Guardian Farm in Minecraft Bedrock Edition

Overview

Guardian farms provide prismarine shards, prismarine crystals, sea lanterns, raw cod, and substantial XP. They are built at ocean monuments and rely on Guardian spawning mechanics. In Java Edition, Guardian farms typically involve draining the entire monument and creating highly controlled spawning conditions. Bedrock Edition has different water mechanics, spawning rules, and entity behavior that require a modified approach.

Bedrock-Specific Guardian Mechanics

• Guardians in Bedrock spawn in water blocks within the bounding box of an ocean monument. The bounding box extends roughly 58x58 blocks horizontally around the monument and from Y=39 to Y=63 vertically.
• Unlike Java, Bedrock does not require the spawning block to have a clear view of the sky. Guardians can spawn under solid blocks as long as the conditions are met.
• Bedrock's density-based spawning means Guardians spawn based on local density rather than a global mob cap. This affects how much draining or spawn-proofing helps.
• Elder Guardians respawn in Bedrock Edition when the chunk is reloaded. In Java, they do not respawn once killed. This is relevant for farms where you need to periodically clear Elder Guardians.

Preparation

Before building the farm, you need to deal with the Elder Guardians. The three Elder Guardians in each monument inflict Mining Fatigue, which makes building extremely slow. Options include:

• Kill all three Elder Guardians with combat gear. Bring milk buckets to clear Mining Fatigue.
• Use TNT to quickly break blocks despite Mining Fatigue.
• In Bedrock, Elder Guardians may respawn when chunks unload and reload. Plan to defeat them multiple times or keep the area constantly loaded.

Design: Partial Drain with Collection

Full monument drains are extremely time-consuming. A more practical approach for Bedrock is a partial drain with controlled spawning:

Build Steps

1. Clear the interior of the ocean monument. Remove all blocks inside the monument structure to create open water chambers.
2. Build spawning layers inside the monument at specific Y levels. Place solid blocks in rows with 2-block gaps of water between them. Guardians spawn in the water layers.
3. Create water flows on each spawning layer that push Guardians toward a central shaft. Use signs to control water flow direction.
4. Build a central drop shaft in the middle of the monument. All water channels converge here, pushing Guardians into the shaft.
5. At the bottom of the shaft, use a kill method. Options include fall damage (needs a dry area), magma blocks (can be placed underwater), or campfire traps.
6. Place hoppers under the kill area connected to chests for automatic item collection.

Water Flow Design

Water mechanics in Bedrock are slightly different from Java. Key considerations:

• Water flows 8 blocks from a source. Plan your channels to be no longer than 8 blocks, with source blocks at each end if needed.
• Use signs, ladders, or open trapdoors to block water flow at specific points. These blocks stop water without blocking mob movement.
• Bubble columns from soul sand push entities upward and can be used to lift Guardians to a kill chamber above the monument.
• Magma blocks pull entities downward in water and deal damage. These are useful for both collection and killing.

Kill Methods

Magma Block Floor

Place magma blocks at the bottom of the collection area. Guardians take damage from standing on magma blocks. This method is slow but fully automatic and works underwater.

Fall Damage

Drain a section below the collection shaft and drop Guardians onto a dry surface. A 24-block fall kills most Guardians. This requires keeping the area dry, which is challenging at an ocean monument.

Trident Killer

Use a trident killer mechanism (Bedrock-exclusive) for player-kill XP. This is the best method for maximizing XP gain from the farm.

Expected Output

A well-built Guardian farm in Bedrock produces roughly 200-500 prismarine shards per hour, along with prismarine crystals, raw cod, and significant XP. Rates depend on how many spawning layers you build and how efficiently Guardians are transported to the kill chamber.

Java vs Bedrock Differences

• Elder Guardians respawn in Bedrock but not in Java. This means you may need to fight them again if chunks unload.
• Java farms can be more efficient due to the global mob cap system. Draining the entire monument in Java forces all Guardian spawns into the farm.
• Water mechanics are slightly different between editions, affecting flow-based transport systems.
• Bedrock supports trident killers, which Java does not, giving Bedrock an advantage for XP collection.

FAQ

Do I need to drain the whole monument?

No. A partial drain with controlled spawning layers is more practical in Bedrock. Full drains are extremely time-consuming and less beneficial due to density-based spawning.

Why do Elder Guardians keep coming back?

In Bedrock Edition, Elder Guardians can respawn when the monument's chunk is unloaded and reloaded. Use a ticking area to keep the chunk loaded, or be prepared to fight them again periodically.

Can I build this on a Realm?

Yes, but Realms have limited simulation distance and may unload the farm chunks when you move away. A ticking area helps keep the farm active.