Many new blocks and items have been added in the Caves and Cliffs update, and now we will see how to get copper. This new ore has a variety of different uses and even contributes to a few unique game mechanics, so getting your hands on this stuff can be quite the treat.
How to get copper
Copper, like most other ores, tends to be generated anywhere in the underground layer. It takes at least one stone pickaxe to be mined, a wooden or gold pickaxe will not suffice. When broken, it will drop 2-3 pieces of raw copper which can then be smelted into copper bars. Fortune enchantment affects this drop rate and can be used to get more raw copper per ore block. Silk touch can also be used to collect the ore block itself.
What can copper be used for?
The main use of copper is in the form of making copper blocks. Nine ingots in a crafting table will yield a block of it, and a stonecutter can be used to get a cut variant of the block. Both variants can then be transformed into stairs and slabs. Once placed, over time they will begin to weather and take on a greener color. This means that anything built with them will eventually show its age once enough time has passed. This process can be stopped by crafting the blocks with honeycombs or by directly right-clicking the blocks with honeycombs.
The other two uses for this new ore are that it can be used to craft two new items, the Lightning Rod and the Spyglass. The lightning rod does like lightning rods and attracts lightning, which can be used to protect constructions from stray bolts that could ignite flaming objects. The spyglass, on the other hand, can be used to zoom in on anything you're looking at, but with a significantly reduced field of view.
Minecraft is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices.
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