Smithing templates changed Minecraft’s endgame gearing in a big way when they arrived with the 1.20 update. Before them, upgrading to Netherite was a straightforward affair, grab some ancient debris, smelt it down, and toss your diamond gear into a smithing table. Now? You need the right template, or that Netherite ingot isn’t going anywhere near your diamond chestplate.
Beyond the Netherite upgrade, armor trims opened up a whole new dimension of customization. Players can hunt down 16 different trim patterns scattered across the Overworld and Nether, each tied to specific structures. Whether someone’s aiming for a full set of coordinated armor or just wants their helmet to look different from everyone else’s on the server, smithing templates are the gateway.
This guide breaks down everything: what smithing templates actually do, where to find each one, how to duplicate them so a player doesn’t lose them forever, and which trim combinations look best with different dye materials. By the end, anyone reading will know exactly how to track down that elusive Silence trim or finally upgrade their diamond sword without wasting resources.
Key Takeaways
- Smithing templates in Minecraft serve two purposes: upgrading diamond gear to Netherite through the Netherite Upgrade Template and applying decorative armor trims to customize armor appearance across 16 unique patterns.
- The Netherite Upgrade Template is found in Bastion Remnant treasure rooms with a 10% drop rate per chest, while the 16 armor trim templates are scattered across specific structures like Ancient Cities, Desert Pyramids, End Cities, and Trail Ruins.
- All smithing templates are consumable and can be duplicated using a crafting table with 7 diamonds, a specific thematic block, and the original template to create two copies—enabling players to preserve rare finds and avoid permanent resource loss.
- Armor trim customization is purely cosmetic and does not affect stats or durability, but allows creative self-expression through combinations of 16 patterns with 10 dyeable materials like amethyst (purple), copper (orange), and emerald (green).
- Players should prioritize collecting the Netherite Upgrade Template first for functional gear improvement, then focus on common trims like Coast and Dune before hunting dangerous structures like Ancient Cities for rare trims such as Silence.
What Are Smithing Templates in Minecraft?
Smithing templates are consumable items introduced in Minecraft Java Edition 1.20 and Bedrock Edition 1.20.0. They serve two distinct purposes: upgrading diamond gear to Netherite and applying decorative armor trims.
Before the 1.20 update (Trails & Tales), players could upgrade diamond items to Netherite by simply combining them with a Netherite ingot in a smithing table. The update added a new requirement: a Netherite Upgrade Template. This change made the upgrade process more deliberate and turned smithing tables into three-slot interfaces, template, base item, and addition material.
Armor trims, on the other hand, are purely cosmetic. They don’t add stats, durability, or protection. But they let players customize the appearance of helmets, chestplates, leggings, and boots with 16 unique patterns, each dyeable using different materials like amethyst, quartz, or copper.
Why Smithing Templates Matter
Smithing templates are consumed on use. Apply a Rib trim to a chestplate, and that template is gone. Upgrade a diamond pickaxe to Netherite? The Netherite Upgrade Template vanishes.
This makes them valuable, especially the rarer trims found in dangerous or hard-to-locate structures. Losing a Silence Armor Trim from an Ancient City because someone didn’t realize it was single-use stings.
Fortunately, every smithing template can be duplicated using specific materials and a crafting table. Duplication means players can preserve their finds, experiment with different armor combinations, and share templates with friends on multiplayer servers without permanently losing access to rare patterns.
Types of Smithing Templates
Smithing templates fall into two categories: the Netherite Upgrade Template and Armor Trim Templates. Each serves a different function, and their drop locations vary.
Netherite Upgrade Template
The Netherite Upgrade Template is the only template required for functional upgrades. It’s mandatory for converting any diamond tool, weapon, or armor piece into its Netherite equivalent.
Where to find it:
- Bastion Remnants in the Nether. Specifically, the template spawns in chests within the treasure room variant of bastions. Not every bastion has a treasure room, so players may need to explore multiple structures.
