Minecraft offers a wide array of items for players to utilize, including utilities that have the potential to be transformed into different objects or combined with other blocks. Among these utilities is the compass, a straightforward craftable item that provides several advantages to players. To create a compass, one needs four iron ingots and a single redstone dust item, which must be placed on a crafting table.

While seasoned players may not consistently rely on the compass within their game worlds, it remains a valuable tool for particular tasks and crafting formulas. Here are five notable applications of the compass in Minecraft.

1. Crafting Maps

In Minecraft, players have the option to create maps through the crafting system, as the game does not feature a built-in minimap or comprehensive map system. By utilizing a compass, different types of maps can be crafted. To begin, users can create an empty map by combining eight pieces of paper with one compass on the crafting table.

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Crafting Maps

Additionally, players have the ability to enhance an empty map by incorporating another compass, resulting in a map with a locator that allows for the inclusion of location markers on the map.

2. Trading for Explorer Maps

As players advance in Minecraft, they often develop a desire to explore unique and elusive structures in the Overworld, such as Ocean Monuments and Woodland Mansions. To obtain an explorer map that guides them to these locations, players can engage with a cartographer villager who has reached the journeyman level.

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Explorer Maps

To acquire an explorer map from the cartographer villager, players must offer them a compass along with 12 emeralds. This is where the compass proves to be incredibly useful, as it serves as a crucial component for initiating the trade and obtaining the sought-after explorer maps.

3. Connect with a Lodestone Block

A compass in Minecraft can establish a connection with a lodestone block, causing it to point directly towards that specific block. Crafting a lodestone block involves combining eight chiseled stone blocks with one netherite ingot. Once a compass is utilized on the lodestone block, it acquires a purple glint, reminiscent of an enchanted item, and exclusively directs players towards the lodestone block, regardless of their location within the realm.

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Lodestone Block

However, if players transition to a different realm, the lodestone compass will spin erratically. Nonetheless, this feature serves as an excellent means of locating a particular destination, particularly when players find themselves disoriented or lost.

How to Craft a Lodestone in Minecraft

There are two methods to obtain a lodestone: finding it in a chest or crafting it in the Inventory.

To acquire a lodestone from a chest, players must locate a bastion remnant in the Nether. These fortresses can be found in almost all Nether biomes, except for basalt deltas. Each bastion remnant is guaranteed to contain at least one lodestone, typically located in the top part of the central rampart.

Lodestone Compass
Lodestone in Minecraft

Crafting a lodestone is a more intricate process due to the rarity of its materials. To create a lodestone block in Minecraft, players will need 8 chiseled stone bricks and 1 Netherite ingot. Place the Netherite ingot in the center of the crafting grid, with the chiseled stone bricks surrounding it.

  • Netherite Ingots: Combine 4 gold ingots with 4 netherite scraps. Netherite scraps can be obtained from ancient debris, which can be found in bastion chests or in groups of 1-3 between Y levels 8 and 22. Use a diamond pickaxe to mine the ancient debris, and each debris can be smelted into one netherite scrap. Alternatively, there is a small chance (2%) of finding ancient debris in treasure room chests, but it is more reliable to search underground.
  • Chiseled Stone Bricks: Smelt cobblestones in a furnace to create stone bricks. Then, convert the stone bricks into slabs and arrange two stone brick slabs in a 3x3 crafting grid to craft chiseled stone bricks. Chiseled stone bricks can also be found in igloo basements or jungle temples.

4. Finding the World Spawn

The primary and fundamental purpose of a compass is to indicate the direction of the world spawn immediately upon its creation. However, it's important to note that a standard compass only functions accurately in the Overworld and becomes erratic when used in other realms like the Nether or End. In cases where players have forgotten the location of their world spawn, crafting a compass can assist them in rediscovering it.

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World Spawn

The world spawn holds significant value as an ideal location for constructing automated farms. This specific chunk remains loaded consistently, irrespective of a player's whereabouts in the world, making it an optimal choice for establishing efficient and uninterrupted farming operations.

5. Crafting a Recovery Compass

In the 1.19 update, Mojang introduced an innovative version of the compass known as the recovery compass, which directs players towards their most recent death location. This addition significantly simplifies the process of retrieving lost items, as players can quickly obtain the recovery compass upon respawning and easily locate the spot where they perished.

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Recovery Compass

To create a recovery compass, players must gather eight echo shards exclusively found in ancient city chests, along with a standard compass. However, it is worth noting that various mods are available that offer similar functionality to the recovery compass, eliminating the need for players to venture through multiple ancient cities in search of echo shards.

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