Hidden beneath Minecraft’s waves lies the secret to crafting Nautilus Armor – a powerful aquatic gear set that shields players and their ocean companions from the deep’s fiercest threats.
Nautilus armor is similar to the usual player armor and helps your aquatic companions take more hits before dying. These armor pieces come in five different variants based on the protection they provide. So, learn about the Nautilus armor in Minecraft and easy methods to obtain it.
How to Obtain Nautilus Armor in Minecraft
To obtain Nautilus Armor, you first need to gather enough Nautilus Shells by trading with Wandering Traders or defeating drowned that spawn holding them. Combine these shells with Prismarine Shards and Crystals from ocean monuments or underwater ruins, using a crafting table or smithing template depending on your mod or data pack requirements. Some modpacks may place Nautilus Armor behind progression steps, such as defeating ocean bosses or clearing monuments, so check their specific recipes and unlock conditions. Once crafted, equip the armor pieces in your inventory screen and consider enchanting them with Respiration, Aqua Affinity, and Protection to maximize safety during underwater exploration.
At the time of writing, Nautilus armor cannot be crafted in Minecraft. The only way to get the said armors is by opening the loot chests in three specific Minecraft structures:
- Buried Treasure: These are treasure chests buried deep inside the ground and are difficult to track down, even with a treasure map.
- Ocean Ruins Chest: They can be found deep under the ocean and are made of stone bricks and sandstone. Destroying a few blocks in this structure can help you find a hidden loot chest.
- Shipwreck Chests: Shipwrecks can generate both under the oceans and near beaches. These structures contain loot chests, which have a chance to include the Nautilus armor.
Since there is no way to craft Nautilus armor pieces, you will have to do a bit of exploration. Once you get the armor and tame a Nautilus in Minecraft, right-click on it while holding the armor. This will equip the armor on the Nautilus, and while riding it, you can notice the shield points appear on top of its health bar.
Also Read: How to Make a Copper Chest in Minecraft
How to Upgrade to Netherite Nautilus Armor in Minecraft
Upgrade to Netherite Nautilus Armor by upgrading drowned drops into prismarine shards and gold, then combine the upgraded helmet, chestplate, leggings, and boots with a netherite ingot smithing table recipe to craft the full set, which grants enhanced protection and aquatic compatibility for underwater exploration.
The Netherite Nautilus armor cannot be found in the loot chests in Minecraft. Similar to making the Netherite armor for players, you’ll have to find a Smithing Upgrade Template and a Netherite ingot.
Once you have the required items, interact with a smithing table to open its UI. Place the Smithing Upgrade Template in the first cell, Diamond Nautilus armor in the middle, and the Netherite ingot in the third cell.
This recipe gives a Netherite Nautilus armor, which you can now drag and store in your inventory. This upgrade resists knockback and provides superior defense over all other armor.
Minecraft Nautilus Armor Protection Values
Nautilus Armor offers strong defense and unique underwater advantages, combining standard protection with aquatic enhancements. Each piece provides durability comparable to diamond gear but adds bonuses that improve movement and breath-holding underwater. The chestplate increases oxygen efficiency, the boots boost swimming speed, and the helmet enhances underwater visibility. Together, the full set gives players balanced protection against both physical and environmental damage, making it ideal for exploring ocean monuments or battling sea creatures.
Now that you know how to obtain Nautilus armor in Minecraft, here is a breakdown of the shield or defense points provided by each variant:
- Copper Nautilus Armor: 4 points
- Iron Nautilus Armor: 5 points
- Gold Nautilus Armor: 7 points
- Diamond Nautilus Armor: 11 points
- Netherite Nautilus Armor: 19 points and Knockback Resistance
Where to find shipwrecks and ocean ruins fast
Shipwrecks and ocean ruins generate exclusively in ocean biomes, including normal, cold, frozen, deep variants, and sometimes along beaches. Boat exploration with potions speeds up discovery significantly.
Fast Shipwreck Methods
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Boat across ocean surfaces at high render distance (12-16 chunks); look for wooden masts or hulls on the seafloor, especially near beaches or partially buried in sand.
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Use Night Vision potions to clear water visibility and spot structures faster from above.
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Equip Depth Strider III boots, Respiration III helmet, and Aqua Affinity for swift underwater scouting.
Fast Ocean Ruins Methods
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Target warm oceans near deserts/badlands for sandstone ruins with sniffer eggs; cold oceans have stone variants.
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Skirt reef edges rather than dense coral areas, and dig suspicious sand/gravel for loot.
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Commands like /locate structure shipwreck or ocean_ruin instantly reveal nearest coordinates in creative/cheat worlds.
Best biomes to search for shipwrecks quickly
Shipwrecks spawn most frequently in ocean biomes, making those the top choice for quick searches. Beaches and snowy beaches offer occasional beached ones visible above water.
Optimal Biomes
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Ocean biomes (normal, deep, lukewarm): Highest density; boat across at render distance 12-16 chunks to spot masts or hulls fast.
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Beach biomes: Check shorelines for half-buried ships protruding from sand.
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Avoid frozen oceans due to ice blocking visibility.
Speed Tips
Feed dolphins raw cod or salmon in oceans; they lead to the nearest shipwreck. Use the coordinate formula like 384N + 160 (N as any number) in large oceans for guaranteed finds within 160 blocks.
