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Combat / Survival

How to Get the Best Armor in Minecraft

The best armor in Minecraft is a full netherite set enchanted with Protection IV, Unbreaking III and Mending. Here is the exact path from diamond to a 20-point, lava-proof loadout that never breaks.

The endgame loadout
  1. 1
    Get a full diamond set
    Smelt and craft a diamond helmet, chestplate, leggings and boots first. Netherite is an upgrade applied to finished diamond gear, never crafted from scratch.
  2. 2
    Mine ancient debris
    Strip-mine at Y -16 in the Nether and TNT-blast tunnels. You need 4 ancient debris, smelt to netherite scrap, combine 4 scrap + 4 gold ingots into 1 netherite ingot. Four ingots = a full set.
  3. 3
    Upgrade at a smithing table
    Place a netherite upgrade template + 1 ingot + each diamond piece. Netherite adds +1 armor toughness, knockback resistance and makes gear float in lava.
  4. 4
    Enchant for Protection IV
    Use a level-30 enchanting table (15 bookshelves) or anvil-combine books. Aim for Protection IV on all four pieces, it stacks to a 16 EPF cap, the biggest flat damage cut.
  5. 5
    Add Unbreaking III + Mending
    Unbreaking III roughly quadruples durability; Mending repairs gear with XP orbs so the set never wears out. Combine the books on an anvil before applying.
Netherite Set
20armor pts
Protection IV
+16% all damage
Unbreaking III · Mending
Helmet
+3 armor
407/407
Chestplate
+8 armor
592/592
Leggings
+6 armor
555/555
Boots
+3 armor
481/481

What you need

4 Netherite Ingots
Full Diamond Set
Protection IV books
Anvil + XP

Quick answers

?
Is netherite the best armor?
Yes. A full netherite set gives 20 armor points plus +4 toughness and +0.4 knockback resistance, beating diamond's 20 points with no toughness bonus, and it survives lava.
?
How much does Protection IV reduce damage?
Each Protection level is ~4% per piece up to the EPF cap. Four pieces of Protection IV reach the 80% damage-reduction limit when combined with armor points.
?
Protection IV or Protection vs specific damage?
Plain Protection IV is best all-round. Blast/Projectile/Fire Protection give more against one source but leave you weaker elsewhere, only specialise for set roles like raids.
?
Do I need 4 netherite ingots?
Yes, one ingot per piece. Each ingot costs 4 ancient debris + 4 gold, so a full set needs 16 ancient debris and 16 gold ingots.
?
How do I keep armor from breaking?
Unbreaking III plus Mending. Mending consumes XP to repair the item you have equipped, so passive mob-farm XP keeps a full set permanently maxed.
?
What armor toughness does netherite add?
+1 toughness per piece, +4 for the full set. Toughness scales how much each armor point blocks against heavy hits, so big damage like the Warden's chips far less off your health.
Database →
Netherite Ingot
Recipe, ancient debris yield and every item it upgrades.
Guide →
Find Ancient Debris Fast
Best Y-level and TNT strip-mine pattern for netherite.