The very first thing I use iron for is a bucket. Multiple buckets, actually.
One would be enough for irrigation so I can grow some crops, but if I make a good ten or so, I have spares if I lose any, and that's enough for me to, in one trip, retrieve enough lava to place in the shape of a Nether portal so afterward I can douse it in water, carve away the cobblestone, and light it up with a flint & steel (the second thing I make with iron), so I can go to the Nether without seeing a single diamond.
The very first thing I use iron for is a bucket. Multiple buckets, actually.
One would be enough for irrigation so I can grow some crops, but if I make a good ten or so, I have spares if I lose any, and that's enough for me to, in one trip, retrieve enough lava to place in the shape of a Nether portal so afterward I can douse it in water, carve away the cobblestone, and light it up with a flint & steel (the second thing I make with iron), so I can go to the Nether without seeing a single diamond.
The only time I need 10 buckets is for milk when I'm taming an ocean monument and the elder guardians are hitting me with mining fatigue.
Usually an iron pickaxe and a bucket (not necessarily in that order). Depending on whether or not I'm in the mood for mining or exploring, I may even skip iron armor altogether.
This all really depends on how much Iron i find on my first caving trip. If i end up finding tons, i always make tools first. Because usually i would have killed some cows for a leather chestplate at least, so i'm somewhat protected. I make Armour with whatever i have spare after making tools. And then i go find more to complete the armour set.
That all happens if i have a successful first caving trip. If i don't find much iron, i just make tools and stick with leather armour
My first three ingots always goes towards making a bucket. It's so useful. The next two ingots go to a pair of shears. That way, I can go shear some sheep real quick, and make a bed. That way I can skip night time, and continue playing. The next three go to making a pickaxe. I'll probably continue to use stone tools for a while, until I've saved up enough, and then slowly switch over to iron tools. I'll usually wind up making armor last.
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I always create an iron pickaxe first, earning more than its worth back (by mining four+ iron), and using the excess iron for armour and iron buckets for quick Nether access.
I always make do with stone tools initially after the initial wooden pick, but with the first Iron it's always an iron pick - first and foremost for better ore mining, then a bucket (Essential IMO) and lastly sheers to get the wool for a bed and lastly for when I find somewhere to settle. (Wool from sheep.) I'll only upgrade the rest of the stone tools once they've run out, but a pick and bucket are the most essential to me.
I tend not to use my first bits of iron until I have enough for two complete iron toolsets, armor, bucket and shears. That way, I have what I need, and any spare iron goes toward making replacement tools for when I break my last ones, and if I have enough, I'll make a golem to protect my base. Heck, if I'm swimming in iron, I'll even make a full beacon.
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First use is for iron sword, generally keep 2 of them on me. Wheat grows fine without water, just a bit slower, so I wait till later to put in the water strips. I hardly ever use iron tools. I keep an iron pick and a diamond pick in inventory when I caving, but generally for everything else I just use stone tools and thus rarely run out.
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iron pickaxe, go underground, get some coal (for torches) and start mining for diamonds and more iron. after a while, get bored, and go do something else...
I put my vote down for armour, because that's what I generally *want* to get first. That being said, probably at least half the time I get a bucket first, and as far as that goes, if I find diamonds on my first major mining expedition, then chances are I'll be spending that iron on an iron pickaxe instead.
I guess the short version would be that I allocate my first bits of iron based on my current situation. Sometimes it ends up as armour, sometimes as a pickaxe, sometimes as a bucket.
That being said, saying "tools" is disingenuous because I can guarantee that I will not be using those first bits of iron to make any other tool. Swords, hoes, shovels, and axes are totally off the list even as possibilities for the first bits of iron.
Depends. If there are sheep immediately near me, shears so I can make a bed. If not, a pickaxe so I can mine redstone and diamond when I come across them.
The very first thing I use iron for is a bucket. Multiple buckets, actually.
One would be enough for irrigation so I can grow some crops, but if I make a good ten or so, I have spares if I lose any, and that's enough for me to, in one trip, retrieve enough lava to place in the shape of a Nether portal so afterward I can douse it in water, carve away the cobblestone, and light it up with a flint & steel (the second thing I make with iron), so I can go to the Nether without seeing a single diamond.
The only time I need 10 buckets is for milk when I'm taming an ocean monument and the elder guardians are hitting me with mining fatigue.
It's nice to have spares.
Usually an iron pickaxe and a bucket (not necessarily in that order). Depending on whether or not I'm in the mood for mining or exploring, I may even skip iron armor altogether.
I tend to make a bucket every time I need one, so I've ended up with several stacks in storage.
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This all really depends on how much Iron i find on my first caving trip. If i end up finding tons, i always make tools first. Because usually i would have killed some cows for a leather chestplate at least, so i'm somewhat protected. I make Armour with whatever i have spare after making tools. And then i go find more to complete the armour set.
That all happens if i have a successful first caving trip. If i don't find much iron, i just make tools and stick with leather armour
My first three ingots always goes towards making a bucket. It's so useful. The next two ingots go to a pair of shears. That way, I can go shear some sheep real quick, and make a bed. That way I can skip night time, and continue playing. The next three go to making a pickaxe. I'll probably continue to use stone tools for a while, until I've saved up enough, and then slowly switch over to iron tools. I'll usually wind up making armor last.
If I have to farm I will get a bucket, pickax, sword... sometimes I skip iron armor all together and go straight for diamonds off the bat.
I always create an iron pickaxe first, earning more than its worth back (by mining four+ iron), and using the excess iron for armour and iron buckets for quick Nether access.
I always make do with stone tools initially after the initial wooden pick, but with the first Iron it's always an iron pick - first and foremost for better ore mining, then a bucket (Essential IMO) and lastly sheers to get the wool for a bed and lastly for when I find somewhere to settle. (Wool from sheep.) I'll only upgrade the rest of the stone tools once they've run out, but a pick and bucket are the most essential to me.
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I tend not to use my first bits of iron until I have enough for two complete iron toolsets, armor, bucket and shears. That way, I have what I need, and any spare iron goes toward making replacement tools for when I break my last ones, and if I have enough, I'll make a golem to protect my base. Heck, if I'm swimming in iron, I'll even make a full beacon.
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First use is for iron sword, generally keep 2 of them on me. Wheat grows fine without water, just a bit slower, so I wait till later to put in the water strips. I hardly ever use iron tools. I keep an iron pick and a diamond pick in inventory when I caving, but generally for everything else I just use stone tools and thus rarely run out.
iron pickaxe, go underground, get some coal (for torches) and start mining for diamonds and more iron. after a while, get bored, and go do something else...
I put my vote down for armour, because that's what I generally *want* to get first. That being said, probably at least half the time I get a bucket first, and as far as that goes, if I find diamonds on my first major mining expedition, then chances are I'll be spending that iron on an iron pickaxe instead.
I guess the short version would be that I allocate my first bits of iron based on my current situation. Sometimes it ends up as armour, sometimes as a pickaxe, sometimes as a bucket.
That being said, saying "tools" is disingenuous because I can guarantee that I will not be using those first bits of iron to make any other tool. Swords, hoes, shovels, and axes are totally off the list even as possibilities for the first bits of iron.
It seems to me the most important things to craft first with iron (in no particular order) are a pick, bucket, shears, and a shield.
I never, ever make a hoe out of iron and always make stone hoes.
Iron pickaxe, easy. How else are you gonna get sweet, sweet diamonds?
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Depends. If there are sheep immediately near me, shears so I can make a bed. If not, a pickaxe so I can mine redstone and diamond when I come across them.
I typically use my first iron for tools, namely pickaxes + swords.
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