How much RAM does an ArdaCraft server need?

We recommend 6 GB. ArdaCraft registers a large catalogue of decorative blocks and models at startup, and detailed builds put many of them in each chunk, which is where the memory goes. That covers a group of around six builders on Fabric 1.20.1. If you plan a very large shared city with constant flying, step up and check memory use in the panel graph.

How many players can build together on one server?

The recommended setup is tuned for about six people working at once, which matches how most groups split a project: one person on terrain, others on houses, walls and gardens. ArdaCraft has no mobs to farm or machines to run, so load scales mainly with how many players fly into new or heavily detailed areas at the same moment.

How do I update ArdaCraft without breaking my builds?

Take a backup in the panel first, then install the newer build from the Modpacks tab. Builds sometimes rename or drop decorative blocks, and anything removed from the pack becomes air in your world. After updating, fly through your most detailed structures, such as a hobbit hole interior or a Gondorian facade, to confirm nothing went missing before your team starts building again.

Can I add or remove mods from ArdaCraft?

You can, over FTP or the file manager, but every player also needs the same mods on their client to connect. Server-side tools like spark or Chunky are safe to add. Removing a block mod is the risky direction, because every block it supplied disappears from your builds, so back up first and only remove something you are sure nobody has placed.

How does ArdaCraft compare to Middle-earth adventure packs?

Adventure-style Tolkien packs give you factions, quests, new mobs and gear to earn. ArdaCraft does none of that. It is a builder's pack, made to recreate the look of Middle-earth with a huge block palette on Fabric 1.20.1. Choose it when your group wants to design and decorate places, not level up characters or clear dungeons.

Do I need to join the public ArdaCraft server to use the pack?

No. The pack was assembled for the public ArdaCraft project, but nothing stops you from running it on your own server. You get the same block palette and Fabric 1.20.1 setup, with a private world where your group decides what to build, which region of Middle-earth to start with and who is allowed to edit it.

Minecraft modpack · Modrinth

ArdaCraft Server Hosting

by Fornad

FabricMinecraft 1.20.1Java 17

How install works

One-click install from the Modpacks tab once your server is ready

Recommended RAM: 6 GB
Latest build: 24Aug 2026
Mod loader: Fabric1.20.1
Downloads: 1.1MModrinth

ArdaCraft is the client and server pack for a long-running Lord of the Rings project whose goal is to recreate J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth inside Minecraft. Fornad maintains it on Fabric 1.20.1, and its 109 mods exist to serve one thing: building the Shire, Rohan, Gondor and everything between with a far richer palette than vanilla blocks allow.

The hook is scale and detail rather than progression. There is no quest line to finish or boss to farm. Your group plans a region, agrees on a style and then places timber frames, thatch, carved stone and foliage until a valley looks like a page from the books. A private server gives you the same tool set without sharing the map with thousands of strangers.

It suits Tolkien fans, architecture-minded builders and small teams who want a persistent canvas for a hobbit village, a Dwarven hall or a ruined watchtower. If your friends would rather spend an evening shaping a hillside than fighting mobs, this is the pack for them.

Hosting ArdaCraft

RAM and what drives load

We recommend 6 GB for ArdaCraft, which comfortably fits a group of around six builders. The load here comes less from machines or mob farms and more from the sheer number of custom block types, models and textures the server has to register at boot, plus dense builds that pack many detailed blocks into a single chunk. If a large city district starts to stutter when someone flies over it, run spark to see which chunks cost the most tick time.

/spark profiler start
/spark profiler stop

World pregeneration and chunk loading

Builders on ArdaCraft fly a lot, often in creative, and they cross terrain quickly while scouting a site for the next settlement. Every unexplored chunk they reach has to be generated on the spot, which is the most common cause of lag spikes on a fresh map. Fabric 1.20.1 supports Chunky as a server-side addition, so you can generate the area around spawn before your team logs in.

/chunky radius 3000
/chunky start

Keep the radius matched to the region you actually plan to build on.

Java version and updating

Minecraft 1.20.1 runs on Java 17, and our panel selects the right runtime for the pack automatically. ArdaCraft has gone through 23 upstream builds, and newer builds can add, rename or remove decorative blocks. A block that disappears from the pack turns into air in existing builds, so take a backup in the panel before moving to a new build, then check a few of your most detailed structures after the first boot.

Tolkien

Built to recreate Middle-earth

Every mod in the pack serves a large fan project rebuilding Tolkien's world.

Palette

Far more blocks than vanilla

Its 109 Fabric mods give builders detailed timber, stone and foliage for every culture of Arda.

Builders

A canvas, not a quest line

There is no progression to rush, so your group can spend weeks shaping a single region.

How to install ArdaCraft on your server

1
Order the server
The button on this page preselects the RAM this pack needs. It is online about a minute after checkout.
2
Open the Modpacks tab and search ArdaCraft
Open the Modpacks tab in the panel, search for ArdaCraft, pick the listing by Fornad and choose build 24 to install it in one click.
3
Press install and wait
The panel downloads the server pack, installs the loader and the right Java version, then restarts.
4
Join with the same build
Everyone installs the same pack build in their launcher, then connects to the address on the Overview tab.

Available builds

Build	Minecraft	Loader	Released	Installable
24	1.20.1	Fabric	Aug 25, 2026	Installable
23	1.20.1	Fabric	Jun 29, 2026	Installable
22	1.20.1	Fabric	Jun 27, 2026	Installable
21	1.20.1	Fabric	Apr 20, 2026	Installable
20	1.20.1	Fabric	Apr 19, 2026	Installable