How to make a Minecraft Nether Portal (fastest method)

Here’s the fastest way to make a Nether Portal in Minecraft

How do you make a Nether Portal in Minecraft? Whether you’re a new player just starting to learn the intricacies of interdimensional travel in Minecraft , or you’re a seasoned speedrunner looking for the fastest possible way to reach the Nether, you’ve come to the right place.

To reach the Nether in Minecraft, you first need to build a Nether Portal. These Portals can sometimes be found partially built in the world already, but it’s always a good idea to know exactly how to build a Portal when the time comes to venture into the dangerous hell-like dimension in search of Minecraft Potion ingredients, or the ultra-strong Netherite material used to forge the best tools and equipment in the game.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to make a Minecraft Nether Portal from scratch either using Obsidian blocks, or simply a lava source and some water . We’ll also reveal one of the fastest possible ways to build and activate a Portal from scratch in under 16 seconds!

How to make a Minecraft Nether Portal

A Minecraft Nether Portal is made by building a rectangular frame of Obsidian blocks, and then lighting the inside of the frame with a Flint and Steel. The frame can be anywhere from 4x5 to 23x23 blocks in size, so you can choose the width and height of your Portal within these bounds.

If you want to conserve resources, remember that the corner blocks of the frame aren’t necessary. This means you’ll only need 10 Obsidian to make the most basic Nether Portal, rather than 14 (see the screenshot below).

There are two ways to make a Nether Portal frame in Minecraft. The first is to mine all the Obsidian blocks you need ahead of time, and then simply place them in a frame formation. The second is to use a lava pool and a water source to create the Obsidian in the exact position you need for the Portal.

Either way, you’ll need a Flint and Steel to light the Portal once it’s created, and you’ll also need EITHER:

• 10+ Obsidian blocks, OR
• A nearby lava source, a bucket of water, and an empty bucket for the lava

You can also make do with just one bucket as long as you can switch it between lava and water quickly enough.

The most basic Nether Portal frame is made up of 10 Obsidian blocks.

How to build a Portal out of Obsidian

To build the frame from existing Obsidian blocks, here’s what to do:

1. Place 2 Obsidian blocks side by side on the ground.
2. Place 2 Dirt blocks on either end of the 2 Obsidian.
3. Build a tower of 3 Obsidian atop each of those 2 Dirt blocks.
4. Top each of those 2 Obsidian towers with another Dirt block.
5. Connect the top Dirt blocks with your final 2 Obsidian blocks.
6. Remove the 4 Dirt blocks if you like - they’re no longer necessary.
7. Equip your Flint and Steel, and right-click the top of one of the bottom Obsidian blocks.

How to build a Portal out of lava

If you want to sculpt the Obsidian using lava and water, then it’s a little more fiddly. For the simplest possible Nether Portal you should still use the same 10-block formation laid out above, but to actually create each block of Obsidian, here’s what to do:

1. Build a wall of Dirt blocks one block behind where you want the Portal.
2. Right-click a lava block with an Empty bucket to fill it with lava.
3. Right-click with the lava bucket to place lava where you want an Obsidian block.
4. Immediately take your water bucket and right-click the space above the lava you just placed.
5. Once the lava has been turned to Obsidian, pick the water back up.
6. Repeat with every other space where you need to place an Obsidian block.
7. Once finished, remove the wall of Dirt blocks behind the Portal, if desired.

The advantage of building a Nether Portal using lava and water is that you don’t need to actually mine the Obsidian by hand. Obsidian is only mineable using a Diamond Pickaxe, so the lava/water option is a good way of building a Portal before you have access to Diamonds in Minecraft . It is, however, far more fiddly than simply placing the Obsidian blocks by hand.

Fastest way to build a Minecraft Nether Portal

There are lots of ways to improve the efficiency of building your Minecraft Nether Portal. Some methods can cut the time down to a ludicrously short 3 seconds , but these methods tend to be very precise and hard to replicate.

Many use this Portal building method , popularised by YouTuber Dream , but there is an even faster method , made by YouTuber TeddyPlayer1 , which is still practical and easily replicated - so this is the one I’ll explain below.

Here’s one of the fastest ways to build a Minecraft portal:

1. Find a lava pool with a straight edge of lava, and stand four blocks away from the lava, facing the pool.
2. Dig a one-deep 2x2 hole in front of you with your shovel or pickaxe.
3. Pillar up twice from your current block using Dirt, then place 4 more Dirt blocks in a stair formation to your right.
4. Build a one-width 2x2 square out from your current position, ending on the top block furthest from the staircase.
5. Pillar out 2 blocks towards the lava, then remove the 2 blocks behind you.
6. Place water using your bucket atop the highest block of the structure you built behind you, then jump down.
7. Now use the empty bucket to place lava in front of the water where you need it in order to build the portal frame.

This method takes roughly 16 seconds to complete (from placing the first block to lighting the portal), whereas Dream’s method takes roughly 20 seconds. The reason this method tends to be quicker than Dream’s Nether Portal building method is that you don’t need to drain the water before lighting the portal, saving you precious seconds if you really need to get to the Nether as quickly as possible.

Full disclosure - the inventor of this fast Nether Portal building method, TeddyPlayer1, happens to be my brother! How about that.

That’s everything you need to know about how to put together a Nether Portal in Minecraft! If you’re looking for inspiration to help make your own Portals a little nicer-looking than the bogstandard 10 Obsidian block formation, then check out our Minecraft build ideas page! Alternatively you can improve your Portal’s look with one of the best Minecraft shaders or best Minecraft texture packs out there. And if you’re simply searching for a good world to set up your Nether Portal, check out our list of the best Minecraft seeds .

Minecraft

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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