- Drop rate: Roughly 10% per chest in treasure room bastions (Java Edition 1.20+).
Without this template, Netherite ingots are useless for upgrades. Players who want a full Netherite armor set should prioritize finding and duplicating this template early.
Armor Trim Templates
Armor trims are cosmetic patterns that alter the visual appearance of armor. There are 16 distinct armor trim templates as of Minecraft 1.20.4:
- Sentry
- Vex
- Wild
- Coast
- Dune
- Wayfinder
- Raiser
- Shaper
- Host
- Ward
- Silence
- Tide
- Snout
- Rib
- Eye
- Spire
Each trim has a unique geometric pattern. When combined with materials like diamond, emerald, redstone, or lapis lazuli, the trim takes on the color of that material. For example, applying a Dune trim with copper creates an orange-tinted pattern, while using netherite turns it dark gray.
Trims don’t stack, applying a second trim replaces the first. But players can mix and match trims across different armor pieces in a set, creating layered visual themes.
How to Find Smithing Templates
Each smithing template spawns in specific structures. Some are common: others require deliberate exploration of dangerous or rare biomes. According to comprehensive game guides, knowing the exact spawn conditions saves hours of aimless searching.
Bastion Remnant Locations
Bastion Remnants are large Nether structures that come in four variants: treasure room, bridge, hoglin stable, and housing. Only the treasure room variant contains the Netherite Upgrade Template.
Finding treasure room bastions:
- Look for bastions with a central loot room surrounded by lava and magma blocks.
- Chests in this room have a chance to drop the Netherite Upgrade Template.
- Additional trims found here: Snout Armor Trim (generic bastion chests).
Bastions are hostile. Piglins and piglin brutes spawn inside, and brutes attack on sight even if the player wears gold armor. Bring fire resistance potions, lava is everywhere.
Ancient Cities and Deep Dark Biomes
The Deep Dark biome spawns below Y-level -1, typically under mountainous or hilly terrain. Ancient Cities generate within the Deep Dark and are the only source of the Silence Armor Trim and Ward Armor Trim.
Key details:
- Silence trim: Found in chests within Ancient City structures.
- Ward trim: Also exclusive to Ancient City chests.
- Danger: Sculk shriekers summon the Warden if triggered four times. The Warden has 500 health and deals massive melee damage. Avoid combat, sneak, use wool to muffle footsteps, and disable shriekers with tools.
Ancient Cities are rare. Use the /locate structure ancient_city command in creative mode or on servers with cheats enabled to find the nearest one.
Ocean Monuments and Shipwrecks
Ocean-based structures drop two trims:
Tide Armor Trim:
- Found in Elder Guardian loot chests inside ocean monuments.
- Ocean monuments are large prismarine structures guarded by guardians and three elder guardians.
- Elder guardians inflict Mining Fatigue III, which slows block breaking. Drink milk to remove the effect.
Coast Armor Trim:
- Spawns in chests aboard shipwrecks, which generate in ocean, beach, and river biomes.
- Shipwrecks are common, making Coast one of the easier trims to obtain.
Desert Pyramids, Jungle Temples, and More
The remaining trims scatter across Overworld structures:
Desert Pyramids (Dune Armor Trim):
- Chests inside desert temples drop the Dune trim.
- Watch for the TNT trap under the pressure plate in the lower chamber.
Jungle Temples (Wild Armor Trim):
- Chests in jungle pyramids contain the Wild trim.
- Temples are less common than desert pyramids due to jungle biome rarity.
Pillager Outposts (Sentry Armor Trim):
- Sentry trim appears in outpost chests.
- Outposts spawn in plains, savanna, taiga, and other biomes. Kill the pillager captain to trigger a raid if in a village.
Woodland Mansions (Vex Armor Trim):
- Vex trim is exclusive to woodland mansion chests.
- Mansions are extremely rare, often located 10,000+ blocks from spawn. Use an exploration map purchased from a cartographer villager.
