Building an efficient base in Minecraft 1.21 and 1.21.4 requires adjusting to the new Ominous Bottle system. You can no longer simply defeat a Raid Captain to start a fight; you now need to drink a potion to trigger the waves of enemies. This automatic raid farm tutorial shows you how to set up a system that handles these bottles and keeps the emeralds flowing. You will need a villager, a bed, and a solid platform to turn your survival world into a resource powerhouse.
Modern farms use clever mechanics to help you manage the Ominous effect without manual clicking. By placing your villager in a safe spot and using a killing chamber, you can force Raid Captains to drop their bottles exactly where you need them. This setup ensures you get endless Totems of Undying and Redstone without the headache of hunting for patrols. Your new farm will turn a difficult challenge into a simple, hands-off way to stock your chests with the best loot in the game.
Key Takeaways
- Minecraft versions 1.21 and 1.21.4 require players to manually consume an Ominous Bottle to trigger the Raid Omen effect, replacing the old system of automatic raids upon defeating a captain.
- Constructing a farm in a deep ocean biome using non-spawnable blocks like leaves or glass ensures raiders spawn only within the designated killing chamber.
- A functional raid farm must include at least one villager linked to a bed to trick the game into recognizing the structure as a valid village target.
- Implementing a 30-block drop chute and a robust hopper collection system allows for the efficient automation of high-value loot like Totems of Undying, Emeralds, and Redstone.
Gathering Ominous Bottles And Essential Building Materials
Before you can start raking in endless stacks of emeralds and totems, you need to gather specific building materials to control where mobs appear. You will need a large amount of leaves or glass blocks because these are non-spawnable surfaces that prevent raiders from appearing in the wrong spots. Precision is key to ensuring every pillager spawns exactly where you want them. Using these transparent blocks allows you to create a safe perimeter around your villager and bed setup without ruining the farm’s efficiency. Make sure to pack several stacks of these materials before you head to your build site to save time on travel.
The most important change in recent updates is that you must now use Ominous Bottles to trigger the raid effect manually. You can find these bottles by defeating Raid Captains at Pillager Outposts or by looting chests found deep within Trial Chambers. These bottles come in different levels, so try to aim for the higher tiers if you want more waves and better loot from your farm. Modern automatic designs often include a system to store these bottles or even an auto-drinking mechanic to keep the farm running smoothly. Without a steady supply of these bottles, your farm will sit idle, so it is worth spending some time farming them ahead of time.
Once you have your spawn-proofing blocks and a healthy supply of Ominous Bottles, you are ready to assemble the core structure. Remember that your farm needs at least one villager and a bed to count as a valid village target, which acts as the bait for the incoming raid. You should also bring some basic building blocks like stone or wood for the main framework and plenty of buckets for moving water. Having everything ready in your inventory will make the construction process much faster. By preparing these items now, you are setting yourself up to become the wealthiest player on your server.
Setting Up The Villager Chamber And Ocean Platform

To get started, you need to find a deep ocean biome that is far away from any natural villages or landmasses. This isolation is crucial because you want to make sure the raid spawns exactly where you want it to, rather than on a nearby beach or in a random cave. Once you are at least 150 blocks away from any other beds or workstations, build a small platform just above the water level to serve as your base of operations. This platform will eventually house the mechanics that allow you to farm emeralds and totems of undying without any manual effort. Make sure you have enough building blocks and a boat ready to transport your villager to the site.
The heart of your farm is a tiny, one-room chamber that will hold a single villager and their bed. Place a bed on your ocean platform and wait for the villager to link to it, which creates a technical village that the game uses to start a raid. You only need one villager for this to work, but you must ensure they are safe from any stray mobs or falling into the water. Surrounding the villager with glass or solid blocks will protect them while still allowing the game to recognize the area as a valid raid target. This simple setup is what lures the pillagers into your trap so you can start collecting your loot.
Since the recent updates, you will need to drink an Ominous Bottle to trigger the raid once your villager is in place. You can build a small glass cage around the villager to keep them secure while you prepare your auto-drinking station or manual killing area. It is important to remember that the villager must be able to stay linked to that specific bed for the farm to remain active. With the villager tucked away in their chamber, the game is perfectly tricked into thinking a full village is under attack. This setup creates a constant stream of high-value drops that will quickly fill your storage.
Constructing The Automatic Killing Chamber And Collection System
To build the perfect killing chamber, you need to construct a drop chute that is exactly thirty blocks deep to ensure raiders take maximum fall damage without dying instantly. At the base of this shaft, place a layer of lower slabs or carpets over your hoppers so you can safely swing your sword at the mobs’ feet. This setup allows you to finish off weakened Ravagers and Evokers with ease, ensuring you get the killing blow for maximum experience points. Since 1.21 updates require you to drink Ominous Bottles to keep the raid going, make sure your standing area has enough space for a chest full of these potions. You can even set up a small water stream nearby to funnel any dropped Ominous Bottles from Raid Captains directly to your inventory.
