The ability to mine ore is one of the most important in Minecraft. In this way, you can mine cobblestones, as well as ore and minerals - from simple coal to rare diamonds. The resources obtained by mining are essential for survival and progress in the game, which means you need to learn how to manage it efficiently.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Mining for Beginners
Start reading the article from here if you have just started playing Minecraft. This section will give you a general overview of mines and all that - of course, more advanced and experienced players can skip this part.
Step 1. Make yourself a pickaxe
If you have never "mined" anything before, then first you need a pickaxe. Here's how to make a pickaxe that can dig through rock and less valuable blocks:
- Make a wooden pickaxe (the top row of the workbench are planks, put a stick in two cells of the middle column).
- Use a wooden pickaxe to obtain several stones.
- Make a stone pickaxe (two sticks under three stones).
Step 2. Place your inventory in order
Mining in Minecraft is the embodiment of the "pan or lose" principle, because you either return with a bunch of loot, or … die. You should be ready for everything, so remove everything valuable from your inventory in advance - at the same time, space for mining will be freed up. On your first underground expedition, you will need to take, in addition to the pickaxe, the following (and don't be afraid, this will be a quick run):
- food;
- wood;
- sword (for those who are not playing on peaceful difficulty mode).
Step 3. Learn how to properly dig a mine
Correctly means "safe". Almost every player died because of the wrong decisions made while working with a pickaxe, even when there were no enemies nearby. And death can be avoided if you do not forget about the following safety rules:
- Do not dig directly under you to avoid falling.
- Do not dig directly above you to avoid getting caught in gravel or lava.
- Do not go too deep and do not go into special areas (like abandoned mines) until you have made yourself powerful armor and weapons.
Step 4. Get some coal
This resource is the easiest to find - take a closer look to see if there are any stones with black specks nearby. The safest way to look for coal is near cliffs, slopes and shallow caves. You need 2-3 stacks of coal.
- Ore and Coal always spawn in groups, not in one block. Take a good look around and you will find some more resources!
- Don't go too far! Many players get lost underground while they first descend into its bowels with a pickaxe. Press F3 to see your coordinates for all three axes, and write down the coordinates you would like to return to.
Step 5. Make torches
Place charcoal on the workbench with a stick underneath. Make as many torches as you can; you can attach them to solid blocks. Torches are a constant source of light. Don't leave home without them!
Step 6. Find a natural cave
Because of the monsters inhabiting them, the caves are more dangerous than the mines dug by the player, but at the same time, they are much more interesting, and the resources in them will be obtained faster. Wander around until you find a cave in the ground or mountainside.
Only coal appears above sea level, so don't get too high. You need a cave that leads down - if only it is not sheer down …
Step 7. Light up the cave
You have probably already seen how monsters flare up in the sunlight, but do not expect that it will be the same underground, because there monsters roam day and night. Torches will not stop them, but they will help you spot the approaching zombies in time.
If there are many corridors in the cave that diverge in different directions, try to attach torches to the right wall. If you get lost, you can go deeper on the trail of the torches (if you go with torches on the right side) or return to the surface (if the torches are on your left)
Step 8. Get iron
Iron blocks, like any other ore, look like stone blocks covered in spots - this time yellowish or brown. Iron is not difficult to find, it appears already at a depth of several blocks below sea level.
- Do not dig iron with a wooden pick - and you will break the pick, and you will not get iron. Use a stone, iron, or diamond pickaxe.
- Press F3 to find out your coordinates. Iron can only be found if the Y coordinate is less than 60, but its main deposits are located below layer 50.
Step 9. Build yourself better equipment
Return to the surface, collecting previously installed torches along the way. You survived your first descent, and your prey will allow you to go on a second trip that is sure to be even more successful! The main thing is to make yourself iron tools before sending:
- Make a stove and place it on the ground.
- After activating the furnace, place the ore in it (in the upper slot).
- Place wood, coal or other combustible materials in the bottom slot of the furnace. Wait until the fuel burns out and collect iron ingots.
- From ingots, make a pickaxe, a sword and (when you have enough resources) armor.
Part 2 of 3: Longer Expeditions
As you progress in the game, you will be able to carry out longer expeditions. They can be risky, but they are usually worth the risk.
Step 1. Collect everything you need
So, you are no longer a green beginner and you know something, but would like to make the process more efficient and profitable? Then stock up on the following materials and resources:
- food, iron pick and shovel, your best weapons;
- torches (many torches!);
- coal;
- workbench and several chests;
- two buckets of water;
- stairs.
- bed (if you are playing skip-the-night multiplayer).
Step 2. Set up camp
Place your workbench, chest, and oven on the surface at the cave entrance or where you intend to dig. Put everything of value (except for the above list) into the chest, so that if you suddenly die, you can return everything that was acquired by back-breaking labor.
Step 3. Find out where to look for valuable ores
The depth of occurrence is different for each type of ore. Press F3 to see your coordinates - focus on the Y-axis! The coordinates below are for the PC version of the game:
- Diamonds: only 15 and below.
- Gold: only 31 and below.
- Lapis lazuli: between 11 and 17 (mostly).
- Red stone: only 15 and below.
- Emeralds: only between layers 4 and 32 under the “Extreme Hills” biome.
- Iron: Between 2 and 58 layers.
- If you dig just like that: the most interesting awaits you at levels 10-15.
Step 4. Get to work
There are three main approaches to the creation of a mine:
- A large natural cave with ore outcrops along the walls as a starting point. You will need to fight a lot with monsters and carefully mark your path with torches or tablets.
