How to Barter with Piglins in Minecraft
Home → Minecraft → How to Barter with PiglinsMinecraft
How to Barter with Piglins in Minecraft
Piglin Bartering TipsPiglin bartering is one of Minecraft’s most satisfying resource systems — the variety of outputs, the group-trading mechanic, and the Gold economy create a genuinely engaging interaction with the Nether’s residents that feels distinct from combat loot or crafting. Crying Obsidian is the standout target since it’s the only source for Respawn Anchors and has no craftable alternative, making Piglin bartering essential for any player establishing a permanent Nether base. The broader loot table provides useful utility items as incidental bonuses — Ender Pearls, String, Soul Sand, and Potions of Fire Resistance all appear at rates that make large bartering sessions rewarding beyond just the Crying Obsidian target. Building a Gold farm from Zombie Piglins to fuel ongoing bartering creates a passive resource engine that produces both Gold (for bartering) and Zombie Piglin drops simultaneously — a self-reinforcing Nether economy that experienced players use to generate large quantities of all barter outputs over time. The Bastion Remnant guide covers finding Piglins at their natural home, and the Respawn Anchor guide details the Crying Obsidian requirements for Nether base setup.FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
How to Barter with PiglinsTo barter with Piglins, wear at least one piece of Gold armour (prevents them attacking you), then either right-click a Piglin with a Gold Ingot in hand, or throw Gold Ingots on the ground near them. They inspect the ingot for ~6 seconds then toss back a random item. The most valuable barters are Crying Obsidian (~9%), Fire Resistance Potions (~2%), Gravel, Ender Pearls, String, and Soul Sand.
1
Wear Gold armour — absolutely required. Piglins are hostile to players not wearing any Gold armour. Without Gold armour, approaching a Piglin causes it to attack immediately, making bartering impossible. Equip at least 1 piece of Gold armour — a Gold Helmet is the cheapest option (craft from 5 Gold Ingots). You don’t need a full Gold set — one piece is sufficient to pacify Piglins completely. Gold armour’s protection stats are poor, so wear your regular armour underneath (full Netherite works fine with a single Gold Helmet on top). Remove the Gold Helmet when done in the Nether to avoid losing protection stats during combat with other mobs.
2
Barter — right-click with Gold Ingot or throw on the ground. Two bartering methods: Right-click a Piglin while holding a Gold Ingot — the Piglin takes the ingot from your hand and inspects it for ~6 seconds, then tosses a random item. Throw Gold Ingots on the ground near Piglins — any Piglin that picks one up performs the same barter. The throw method lets you barter with multiple Piglins simultaneously — drop a stack of Gold Ingots in a group of Piglins and they all pick up ingots and trade simultaneously. Each Piglin can only barter one ingot at a time but multiple Piglins can barter in parallel. One Gold Ingot = one barter result regardless of method.
3
Complete Piglin barter loot table. Each barter produces one of the following (with approximate probabilities): High value: Crying Obsidian 3–7 (9.46%), Gravel 8–16 (9.46%), Leather 4–10 (9.46%), Nether Brick 4–16 (9.46%), Iron Nugget 10–36 (9.46%), Potion/Splash Potion of Fire Resistance 1 (2.18%), Ender Pearl 4–8 (2.18%). Mid value: String 8–24 (4.73%), Soul Sand 4–16 (4.73%), Nether Quartz 8–16 (4.73%), Glowstone Dust 5–12 (4.73%). Low value: Magma Cream 2–6 (4.73%), Water Bottle (2.18%), Spectral Arrow 6–12 (Java only, 4.73%), Blackstone 8–16 (9.46%), Obsidian 1 (9.46%). The best guaranteed high-value targets are Crying Obsidian (for Respawn Anchors) and Ender Pearls (for Eyes of Ender and Stronghold navigation).
4
Farm Gold efficiently for bulk bartering. Bulk Piglin bartering requires large quantities of Gold Ingots. Best Gold sources: Gold Ore/Nether Gold Ore — mine in the Nether at any Y-level (Nether Gold Ore is extremely common in all Nether biomes, dropping 2–6 Gold Nuggets per block, 9 Nuggets = 1 Ingot); Zombie Piglin drops — Zombie Piglins drop Gold Nuggets and occasionally Gold Ingots; Ruined Portal chests — contain Gold Ingots and Gold Blocks; Bastion Remnant chests — contain large quantities of Gold. For serious Crying Obsidian farming, expect to use 40–100 Gold Ingots per Crying Obsidian (given the ~9.46% drop rate). A Gold farm using Zombie Piglins produces Gold passively and at scale.
