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There are many tips and tricks that the player can take advantage of in order to avoid this fate. This can mean simply carrying a shield or something more advanced like learning the ins and outs of the enchantment system. Here are just a few pro methods for exploring caves in Minecraft.
Updated on March 29th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Minecraft continues to grow and evolve thanks to a dedicated update team that is intent on taking the game to greater heights. The latest Caves and Cliffs Update Part 2 re-infused the once Indie release with a series of new biomes, as well as a completely revamped cave system. This new system is capable of producing much larger, much deeper caves than before, which is both good and bad for those that are looking to explore Minecraft’s procedurally generated worlds. While the caves are now bigger and better than ever, they can prove to be a bit too much for unprepared players. To better prepare Minecrafters for the deep dive into the new cave system, the following guide has been updated to include even more Minecraft cave exploring tips.
15 Never Dig Straight Down
This is a general rule of thumb for any activities in Minecraft as digging straight down is usually a recipe for disaster but it’s a much bigger threat in the newest Caves and Cliffs Part 2. Players that dig straight down will generally take a lava bath, but the expansive cave systems that stretch below the overworld can now be massive in size and height. It’s not just lava that players need to worry about anymore, but also fall damage. Those that make the mistake of digging straight down to find a cave system are flipping a coin on whether they’ll land safely in an enclosed pocket or fall 30 blocks to their doom.
Always dig at an angle, as if making a staircase, digging straight down is now doubly dangerous.
14 Leave A Trail Of Breadcrumbs
Getting lost in caves was easy before, but now it’s even worse. The cave systems that are procedurally generated in the latest versions of Minecraft are downright massive. They can stretch for what seems like forever, and they go much further underground. Players that waltz into one of these natural caves without a plan to exit will soon find themselves hopelessly lost and forced to dig upward until they can find a way out.
Because of this, the best course of action is to leave some sort of bread crumb system that will help players return to the surface after they’ve loaded up on materials. “Markers” can be made from a wide array of things and it’s all dependent on how much effort players want to put into their marking system. As long as players know what they’re looking for, markers can be practically anything. Even cubes of dirt can be a great way to mark the path back as players stretch further underground.
13 Pop Up Bases Go A Long Way
Because caves are so spectacularly large now, it’s not a bad idea for players to create a “Pop Up Base” at certain intervals underground. Having a respawn point, storage, and other necessities can mean the difference between life and death when players are deep in these new cave systems. There are tons of enemies that prowl the depths and players can find themselves quickly overwhelmed if they aren’t careful. Pair this with the ore veins to collect, new materials to find, and all of the other dangers lurking around the corner, and it’s easy to see why players may want a sanctuary that they can hide in or respawn at should things go south.
Taking everything that’s necessary to set up a tiny base with a bed, chests, and furnaces to cook food can be a great way to keep a deep cave expedition going.
12 Consider A Portable Fishery
Many players keep their food storage filled with fish, as fishing is a great way to quickly and easily gather food and other special materials. What many players may not know is that it’s possible to create a manmade lake practically anywhere, opening up the ability to fish in almost any area. This can even be done in caves, giving players access to food, materials, and other stuff they may be short on when on a lengthy underground adventure.
It’s important to note that fishing will be quite a bit slower when a fishing spot doesn’t have direct access to sunlight. This is still useful in a pinch, and players that are dedicated can dig straight up from their proposed pond spot until they reach the waiting sunlight on the surface to speed things up. To make a man-made lake, all players need to do is fill a hole with water. The recommended size is a five-by-five block square that is two blocks deep.
11 Torches Light The Way
Never explore a cave without a set of torches on hand. Players who forget to bring them will very quickly find that they have no method of not only seeing in the dark but also preventing mob spawning. Placing torches around designated mining spots can do wonders to keep players safe.
Mobs spawn in the dark, so when the player is in a cave, they spawn quite often — use light to keep them away. As of 1.18, mobs only spawn in blocks that are in complete darkness. Torches also make for excellent directional tools. A player may place torches down in such a way that they can safely travel in and out of a cave without getting lost.
10 Look Out For Ore Veins
One of the best new additions in the 1.18 update is ore veins. These massive deposits of Copper or Iron are very rare but extremely rewarding for any player that can identify them. Ore veins are rather large and resemble spaghetti caves rather than typical ore deposits.
Rather than being made of Stone or Deepslate they are made up of either Granite or Tuff with each ore corresponding to these block types in a vein. A cave that’s composed of mostly Granite is a Copper vein while a cave that’s made of Tuff is an Iron vein.
