How to Start a Raid in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Drink an ominous bottle dropped by a raid captain to get Bad Omen, then walk into a village. Bad Omen turns into Raid Omen, and 30 seconds later the raid begins - clear every wave to earn Hero of the Village and big trade discounts.

What you need

Ominous bottle (dropped by raid captains)
Full iron or diamond gear, ideally enchanted
Milk bucket (emergency cancel)
A village you are willing to defend

Step by step

Get an ominous bottle: pillager captains (in patrols and at pillager outposts) drop them. The bottle's level (I-V) sets your Bad Omen level.
Gear up first - on Normal and Hard a raid throws 5-7 waves of vindicators, evokers, witches and ravagers at you.
Drink the bottle to receive Bad Omen, then enter a village: anywhere within about 3 chunks of a claimed bed, job site or bell counts.
Bad Omen converts into Raid Omen for 30 seconds - your last chance to drink milk and cancel. When it expires, the raid begins.
The Raid bossbar charges for 15 seconds, then wave 1 spawns. Easy has 3 waves, Normal 5 and Hard 7; Raid Omen II or higher adds one extra wave.
Kill every raider to win: you receive Hero of the Village, villagers throw gifts and slash their prices, and you keep the raid drops - including totems of undying from evokers.

Java vs Bedrock

The trigger is the same in Java and Bedrock since 1.21: ominous bottle -> Bad Omen -> Raid Omen -> raid, with 3/5/7 waves by difficulty and +1 wave from Raid Omen II. In Java, raid captains can also join a raid already in progress.

Versions: Raids were added in Village & Pillage: Java 1.14 (18w47a) and Bedrock 1.11.0. Update 1.21 changed the trigger: captains now drop ominous bottles, so you choose when to start a raid instead of getting Bad Omen automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What do I get for winning a raid?

Hero of the Village: villagers of the saved village give you steep trade discounts and throw gifts. You also keep everything the raiders dropped - totems of undying, emeralds, enchanted books and more.

Can I cancel a raid once it has started?

Drinking milk only cancels during the 30-second Raid Omen window, before the first wave. After that you either clear every wave or the raiders wipe out the village and win.

How do I get a bigger raid?

Drink a higher-level ominous bottle - captains drop bottles from level I to V. Raid Omen II or higher adds an extra wave with the same strength as the final one, which means more and better drops.