Managing the massive amount of loot from an automatic raid farm requires a robust hopper system connected to several double chests. You should place at least five hoppers in a U-shape at the bottom of the pit to catch every single drop before they despawn. Because your farm will produce hundreds of emeralds and totems of undying, it is smart to build a simple item filter that separates the junk like sticks and grey banners from the high value items. This prevents your storage from clogging up with useless crossbows and allows you to focus on stacking your riches. Once your collection system is running, you can watch your chests fill with enough emeralds to completely take over the villager economy.
Activating The Farm With The New Ominous Effect

To trigger your automatic raid farm in the latest version of the game, you first need to consume an Ominous Bottle. These bottles are dropped by Raid Captains found at pillager outposts or during random patrols. Once you have a bottle in your inventory, stand in your designated AFK spot and drink it to gain the Bad Omen effect. As soon as you enter the boundaries of your artificial village, the effect transforms into a Raid Omen. This countdown is your signal that the farm is about to spring into action.
Positioning is the most important factor for keeping your farm running at maximum efficiency without manual effort. Make sure you are standing exactly on the designated block, which is usually located directly above the villager or the killing chamber. This specific spot ensures that the game recognizes you as being inside a village while keeping you safe from vexes or evoker fangs. Most designs use a trapdoor or a slab to keep your character aligned perfectly. Staying centered prevents the raid from spawning on nearby caves or hills instead of inside your traps.
Once the raid begins, you can let your automated systems handle the heavy lifting while you collect the rewards. Your character should stay in a position where you can safely hit the mobs or collect the experience orbs flowing from the collection point. This setup allows you to bypass the normal game economy by gathering thousands of emeralds and totems of undying while you are away from your computer. If your farm includes an auto-crafter or a sorting system, make sure your inventory has space for new Ominous Bottles. This allows you to restart the cycle immediately and keep the loot flowing for hours.
Maintaining Your Farm and Triggering Raids
To keep your farm running smoothly, you should regularly check your storage system to ensure the hoppers aren’t backed up with junk items. Since version 1.21, you need to keep a steady supply of Ominous Bottles ready to trigger the raid effect whenever you want to start a new session. Make sure your villager is safe inside their glass pod and that no stray mobs have spawned on the surrounding platforms. If the farm seems to slow down, double check that you have consumed the bottle and that the raid bar has appeared at the top of your screen. Keeping a small chest of food near your AFK spot is also a great way to stay saturated while you wait for the emeralds to roll in.
Now that you have a massive hoard of emeralds, you can dominate the local economy by trading with high level villagers. To expand your operations, you can build an infinite villager breeder so your gear never breaks again. Use your riches to buy enchanted books like Mending and Unbreaking III from librarians. You can also visit armorers and weapon smiths to pick up full sets of diamond equipment without ever having to go mining. If you find yourself with too many emeralds, try trading with stonemasons for quartz or terracotta to build impressive bases. Don’t forget that your farm also provides a steady supply of Totems of Undying, which makes you practically invincible during your survival adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you start a raid in Minecraft 1.21 and 1.21.4?
You can no longer start a raid just by defeating a Raid Captain. You must now drink an Ominous Bottle, which you can find in Trial Chambers or by looting Pillager Outposts, to trigger the raid waves.
2. Why do I need to use leaves or glass blocks for this build?
Leaves and glass are non-spawnable blocks that prevent pillagers from appearing in the wrong places. Using these transparent materials ensures that every raider spawns exactly in your killing chamber instead of on your roof or nearby ground.
3. Do I really need a villager and a bed for the farm to work?
Yes, the game requires a villager and a linked bed to recognize the area as a village. This setup tricks the game into starting a raid right next to your traps so you can collect loot safely.
4. What is the easiest way to get Ominous Bottles?
You can gather these bottles by defeating Raid Captains at their outposts or by searching through chests in Trial Chambers. Once your farm is running, the captains inside the raid will drop more bottles to keep your farm going forever.
5. What kind of loot can I expect from an automatic raid farm?
This farm is a gold mine for essential items like Totems of Undying, Emeralds, and Redstone. You will also get plenty of Gunpowder and Witch drops, making it the best way to stock your chests with high-tier resources.
6. How does the farm handle the Raid Captains automatically?
The farm uses a specific killing chamber that funnels captains into a spot where they drop their Ominous Bottles. This allows you to pick up and drink the potions without having to hunt down patrols across your world. While you are at it, you can also check out the ultimate Minecraft potion brewing chart and recipe guide to master other useful effects for your survival world.

