Guardian Farm
A guardian farm built around an ocean monument. Requires draining the monument and funneling guardians to a kill chamber for prismarine, fish, and XP.
Overview
The Guardian Farm is a farm build whose job is producing a steady supply of one resource with little or no manual labour; form follows function here, so the layout is dictated by how it works rather than by looks. At 58x23x58 blocks (58 wide, 23 tall and 58 deep) it is huge, covering a 3364-block footprint on the ground.
It is rated expert, the hardest tier here; it demands large material stockpiles, real building or technical redstone skill, and a serious time commitment from an experienced player. Following the 50 steps below, plan for roughly 8-15 hours of focused building. This is a survival workhorse for prismarine and fish: once the Guardian Farm is running it keeps producing whether you are standing there or off mining elsewhere within simulation distance.
The bulk of the work is the 4096 sand that form the main body, alongside 5 different materials in total (about 4448 blocks and items all told). Items move through it on hoppers, feeding the prismarine and fish into a collection chest without any wiring to time. Lighting comes from magma block, which both finishes the look and stops mobs spawning in or on the build.
Materials Needed
Gather the 4096 sand first, since it is the most-used block; the remaining 4 materials are accents and fittings used in smaller amounts. Mine roughly 10-15% extra of the main block to cover mistakes and a few decorative changes on a build this size. Make sure the hoppers that move items are crafted ahead of time, as those are the pieces most likely to be missing mid-build. Quantities are sized for the dimensions shown, so scale them up proportionally if you build a larger version.
| Material | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Sponge | 128 |
| Sand | 4096 |
| Hopper | 32 |
| Soul Sand | 64 |
| Magma Block | 128 |
Click any material to view it on the Items database.
Step-by-Step Overview
A high-level construction order for the Guardian Farm, from the ground up. Each phase below covers several of the 50 in-game steps.
- 1Pick the spot the Guardian Farm needs — a valid spawning location for the mobs it targets — then clear it and build the hopper-and-chest collection layer first so no drops are ever lost.
- 2Raise the body of the Guardian Farm to its full 58x23x58, working from the collection floor upward so each layer sits on the last.
- 3Set up the working part of the Guardian Farm — an ocean-monument spawn area drained and funnelled — which is what actually produces the prismarine and fish.
- 4Light or darken precisely: the spawn space for the Guardian Farm must stay at the light level the target mobs need, while every surrounding surface is lit so nothing else spawns and steals the cap.
- 5Build the AFK or harvest spot, run the Guardian Farm for a full cycle, and time the prismarine and fish output before you rely on it day to day.
Build Tips
- 1Drain the monument using sponges or sand walls.
- 2Soul sand bubble columns push guardians upward.
- 3Magma blocks at the bottom of water columns pull them down.
- 4This is one of the most labor-intensive farms in the game.
Tips & Variations
Keep mobs out by spacing your magma block so no floor tile or nearby surface in the Guardian Farm sits below light level 1; a single dark corner is all it takes for something to spawn inside.
To resize the Guardian Farm, keep its 58x58 proportions and grow both axes together; stretching one direction alone tends to make it look thin. A half-size or double-size version both work as long as you scale the 4448-block material list to match.
For a different look, swap the sand in the Guardian Farm for another palette that fits your biome: the shape stays identical, but the colour and texture of the main block changes the whole feel of it.
The most common mistake on the Guardian Farm is a leak in the collection path; trace it and confirm every hopper, water flow or drop chute actually feeds the chest before you leave it producing prismarine and fish unattended.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is the Guardian Farm build?
It is rated expert, the hardest tier here; it demands large material stockpiles, real building or technical redstone skill, and a serious time commitment from an experienced player. It is laid out in 50 steps and takes roughly 8-15 hours of focused building to finish.
What blocks do you need for the Guardian Farm?
The main block is sand (around 4096), and the full list runs to 5 materials — mostly sand, sponge and magma block. Altogether that is roughly 4448 blocks and items; the complete table with exact counts is above. Item transport uses hoppers.
How big is the Guardian Farm?
It measures 58x23x58 blocks — 58 wide, 23 tall and 58 deep — which is huge and takes up a 3364-block footprint. You can shrink or enlarge it by keeping those proportions.
Is the Guardian Farm survival-friendly?
This is a survival workhorse for prismarine and fish: once the Guardian Farm is running it keeps producing whether you are standing there or off mining elsewhere within simulation distance.
Does the Guardian Farm work on its own once built?
Largely, yes — after setup the Guardian Farm keeps producing prismarine and fish as long as you are within simulation range; just check the collection chest now and then and top up anything it consumes.
What makes the Guardian Farm different from similar builds?
It is best understood through its focus on guardian, ocean and monument. Those traits drive the material list and layout described above, and are what set this farm build apart from a generic prismarine and fish build.
Tags
Related Builds
Need help gathering materials?
Look up any item, block, or mob on our reference databases.