How To Loot a Desert Pyramid in Minecraft

Under the hot sun and amidst the dry desert, a large structure awaits the curious adventurer. Only those who are smart enough to conquer the desert pyramid will relish in its treasures.

A desert pyramid is one of Minecraft’s rare structures that generate in the Overworld. It is located in the desert biome, but not all desert biomes spawn pyramids due to its rarity. It’s usually half-buried underneath piles of sand, which makes it even harder to locate, especially on foot. Pyramids hide bountiful treasures beneath their majestic facade. But lying in wait underneath the desert pyramid are explosives that could go off with just one wrong move—potentially destroying the treasures along with the unsuspecting player. Without prior knowledge of traversing the desert pyramid safely, you can not secure the treasure chests below, so here are some tips to successfully loot a desert pyramid in Minecraft.

What You Need To Bring

Bringing a few items will help prepare you for your desert pyramid raid. Going in empty-handed might get you permanently trapped inside the pyramid’s treasure room with no way out, or you may trigger the explosives that are rigged underneath. Players should be prepared when undertaking an adventure, so here are some essential items to take on your desert pyramid excavation.

• Sword: You can bring any type of sword as this will be used to defend yourself from hostile mobs that roam the desert biome. Deserts have been known to spawn a desert variant zombie which makes them immune to sunlight thereby increasing your chances to get ambushed. Bringing a weapon with you such as a bow or sword will help you fight off these hostile creatures.
• Pickaxe: Bringing a pickaxe will allow you to mine and destroy sandstone blocks which the desert pyramid walls are made of. You will also need a pickaxe to descend the walls towards the treasure room. Sandstone blocks can be mined using any type of pickaxe but preferably bring at least a stone pickaxe for better efficiency.
• Shovel: The shovel will be used to dig out sand surrounding the pyramid. Some desert pyramid entrances will possibly be covered in a pile of sand so bringing a shovel to dig them out will be quite useful.
• Dirt Blocks: Bringing a set of dirt blocks will allow you to do the nerd pole strategy anytime, anywhere. You can use the dirt blocks to navigate the desert as well as climb back out of the treasure room. You can also use planks or cobblestone as dirt block alternatives, but using dirt blocks will be easier.

How To Loot The Desert Pyramid

1. First, you need to locate the desert pyramid. Desert pyramids only generate in a desert biome. Pyramids are usually harder to locate due to its natural sandstone structure blending in with the environment. You can try going to higher areas that overlook the desert such as mountains or hills in order to navigate the desert better. You can also try doing the nerd pole strategy wherein you jump and quickly place a block beneath you. This will allow you to reach higher areas and get better visual layout of the desert.
   
2. Once you’ve located the desert pyramid, search the surrounding area for any hostile mobs that might attack you. It is better to be safe by clearing the outer areas of the desert pyramid first before venturing further into the pyramid. You wouldn’t want to be blown up by a creeper as you are walking towards the treasure.
   
3. Now that you’ve cleared the outer area, search for the entrance to the pyramid. There are usually 3 entrances that lead to the center room. There are entranes for both towers on the left and right side, and one main entrance located at the front of the pyramid. Some entrances may be covered or filled with sand so you may need to dig your way in.
   
4. You will find yourself situated at the center of the main room. It will be completely empty except for a pattern on the floor. This pattern will be your clue on how to safely traverse the treasure room below. Beware of any hostile mobs that spawn in the main room. Due to its unlit interior, mobs such as zombies and skeletons might lurk in between the pillars.
   
5. The pattern consists of a blue terracotta block in the center and orange terracotta blocks surrounding it in a symmetrical alternate fashion. The blue terracotta hides a pressure plate at the very bottom of the hole. Stepping on the pressure plate will trigger the TNT hidden beneath the treasure room thereby blowing up the whole pyramid in the process. You must avoid the blue terracotta block at all costs. Next, in a 3×3 pattern, the surrounding orange terracotta blocks indicate the hole and size of the treasure room below. To get a better view of the room beneath you, dig out the area that surrounds the hole below using a pickaxe. Be very careful not to fall in and accidentally activate the trigger.
   
   
6. To safely navigate the treasure room below, you can dig your way down using the outer walls. You may slowly climb back out using the nerd pole strategy later but make sure to bring enough blocks for it.
   
7. Once you reach the bottom of the treasure room, immediately destroy the pressure plate to remove the TNT trigger. You can use a pickaxe to remove the pressure plate from the block. This will drop the pressure plate so you may pick it up and it will allow you to safely navigate the treasure room without the risk of an explosion. You can also dig up the TNT below so you can bring it back to your base for future use.
   
   
8. Finally, you may safely loot all the items inside the chests and slowly make your way back out of the pyramid using the nerd pole strategy.
   

Desert Pyramids have great loot in them, but that reward comes with the risk of death. By knowing where to locate the pressure plate, you can get easy loot with absolutely no risk. Enjoy your looting!