Trident Farming: Advanced Strategies for Acquiring Rare Drops

Tridents are among the most versatile and powerful weapons in Minecraft, offering unique enchantments like Loyalty (automatic return), Channeling (summon lightning during thunderstorms), and Riptide (dynamic aquatic movement). Their rarity, however, makes obtaining multiple Tridents with different enchantments a challenge that requires a precise understanding of game mechanics and effective farming techniques. This guide provides an in-depth, technically accurate approach to maximize your chances of acquiring this coveted item.

Drowned Mechanics: The Exclusive Trident Source

Efficient Trident farming hinges on understanding Drowned spawning and equipment mechanics:

• Primary Source: Only Drowned mobs can naturally spawn with Tridents in their main hand. No other mob or structure loot table includes Tridents, making targeted Drowned encounters essential.
• Spawn Locations:
  • Java Edition: Drowned spawn exclusively in ocean biomes (excluding Warm Oceans) and in rivers, at any light level (0–15). They tend to spawn more frequently in deeper waters, especially in ocean depths below Y=60.
  • Bedrock Edition: Drowned spawn in all ocean biomes, including Warm Oceans, with higher baseline spawn rates.
• Natural vs. Converted Drowned:
  • Natural Spawns: Can spawn with Tridents (chance depends on biome, difficulty, and regional difficulty).
  • Zombie-to-Drowned Conversions: Zombies that drown and convert do not inherit naturally spawned equipment, including Tridents. Farms relying solely on conversions will not yield Tridents.
• Spawn Equipment Probabilities:
  • Java Edition: Approximately 6.25% of Drowned spawn holding a Trident.
  • Bedrock Edition: Approximately 15% of Drowned spawn with a Trident, making manual hunting more fruitful.
• Drop Rates:
  • Java Edition: Of Drowned holding a Trident, about 8.5% will drop it upon death, resulting in an overall chance of roughly 0.53% per spawn.
  • Bedrock Edition: About 25% of Trident-holding Drowned drop their Trident, yielding around 3.75% per spawn—significantly faster for collection.

Enhancing Drop Chances with Looting

The Looting enchantment on your weapon substantially increases drop probabilities:

Note: While Looting III improves chances, due to the inherently low base rates, large volumes of kills are necessary for efficient Trident acquisition.

Optimized Farming Strategies

Given the low natural spawn and drop rates, the focus should be on maximizing encounters and kills through specialized farm designs or effective manual hunting.

1. Manual Ocean or River Hunting

Best suited for Bedrock or early-game Java players:

• Preparation:
  • Gear: Enchanted sword with Looting III, Sharpness V, and Unbreaking III. Armor with Respiration III, Aqua Affinity I, Protection IV, Depth Strider III, and a Shield.
  • Potions: Extended Night Vision, Water Breathing, and Conduit effects (if available).
• Method:
  • Traverse deep ocean biomes or rivers, especially at night or during thunderstorms (to trigger Channeling enchantment utility).
  • Use boats or swimming for mobility.
  • Focus on areas with high Drowned spawn potential:
    • Deep ocean zones (Y<60).
    • Near ocean monuments (after clearing or in their vicinity).
  • Engage Drowned holding Tridents, utilizing shields to block their ranged attacks.
• Tips:
  • Use Dolphin's Grace (via dolphins or Conduit) for faster movement.
  • Search beneath the water surface, where Drowned often lurk.

2. Building a Drowned Farm (Java Edition)

Because of Java’s low drop rates, an automated or semi-automated farm is essential:

• Location Selection:
  • Find a deep ocean biome, avoiding Warm Oceans.
  • Build your farm high above the sea floor (Y=150+), to increase natural spawn rates and reduce cave spawns.
• Design Elements:
  • Create large, dark platforms (light level 0) where Drowned will spawn.
  • Use water currents, bubble columns (via Soul Sand or Magma Blocks), and mob transport systems to funnel Drowned into a central kill chamber.
  • The kill chamber should:
    • Keep Drowned at low health (via fall damage or magma blocks).
    • Be accessible for the player to strike with a Looting III sword.
    • Minimize risk of Drowned attacking the player.
• AFK and Spawn Optimization:
  • Place your AFK spot within 128 blocks of the spawn platforms.
  • Light up all caves within the spawn radius to prevent other mobs from competing for spawn space.
  • Use water streams, trapdoors, and redstone to automate the collection of Drowned and their Tridents.
• Critical Notes:
  • Only natural spawns count; do not incorporate Zombie conversions.
  • Regularly clear or maintain the farm to keep efficiency high.

3. Bedrock Edition Approaches

The higher spawn and drop chances make manual hunting more viable:

• Manual Hunting:
  • Patrol deep ocean biomes with Night Vision potions and a Looting III sword.
  • Use boats to cover large areas quickly.
  • Focus on thunderstorms, which activate Channeling for utility.
• Simple Farms:
  • Build small underwater traps or funnel systems in deep ocean zones.
  • Use Conduits to grant Water Breathing and Night Vision, making underwater exploration easier.
  • Use water streams or trapdoors to guide Drowned into a kill zone.

Enhancing Efficiency and Safety

• Killing Techniques:
  • Use Sweeping Attacks (Java) or Knockback enchantments to manage groups.
  • Use magma blocks or fall damage for quick kills.
• Protective Measures:
  • Shields to block Trident throws.
  • Armor with Protection IV or Respiration to extend underwater survivability.
• Durability & Repair:
  • Enchant Tridents with Mending and Unbreaking III.
  • Repair with Prismarine Shards or via an anvil.
• Enchantments:
  • Loyalty III and Channeling I for utility.
  • Riptide III for rapid underwater travel, but note it cannot be combined with Loyalty or Channeling.

Final Tips

• Patience Is Key: Given the low probabilities, expect to kill hundreds of Drowned before acquiring a Trident.
• Multiple Tridents: Use different Tridents enchanted for specific roles—one for combat (Impaling, Loyalty), another for utility (Channeling, Riptide).
• Self-Repair & Enchanting: Prioritize Mending for longevity and combine with Unbreaking III to maximize durability.

By understanding the underlying mechanics and employing these advanced strategies, you can significantly improve your Trident acquisition rate and build a versatile arsenal suited for all your aquatic adventures. Happy hunting!