You can make a potion of strength in Minecraft by brewing blaze powder into an awkward potion. This potion increases your melee damage, making it one of the best brews for tough fights like raids, the Wither, or the Ender Dragon. This guide covers the full recipe, the upgraded versions, and how to use it well.
TL;DR
- Brew nether wart into a water bottle first to make an awkward potion.
- Add blaze powder to the awkward potion to make a potion of strength.
- Add glowstone dust to upgrade it to Strength II, a stronger but shorter effect.
- Add redstone dust to extend the potion’s duration instead.
- Add gunpowder to turn it into a splash potion you can throw.
What You Need
- A brewing stand, fueled with blaze powder
- Water bottles
- Nether wart
- Blaze powder
If you don’t have a brewing stand yet, check our full guide on how to make a brewing stand in Minecraft for the recipe and setup steps.
How To Make A Potion Of Strength Step By Step
- Fill glass bottles with water from a cauldron or water source.
- Place the water bottles in the bottom slots of the brewing stand.
- Add nether wart to the top ingredient slot. This creates an awkward potion, the required base for strength.
- Once brewing finishes, add blaze powder to the top slot again.
- Wait for the brewing process to complete. You will now have a potion of strength.
What Does Potion Of Strength Do
The potion of strength increases your melee attack damage for a limited time. The base version lasts 3 minutes and boosts damage from physical attacks, including swords and axes. It does not affect ranged damage like bows or tridents.
How To Make Strength II
To upgrade your potion of strength to a stronger version:
- Start with a finished potion of strength in the brewing stand.
- Add glowstone dust to the top ingredient slot.
- This creates Strength II, which doubles the damage bonus but cuts the duration down to 1 minute and 30 seconds.
How To Extend The Duration
If you want a longer effect instead of a stronger one:
- Start with a regular potion of strength.
- Add redstone dust to the top ingredient slot.
- This extends the duration to 8 minutes, though it stays at the base strength level.
Note that you cannot extend and upgrade the same potion at once. You must choose either Strength II or the extended duration version.
How To Make A Splash Potion Of Strength
A splash version lets you throw the potion at yourself or allies in combat:
- Start with a finished potion of strength, Strength II, or the extended version.
- Add gunpowder to the top ingredient slot.
- This converts it into a splash potion that can be thrown to apply the effect on impact.
Best Uses For Potion Of Strength
- Fighting the Wither or Ender Dragon, where extra melee damage shortens the fight significantly
- Raids and outposts, where you face large groups of pillagers and vindicators at once
- Combined with good enchantments like Sharpness on your weapon for maximum damage, check our full enchantments list for the best options
- PvP situations on multiplayer servers where burst damage matters
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients make a potion of strength?
You need an awkward potion, made from nether wart and a water bottle, then add blaze powder to finish the potion of strength.
How do you make Strength II in Minecraft?
Add glowstone dust to a finished potion of strength. This doubles the damage bonus but shortens the duration to 1 minute and 30 seconds.
How long does a potion of strength last?
The base potion lasts 3 minutes. Adding redstone dust extends it to 8 minutes, while glowstone dust shortens it but increases power.
Can you throw a potion of strength at someone else?
Yes. Add gunpowder to turn it into a splash potion, which applies the effect to anyone caught in the impact area.
Does potion of strength affect bow damage?
No. It only increases melee attack damage from weapons like swords and axes, not ranged attacks.
