warden, the developers made it powerful enough to convey the message that players should not.

Warden summons in a world where a sculk sensor activates a sculk shrieker block thrice in the deep dark biome. Sculk sensors will do so whenever it will detect any sound coming from the player.

Since ancient city generates inside the deep dark biome, the structure's area is the most infected with sculk blocks, including sensors and shriekers. Hence, looting becomes a challenge, particularly because opening chests can set off nearby sensors and shriekers.

In conclusion, the Warden is one of the main reasons why the ancient city is not worth looting.

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Rare valuable loot that can be found in easier structures

Players can rarely get valuable loot (Image via Mojang Studios)

While the Warden remains a strong reason as to why players should not loot an ancient city, the loot itself is another aspect to consider.

Firstly, it is worth mentioning that several valuable loots that were generated in ancient cities can be found in other Minecraft structures as well. For example, the enchanted golden apple, which was most commonly found in ancient cities, now has a 22% chance of generating in the new ominous trial vault, which is much easier to access through trial chambers.

It might take time for players to get enchanted diamond gear by mining for the mineral, but it will be much easier than looting the haunting structure.

Though players can find exclusive loot like echo shards, disc fragments, and swift sneak, one of those items (echo shards) does not have a lot of use once obtained. Echo shards can only be used to craft a recovery compass.

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Looting an ancient city depends on a player's personality

In conclusion, the question of whether looting an ancient city is worth it or not depends on a player's personality.

If one is daring and seeking thrill in the game, they can head down to the dangerous city, find ways to block off sculk blocks, and loot all the chest to get the best items in Minecraft.

On the other hand, if one wants to play it safe and progress with minimal risk, they could simply grind by mining diamonds in Minecraft, creating a librarian trading hall for enchantments, and never even witness an ancient city.