You finally found it. After dodging Bastion Remnant Piglins and nearly falling into a lava lake more times than you can count, you’ve got that tiny, blue-tinted stone slab in your inventory. The Netherite Upgrade Template. It looks small. It looks insignificant. But if you use it on your Diamond chestplate right now without thinking, you’re basically throwing hours of work away.
Since the Trails & Tales update, Minecraft changed everything. Honestly, it kind of sucked at first. Before, you just threw a Netherite Ingot and some armor into a Smithing Table and—boom—purple god-tier gear. Now? Mojang decided we needed a challenge. You need a specific template for every single piece of gear you upgrade. But here’s the kicker: the template is consumed on use.
This is exactly why learning the netherite upgrade template duplicate process isn't just a "pro tip." It's survival. If you don't duplicate it, you're heading back into the Nether to raid more Bastions. And trust me, the RNG in those chests is notoriously cruel.
The Brutal Math of Netherite Upgrades
Let's talk numbers because they're kind of depressing if you're unprepared. A full set of armor plus a sword, pickaxe, axe, and shovel requires eight separate templates. If you go hunting for these individually, you're looking at raiding at least three or four Bastions if you're lucky. If you're unlucky? You might fly your Elytra for ten thousand blocks and find nothing but gold nuggets and disappointment.
The netherite upgrade template duplicate recipe is your only way out of this grind. It’s expensive. It’s definitely not "cheap" in terms of raw materials, but compared to the risk of a Piglin Brute ending your hardcore run? It’s a bargain.
To make a copy, you need three specific things:
- The original Netherite Upgrade Template (Don't lose it!).
- 7 Diamonds. Yeah, seven. It's a massive diamond sink.
- 1 block of Netherrack.
You just place them in a Crafting Table. The template goes in the top middle, the Netherrack goes right in the center, and the Diamonds fill every other remaining slot. You click the output, and suddenly you have two templates.
Diamonds Are No Longer Just for Armor
Remember when Diamonds were the end-game? Those days are gone. Diamonds are now effectively the "currency" for Netherite. Because a netherite upgrade template duplicate costs seven diamonds per pop, a full set of gear will run you 56 diamonds just for the duplication process. That doesn't even count the diamonds you used to make the original gear.
It changes how you play the game. You'll find yourself strip-mining at Y-level -59 far more often than you used to. You’ll be hoarding Fortune III pickaxes like a dragon. It's a weird shift in the game's economy, but it makes every Diamond feel valuable again, even late-game.
Some players complain about this. They say it's just "grinding for the sake of grinding." I see it differently. It makes Netherite feel like a true achievement again. When you see someone in a full set of Netherite now, you know they didn't just find a few debris blocks; they put in the work to secure the templates and the wealth to multiply them.
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Where to Find Your First Template (The "Seed" Copy)
You can't duplicate what you don't have. To start your netherite upgrade template duplicate empire, you have to hit a Bastion Remnant. Specifically, you’re looking for chests.
But wait. There’s a catch.
Not all Bastions are equal. If you find a "Treasure Room" Bastion—the ones with the giant bridge and the magmacube spawner at the bottom—you are in luck. The chests at the very bottom of the treasure room have a 100% spawn rate for the Netherite Upgrade Template. It's guaranteed. Every other type of Bastion (Hoglin Stables, Housing Units, Bridge) only has about a 10% chance per chest.
If you're playing on a multiplayer server, those Treasure Rooms get raided fast. People scout them out within hours of a world reset. If you find one that's already been looted, you're stuck hoping for that 10% RNG in the smaller chests.
Why Netherrack?
It’s a bit of a flavor win from Mojang, isn't it? The recipe requires Netherrack because these templates are ancient. They are part of the "history" of the Nether. Using the most common stone from that dimension to "anchor" the duplication process makes a weird kind of sense. It also makes the recipe slightly easier since you can literally reach down and punch the floor to get the final ingredient.
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Common Mistakes That Will Cost You Hours
I've seen people do this. It’s painful to watch.
First mistake: Using the template before duplicating it. You have one template. You have a Diamond Chestplate. You're excited. You run to the Smithing Table, combine them, and—poof. Your template is gone. You are now back to square one. You have to find a whole new Bastion. Never, ever use your last template. Keep it in a frame or a safe chest. Only use the copies.
Second mistake: Misplacing the Diamonds in the crafting grid. The recipe isn't shapeless. If you don't put the Netherrack in the dead center and the template in the top-center, nothing happens.
Third mistake: Bringing your only template with you while exploring. Look, I get it. You want to show it off or maybe you're moving bases. But if you fall into the void in the End or get blown up by a creeper in a cave, that template is gone. Duplicate it immediately in the safety of your home base.
Is the Grind Actually Worth It?
Let’s be real for a second. Netherite isn't that much better than Diamond in terms of raw protection. Both give you the same amount of armor points. The real benefit is the knockback resistance and the durability. Oh, and the fact that it doesn't burn in lava.
But because of the netherite upgrade template duplicate requirement, getting a full set of Netherite is now one of the biggest "flexes" in the game. It proves you’ve mastered the Nether, you’ve mined stacks of Diamonds, and you understand the new mechanics.
If you’re a casual player who just wants to build a nice house, Diamond is honestly fine. But if you’re planning on taking on the Wither, the Warden, or just want to feel invincible, the duplication process is your new best friend. It is the bridge between being a mid-game player and a late-game titan.
Breaking Down the Resource Cost
If you're planning a full gear overhaul, here is exactly what you need to hoard before you even start the netherite upgrade template duplicate process.
For a "Standard Combat Set" (Helmet, Chest, Leggings, Boots, Sword, Pickaxe):
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- 6 Netherite Upgrade Templates (1 found, 5 duplicated)
- 35 Diamonds (for the duplication alone)
- 5 Netherite Ingots (for the actual smithing)
- 5 Netherrack blocks
It sounds like a lot. It is a lot. But when you compare that to the alternative—finding six individual templates in the wild—the diamond cost starts to look very reasonable. You can mine 35 diamonds in about thirty minutes with a good Fortune III pickaxe at the bottom of the world. You cannot find six templates in thirty minutes. Not unless you have the most "blessed" world seed in the history of Minecraft.
Practical Steps to Master Netherite Upgrades
Stop what you are doing and check your storage. If you have a template, do not touch it until you have seven diamonds.
- Secure the Template: Find a Bastion. If it's a Treasure Room, go for the bottom chests. If not, check every single chest in the stables or housing units.
- Mine the "Fee": Head to Y -59. Don't stop until you have at least 14 diamonds. This gives you enough to make two copies. Why two? Because you should always keep one "master copy" that never leaves your base.
- The Crafting Ritual: Open the crafting table. Template in the top-middle slot. Netherrack in the center. Diamonds everywhere else.
- The Master Copy Strategy: Take one of your new templates and put it in an Item Frame. Label it. This is your "Insurance Policy." Even if you die and lose all your gear, you can spend seven diamonds to get back into the Netherite game without ever stepping foot in a Bastion again.
- The Upgrade: Now, and only now, take your extra templates to the Smithing Table. Combine your Diamond gear, your Netherite Ingot, and your Template.
This loop is the new "standard" for Minecraft progression. It's slower, yes. It's more expensive, definitely. But it turns a simple gear upgrade into a legitimate project. It gives you a reason to keep exploring and keep mining long after you've defeated the Ender Dragon. Just remember: the Nether is a dangerous place, but the most dangerous thing you can do is be impatient with your crafting materials. Keep that master copy safe, and you'll never have to worry about Bastion RNG ever again.