- You can dig your own mine, whose vertical shaft will lead to the most desired levels. Dig in a 1 x 2 pattern to avoid digging directly underneath. When the mine is ready, set up ladders or pour out a bucket of water while standing at the very top (this will create a vertical stream of water that you can swim up and down).
- Dig at a 45º angle downward, making sure there is enough room to jump. Alternatively, steps can be set to move faster.
Step 5. After reaching the desired layers, start digging in breadth
Dig up an area 3-5 blocks high - it will become a mine corridor that you will dig in front of you in search of ore. Since all ore, except for emeralds, appears in groups of 2 or more blocks, you do not have to dig up all the stones and earth to get to it. The optimal corridor width is one block, the distance between them is three blocks.
Never dig directly under or above you
Step 6. Watch out for the lava
She usually appears below level 30, but this does not mean that she is not higher. Corners, gurgling sounds and red drops from the ceiling are sure signs of lava. If you suddenly unearth something, and a river of lava rushes to freedom, quickly pour water from a bucket on it to cool it down to the state of stone or obsidian.
There is nothing worse than digging a block of diamonds from the floor and seeing it fall into lava. It is recommended to dig in valuable ore from all sides in order to exclude its loss in the lava
Step 7. Leave a trail of torches and chests behind you
Even the most prepared miner can accidentally die. Place chests in well-lit areas that can be found easily and easily on your way back. It is better to store valuable ore in a chest - you can pick it up by returning back to the surface (or back to the mine after death).
- A trail of red dust will help if you are having trouble getting your bearings.
- When exploring the cave, first illuminate all its corners, only then proceed to mining and excavation. This will minimize the chances of accidentally destroying anything of value.
Step 8. Special areas
Two types of special areas are quite common underground. All of them make the landscape around them … certain changes. Get ready for what awaits you there!
- A moss-covered stone is a sign of a dungeon. These are small rooms with monster spawn points and 0–2 loot chests. The spawn point can be destroyed or left (for pumping).
- Wooden structures and rails are a sign of an abandoned mine. Look for chests in the miner's carts, and cut the cobwebs with scissors - but beware of the spiders!
Step 9. Look for nearby caves
Cave systems in Minecraft can be very, very extensive. And if some branch of the cave ended in a dead end (especially if the dead end is decorated with gravel or earth), then there is a chance that there will be another cave on the other side of it. If you use this, then you can coolly shorten your path!
Part 3 of 3: Mines - Advanced
Step 1. Enchant the pickaxe
Let's say you have a diamond pick, a fortress the size of Moscow, and so much ore that the oligarchs cry with envy. So, for now, start playing like an adult! Enchant your pickaxe for even better digging. Here is a list of the enchantments available for the tools:
- Fortune enchantment (3rd level - maximum) increases the amount of ore mined from one block. Only the most valuable ores are worth digging with such a pickaxe. Please note that the Fortune and Silk Touch enchantments cannot be placed on the same item.
- Enchant Silk Touch (first level - maximum) digs out whole blocks instead of ore. The ore, accordingly, will have to be dug out with another pickaxe - but what will you do to save space in your inventory … This enchantment can be more useful than the Fortune enchantment if you play on a server with many players to whom you plan to sell blocks.
- The Efficiency enchantment (5th level - maximum) speeds up the pickaxe, and Unbreaking (3rd level - maximum) increases its durability.
Step 2. Dig in the Nether
Diamond armor and a diamond sword are a kind of pass to the Lower World (if you, of course, have already created a portal). There is something to look out for - in particular, Nether quartz. The process of mining ore there is no different from mining it in the ordinary game world - the only difference is in very dangerous monsters.
Step 3. Build yourself a miners' subway
If you do not shy away from laying rails and doing a little magic with red dust, you can create a completely working transport system for yourself. Digging for branches from the main transport tunnel, you will not get lost, and you will not completely fill up your inventory - however, you better read other articles on this topic.
Step 4. Attack the fortresses
The rarest, most valuable objects that appear underground are fortresses. A rock covered in moss or cracks will point you to the proximity of this amazing system of libraries, prison cells and chests. Each fortress has a special portal leading to a special area of the game world - the Edge (designed, by the way, for experienced players).
Ender's eyes from the Nether will help you find fortresses
Step 5. Make a mine with silverfish
It is difficult, dangerous and resource-intensive (many players will not even think about doing this), but incredibly profitable. Here's what you need to do:
- Enchant armor with at least the first level of Protection enchantment. Brew potions of poison and regeneration - not simple ones, but of the "splash" type.
- Lure the silverfish from the spawn point next to the end portal. Make a glass tunnel so that the silverfish can follow you without drilling through you.
- Prepare a tall glass passage in an area adjacent to the future resource extraction site. Place two end portals there, one for you, the other for the silverfish below you.
- Lure out the silverfish so that it goes through the passage from the blocks of the Nether to the portal you built and ends up in the area you plan to excavate.
- Throw potions of poison and regeneration on hordes of insects. They will both injure insects and heal them - as a result, more and more silverfish will appear. In just another minute, this crowd will grind huge volumes of stone, leaving behind only ore.
Advice
- If you plan to go underground for a few days, build yourself an underground shelter at the same time. Grow wheat and trees there so you can eat and craft new tools and torches.
- Don't want to use coordinates? Just get to the bottom of the breed (this is level 0), and from there you yourself look for the desired level.
Warnings
- Before building underground using combustible materials, make sure there is no lava nearby.
- If a second world is open on a multiplayer server, which is updated weekly, carry out the main excavations there. You should not extract resources for yourself in a world that is not renewed, otherwise one day they will run out.