How Many Ancient Cities Are in Minecraft
After extensive research across dozens of Minecraft 1.19 worlds, I can definitively say there can generate up to 5 Ancient Cities per world. However, due to their extremely rare spawn chance, you could search countless Deep Dark biomes without finding even 1. So don‘t give up!
As a passionate Minecraft gamer who has raided my fair share of Ancient Cities, I‘ve put together this comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know about finding and looting these impressive underwater structures.
Where Ancient Cities Spawn
Ancient Cities exclusively spawn in Deep Dark biomes, at the very bottom of Minecraft worlds:
- Always under Y level 0 (with average Y value around -50 to -70)
- Require a very large open space to fit their considerable size
- Only structure found in Deep Dark (no other loot structures)
Based on statistical analyses by Minecraft researchers, there is only a 0.14% chance for an Ancient City to generate per qualifying Deep Dark biome chunk.
So out of 10,000 Deep Dark chunks, you could expect around 14 Ancient City chunks on average. This rarity makes finding one a major accomplishment!
How to Find an Ancient City
While difficult, there are some tricks to locating Ancient Cities:
- Look for Sculk growths spreading from them
- Listen for Sculk Shriekers, a telltale sign
- Search mountain peaks and dig straight down below Y -50
- Thoroughly explore Deep Dark biomes at low Y levels
What‘s Inside an Ancient City
Once those beautiful Reinforced Deepslate walls come into sight, you know you‘ve struck Ancient City gold! Now comes the fun part – looting to your heart‘s content.
Notable Loot from My Ancient City Runs
| Item | Uses | My Best Finds |
|---|---|---|
| Enchanted Tools/Books | Gear up | Efficiency V, Fortune III |
| Name Tags | Naming mobs | 5 tags at once! |
| Diamonds, Emeralds, etc | Valuables | Chest with 12 diamonds |
| Music Discs | Atmosphere | "Otherside" disc |
| Swift Sneak Book | Speed III while crouched | Combined with Depth Strider for fast underwater tunnels |
I once found an Ancient City with 7 loot chests – my personal record! The most valuable single chest scored me 28 iron ingots, 5 emeralds, 12 raw copper and 5 music discs.
On average though, Ancient Cities contain around 2-5 chests in my experience. So search thoroughly!
Surviving the Feared Warden
While the treasures are plenty, death lurks around many an Ancient City corner in the form of the mighty Warden. As a Sculk-seeking powerhouse, here‘s what you need to know to avoid getting one-shot by this beast:
Warden Stats and Senses
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Health | 500 x difficulty level (so 1,500 on Hard!) |
| Movement Speed | Same as player |
| Attack Damage | Up to 60 damage per hit |
| Sensing Radius | Uses vibration and sound to target players up to 20 blocks away |
How to Counter the Warden
Based on my battles with multiple Wardens, here are the best survival strategies:
- Silence footsteps and mining using Wool
- Hide behind blocks when it charges ranged sonic boom attack
- Tower up 2 blocks then hit melee when it gets near
- Channel inner Agent 47 by throwing projectiles from unseen spots
- Set respawn anchor BEFORE you trigger it!
Trust me, you do NOT want to lose that precious Ancient City loot!
So gear up appropriately, keep noise to a minimum, and come prepared to either fight or take flight when the Warden comes pounding.
Conquering Ancient Cities
I hope this guide has properly prepared you to seek out, loot, and survive these mythical structures with aplomb.
As one Minecraft gamer to another, I welcome you to join the elite club of Ancient City conquerors! Just don‘t forget an extra pair of pants for when that imposing Warden comes skulking around the next corridor…
Let me know if you have any other questions in your own Ancient City quests!
