Mining plays a big role in Minecraft and can be very dangerous. You need a lot of preparation and have to be careful in mining. Read some of the cave mining tips in this article.
Step
Step 1. Create a base
If you enter the cave which is right beside the main house/shelter, you obviously don't need a base. But when you explore a cave or ravine far from home, you should always build a base. It doesn't need to be fancy; A cobblestone or small earthen room will do as well. The base must be at the surface (not underground) or at least not too deep underground (eg just in a cave). The base should be easily accessible from above ground as well as in a cave or ravine, ideally it should be near a wood source. That way, you can easily stop mining to go to the base so you can change supplies and collect more wood for torches, tools, etc. You'll need a fireplace, a crafting table, at least one double chest, and preferably a bed.
Step 2. Get ready
The situation in the cave or abyss is unpredictable. You don't know how big the cave is, what you'll find inside, or how many monsters to defeat. Feel free to spend a few days in the game collecting equipment and materials to carry. Below is a list of items to take with you.
- Minimum of two full stacks of torches. Here a torch will never be enough!
- 4-5 pickaxes minimum - wooden pickaxes are useless, and although gold pickaxes mine faster than other types, they only last a short time. You should use an iron pickaxe if you have one, but if not, use a stone pickaxe, and of course always use a diamond pickaxe whenever you can.
- 1-2 shovels - Dig out dirt/sand/gravel/etc. using a pickaxe will wear out quickly and be less efficient, so bring at least one shovel. If you have an iron (or diamond) shovel, one will suffice, but if you must use a stone shovel, bring a few.
- Minimum of 50 stairs - you are strongly advised to take a lot of stairs, especially if you enter a ravine. Many caves have ledges you won't want to jump over, and the ravines are also very deep.
- About 30-40 blocks of dirt or cobblestone - Small gaps can be easily crossed using a small bridge of dirt or cobblestone. But you need something that won't burn if you have to cross a lava pool. You don't have to worry about carrying too much cobblestone, because you can pick up a lot of cobblestone when you're underground.
- 2-3 swords - Stone swords are fine, but ideally iron or diamond swords. There will likely be lots of zombies and skulls, and maybe some creepers too, so arm yourself properly.
- Armor - A full set of leather armor will work fine, even if only boots and helmet are made of iron. You don't need to be complete, but with an armor set you'll be a little better protected from the presence of undetectable creepers.
- A bed - If you are playing with other people, you should bring the bed so it can hide in a small hole or walled part of the cave. This way other players can switch to daylight if needed.
- At least 1 bucket of water - If you play carefully you won't need to use this, but many cave systems have lava and you'll need water to put out the fire if you get burned.
- A bow and arrows as much as possible - Use the bow against creepers and other enemies as you see fit.
- Minimum 8 steaks/cuts/bread/etc. - Food is very important when it comes to mining. You need to recover your health, because even when you leave the cave, you won't last long if you only have a few hearts and your hunger indicator is low.
- A crafting table - you don't need it if you're building a base because you can make torches without a table and you'll have to carry a lot of tools. But if you decide to bring a crafting table, you can stock up on picks/swords/shovels from the cave, and you can also build a fireplace or chest to store all of your items. If you don't, you'll need to go back to base.
Step 3. Don't get lost
It's very easy to get lost when you're in a cave.
- A really good and easy way to prevent yourself from getting lost underground is to just place the torch to one side. For example, if you're right-handed, place the torch only on the right - you'll be able to remember that it's right-handed because you can remember that you're right-handed. When you want to go deeper, keep the torch on the same side. When you want to return to the surface, place the torch on the other side. This method is very easy to do and also quite efficient.
- Try to remember where you are from and where you are. It's very easy to get lost if you forget the purpose of a passage or any sections you've explored.
- Always keep the torch and keep the cave light. Otherwise, you'll not only lose iron/coal/etc., but you'll also lose track of which areas you've been looking at.
Step 4. Stay alert
After a while of playing Minecraft, it's easy to tell which sounds the monsters make - zombies groaning, skulls babbling, spiders hissing sharply, etc. in the cave. You need this sound to warn you of the enemy. Take advantage of your senses. Of course, you won't be able to detect the creeper unless you've seen it - you'll only hear a "tsss" sound as it explodes behind. However, this sound gives you a split second chance to jump away and take less damage.
Step 5. Always block lava and water sources
Lava is very dangerous, and will burn your belongings if you die; The water will block your path and hide the precious ore as it flows down the cave floor. Fill each bucket as needed, then block the water/lava source with rock or soil.
Step 6. Replenish supplies if needed
If you don't have enough torches to see where you're going, or if you only have one pickaxe about to break, or you run out of swords, return to base and restock your supplies. This will be easy if you use the trick of placing the torch to one side, and you have the opportunity to store valuable items in chests and come back with more space in your inventory.
