How to Build an Efficient Guardian Farm
How to Build an Efficient Guardian Farm
A guardian farm is the definitive solution for acquiring large amounts of prismarine shards, prismarine crystals, and raw fish—the essential ingredients for crafting blocks like prismarine bricks, dark prismarine, sea lanterns, and for powering a conduit. Building one leverages the unique mechanics of ocean monuments, the exclusive natural habitat for guardians in Minecraft. Mastering their spawning mechanics and farm design principles can yield a farm that produces resources and XP at industrial scale.
Core Guardian Spawning Mechanics
A high-yield guardian farm depends on exploiting the nuanced spawning rules that set guardians apart from other mobs.
Monument Bounding Box
- Dimensions: Guardians spawn only inside a 58×58×24 (X×Z×Y) area centered on the monument—spanning from the monument's base (Y-level) up to 23 blocks above its lowest layer.
- Visualization: Mark the monument’s corners and count 29 blocks outward in each direction from the center to define this box precisely. Any water source inside this box is potential spawning ground.
Spawn Conditions
- Water Source Blocks: Guardians require a stationary water source block at the spawn location; flowing water is insufficient. This is why draining and then refilling with source blocks is essential for advanced farms.
- Block Requirements: The spawning space must be at least 1×2×1—a water source block with at least one waterlogged air or transparent block above.
- Surface Types: Guardians can spawn on any solid block submerged in a water source, and even mid-water if the block below is non-solid (e.g., sign, trapdoor), giving flexibility in platform design.
- Light Level: Guardians spawn regardless of light, so lighting has no impact on their spawn rates within the bounding box.
- Spawn Frequency: They spawn in packs of 1–4, with spawn attempts distributed throughout the bounding box each tick.
- Player Proximity: No guardians will spawn within a 24-block sphere of the player. The farm’s AFK spot must be positioned to avoid this dead zone but within 128 blocks to keep the farm active.
Elder Guardians
- Effect: Elder Guardians do not influence normal guardian spawns but will inflict Mining Fatigue III, severely hampering block breaking. Eliminate all three elders before major construction.
Types of Guardian Farms
Selecting the right farm style determines your resource commitment and output potential.
1. Basic Guardian Farm
Characteristics:
- Utilizes the monument’s internal structure or minimal modifications.
- Partial draining or none; typically involves clearing central rooms and channeling guardians into a basic kill chamber.
- Lower resource and time investment.
Key Systems:
- Water Streams: Guide guardians to a central chamber using natural or placed water flows.
- Killing: Fall damage (≥34 blocks), magma blocks, or manual killing. Manual methods allow use of Looting III for better drops.
- Collection: Hoppers and simple item elevators.
Best For: Early-game or casual players seeking a manageable supply of prismarine without massive infrastructure.
2. Advanced Guardian Farm
Characteristics:
- Complete draining of the entire bounding box and removal of the monument.
- Construction of multi-layered spawning platforms using precisely placed water sources and open spaces.
- Maximizes spawn density and rates.
Key Systems:
- Layered Platforms: Multiple stacked platforms with water source blocks and drop-through gaps, maximizing the number of valid spawn locations.
- Efficient Transport: Water currents, bubble columns, or gravity funnel guardians rapidly to a high-throughput kill chamber.
- Optimized Killing: Trident killers (for XP and Looting), portal-based systems, or high-efficiency fall setups.
- Automated Sorting: Extensive hopper minecart or water stream networks feeding into sorters and bulk storage.
Best For: Endgame players needing massive resources or XP, or those seeking a technical mega-project.
Farm Construction Guide
1. Preparation
- Locate an Ocean Monument: Use explorer maps or search deep ocean biomes. Note the exact bounding box coordinates.
- Materials:
- Tools: Efficiency/Mending pickaxe, sponges (for draining), plenty of blocks (glass/cobble/stone), signs, fences, and Redstone components.
- Gear: Water Breathing/Night Vision potions or a conduit, Respiration helmet, Depth Strider boots.
- Draining Supplies: Sand/gravel for temporary walls, sponges for water removal.
- Safety: Defeat all Elder Guardians first; set up a base with beds, storage, and emergency supplies.
- Layout: Design and mark out the exact spawning area, AFK spot, and plan for collection/killing systems.
2. Construction
- Draining (Advanced Farms): Section off the bounding box into manageable cells using sand/gravel walls, then use sponges to clear water. Refill platforms with water source blocks where spawns should occur.
- Platform Building: Construct spawn platforms at optimal Y-levels, using non-spawnable blocks (signs/trapdoors) to create drop spaces, maximizing water source blocks while controlling guardian movement.
- Guardian Transport:
- Gravity Drops: Guardians fall directly to the kill chamber.
- Bubble Columns: For horizontal/vertical transport.
- Water Currents: Carefully arranged to move mobs rapidly.
- Killing & Collection:
- Trident Killer: Highly recommended for XP/looting; use pistons and a thrown trident in a small chamber.
- Hoppers/Hopper Minecarts: Ensure all drops are collected efficiently; consider water streams over ice for long distances.
- Item Sorting/Storage: Route drops into a multi-item sorter and bulk storage to prevent overflow and lag.
- AFK Spot: Calculate and build at the optimal position (centered horizontally, Y-level so the entire farm is within 128 blocks, and always >24 blocks from spawn platforms).
Optimization & Expert Tips
Maximizing Efficiency
- Looting III: Use trident killers or manual finishing to leverage Looting III for up to triple drop rates.
- Layer Count: More spawn layers = more spawn attempts per tick. Ensure your kill/collection system can handle the output.
- Mob Capping: Light up all caves, ocean floor, and surrounding areas outside the monument to minimize interference from other hostile spawns, maximizing guardian density.
- Overflow Protection: Use item filters and automatic trash systems to prevent item buildup and lag during long AFK sessions.
Safety & Longevity
- Lighting: While guardians ignore light, other mobs don’t. Illuminate all walkways, maintenance areas, and the farm's exterior.
- Safe Access: Use bubble elevators, secure tunnels, or portal links for reliable, mob-proof entry and exit.
- Emergency Systems: Build a quick-off switch for Redstone, and emergency exits from the AFK spot and kill chamber.
- Maintenance: Regularly check for water block misplacement, item clogs, and Redstone failures, especially in high-output farms.
Conclusion
A properly designed guardian farm is a multi-session investment that pays off with an endless supply of unique resources and XP, fundamentally expanding your building and enchanting possibilities. By mastering spawning mechanics, optimizing your platform and collection design, and maintaining safety and storage, you’ll create an efficient, reliable farm that stands as a technical marvel in your Minecraft world. Plan with precision, execute methodically, and your efforts will yield oceanic riches for the life of your world.