How to use echo shards in Minecraft 1.19

Echo shards are one of the new items added with the Minecraft 1.19 update. These are quite similar to amethyst shards but can only be found in the new Ancient City structures in Deep Dark Biome.

The item was not announced by Mojang at the 2021 Live event and had a surprise release in the beta versions of the game. Since they are new to the game, these shards only have one particular purpose as of now.

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Apart from this item, the Minecraft 1.19 update brings all kinds of new features like new mobs, biomes, blocks, enchantments, status effects, and more. This item is part of the Deep Dark Biome, which is considered to be the scariest biome ever added to the game, simply because of the terrifying Warden mob. Despite having only one purpose, echo shards are worth checking out in the latest update.

Echo shards in Minecraft 1.19: Where to find and how to use them?

Finding these items

Ancient Cities are some of the most dangerous structures because of the Warden mob (Image via Mojang)

First, players will have to find these new items. The Minecraft 1.19 update brought the long-awaited Deep Dark Biome with a new Ancient City structure. It is one of the biggest structures ever added to the game and has loads of mini-structures inside it. Some of these mini-structures have chests in which gamers can find some of the best loot in the game.

Items like enchanted golden apples and rare enchanted books are surprisingly common in these chests. Echo shards will only generate in Ancient City chests. Hence, finding them in a survival world can be quite difficult since these structures are uncommon.

These items can occasionally be found in Ancient City chests (Image via Minecraft 1.19)

Players must also be extremely careful in the Deep Dark Biome since Wardens can spawn there. If players make the slightest mistake of opening a chest without precaution, the sculk shrieker block will soon summon the beast. Hence, before opening chests in this structure. Players must cover sculk sensors and shriekers with wool blocks.

How to use echo shards

These items can only be used to craft the new recovery compass (Image via Mojang)

As mentioned before, these items only have one purpose in Minecraft 1.19 since they are brand new. They can only be used to craft another new item called a recovery compass. This new type of compass can point towards the location where the player last died.

Crafting this compass is even more difficult as players will need eight echo shards from Ancient City chests. Shards can then be combined with a normal compass to craft a recovery compass.

Once players have the new compass, it will either spin randomly, indicating that the player has not died yet, or point towards a certain direction where the last death location is. Players must always keep this compass near their respawn anchor to locate their death location after respawning.