You can make a potion of swiftness in Minecraft by brewing sugar into an awkward potion. This potion increases your movement speed, making it great for exploring, escaping danger, or traveling long distances quickly. This guide covers the full recipe, the upgraded version, and the best ways to use it.
TL;DR
- Brew nether wart into a water bottle first to make an awkward potion.
- Add sugar to the awkward potion to make a potion of swiftness.
- Add glowstone dust to upgrade it to Swiftness II, a faster but shorter effect.
- Add redstone dust to extend the 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
- Sugar
If you have not built a brewing stand yet, check our guide on how to make a brewing stand in Minecraft, then come back here for the swiftness recipe.
How To Get Sugar
Sugar is one of the easiest brewing ingredients to gather. It is crafted from sugar cane, which grows naturally along riverbanks, lakes, and ocean shores. Simply place sugar cane in a crafting table grid to turn it into sugar, with one sugar cane producing one sugar.
How To Make A Potion Of Swiftness 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 to create an awkward potion.
- Once brewing finishes, add sugar to the top slot.
- Wait for the brewing process to complete. You now have a potion of swiftness.
What Does Potion Of Swiftness Do
Swiftness increases your walking and sprinting speed for a limited time. The base version lasts 3 minutes and makes travel, exploring, and escaping mobs noticeably faster.
How To Make Swiftness II
To upgrade your potion of swiftness to a stronger version:
- Start with a finished potion of swiftness in the brewing stand.
- Add glowstone dust to the top ingredient slot.
- This creates Swiftness II, which increases your speed boost further 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 swiftness.
- Add redstone dust to the top ingredient slot.
- This extends the duration to 8 minutes, though it stays at the base speed level.
Note that you cannot extend and upgrade the same potion at once. You must choose either Swiftness II or the extended duration version.
How To Make A Splash Potion Of Swiftness
A splash version lets you throw the potion at yourself or allies:
- Start with a finished potion of swiftness, Swiftness II, or the extended version.
- Add gunpowder to the top ingredient slot.
- This converts it into a splash potion that applies the effect to anyone caught in the impact area.
Best Uses For Potion Of Swiftness
- Traveling long distances quickly without needing a horse or elytra
- Escaping dangerous mobs or PvP fights when retreating is the better option
- Combined with an invisibility potion for fast and stealthy movement through hostile areas
- Exploring large structures like ancient cities or woodland mansions faster
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients make a potion of swiftness?
You need an awkward potion, made from nether wart and a water bottle, then add sugar to finish the potion of swiftness.
How do you make Swiftness II in Minecraft?
Add glowstone dust to a finished potion of swiftness. This increases the speed boost but shortens the duration to 1 minute and 30 seconds.
How long does a potion of swiftness last?
The base potion lasts 3 minutes. Adding redstone dust extends it to 8 minutes, while glowstone dust shortens it but increases speed.
Can you throw a potion of swiftness at someone else?
Yes. Add gunpowder to turn it into a splash potion, which applies the effect to anyone caught in the impact area.
Is sugar easy to get for this potion?
Yes. Sugar comes from sugar cane, which grows naturally near water and is one of the easiest brewing ingredients to farm.
