Around the Block: Basalt Deltas

Many of the new biomes featured in the Nether Update are designed to make the old fiery dimension feel more alive. The two forest biomes, Crimson and Warped, add many different kinds of flora and fauna to the Nether, while still fitting right into its gloomy, oppressive aesthetic. 

But what would you get if you made the Nether less alive? You’d get our biome of the week – the Basalt Deltas. Java developer Felix Jones explains its origins:

It made it. Basalt Deltas were added in the eleventh snapshot, released in April 2020, to fill a hole in the collection of existing biomes. Felix adds:

The landscape of Basalt Deltas is mostly made up of craggy mountains, with rivers and springs of lava running through them. Basalt is more common, but as Felix promises you’ll also find seams of blackstone here – which can be used to craft stone tools or build stone structures.

It’s not easy to get around in Basalt Deltas – the spiky landscape and hidden pits of lava can prove dangerous to the incautious traveler. But careful miners will find plenty of rich ores and resources here, thanks to the biome’s volcanic origins. You’ll also find rare patches of Netherrack, gravel, magma blocks, glowstone clusters and the occasional nether quartz ore.

Not a lot lives here – a few mushrooms scrape out a living on the rock, foraged upon by magma cubes and striders that live on the shores of the lava sea. Instead, the craggy peaks of the Basalt Deltas are haunted by Ghasts that count these bleak environs as their territory, defending it against intruders.

That said, the ample building materials and low population make Basalt Deltas a reasonable place to live. You’ll need to bring in food supply, but with a small farm and some sort of defence against Ghasts you can make a surprisingly comfortable home here.

Have you set up camp in the Basalt Delta? Share your top tips for #deltalife with us on Twitter at @minecraft!