Spelunking is the art of finding and clearing caves. In this guide I will be teaching you the basics and some more advanced techniques and tips to becoming the greatest spelunker in all of Minecraftia.
Now, before we start, you must ask yourself, WHY do you want to go spelunking? If you are doing it for diamond, then don't spelunk. Seriously, you will be wasting your time. Due to the erratic nature of the caves, the often go above diamond level, so about 80% of the time, there is a 0% chance of finding diamond. Just go make a branch mine or something. Otherwise, continue reading.
PREPARATION
The first thing we need to deal with is, of course, preparation. This may be a little more work than you want to deal with, but it is necessary if you want to SAFELY go where no man has ever gone before (you can skip this if you want to be extremely risky and not prepare at all).
1) First of all, you need to make a basic diamond mine. You can look up how to make one. You just need to do this until you get a little bit of diamond. This may seem a little unintuitive, as it is basically the opposite of spelunking, but it is very important because you MUST have a diamond sword. It makes things SO much easier, and it lasts ridiculously long for only 2 diamond.
2) Next, you need to practice sword combat (you can do this before getting a diamond sword). I suggest staying on the surface for a really long time. Just before dawn (or even at night) every morning, make a bunch of wooden swords and go outside and kill things. You may want to start with stone swords, and then move down, as wooden swords are pretty tough to fight with. Do this until you can usually kill most things without taking a hit. And creepers should never explode. Now, after doing this, you should have enough string to make a bow, so do that. Make some arrows too.
3) Although not vital, it is a good idea to practice with the bow. It has an extreme downwards curve, that will get you every time. This may sound ridiculous, but shoot chickens. Stand at varying distances and continue sniping them. They are the smallest target (besides tiny slimes) and since they are passive, you can't predict their movements as well, and you are also saving humanity at the same time! They also drop feathers, so you will be gaining arrows from doing this. They are way harder to shoot than the aggressive mobs, so if you get good shooting them, you will be pro underground.
4) Find a cave. Preferably near the bottom of the map, as they seem to tend to be larger than those by the surface, from my experiences. Plus the extra possibility of finding diamond makes it a little more fun. You can do this by continuing your diamond mine if you want.
GEARING UP
With it, you are almighty and powerful. You are the god of the undergrounds, the master of the deep. Without it, you are but a pig in a sea of zombie pigmen. This is the most important step by far.
Armor, armor, armor, armor. 24 pieces of leather (and soon iron, after your first successful spelunking mission) is definitely worth spending to save your life. If it is leather, make sure it is completely new. If it is iron, you don't need to worry too much. If it is diamond, congratulations, you just wasted 24 diamond on an overkill pile of junk that isn't THAT much better than iron.
Here is what I always bring down. You can modify this to fit your needs.
1) 1 diamond sword: obvious reasons
2) 1 bow: " "
3) 4 stacks of arrows: I rarely use more than 1 stack, but this way, you feel more like you can shoot them whenever you need them, without feeling like you are wasting them.
4) 4 iron, or 1 diamond pickaxe: self explanatory
5) 4-5 iron shovels: you can bring 2 diamond ones instead, but I honestly don't think it's worth it
6) 1 or 2 stacks of wheat
7) 2 stacks of wood: wood is the only resource that you won't find down here, and it's one of the most useful
8) 2 stacks of torches: self explanatory
9) bucket of water: lavaaaaaaaa
10) a stack of dirt
These will be discussed more thoroughly in the Renewable Resources section.
Once you are down there, make a safe entrance room to your cave. In here, make a double chest or two. This will allow you to stay down for MUCH longer. And if you plan on staying for a really long time, make a crafting bench and a furnace. In the chest, we will put our resources that we won't need on the spot. Here's what I have in my inventory after unloading into the chest:
1) sword
2) bow
3) 2 stacks of arrows
4) 2 iron pickaxes (or the diamond one)
5) 3 iron shovels
6) 2 stacks of torches
7) bucket of water
8) 4 food items
9) stack of dirt
My hotbar usually looks like:
sword, bow, pickaxe, shovel, torch, bucket, food, food, dirt
Now we can enter the cave... after we discuss some things:
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Let's think to ourselves for a second. What is keeping us from staying down in the caves full time? What are the underground UN-renewable resources?
Wood: The obvious one. There are no trees underground.
Food: I don't see any fields of wheat or pigs underground, do you?
Arrows: We don't really get enough feathers from zombies without a spawner.
These are pretty much what draw us to the surface.
Let's start with wood. How can we get lots of wood down there with us? Well, the obvious answer is, bring wood. That's a really good idea. I don't think anyone disagrees. Also, if you want to spend a lot of time down there, you can make a small tree farm.
So how about food? Again the obvious answer: bring food. Yeah, bring some. That goes without saying I believe. But how about, instead of bringing a bunch of cooked pork chops or bread, what if you brought a stack of wheat? That's 21 bread, all in one inventory slot. Can't argue with that. Although not that useful, I feel I should mention that you can make a wheat farm underground... if you wanted to live there or something..
Arrows. Arrows, arrows, arrows... This is actually a rather complicated subject matter. Many factors involved: How good of a fighter you are, how often you use arrows, how long you plan to stay down there, how big your cave is, how many spawns you get in it, how you react to fear, many many factors. I have given my suggestion earlier, (2 stacks), just because of the psychological feeling of having enough to waste, so you aren't afraid to use them. I usually use much less than half a stack for one cave expedition, but that is just me, and it depends on what mood you are in. Do whatever you feel you need. Please don't argue on this. This is purely how many YOU want to bring.
Now, there is another easy solution to getting these resources: Don't bother with them. Just walk back to the surface whenever you need a refill. It all depends on how YOU like to spelunk. I honestly like long expeditions, never seeing the sun for multiple IRL days (both the in-game sun, and IRL sun). Remember, this is all what makes YOU feel comfortable, I am just merely giving suggestions.
THE CAVE
I'm scared! I'm not ready for this! Help! What do I do?
This is more of a psychological battle than anything. Fear is not the enemy. Fear is a natural human emotion that helps us stay rational. Trust your instincts, but don't let them get the best of you. If you are too afraid to go on, don't, or you may find yourself panicking in a time of great danger. Go at your own pace, and don't feel like a wimp if you have to head back and take a break. This is actually a very good tactic.
Your goal no matter what it was before is: to clear the next segment of the cave.
I'm afraid of getting lost! What do I do?
Stay observant of different paths. Take mental notes of your surroundings. Getting lost is a horrible thing. