How to speedrun Portal to the Nether in Minecraft

Looking to get early access to glowstone and soul sand? Or just feel like paying the pigmen a visit?

Getting to the Nether is a crucial part of many Minecraft speedruns. Below is an easy way to speedrun to the Nether in Minecraft. It can be used in any world and only requires a bucket, flint and steel, and some clever engineering.

How to speedrun Portal without diamonds

A diamond pickaxe is usually a prerequisite for accessing the Nether, as it’s the only tool able to mine obsidian. Luckily, clever Minecraft players have figured out a way to access the Nether with only iron. The following method only requires an iron bucket, a flint and steel, and access to lava and water.

First, create a backdrop for your Nether Portal out of any non-flammable blocks. Then carve a four-block ditch in front of it. The setup should look something like this. Make sure you have one water source and several lava source blocks. Either look for above-ground lava pools or build in a deep cave.

Next, place a lava source block in the middle of the ditch and drop a water source directly next to it. This will turn the lava into obsidian. Repeat this process in the other middle slot of the ditch. This will be the bottom of your speedrun Portal. 

Fill in the ditch and place a lava source block at ground level next to the base. Quickly place a water source block next to it against the backdrop and it will turn into obsidian. Repeat until you have three obsidian blocks on each side. Once you’ve constructed the pillars, it’s time to make the top. Place lava, then water in both top slots to finish speedrunning the Nether Portal.

All that’s left to do is ignite the Portal base with a flint and steel and then head into the Nether. Accessing the Nether early can be useful in acquiring certain blocks, either for mechanical or decorative purposes. Early soul sand can be used to create faster water elevators and glowstone is a nice compliment to any Minecraft bungalow. With this Nether Portal speedrun technique, any player can get to the Nether without a diamond pickaxe.