9 Craft Some Tools
Obviously, a pickaxe is needed to get just about anything in a cave. Iron, emerald, gold, diamond, etc. all require some sort of tool to extract properly. Otherwise, the player will simply destroy whatever is they’re trying to mine rather than acquire it.
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Weapons such as swords and bows are also necessary for the player to defend themselves against the horde of mobs. Players should go into a cave with at least two sets of swords and pickaxes. This way, they can stay down in a mine longer without getting trapped. Otherwise, the degradation associated with tool use can be a real problem.
8 Bring Armor And A Shield
Unless one enjoys getting shot to death by skeletons or exploded by creepers, armoring up is a good choice. Obviously there’s no wooden or stone armor, so that leaves players with leather, iron, diamond, and Netherite armor. All of these sets will offer better protection than simply having no armor at all.
Crafting a shield is also a great idea, as it can be used to prevent damage from both skeleton arrows and creeper explosions. Armor will simply reduce the amount of damage the player takes, while a shield will block it completely. However, this comes at a cost to movement speed.
7 Beware Of Pointed Dripstone
Dripstone is a new addition to caves as of the 1.18 update. It comes in two forms: stalactites and stalagmites. The former spawn on the underside of a dripstone block facing downward while the latter spawn on the topside of a Dripstone block and face upward. Pointed Dripstone is primarily found in its own biome and actually grows in both directions if water is directly above it.
Dripstone may look nice, but it can be rather dangerous if one isn’t careful. Falling on stalagmites will multiply the normal fall damage value by two, and if Stalactites are broken and fall on the player, that too will cause damage. Both can easily be fatal, so extra care must be taken when exploring Dripstone biomes.
6 Get The Right Enchantments
Building a bookshelf and making an enchanting table might be laborious, but when it’s all said and done, an enchanting station can be incredibly beneficial. All manner of items can be enchanted; armor, weapons, tools etc. When it comes to exploring caves, there are plenty of enchantments the player might want.
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These include fire resistance, feather falling, and dealing extra damage. Given the hazard one faces when cave diving or dungeon crawling, these enchantments are quite beneficial.
5 Take A Bucket Of Water
The deeper one travels through a cave, the more likely it is that they will encounter lava. Thus, the chance that the player will be killed due to lava is much higher the more they explore a cave. This is especially true for those searching for valuable resources like diamonds since these generate at a block-level where lava is plentiful.
A bucket of water is thus a necessity in these lower depths. If a player accidentally falls into lava or catches fire, they can use the water to put themselves out. Water can also be placed at the moment a player hits the ground, in order to survive a long fall. It can even be used to block enemies since they have difficulty swimming.
4 Locating Lush Cave Biomes
One of the most well-received additions to Minecraft in the Caves and Cliffs Part II update is the Lush cave biome. For some players, this biome can be somewhat difficult to find, however. Luckily, there is a method with which inexperienced players may be able to locate one; while exploring the various forests of the overworld, be on the lookout for Azalea trees.
These trees spawn directly over where Lush caves sit underground, making the trees the perfect marker for them on the surface. Azalea trees are easily spotted due to their purple-colored leaves.
3 Find A Totem of Undying
Players who find themselves in the midst of a raid or wandering the halls of a woodland mansion are in the unique position of being able to obtain the Totem of Undying. Specifically, the player must defeat an Evoker in order to get one. The exceptionally powerful Totem allows the player to revive upon death, as long as they have it in one of their hands at the moment of their demise.
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Notably, the Totem disappears upon revival, meaning that it is single-use only. It is best to treat the totem as a last resort when all other get-out-of-jail-free cards are exhausted.
2 Grab A Bucket of Milk
Many players may not think much of milk, but it actually has more than one function. Aside from having uses when it comes to making food, drinking a bucket of milk removes all negative status effects from the player. This includes poison, as well as magical effects.
Milk is a great item to have when facing witches or cave spiders, as both can inflict the player with unwanted status effects that make them more vulnerable. To get a bucket of milk, the player just needs to alt-click on a cow, goat, or mooshroom with a bucket in hand. Like water buckets, milk buckets do not stack.
1 Bring Some Comfort Food
Going into a cave without a method of regenerating health isn’t the smartest idea. Not only does the player’s health begin to deteriorate if the food bar isn’t replenished, but enemy mobs will threaten the player at all times. Bearing this in mind, it’s especially wise to keep a reasonable amount of food on hand.
Cooked pork chops, steak, mutton, and salmon are the best non-supernatural foods that the player can eat. Even better, they’re all easily attainable. Make sure to use a smoker to cook the food quickly rather than simply eating it raw.
Minecraft is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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