How to Get Prismarine Shards in Minecraft: A Comprehensive Guide
Prismarine shards are a valuable resource in Minecraft, primarily used for crafting prismarine blocks, dark prismarine blocks, and sea lanterns. These blocks are essential for creating aesthetically pleasing and functional structures, especially those inspired by ocean monuments. However, obtaining prismarine shards isn’t as straightforward as mining other resources. This guide will provide a detailed walkthrough on how to acquire prismarine shards efficiently and effectively, covering everything from locating their sources to maximizing your harvest.
Why You Need Prismarine Shards
Before diving into the methods for obtaining prismarine shards, let’s understand why they’re so desirable. Prismarine shards are primarily used to craft the following blocks:
* **Prismarine Blocks:** These blocks are a light-green, textured variant, ideal for adding a touch of aquatic flair to your builds. You need 4 prismarine shards to craft 1 prismarine block.
* **Dark Prismarine Blocks:** Darker and more mysterious than regular prismarine, these blocks add a sense of depth and sophistication. You need 8 prismarine shards and 1 ink sac to craft 1 dark prismarine block.
* **Sea Lanterns:** Emitting a bright, underwater glow, sea lanterns are crucial for lighting up underwater bases and creating stunning visual effects. You need 5 prismarine shards to craft 1 sea lantern.
Sea lanterns are especially valuable because they’re one of the few light sources that work effectively underwater without being extinguished. Their bright, enchanting glow makes them a favorite among builders.
Methods for Obtaining Prismarine Shards
There are two primary methods for obtaining prismarine shards in Minecraft:
1. **Defeating Guardians and Elder Guardians:** This is the most common and reliable method.
2. **Finding Them in Buried Treasure Chests:** This is a less reliable but sometimes rewarding method.
Let’s explore each method in detail.
1. Defeating Guardians and Elder Guardians
The primary source of prismarine shards is the Guardians and Elder Guardians that inhabit Ocean Monuments. These underwater structures are challenging to conquer, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Here’s a breakdown:
Finding Ocean Monuments
Ocean Monuments are relatively rare structures that generate in deep ocean biomes. They are large, imposing structures made entirely of prismarine blocks. Here’s how to locate them:
* **Exploration:** The most straightforward method is to explore the deep ocean biomes by boat or with the help of potions of water breathing. Keep an eye out for the distinctive prismarine structure.
* **Ocean Explorer Maps:** These maps can be found in underwater ruins and shipwrecks. They lead directly to an Ocean Monument, making the search much easier. To use an Ocean Explorer Map:
1. Find an Underwater Ruin or Shipwreck: These are commonly found in ocean biomes.
2. Loot the Chests: Look for chests inside the ruin or shipwreck. Ocean Explorer Maps have a chance to spawn in these chests.
3. Equip the Map: Hold the Ocean Explorer Map in your hand.
4. Follow the Map: The map will guide you to the nearest Ocean Monument.
Preparing for the Ocean Monument
Conquering an Ocean Monument is a significant undertaking. Guardians and Elder Guardians are formidable foes. Proper preparation is crucial for survival. Here’s what you need:
* **Potions:**
* **Water Breathing:** Essential for extended underwater exploration. Brew multiple potions or carry a water breathing helmet.
* **Night Vision:** Improves visibility inside the dark monument.
* **Strength:** Increases your damage output against Guardians.
* **Regeneration/Healing:** Provides healing during combat.
* **Armor:**
* **Enchanted Diamond or Netherite Armor:** Provides maximum protection against Guardian attacks. Enchantments like Protection, Thorns, and Respiration are highly recommended.
* **Weapons:**
* **Enchanted Sword:** A diamond or netherite sword with enchantments like Sharpness, Smite, and Fire Aspect will significantly increase your damage.
* **Bow and Arrows:** Useful for attacking Guardians from a distance.
* **Tools:**
* **Pickaxe:** For mining prismarine blocks if desired (though this isn’t necessary for obtaining shards).
* **Door or Boat:** To create air pockets for breathing.
* **Food:**
* **High-Saturation Food:** Steak, golden carrots, or cooked pork chops are excellent choices for replenishing your hunger.
* **Other Essentials:**
* **Ender Chest:** For storing extra supplies and loot.
* **Shulker Box:** To carry a large number of items.
* **Torches/Light Sources:** To illuminate the monument after clearing it.
Fighting Guardians and Elder Guardians
Guardians and Elder Guardians have unique attack patterns. Understanding these patterns is crucial for defeating them efficiently.
* **Guardians:**
* **Laser Beam Attack:** Guardians charge up a laser beam and fire it at the player. The longer the charge, the more damage it deals. You can interrupt the charge by attacking the Guardian.
* **Spikes:** When approached too closely, Guardians extend their spikes, dealing damage to the player. Stay out of melee range unless you’re confident in your armor and health.
* **Strategy:** The best strategy is to attack Guardians from a distance with a bow and arrows or to quickly close the gap, deal damage with your sword, and retreat before they can extend their spikes. Strafe to avoid the laser beam.
* **Elder Guardians:**
* **Laser Beam Attack:** Similar to regular Guardians, but deals more damage.
* **Mining Fatigue:** Elder Guardians inflict the Mining Fatigue status effect, making it extremely slow and difficult to break blocks. This effect lasts for several minutes and makes it challenging to clear the monument. Milk can remove this effect.
* **Strategy:** Elder Guardians are best fought one-on-one. Focus on defeating them first to eliminate the Mining Fatigue effect. Use potions of strength and regeneration to enhance your combat abilities. A well-enchanted sword is essential.