End Cities (Spire Armor Trim):
- Spire trim spawns in End City chests.
- End Cities generate on outer End islands after defeating the Ender Dragon. Bring an elytra or lots of blocks for bridging.
Trail Ruins (Raiser, Shaper, Host, Wayfinder Armor Trims):
- Trail Ruins are buried structures in various Overworld biomes (taiga, snowy taiga, birch forest, jungle).
- Use a brush on suspicious gravel to uncover loot, including four unique trims: Raiser, Shaper, Host, and Wayfinder.
- Trail Ruins are the only source for these four trims.
Eye Armor Trim:
- Drops from chests in strongholds.
- Strongholds are the structures that house End portals, making Eye trim relatively accessible if a player is already hunting the End.
How to Use Smithing Templates
Using smithing templates requires a smithing table, which is crafted with two iron ingots and four planks (any wood type). The smithing table interface has three slots: template, base item, and addition material.
Upgrading Diamond Gear to Netherite
Netherite upgrades preserve enchantments, durability, and custom names. The process consumes the template and the Netherite ingot but returns the upgraded item.
Step-by-step:
- Place a Netherite Upgrade Template in the leftmost slot of the smithing table.
- Insert the diamond item (sword, pickaxe, helmet, etc.) in the center slot.
- Add a Netherite ingot in the rightmost slot.
- Retrieve the Netherite item from the output slot. The template and ingot are consumed.
Important: Netherite gear has higher durability, knockback resistance (for armor), and slightly better stats than diamond. A Netherite sword deals 8 attack damage (same as diamond) but has 2031 durability compared to diamond’s 1561.
Duplicate the Netherite Upgrade Template before upgrading a full armor set, or risk hunting multiple bastions for additional templates.
Applying Armor Trims to Your Gear
Armor trims work similarly but use a material instead of a Netherite ingot. The material determines the trim’s color.
Step-by-step:
- Place an armor trim template (e.g., Dune, Silence, Rib) in the leftmost slot.
- Insert the armor piece (helmet, chestplate, leggings, or boots) in the center slot.
- Add a material (diamond, emerald, iron ingot, gold ingot, copper ingot, redstone dust, lapis lazuli, amethyst shard, quartz, netherite ingot) in the rightmost slot.
- Take the trimmed armor from the output. The template and material are consumed.
Material color examples:
- Amethyst shard: Purple trim
- Copper ingot: Orange/brown trim
- Diamond: Cyan trim
- Emerald: Green trim
- Gold ingot: Yellow trim
- Iron ingot: Light gray trim
- Lapis lazuli: Blue trim
- Netherite ingot: Dark gray/black trim
- Quartz: White trim
- Redstone dust: Red trim
Trims are visible in first-person on the player’s arms and in third-person on other players. This makes them popular on multiplayer servers for guild branding or personal style. Players looking for deeper customization can explore modding communities for texture packs that further alter trim appearance.
How to Duplicate Smithing Templates
Duplication is essential. Rare trims like Silence or Vex take significant effort to find, and using them once without a backup means losing them forever.
Required Materials for Duplication
Each smithing template requires specific materials to duplicate:
Netherite Upgrade Template:
- 7x Diamond
- 1x Netherrack
- 1x Netherite Upgrade Template (the original)
Armor Trim Templates:
- 7x Diamond
- 1x specific block (varies by trim)
- 1x Armor Trim Template (the original)
The “specific block” changes depending on the trim. For example:
- Silence trim: 1x Cobbled Deepslate
- Coast trim: 1x Cobblestone
- Dune trim: 1x Sandstone
- Wild trim: 1x Mossy Cobblestone
- Sentry trim: 1x Cobblestone
- Vex trim: 1x Cobblestone
- Spire trim: 1x Purpur Block
- Rib trim: 1x Netherrack
- Snout trim: 1x Blackstone
- Eye trim: 1x End Stone
- Tide trim: 1x Prismarine
- Wayfinder trim: 1x Terracotta
- Raiser trim: 1x Terracotta
- Shaper trim: 1x Terracotta
- Host trim: 1x Terracotta
- Ward trim: 1x Cobbled Deepslate
Diamonds are the bottleneck. Duplicating multiple templates requires a steady supply, so set up a mining operation or trade with villagers.
