Minecraft: Armor Trimming

Posted: Feb 6, 2023 in Minecraft

By Kevin Lott

Overview

For the longest time, armor in Minecraft hasn’t really changed. Besides the 1.16 Nether Update and the addition of Netherite armor, we haven’t necessarily had any changes made to armor at all. That is until today! Surprisingly, the latest 1.19 snapshot added in a very unique feature: armor trimming! Armor trimming is a brand-new mechanic which adds tons of customization. Today, we’re going to go in-depth on this addition and how it works. Let’s begin!

Armor Trimming

What exactly is armor trimming? Armor trims are a purely cosmetic change that you can apply to your armor by integrating Smithing Templates, specific ores, and your armor. They are styled based on what biome/structure you found the template within. You can find a unique trim in pretty much every structure, including but not limited to:

• Pillager Outposts
• Desert Pyramids
• Shipwrecks
• Jungle Temples
• Ocean Monuments
• Ancient Cities
• Woodland Mansions
• Nether Fortresses
• Bastion Remnants
• Strongholds
• End Cities

 

Once you’ve found these armor trims, in order to apply them you’ll need to use a Smithing Table. If you’ve used one recently, you’ll probably notice that the table has a new UI with a new slot that has been added. First, place in the Smithing Template that you have, then insert the piece of armor you wish to modify. Each armor piece must be modified independently. Finally, insert any ore or crystal-type item. This will determine the color of the trim. The ores/crystals that can be used as trims include:

 

Before confirming the trim, the smithing table menu will also show a visualization of what the armor is expected to look like.

Because of the versatility of these templates, along with the fact that a template only trims one piece of armor at a time, an uncountable number of combinations can be made. With multiple ores/crystals to choose from and eleven different trims on four separate armor pieces, it’s highly doubtful that you’ll see many copycats rollin about!

As explained before, smithing templates can be found in various structures. The trim that results from using these templates also typically resembles where it stems from. For example, the eye trim, which can be found in Strongholds, looks like an eye of ender. The vex trim, which can be found in Woodland Mansions, resembles an Evoker. Neat!

Conclusion

This is quite a big feature addition, and honestly, I’m very impressed with the Minecraft team. If anything, this new feature feels like some cool mod or an interesting feature of one, not Vanilla at all. But I’m not complaining! It’s looking like 1.20 is actually going to have quite a decent pack of changes, and it’s making me excited! Regardless, we hope you have fun customizing all of your armor pieces. Have a great day!