Minecraft’s armor trims, added in the 1.20 Trails & Tales update and beefed up in 1.21, let you spruce up your armor with cool patterns using smithing templates you find in different spots. Here’s a rundown of the best places to grab those trims, based on how easy they are to get to, the variety you can find, and the extra loot you might score.
Trail Ruins
Trims: Host, Shaper, Raiser, Wayfinder
Why It’s Solid: These ruins have four different trims, so you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. You’ve got an 8.3% shot (Java) or 1.8% (Bedrock) of nabbing one when brushing suspicious gravel—not bad if you like digging around. They’re in safer Overworld spots like jungles or taigas, no Nether or End hassle.
Tips: Pack a brush and some torches. Look for terracotta or gravel poking out. You can also hunt for pottery shards while you’re there. Trims like Shaper look sharp with bright woods like Cherry or Crimson.
Pillager Outpost
Trim: Sentry
Why It’s Solid: Easy to find in plains, savannas, or snowy areas, with a 25% chance of grabbing the Sentry trim from a chest. Great for new players—just take out the pillagers carefully, and it’s less risky than other spots. The Sentry’s crosshair vibe looks clean on iron or netherite, and it pairs well with Oak or Spruce bases.
Tips: Bring a shield for those crossbow shots. Check chests at the top or in cages. Grab some milk from a nearby cow to dodge raid trouble.
Trial Chambers
Trims: Flow, Bolt
Why It’s Solid: These new 1.21 underground spots are a blast, with two trims up for grabs. Bolt’s got a 5.4% chance from regular vaults (use a trial key), while Flow needs ominous trials for a 22.5% shot at ominous vaults. Tons of loot here too, like stuff for maces. Flow’s wavy look shines on diamond armor, especially with Pale Oak.
Tips: Get an explorer map from a cartographer or dig around Y=-40. Bring food and arrows for spawners. Trigger Bad Omen for Flow, but gear up for a tougher fight.
Ancient City
Trims: Ward, Silence
Why It’s Solid: Deep underground in Deep Dark biomes (Y=-51), these spots have two rare trims—Ward (5% per chest) and Silence (1.2%, the rarest). It’s risky, but you can score stuff like Swift Sneak books. Silence’s sculk style is awesome on netherite, especially with Pale Oak or Dark Oak.
Tips: Bring wool to quiet sculk sensors and sneak like your life depends on it to avoid the Warden. Night Vision potions help spot chests. Copy Silence templates fast—it’s super rare.
Shipwreck
Trim: Coast
Why It’s Solid: You’ll find these along beaches or underwater, with an 11.1% chance of the Coast trim in treasure chests. Low-risk for early-game players with basic gear. The barnacle-like trim looks great on gold armor, matching Acacia or Mangrove vibes.
Tips: Use a boat and maybe a Water Breathing potion. Focus on treasure chests but peek at others. Watch out for drowned.
Jungle Temple
Trim: Wild
Why It’s Solid: In jungle biomes, these temples give you a 33.3% (Java) or 20% (Bedrock) chance at the Wild trim—one of the better drop rates. Once you dodge the traps, it’s pretty straightforward. The vine-like trim looks sweet on emerald-colored armor, perfect for Jungle or Birch builds.
Tips: Bring a pickaxe to smash dispensers and avoid tripwires. Loot both chests after clearing traps. Jungles can be hard to find, so a seed map might help.
Why These Are the Best
- Variety: Trail Ruins and Ancient Cities give you multiple trims in one go, saving you trips.
- Ease: Pillager Outposts and Shipwrecks are chill for beginners, while Trial Chambers and Ancient Cities are great for players with some experience.
- Looks: Trims like Silence, Flow, and Wild vibe well with nice woods like Oak, Crimson, or Pale Oak, making your armor stands pop in your base.
- Efficiency: Places with high drop rates (like Wild or Sentry) or multiple trims save you time compared to tougher spots like Woodland Mansions (Vex, 4.8%) or End Cities (Spire, 6.7%).
Honorable Mentions
Desert Temple (Dune, 11.1%): Quick to hit up, but watch for TNT traps.
Nether Fortress (Rib, 6.7%): Fine if you’re already in the Nether, but wither skeletons are no joke.
Ocean Monument (Tide, 20% from Elder Guardians): Good drop rate, but you’ll need solid gear for guardians.
Trim-Hunting Tips
- Gear Up: Bring a smithing table, milk buckets (for Bad Omen), and a brush for Trail Ruins. To apply a trim, use a smithing table with armor, a template, and a material like emerald or amethyst.
- Copy Templates: Duplicate them with 7 diamonds and a block tied to the trim (like cobblestone for Coast, deepslate for Ward).
- Style It: Match trims with armor colors—gold for yellow, lapis for blue. Silence on netherite is slick, or try Wild with emerald for a jungle feel to go with your wood builds.
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