Clearing the Ocean Monument
Here’s a step-by-step guide to clearing the Ocean Monument:
1. **Breach the Monument:** Find an opening in the monument or create one using a pickaxe. Be prepared to deal with Guardians immediately upon entry.
2. **Locate the Elder Guardians:** There are three Elder Guardians in each Ocean Monument, typically located in separate rooms. They are significantly larger than regular Guardians and can be easily identified.
3. **Defeat the Elder Guardians:** Prioritize defeating the Elder Guardians first to remove the Mining Fatigue effect. Use your best weapons, armor, and potions to make quick work of them. Milk can be used to remove Mining Fatigue in case you are unable to kill them quickly.
4. **Clear the Remaining Guardians:** Once the Elder Guardians are defeated, clear out the remaining Guardians. Use a combination of melee and ranged attacks to eliminate them efficiently.
5. **Collect the Loot:** Guardians drop prismarine shards upon death. Make sure to collect all the shards dropped by the defeated Guardians. They may also drop fish.
Tips for Fighting Guardians and Elder Guardians
* **Use Doors or Boats for Air Pockets:** Place doors or boats in the water to create temporary air pockets for breathing. This allows you to replenish your oxygen without having to surface.
* **Exploit the Corners:** Use the corners of the rooms to your advantage. Guardians have difficulty targeting you when you’re positioned in a corner, giving you a chance to heal or attack.
* **Bring a Conduit:** A fully powered Conduit provides water breathing, night vision, and increased mining speed within its range, making it significantly easier to clear the Ocean Monument. However, setting up a Conduit requires a Nautilus Shell and Heart of the Sea, so it’s a mid- to late-game strategy.
* **Use a Turtle Master Potion:** While it also applies slowness, the resistance it gives is very useful in fighting Guardians and Elder Guardians.
2. Finding Prismarine Shards in Buried Treasure Chests
Another way to acquire prismarine shards is by finding them in buried treasure chests. This method is less reliable than defeating Guardians, as the chests don’t always contain prismarine shards, but it can be a worthwhile alternative if you’re not ready to tackle an Ocean Monument. The amount of prismarine shards found in a buried treasure chest is between 1 and 5.
Finding Buried Treasure
Buried treasure chests are hidden beneath the sand on beaches. They can be located using treasure maps found in shipwrecks.
* **Locate Shipwrecks:** Shipwrecks are generated in ocean biomes. They can be found both above and below water.
* **Loot the Chests:** Look for chests inside the shipwreck. Treasure maps have a chance to spawn in these chests.
* **Equip the Map:** Hold the treasure map in your hand. The map will show a red “X” marking the location of the buried treasure.
* **Follow the Map:** Use the map to navigate to the location marked by the “X”. The treasure is usually buried under the sand on a nearby beach.
* **Dig for Treasure:** Dig at the location marked by the “X” to uncover the buried treasure chest. The chest may be buried deep, so keep digging until you find it.
Looting the Treasure Chest
Once you’ve found the buried treasure chest, open it to reveal its contents. In addition to prismarine shards, you may also find other valuable items, such as diamonds, gold, iron, and emeralds.
Advantages and Disadvantages
* **Advantages:**
* Safer than clearing Ocean Monuments.
* Provides other valuable loot.
* **Disadvantages:**
* Unreliable source of prismarine shards.
* Treasure maps can be rare.
Maximizing Your Prismarine Shard Harvest
Regardless of the method you choose, there are several ways to maximize your prismarine shard harvest:
* **Looting Enchantment:** Applying the Looting enchantment to your sword will increase the number of prismarine shards dropped by Guardians. Looting III is the most effective, but even Looting I can make a noticeable difference.
* **Guardian Farm:** Consider building a Guardian farm to automate the process of killing Guardians and collecting prismarine shards. This requires some technical knowledge and effort, but it can provide a steady stream of shards.
Building a Guardian Farm
A Guardian farm is a structure designed to efficiently kill Guardians and collect their drops. There are various designs available online, ranging from simple to complex. Here’s a basic overview of how a Guardian farm works:
1. **Locate an Ocean Monument:** The farm must be built around an Ocean Monument to take advantage of the Guardians that spawn there.
2. **Drain the Water:** The area around the monument must be drained of water to create a controlled environment for the Guardians to spawn and be transported.
3. **Create a Collection System:** A system of water streams and hoppers is used to transport the Guardians to a central killing area and collect their drops.
4. **Killing Chamber:** The Guardians are killed in the killing chamber, either manually or automatically using fall damage or lava.
Building a Guardian farm can be a challenging but rewarding project that will provide you with an endless supply of prismarine shards.
Alternative Uses for Prismarine Shards
While crafting prismarine blocks, dark prismarine blocks, and sea lanterns are the primary uses for prismarine shards, they can also be used for other purposes:
* **Decoration:** Prismarine shards can be placed in item frames to create decorative displays.
* **Trading:** In some cases, villagers may offer to trade prismarine shards for other items.
* **Composting:** Prismarine shards can be added to a composter, but they have a very low chance of raising the compost level.
Conclusion
Prismarine shards are a valuable resource in Minecraft, essential for crafting prismarine blocks, dark prismarine blocks, and sea lanterns. While obtaining them can be challenging, especially when dealing with Ocean Monuments, the rewards are well worth the effort. By following the strategies outlined in this guide, you can efficiently acquire prismarine shards and use them to create stunning and functional structures in your Minecraft world. Whether you choose to brave the depths of the Ocean Monument or search for buried treasure, remember to prepare thoroughly and maximize your harvest to make the most of this valuable resource.