5
Build an efficient Piglin bartering station. For bulk bartering, build a dedicated station: enclose 3–5 Piglins in a small room with Gold armour worn, drop large quantities of Gold Ingots at once (they all trade simultaneously), and collect the results from the floor. Sort useful items (Crying Obsidian, Ender Pearls, Potions) and dispose of junk (Gravel, Leather, Iron Nuggets — or convert Gravel to Flint with a Slab method). A simple sorting system with Hoppers can automatically filter Crying Obsidian and Ender Pearls into separate chests while sending junk to a trash chest. This setup turns a manual per-ingot trade process into a semi-automated bulk exchange.
6
Key items Piglins never barter — what you can’t get this way. Piglin bartering is extensive but doesn’t cover everything. Notable items NOT available through bartering: Ancient Debris / Netherite (only mined); Wither Skeleton Skulls (only from Wither Skeletons); Blaze Rods (only from Blazes); Nether Wart (only from Fortresses or grown); Magma Blocks (only from world generation); Lodestone (found in Bastions or crafted). Piglin bartering complements Nether exploration rather than replacing it — the most important Nether resources still require active structure hunting and mob farming.
→
Always bring extra Gold armour — Piglins steal it if they equip it: if a Piglin picks up a piece of Gold armour dropped near them (from your inventory accidentally), they equip it and won’t trade while wearing it. Keep your Gold Helmet in your armour slot, not your inventory, to prevent Piglins from grabbing it. Also avoid dropping Gold equipment near Piglins — they’ll equip it rather than barter it.
→
Piglins in the Overworld become Zombie Piglins — barter in the Nether only: Piglins taken to the Overworld or End dimension convert to Zombie Piglins after ~15 seconds — they can’t barter in their zombie form. All bartering must happen in the Nether. Don’t try to transport Piglins home for a convenient bartering station — it doesn’t work. Build your bartering station inside the Nether near your hub portal.
→
Barter with Brute Piglins in Bastions — they barter too: Piglin Brutes in Bastions don’t barter (they’re always hostile regardless of Gold armour) but regular Piglins in Bastions do. When looting a Bastion, barter with the regular Piglins in the treasure room simultaneously — you can loot chests and barter at the same time for maximum Nether resource efficiency per visit.
→
Ender Pearls from bartering are the fastest pre-End supply source: Ender Pearls are needed for Stronghold navigation (crafting Eyes of Ender) and teleportation. Farming them from Endermen requires reaching Y=0 or finding an Enderman farm. Piglin bartering at ~2% per trade is less efficient than a dedicated Enderman farm but available much earlier in the game — barter 40–50 Gold Ingots and you’ll likely get 4–8 Ender Pearls as a side product of Crying Obsidian farming.
→
Potion of Fire Resistance from bartering is invaluable in the Nether: the 2.18% barter rate for Fire Resistance Potions means approximately 1 Potion per 46 barters. These potions grant immunity to fire and lava — essential for Nether exploration and particularly the Nether Fortress fight with Blazes. Stock them from bartering sessions alongside brewing your own with Magma Cream.
How do you barter with Piglins in Minecraft?
Wear at least one piece of Gold armour to prevent Piglins from attacking, then right-click a Piglin with a Gold Ingot in hand, or throw Gold Ingots on the ground near them. The Piglin inspects the ingot for ~6 seconds then tosses back a random item from the barter loot table. Multiple Piglins can barter simultaneously if you drop multiple ingots.
What is the best item to get from Piglin bartering?
The most valuable barter outcomes are Crying Obsidian (~9.46% chance, needed for Respawn Anchors), Ender Pearls (~2.18%, needed for Eyes of Ender), and Potion of Fire Resistance (~2.18%, essential for Nether survival). Crying Obsidian is the primary target since it has no other source besides Ruined Portal chests.
Why won’t Piglins barter with me in Minecraft?
Piglins won’t barter if you’re not wearing any Gold armour (they attack on sight without it), if you’re in the Overworld or End (they convert to Zombie Piglins), if the Piglin is a Brute (Brutes never barter), or if the Piglin is currently in combat. Ensure you’re in the Nether, wearing at least one Gold armour piece, and approaching non-Brute Piglins.
How do you get Crying Obsidian from Piglins in Minecraft?
Barter Gold Ingots with Piglins in the Nether — Crying Obsidian has a ~9.46% chance per barter. Expect to use 40–100 Gold Ingots per Crying Obsidian. You need 6 Crying Obsidian per Respawn Anchor, so budget 60–600 ingots for a reliable supply. Throw multiple ingots to multiple Piglins simultaneously for faster results.