# Netherite Conversion: The Free Upgrade Everyone Delays Too Long

_Published September 18, 2026_

The smithing table upgrade path from diamond to netherite costs no XP and keeps every enchantment — so why wait?

Every enchanting guide on this site assumes you'll eventually want netherite gear. Here's the part most players get wrong: there's no reason to wait until *after* you've finished enchanting to upgrade.

## The smithing table upgrade is free

Unlike an anvil combine, running diamond gear through a **smithing table** with a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template and a netherite ingot costs **zero experience levels**. It also does not increase the item's prior-work (anvil use count) penalty at all — that counter is simply carried over unchanged, along with every enchantment already on the item, its current durability percentage, and any armor trim it's wearing.

That combination of facts leads to one clear strategy: **enchant the diamond version of your gear completely first**, using AnvilCalc to find the cheapest combine order, and only upgrade to netherite once you're happy with the result. Upgrading earlier buys you nothing (the stat bonuses are the same either way), and upgrading later costs nothing extra — so there's no version of "I should have waited" or "I should have upgraded sooner" that actually matters financially. The one exception: if you're not sure you'll finish the enchant build in one sitting, keep it in diamond until you are, purely so you don't accidentally lose track of which piece is upgraded.

**Netherite Pickaxe:** Efficiency V, Fortune III, Unbreaking III, Mending I

## Getting the template

The Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template only drops from Bastion Remnant chests in the Nether — it is not craftable from scratch. Once you have one, though, it duplicates: combine it with 7 diamonds and a block of netherrack at a smithing table (or in a crafting grid) to produce another copy, so a single lucky find is enough to upgrade your entire kit forever.

## What you need per item

One diamond item, one Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, and one netherite ingot (itself crafted from 4 netherite scrap — smelted from ancient debris — plus 4 gold ingots). The smithing table consumes the template and the ingot; your diamond gear becomes its netherite equivalent in place, enchantments and all.

[Build this in the calculator](https://anvilcalc.com/#eyJpIjoibmV0aGVyaXRlX3BpY2theGUiLCJlIjpbXSwicCI6MCwibiI6IiIsInQiOltbImVmZmljaWVuY3kiLDVdLFsiZm9ydHVuZSIsM10sWyJ1bmJyZWFraW5nIiwzXSxbIm1lbmRpbmciLDFdXX0)

## Frequently asked questions

**Does the diamond-to-netherite smithing upgrade cost any XP?**

No — it's completely free. Unlike an anvil combine, running an item through a smithing table with a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template and a netherite ingot costs zero experience levels.

**Does upgrading to netherite reset the prior-work penalty?**

No, and that's the whole point. The item's prior-work (anvil use) count simply carries over unchanged through the smithing table — along with its enchantments, durability percentage, and any armor trim — so there's no cost penalty for having enchanted it first.

**Do I need netherite scrap or a netherite ingot for the smithing table step?**

A netherite ingot, not raw scrap. The ingot itself is crafted from 4 netherite scrap (smelted from ancient debris) plus 4 gold ingots — that crafting happens separately, before you ever touch the smithing table.

**Should I enchant in diamond first, or upgrade to netherite first?**

Enchant the diamond version completely first, then upgrade. Upgrading earlier gets you nothing — the stat bonuses are identical either way — and upgrading later costs nothing extra, since the smithing step is free and doesn't touch the prior-work count.

**Where do you get the Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template?**

It only drops from Bastion Remnant chests in the Nether and can't be crafted from scratch. Once you find one, though, it duplicates: combine it with 7 diamonds and a block of netherrack to produce another copy, so a single find is enough to upgrade your whole kit.