Step-by-Step Duplication Process
Duplication uses a crafting table, not a smithing table.
Instructions:
- Open a crafting table.
- Place the smithing template in the center slot (slot 5 in a 3×3 grid).
- Place 7 diamonds in the top row (slots 1, 2, 3), left and right middle slots (4 and 6), and bottom left and right slots (7 and 9).
- Place the specific block (e.g., Netherrack, Cobbled Deepslate) in the bottom center slot (slot 8).
- Retrieve two smithing templates from the output. The original is consumed, but two copies are created, net gain of one template.
Repeat this process to build a stockpile. Many players duplicate rare trims 5-10 times to ensure they never run out, especially for multiplayer servers where friends might want copies.
Best Armor Trim Combinations and Designs
Armor trims are subjective, but certain combinations stand out in the community. Matching color palettes or creating high-contrast designs can make armor sets memorable on servers.
Popular Color Combinations with Different Materials
Monochrome (Black and White):
- Use Quartz for white trims and Netherite ingot for black.
- Pairs well with: Silence, Spire, and Ward trims for clean, minimalist looks.
Royal (Purple and Gold):
- Amethyst shard for purple, Gold ingot for yellow.
- Best trims: Vex, Rib, and Eye. The ornate patterns match the regal color scheme.
Ocean (Blue and Cyan):
- Lapis lazuli for deep blue, Diamond for cyan.
- Ideal trims: Tide and Coast. Thematically appropriate for ocean monument or conduit builds.
Nether (Red and Orange):
- Redstone dust for red, Copper ingot for orange.
- Top trims: Rib, Snout, and Wild. Complements Nether-themed bases or crimson/warped forest aesthetics.
Emerald City (Green and Iron):
- Emerald for green, Iron ingot for silver.
- Works with: Wayfinder, Raiser, and Shaper. Fits forest or jungle builds.
Matching Trims to Your Build Style
Minimalist Builders:
- Stick to Silence or Ward trims with Quartz or Iron. The geometric, understated patterns won’t clash with modern or clean builds.
Medieval/Fantasy Builders:
- Vex, Eye, and Spire trims with Gold or Diamond create ornate, knightly aesthetics. Pair with castles, fortresses, or RPG-themed servers.
Tech/Sci-Fi Builders:
- Sentry and Coast trims with Lapis or Redstone give a futuristic, circuit-board vibe. Matches redstone-heavy bases or space stations.
Nether/Hell Themes:
- Rib and Snout with Netherite or Copper. The jagged, aggressive patterns fit demonic or volcanic builds.
Nature/Organic Builders:
- Wild, Wayfinder, and Raiser trims with Emerald or Copper. Blends into jungle, forest, or overgrown ruins.
Mixing trims across armor pieces is valid. A player might use Silence on the helmet and chestplate, then Spire on leggings and boots, all dyed with the same material for color consistency but varied visual texture. Resources like gaming news sites occasionally feature community showcases of standout armor designs.
