Iron Farm: Simple and Efficient

How it works

Iron golems spawn when villagers are panicked: if a villager has seen a zombie within the last ~5 seconds and there is no living golem nearby, the game summons a new one. The farm keeps these conditions permanent: villagers are locked next to a zombie, and the golem spawns on a platform and flows into lava.

Golem spawn requirements:

• At least 3 villagers linked to beds (they must have slept at least once).
• A zombie within the villagers' line of sight (through glass works).
• A clear 16×16 area around the villagers at their feet level ±3 blocks.

Materials

| Resource | Amount | |---|---| | Building blocks (any) | ~130 | | Glass | ~30 | | Beds | 3 | | Water (buckets) | 2 | | Lava (bucket) | 1 | | Hoppers | 2–4 | | Chests | 2 | | Signs or carpets | 8 | | Name tag for the zombie | 1 |

Name the zombie with a name tag, otherwise it will despawn and the farm will stall.

Step-by-step build

1. Spawn platform

Build a 16×16 platform 3–4 blocks above the ground (smaller works, but rates drop). Leave a collection cross in the center: place water along the edges so the currents push the golem toward the central hole.

2. Villager chamber

Under the platform (within ±3 blocks of its height) build a 3×3 glass room, place 3 beds and put the villagers inside. Boats are the easiest transport: villagers hop in by themselves if you pull up close.

3. Zombie chamber

Right next to the villager chamber, add a 1×2 glass cell so the villagers can see the zombie. Cover the top so the zombie doesn't burn in daylight, and put a carpet on the floor to prevent accidental spawns. Place the named zombie inside.

4. Killing and collection

Under the platform's central hole dig a 2-block-deep shaft. At the bottom place hoppers feeding into a chest; above them, at the golem's chest height, lava, separated by signs or a carpet so the drops don't burn. The golem dies to the lava and the iron falls into the hoppers.

Common mistakes

• Golem spawns outside: there must be no other valid spawn spots within 16 blocks of the farm; light up and carpet nearby roofs.
• Farm stopped? Check: is the zombie in place? Did the villagers sleep? Is there a living golem stuck nearby?
• Villagers "not panicked": the zombie must be within 16 blocks and in direct line of sight (glass is fine, a solid wall is not).

Rates and upgrades

One cell yields around 300+ ingots per hour. Want more? Build several independent cells with 32+ blocks between the villager "villages", or switch to a design with multiple villages at different heights.