Compass

Compass

Type	Tools
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Data value	dec: 345 hex: 159 bin: 101011001
Name	compass

Compasses are an item used to point to the world spawn. They are crafted using 4 iron ingots and one piece of redstone dust.

Obtaining

Natural generation

Compasses can be found in 7.7% of shipwreck map chests and 10.9% of stronghold library chests in stacks of 1. In 1.14‌^[upcoming] they can be found in 26.3% of village cartographer chests in stacks of 1.

In Bedrock Edition, they can be found in 10.5% of stronghold library chests in stacks of 1.

Trading

A single compass can be bought from a librarian villager for 10 to 12 emeralds as part of their tier 2 trades.^{[until BE 1.11.0]}

Librarian villagers have a ¹⁄₃ chance to sell a single compass for 4 emeralds as part of their fourth tier trades.‌^{[upcoming: BE 1.11.0]}

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Iron Ingot + Redstone Dust

Usage

The compass needle points towards the world spawn point. The compass will point to spawn when viewed in any way, including as a dropped item, in a player's hand, in an inventory or the crafting table, or in an item frame. The compass shown on the topmost tab of the recipe book also points to spawn. The direction the needle points is relative to the player who is viewing it.

In the Nether or the End, the compass' needle will spin wildly and point in random directions.

Crafting ingredient

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Empty Locator Map	Paper + Compass		When the player first created a map, it is blank. Hold the empty map and press use item to transform the empty map into a map item which gradually begins filling with information as that player travel around the inside borders of it. This variation is called an "empty locator map"‌[Bedrock Edition only] or "empty map"‌[Java, and Legacy Console editions only]
Map (with marker)	Map or Empty Map + Compass		‌[Bedrock Edition only] Maps crafted with only paper do not show the location marker; to add it, a compass must be added to the map.

Anvil usage

Name	Ingredients	Anvil usage	Description
Locator Map	Map + Compass		Bedrock Edition only. Maps crafted with only paper do not show the location marker; to add it, a compass must be added to the map.

Trading

A single compass can be sold to a cartographer villager for 1 emerald, as their tier 2 trade.^{[until BE 1.11]}

A single compass can be sold to a cartographer villager for 1 emerald, as part of their fourth tier trade.‌^{[upcoming: BE 1.11.0]}

A compass is also part of the cost of explorer maps: an ocean explorer map can be bought from a cartographer for 12–20 emeralds and a compass, and a woodland explorer map can be bought from a cartographer for 16-28 emeralds and a compass, as their tier 4 trades.^{[until BE 1.11.0]}

A compass is also part of the cost of explorer maps: an ocean explorer map and a woodland explorer map can be bought from a cartographer for 12 emeralds and a compass, as part of their third tier trade. Woodland explorer maps can be bought from fletcher villagers for a compass and 12 emeralds as part their third tier trade.‌^{[upcoming: BE 1.11.0]}

History

Java Edition Alpha
v1.1.0					Added compasses.
Java Edition Beta
1.8			Pre-release		Compasses can now be found in library chests in the new strongholds.
Java Edition
1.3.1			12w21a		Librarian villagers will now sell 1 compass for 10–11 emeralds.
1.4.2			12w34a		Since mapping system has now been changed, a compass can now be used to craft an empty map.
1.8			14w02a		Librarian villagers will now sell 1 compass for 10–12 emeralds.
1.9			15w43a		The average yield of compasses in stronghold library chests has now been increased.
1.11			16w39a		Cartographer villagers have been added, which will buy compasses as their tier 2 trade.
1.13			17w47a		Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 345.
			18w11a		Compasses can now generate in shipwreck chests.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.8.0			build 2		Added compasses.
0.14.0			build 1		Compasses must now be added to a map using an anvil to add the location marker.
Pocket Edition
1.0.0			?		Windows 10 Edition can now use the anvil, as well as the crafting table, to apply position markers, just as Pocket Edition can in general.
1.0.4			alpha 1.0.4.0		Librarian villagers now sell 1 compass for 10–12 emeralds.
1.1.0			alpha 1.1.0.3		Cartographer villagers have been added, which will buy compasses as part of their tier 2 trade.
					Compasses used with emeralds can be used to buy explorer maps as part of cartographer villagers' fourth tiers trade.
Bedrock Edition
1.4.0			beta 1.2.14.2		Compasses can now be found inside map room chests in shipwrecks.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3		Compasses can now be found in village cartographer house chests.
1.11.0			beta 1.11.0.4		Trading has changed, cartographer villagers now buy compassess as part of their fourth tier trades.
					Compasses used with emeralds can now be used to buy explorer maps as part of cartographer and fletcher villagers' third tier trades.
					Librarian villagers now have a 1⁄3 chance to sell compasses for 4 emeralds as part of their fourth tier trades.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1		Added compasses.

Issues

Issues relating to "Compass" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

• A compass can be viewed under the item statistics page, as long as one has made a compass at some point in the past. It can also be viewed in the recipe book as the search tab's icon, or when the recipe for it if it has been unlocked.
• A compass points to the northwest corner of a block, not the middle.
• Using /setworldspawn to change the world spawn will change where the compass points to.

Gallery

• 

  Purchasing a compass from a librarian villager.

See also

• Clock
• Navigation

Items

View at: Template:Items/content [edit]