You're standing at the mouth of a Bastion Remnant. Your armor is decent, your sword has Sharpness IV, but the Piglin Brutes are staring you down like you’re a snack. You swing. It takes forever to drop one. Honestly, it’s frustrating. You could spend hours grinding for better enchantments, or you could spend three minutes at a Brewing Stand. Learning how to make strength potions minecraft is basically the "easy button" for combat, but most players mess up the timing or waste their glowstone.
Strength isn't just a "nice to have." In Java Edition, a Strength II potion adds a flat 6 points (3 hearts) of damage to every single hit. In Bedrock, it’s a percentage-based buff that can make a Netherite sword feel like a literal cheat code.
The Brewing Stand: Getting Your Setup Right
Before you even think about the ingredients, you need the hardware. If you haven't been to the Nether yet, you’re out of luck. You need Blaze Rods. Not just one for the stand, but a bunch of them to grind into Blaze Powder. This powder is the gasoline for your brewing stand. Without it, the interface just sits there, grey and lifeless.
To get started, place your Brewing Stand on any solid block. You’ll need three glass bottles. Pro tip: always brew three at a time. It costs the same amount of fuel and ingredients as brewing one, so don't be inefficient. Fill those bottles with water. Any source works—a cauldron, a pond, or that infinite water source you definitely have tucked in the corner of your base.
The Foundation of Every Potion
You can’t just throw a Blaze Powder into a water bottle and expect to get buff. Minecraft brewing follows a strict logic. You almost always start with an Awkward Potion.
To make this, place your three water bottles in the bottom slots of the stand. Put a Nether Wart in the top slot. Once that little bubble bar fills up, you’ll have three Awkward Potions. They don't do anything yet. If you drink one, it’s just flavorless water that does zero for your stats. But this is the "base" that allows the strength properties to actually bond to the liquid.
Adding the Muscle: Turning Awkward into Strength
Now for the main event. Take one Blaze Powder—the same stuff you use for fuel—and put it in the ingredient slot (the top one) while your Awkward Potions are in the bottom.
Wait.
The sound of the bubbling is your cue. Once it finishes, you officially have a Potion of Strength (3:00). This provides a Strength I buff. In Minecraft's current combat meta, this is okay for dealing with standard zombies or spiders, but if you're planning on taking down the Wither or raiding an Ocean Monument, "okay" isn't going to cut it. You need to decide if you want that effect to last longer or be more intense.
Duration vs. Potency: The Great Trade-off
This is where players usually get confused. You have two paths once the basic potion is done. You cannot have both.
The Long Game (Redstone): Toss a piece of Redstone Dust into the top slot with your basic Strength potions. This extends the timer from 3 minutes to 8 minutes. This is perfect for long mining trips or clearing out a massive fortress where you don't want to keep checking your UI to see if your buff ran out.
💡 You might also like: Why Yu-Gi-Oh\! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution is Still the Best Way to Play (Even in 2026)
The Heavy Hitter (Glowstone): If you want raw power, use Glowstone Dust instead. This transforms the potion into Strength II. The catch? The timer drops significantly, usually down to 1:30. But the damage? It’s massive. In Java, Strength II is a +6 damage boost. If you're using an Axe for those heavy crit hits, Strength II makes you a walking tank.
The Secret Ingredient: Making it a Splash
Sometimes, you don't have time to stop and drink. Drinking takes about 1.6 seconds. In a PVP match or a tight spot with a Creeper, 1.6 seconds is an eternity.
You need to make these "Splash" potions.
Take your finished Strength or Strength II potions and put them back in the stand. Add Gunpowder. This changes the bottle shape to a little flask. Now, you can just hurl it at your feet. It’s instant. Plus, if you’re playing co-op, you can have your friends stand near you and hit everyone with one bottle. It’s the most economical way to buff a team. Just be careful not to throw it at an enemy by mistake; yes, you can accidentally buff a mob if they're in the splash radius.
Why Your Strength Potion Might Feel "Weak"
If you've followed the steps for how to make strength potions minecraft and you still feel like you're underperforming, check your version.
There is a huge mechanical divide between Java and Bedrock editions. In Java, Strength is a flat addition. This means it's actually more effective on fast, low-damage weapons like daggers or simple swords because it adds that +3 or +6 to every single swing.
In Bedrock Edition, Strength adds a percentage of your base damage. Because of this, the buff scales with your weapon. A Netherite sword gets a much bigger "total" boost than a wooden one.
Also, watch out for the "Lingering" variant. If you happen to have Dragon's Breath from the End, you can turn a Splash Potion into a Lingering Potion. This creates a cloud of strength on the ground. It’s niche, but for a stationary defense, it’s unbeatable.
Advanced Tactics and Logistics
Don't just carry one potion. Most veteran players keep a "shulker box" dedicated specifically to combat buffs.
- Inventory Management: Put your Strength II splash potions in your hotbar, specifically in a slot you can hit with a keybind (like '4' or '5').
- The Combo: Drink a Speed II potion, then splash yourself with Strength II. The mobility combined with the raw damage makes you nearly untouchable against standard mob AI.
- The Warning: If you see a witch, be careful. They can throw Weakness potions at you, which completely negates your Strength buff. If that happens, you’ve wasted your Blaze Powder and your time. Keep a milk bucket handy to clear the Weakness effect, though be aware it'll wipe your Strength too. It’s a reset button you hope you never have to use.
Actionable Next Steps for Your World
To master brewing, you shouldn't just craft these one by one when you need them. Set up a dedicated brewing room near your Nether portal.
✨ Don't miss: Marvel Rivals Steam Charts: Why the Player Count is Actually Making History
Start by harvesting at least half a stack of Nether Wart; you can grow it on Soul Sand in the Overworld now, so there's no excuse to keep running back to a fortress. Build a chest specifically for "Combat Chemicals." Fill it with Blaze Powder, Glowstone, and Redstone.
Once your supplies are ready, brew a full "batch" of 27 potions (three for every slot in a standard chest). Having a chest full of 8-minute Strength potions means you can treat every cave exploration like an endgame raid. You'll stop fearing the dark and start hunting it.
Go grab some glass bottles, head to your brewing stand, and start with the Nether Wart. Once you see that first Awkward Potion turn into a Strength Potion, you've fundamentally changed how you play the game. You're no longer just surviving; you're dominating.