The Potion of Strength is the go-to buff before any hard fight: it flat-out increases your melee damage, so every sword or axe hit lands harder. This guide covers the exact recipe, how to make it last longer or hit harder, and how to throw it.
Everything here is confirmed in the current 2026 version of Minecraft (26.2).
Quick answer: brew an Awkward Potion (water bottle + nether wart), then add blaze powder to get a Potion of Strength. Add redstone to extend the duration, glowstone for Strength II (more damage), or gunpowder to make a Splash Potion of Strength.
Potion of Strength at a Glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Base recipe | Awkward Potion + blaze powder |
| Effect | Strength: +3 melee attack damage |
| Base duration | 3:00 |
| Extended (redstone) | 8:00 |
| Strength II (glowstone) | +6 damage, 1:30 |
| Splash version | Add gunpowder |
Step 1: Brew an Awkward Potion
Strength starts from the standard Awkward Potion base:
- Fill glass bottles at water and place the water bottles in the bottom slots of the brewing stand.
- Put nether wart in the top ingredient slot.
- Add blaze powder as fuel and let it brew.
That gives you Awkward Potions, the base for almost every combat potion.
Step 2: Add Blaze Powder
Put blaze powder in the top slot with your Awkward Potions. That brews a Potion of Strength (3:00), which adds +3 melee attack damage to every hit while it is active. Note that blaze powder does double duty here: it fuels the stand and is the Strength ingredient, so keep a decent stack.
Step 3: Extend It, Strengthen It, or Throw It
Three modifiers change how the potion behaves:
- Redstone dust extends the duration to 8:00, which is what you want for long fights or mining trips where you expect combat.
- Glowstone dust upgrades it to Strength II, raising the bonus to +6 melee damage, but the duration drops to 1:30. Great for a burst of damage in a boss fight.
- Gunpowder makes a Splash Potion of Strength you can throw to buff yourself instantly or buff teammates in the cloud.
You can only pick one of redstone or glowstone per potion, since they occupy the same brewing step, so decide whether you want it to last longer or hit harder.
Where to Get Blaze Powder
Blaze powder comes from blaze rods, which drop from blazes in Nether fortresses. One blaze rod crafts into two blaze powder, so a short blaze farm trip gives you plenty for both fuel and Strength potions. Pair Strength with good gear enchantments and it stacks with your weapon’s Sharpness for serious damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brew an Awkward Potion by adding nether wart to a water bottle, then add blaze powder in the brewing stand. That produces a Potion of Strength that lasts 3 minutes.
It increases your melee attack damage by 3 while active, so swords and axes deal extra damage. It does not affect bows or ranged attacks.
Add glowstone dust to a Potion of Strength. It raises the bonus to +6 melee damage but shortens the duration to 1 minute 30 seconds.
Add redstone dust, which extends it from 3 minutes to 8 minutes. You cannot use redstone and glowstone on the same potion.
Add gunpowder to a finished Potion of Strength. It becomes throwable, so you can buff yourself instantly or buff teammates who stand in the splash.
No. Strength only boosts melee attack damage, so it has no effect on bows, crossbows, or tridents thrown as ranged weapons.
Making a Potion of Strength is one of the simplest and most useful brews in the game: an Awkward Potion plus blaze powder, then redstone or glowstone depending on whether you want it long or strong. Keep a few splash versions handy and your next boss fight gets a lot easier.
