One of the worst situations you can put yourself in during a Minecraft playthrough is getting lost. Whether you wandered off too far from your base or are trying to get back to a specific biome, knowing what direction you need to go is invaluable information at all times. While you can make a map in Minecraft, you can also craft a Compass, which immediately tells you what direction you’re currently facing. Here’s how to make a compass in Minecraft.
Making a Compass in Minecraft
The recipe for a Compass in Minecraft doesn’t feature too many resources, but the materials required won’t be available during your first hour or two of a playthrough. Below, you can see the Compass recipe in Minecraft:
4 Iron Ingots surrounding the middle box of a crafting table1 Redstone Dust in the center of the crafting tableThe recipe for a Compass
The Iron Ingots can be earned fairly early on, as you simply need a stone pickaxe, furnace, and some Iron Ore. The Iron Ore might be a little tricky to find depending on what biome you’re in, but digging underground or finding stone and mining through it is usually the easiest way to find Iron Ore. Then, with your Iron Ore, simply go to a furnace, throw some Coal in as a heat source, and then toss the ore in with it. This smelts the Iron Ore into Iron Ingots, which you can then use to make new weapons, tools, gear, and a Compass.
As for the Redstone Dust, this needs to be procured by mining Redstone Ore with an iron pickaxe, which you can make with your Iron Ingots. Redstone Ore is most prevalent under the surface, so you might be able to find it while mining for Iron Ore. Whenever you find Redstone Ore, mine it with your iron pickaxe and you’ll receive four to five Redstone Dust.
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Once you have those resources, throw them both into a crafting table and you’ll be able to craft a Compass. To use the Compass, simply assign it to a spot on your hotbar and wield it. The Compass’ red needle will turn depending on what direction you’re facing. By default, the Compass points to where you spawned in the world, which is indicated by the needle pointing straight up. The Compass can be used to keep track of where you are, where you’re going, and where you need to get to in Minecraft. However, it won’t work in the Nether, so don’t bother trying to use it there.