Complete List of All Smithing Templates and Where to Find Them
Here’s the full roster of smithing templates, their spawn locations, and duplication materials:
| Template | Found In | Duplication Block |
|---|---|---|
| Netherite Upgrade | Bastion Remnant (Treasure Room) | Netherrack |
| Sentry | Pillager Outpost | Cobblestone |
| Vex | Woodland Mansion | Cobblestone |
| Wild | Jungle Temple | Mossy Cobblestone |
| Coast | Shipwreck | Cobblestone |
| Dune | Desert Pyramid | Sandstone |
| Wayfinder | Trail Ruins | Terracotta |
| Raiser | Trail Ruins | Terracotta |
| Shaper | Trail Ruins | Terracotta |
| Host | Trail Ruins | Terracotta |
| Ward | Ancient City | Cobbled Deepslate |
| Silence | Ancient City | Cobbled Deepslate |
| Tide | Ocean Monument | Prismarine |
| Snout | Bastion Remnant (Any) | Blackstone |
| Rib | Nether Fortress | Netherrack |
| Eye | Stronghold | End Stone |
| Spire | End City | Purpur Block |
Note on Rib trim: Unlike most trims, Rib spawns in Nether Fortress chests, not bastions. Nether Fortresses are the long, dark brick structures in the Nether that spawn blazes and wither skeletons.
This list is accurate as of Minecraft Java Edition 1.20.4 and Bedrock Edition 1.20.50 (February 2024). Future updates may add new trims or change spawn locations, so players should check patch notes after major updates.
Tips and Strategies for Collecting Smithing Templates
Hunting all 16 armor trims plus the Netherite Upgrade Template is a long-term project. These strategies speed up the process.
Prioritize the Netherite Upgrade Template first. Full Netherite armor is a functional upgrade, not just cosmetic. Explore bastions early, duplicate the template, then focus on trims.
Use structure-finding commands or tools. In single-player creative mode or on servers with cheats, /locate structure commands pinpoint Trail Ruins, Ancient Cities, and Woodland Mansions. For survival, use online seed finders or mapping tools like Chunkbase to locate rare structures before committing to a long journey.
Stockpile diamonds before duplicating. Each template duplication costs seven diamonds. Enchant a pickaxe with Fortune III to maximize diamond ore drops, or set up villager trading halls to buy diamonds from toolsmith, weaponsmith, or armorer villagers.
Bring proper gear to dangerous structures. Ancient Cities need stealth (wool, sneak), Ocean Monuments need underwater breathing (Respiration III helmet, Water Breathing potions), and Nether Fortresses need fire resistance and strong melee weapons for wither skeletons.
Mark structures on maps. Once a structure is looted, it won’t respawn loot in the same chests. Mark locations with banners, maps, or coordinates in a notebook to avoid revisiting empty ruins. Some players also use dedicated guides for additional tips on optimizing their Minecraft experience.
Trade or collaborate on multiplayer servers. If allowed by server rules, players can pool resources. One player hunts Ancient Cities for Silence trims, another tackles End Cities for Spire, then they duplicate and share. This cuts individual grind time significantly.
Don’t rush Trail Ruins. Trail Ruins require brushing suspicious gravel, which is time-consuming. Bring multiple brushes (they have durability) and expect to spend 20-30 minutes per ruin to fully excavate all loot piles.
Protect rare templates. Store originals in an ender chest before using duplicates. Dying with a non-duplicated Silence or Vex template and losing it to lava or the Void is frustrating. Ender chests are accessible from anywhere and can’t be destroyed by other players in survival multiplayer.
Conclusion
Smithing templates transformed armor customization and Netherite progression in Minecraft. The 16 armor trims scattered across Overworld, Nether, and End structures give players tangible goals beyond beating the Ender Dragon or building megaprojects. Whether someone’s chasing the elusive Silence trim in the Deep Dark or fine-tuning a gold-and-purple Vex design for their faction’s uniform, templates add meaningful depth.
Duplication ensures rare finds aren’t one-time-use dead ends. Seven diamonds and the right block turn a single template into an unlimited resource. That alone makes the hunt worthwhile, find it once, keep it forever.
For players just starting the grind, focus on the Netherite Upgrade Template and common trims (Coast, Sentry, Dune) first. Build up a diamond reserve, then tackle the dangerous stuff, Ancient Cities, Woodland Mansions, End Cities. The payoff isn’t just a complete collection: it’s armor that stands out in screenshots, on servers, and in the endgame.
Good luck with the loot rolls, and watch out for Wardens.
