Top 5 situations to use a compass in Minecraft

The world of Minecraft is expansive, with multiple avenues to explore. With so much terrain to uncover, stretching endlessly in all directions, players need a way of finding their way.

Of course, players can use maps, but sometimes they need to chart their path at a glance. That's where the compass comes into play. A compass is a great tool, guiding players to certain areas.

Here's how to use it.

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The top 5 situations a player should use a compass in Minecraft

In the real world, a compass will point to the north. In Minecraft, a compass will point to the world's spawn location. This is true for the compass even if it is on the ground, in a player’s hand, or placed inside an item frame.

This is a good way for players to be able to see the spawn point of the world at a glance. It can also be great if players build all their structures around the spawn.

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1) Find the way home

The most obvious and important use of a compass is finding the player's way back home. Or atleast to the world spawn.

Players can explore far beyond the spawn point and can always follow the compass to get back home. As long as they don't venture into the Nether or the End, where the compass will simply spin around and show them the way back.

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2) A lodestone compass

A compass can be attuned to a lodestone by using the compass on the lodestone, which will bind the new point to the compass points. However, if the lodestone gets destroyed, the compass will simply spin. This can be used in the Nether and The End to make the compass function in those dimensions specifically.

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3) Decorations

Just like players can hang maps on their walls in Minecraft, they can also hang compasses inside frames. The compass will still point to either the world spawn or the lodestone, depending on where it is attuned to.

Players can then simply place the frame on the wall and put the compass inside of it. It works well for nautical themed rooms with maps and a compass on display.

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4) Crafting maps

Just as compasses are used for navigation, so are maps. Players are able to craft maps, both marked and unmarked, in order to better navigate their world. They can even clone maps to give to their friends to show them the locations they have discovered.

Players can craft a map using 8 paper and 1 compass. This will create a blank canvas; players will have to use the map to activate it.

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5) Trading and gaining emeralds

Compasses can be used to gain some emeralds in a pinch. If the player finds a journeyman-level cartographer, players can trade a compass for the price of 1 emerald.

Players can also trade a cartographer 12 emeralds and 1 compass to gain an ocean-explorer map or woodland explorer map, which will help them locate certain structures located inside of those biomes in Minecraft.