How to Get Totem of Undying: Complete Guide to Finding and Farming These Life-Saving Items

The Totem of Undying stands as one of Minecraft's most coveted items, offering players a second chance at life when death seems certain. This golden artifact can literally save you from the brink of death, making it an essential item for dangerous adventures, boss fights, and exploration of treacherous territories. If you're new to these powerful items, you might want to learn what a totem of undying is before diving into acquisition strategies. However, obtaining these precious totems requires skill, preparation, and knowledge of where to find them.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about acquiring totems of undying, from locating the elusive structures that house them to mastering the combat strategies needed to claim your prize.

Understanding the Totem of Undying

Before diving into acquisition methods, it's important to understand what makes the Totem of Undying so special. When held in your main hand or offhand, this item will automatically activate upon taking fatal damage, restoring you to 1 health point and providing temporary regeneration, absorption, and fire resistance effects. The totem is consumed upon use, making each one a valuable single-use lifeline. For a detailed breakdown of all the effects and mechanics, check out our guide on what does the totem of undying do.

The rarity of totems of undying cannot be overstated. They are exclusively dropped by Evokers, hostile mobs that spawn only in specific locations, making every encounter with these powerful spellcasters a precious opportunity. It's worth noting that totems cannot be crafted - if you're wondering about this, our article on how to make a totem of undying clarifies this common misconception.

Method 1: Conquering Woodland Mansions

Finding Woodland Mansions

Woodland Mansions represent the primary source of totems of undying, housing multiple Evokers within their sprawling, maze-like structures. These rare buildings spawn exclusively in Dark Forest biomes, often thousands of blocks away from your spawn point.

Using Exploration Maps: The most reliable method for locating Woodland Mansions involves purchasing Woodland Explorer Maps from Cartographer villagers. To obtain these maps:

1. Locate a village with a Cartographer (identifiable by their white coats)
2. Level up the Cartographer by trading paper and glass panes
3. At higher levels, they'll offer Woodland Explorer Maps for emeralds and a compass

Natural Exploration: While less efficient, you can also find mansions through systematic exploration of Dark Forest biomes. Use an Elytra or boat for faster travel, and consider using online tools or mods that reveal unexplored chunks to optimize your search.

Preparing for Mansion Raids

Woodland Mansion raids require extensive preparation due to the numerous hostile mobs and complex layout:

Essential Equipment:

• Full enchanted diamond or netherite armor
• Highly enchanted sword (Sharpness V, Looting III recommended)
• Bow with Power and Infinity enchantments
• Plenty of food (Golden Apples, Steak, or Bread)
• Building blocks for creating safe areas
• Torches for lighting cleared areas
• Milk buckets to counter negative effects

Strategic Approach:

• Clear the mansion room by room, blocking off cleared areas with blocks
• Light up conquered sections to prevent respawning
• Create safe rooms for healing and regrouping
• Be patient – rushing through will likely result in death

Method 2: Raiding Pillager Outposts

Locating Pillager Outposts

Pillager Outposts offer a more accessible alternative to Woodland Mansions, though they contain fewer Evokers. These structures spawn in various biomes including plains, deserts, savannas, and taigas, making them easier to locate.

Finding Techniques:

• Explore systematically in plains and desert biomes where outposts are most common
• Use the "/locate structure minecraft:pillager_outpost" command in creative or with cheats enabled
• Look for the distinctive tall wooden tower with banners
• Listen for the sound of crossbows and pillager chatter

Triggering Raids for Evokers

The key to obtaining totems from Pillager Outposts lies in triggering raids, as Evokers don't naturally spawn in the outpost structure itself.

Raid Mechanics:

1. Defeat a Pillager Captain (identified by their banner) to gain the "Bad Omen" effect
2. Enter a village while carrying this effect to trigger a raid
3. Evokers appear in later waves of the raid (typically waves 5-7 in higher difficulties)
4. Complete the raid to potentially encounter multiple Evokers

Raid Strategy:

• Choose a village with good defensive terrain
• Prepare the village by lighting it up and removing unnecessary obstacles
• Stock up on healing items and arrows
• Consider building defensive structures before triggering the raid
• Focus on protecting villagers while eliminating raid mobs

Mastering Evoker Combat

Understanding Evoker Abilities

Evokers are among Minecraft's most dangerous hostile mobs, wielding powerful magic attacks that require specific counter-strategies:

Fang Attack: Creates a line of damaging fangs that emerge from the ground. Counter by moving perpendicular to the attack line or using shields to block damage.

Vex Summoning: Spawns small flying mobs that can pass through blocks. Prioritize eliminating Vexes quickly as they can overwhelm unprepared players.

Wololo Effect: Changes blue sheep to red (cosmetic but indicates the Evoker's magical nature).

Combat Strategies

Melee Approach:

• Use a shield to block fang attacks
• Employ hit-and-run tactics, striking quickly then backing away
• Utilize terrain features like pillars or walls to break line of sight
• Keep moving to avoid predictable fang patterns

Ranged Combat:

• Maintain distance while using bow attacks
• Target Evokers first before dealing with summoned Vexes
• Use elevated positions when possible
• Employ crossbows with Piercing enchantment for crowd control

Advanced Techniques:

• Use Looting III enchantment to increase totem drop chances
• Employ splash potions of healing for emergency situations
• Consider using totems you've already obtained during difficult fights
• Team up with other players for coordinated attacks

Maximizing Your Success Rate

Drop Rate Optimization

Evokers have a 100% chance to drop a totem when killed, but maximizing your encounters requires strategic planning:

Looting Enchantment: While it doesn't affect the base drop rate, Looting III can be helpful for obtaining other valuable drops from raid mobs.

Multiple Encounters: Focus on methods that provide multiple Evoker encounters, such as:

• Large Woodland Mansions (can contain 3-5 Evokers)
• Higher-difficulty raids (spawn more Evokers per raid)
• Consecutive raids in different villages

Building a Sustainable Totem Supply

For players seeking multiple totems, consider these long-term strategies:

Village Network: Establish multiple villages near Pillager Outposts for repeated raid farming.

Mansion Clearing: Systematically clear multiple Woodland Mansions using exploration maps.

Difficulty Management: Play on Hard difficulty to maximize Evoker spawns during raids.

Automated Farming: For players seeking a more systematic approach to totem collection, consider learning how to make a totem farm to streamline the process.

The Challenge and Reward

Obtaining totems of undying represents one of Minecraft's most significant challenges, requiring players to master combat, exploration, and strategic planning. The rarity of these items – stemming from the scarcity of Evokers and the difficulty of the encounters – makes each totem a genuine achievement.

The effort invested in acquiring totems pays dividends during dangerous activities like End raids, Nether exploration, or challenging builds in hazardous locations. Having a totem in your inventory transforms risky endeavors into manageable adventures, providing the confidence to push boundaries and explore fearlessly. Once you've obtained your totems, make sure you understand how to use totem of undying effectively to maximize their life-saving potential.

Conclusion

Mastering the acquisition of totems of undying requires dedication, skill, and strategic thinking. Whether you choose to brave the labyrinthine corridors of Woodland Mansions or orchestrate village raids through Pillager Outpost manipulation, success demands careful preparation and combat expertise.

Remember that each totem represents a significant investment of time and resources, making them precious commodities to be used judiciously. Save them for truly dangerous situations where their life-saving properties can make the difference between triumphant success and devastating failure.

With the strategies outlined in this guide, you're well-equipped to begin your quest for these invaluable items. Prepare thoroughly, fight strategically, and soon you'll possess the ultimate insurance policy against Minecraft's many perils – the mighty Totem of Undying.