Minecraft Stronghold guide: Preparation, how to find, loot, mobs, and more

Stronghold is one of the most important structures in Minecraft, which acts as a portal for players to get to the last dimension of the game, the End. Despite the game being sandbox, its survival mode still has a basic storyline that has an end to it. Players must collect resources, explore everything, and finally enter the End dimension from the Stronghold.

Here is everything to know about one of the last structures to find in Minecraft.

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How to prepare for Stronghold in Minecraft

Resources needed to find and raid a Stronghold in Minecraft. (Image via Mojang)

First up, players need to stock up on some items and blocks in order to be ready to find and conquer a Stronghold. Here is a list of items needed to properly locate and activate the end portal and connect the Stronghold to other known nether portals.

• Basic fighting and mining gears
• Stack of building blocks
• Stack of torches
• Stack of any good food item
• A few golden apples
• One bed
• At least 20 eyes of Ender
• 10 obsidian blocks
• One flint and steel

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How to find Stronghold in Minecraft

Eyes of Ender will direct players toward the Minecraft Stronghold. (Image via Mojang)

When the Eyes of Ender are used in the Overworld, they will essentially direct players to where the Stronghold is. Using the eye by right-clicking, players can throw the eye. The closest Stronghold will be located in the direction that the Eye of Ender will gradually float towards.

Players will be able to determine which way to go in order to locate the structure, thanks to this. They can reposition their movement by throwing the eye after moving a few hundred blocks. The item will eventually begin to descend below the surface. By digging down, one will be able to discover the Stronghold.

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Dangers inside Stronghold in Minecraft

There are many mobs in a Minecraft Stronghold. (Image via Mojang)

Players should always be cautious when exploring Strongholds since many hostile mobs lurk in this structure. Since it is one of the last structures players find, the spawning rate of mobs like zombies, skeletons, creepers, spiders, and more is extremely high.

In the portal room itself, there is a spawner that continuously summons pesky silverfish. These hard-to-hit insects can also spawn predominantly from infested blocks around the Stronghold.

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What can you find in a Stronghold in Minecraft

Loads of good loot can be found in a Stronghold. (Image via Mojang)

Since Strongholds are one of the final and most difficult structures to explore and raid, they yield loads of valuable loot. Players can commonly find Ender Pearls and iron gear. Some of the rare items include an eye-smithing template, a diamond, a music disc, an enchanted book, a saddle, diamond horse armor, and more.

Here is a list of every item that can be found in Stronghold from chests:

• Apple
• Bread
• Iron Ingot
• Ender Pearl
• Redstone Dust
• Gold Ingot
• Iron Pickaxe
• Iron Sword
• Iron Helmet
• Iron Chestplate
• Iron Leggings
• Iron Boots
• Eye Armor Trim
• Diamond
• Music Disc
• Enchanted Book
• Saddle
• Iron Horse Armor
• Golden Horse Armor
• Diamond Horse Armor

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All rooms in Stronghold

Strongholds are massive, with loads of rooms in them. (Image via Mojang)

Players will find that there are a lot of rooms in a Stronghold. Each and every Stronghold that spawns will have a unique room generation, which will be distinct and include special loot.

Almost every Stronghold will have a library, which will be filled with bookshelves. There can also be more than one library that will yield loads of books and chests. Another fascinating location is a jail. There aren't many things in the jail except a few cells that can hold certain creatures.

Of course, every Stronghold will have the end portal room, the most important area. It has three small lava pools, a silverfish spawner, and the end portal itself.

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How to find the end portal room in Stronghold

Block off areas to find the end portal room and create a nether portal connection once found. (Image via Mojang)

After entering the Stronghold, players must search for the end portal room and secure it so that no hostile mobs keep spawning. At times, the structure can be extremely difficult to navigate through due to its size, which makes it very challenging for players to locate the portal room. To avoid wandering in circles, players must set up torches and block off areas and hallways they've already visited.

Once the end portal room is found, players can create a nether portal and connect it to other portals to take players to their base.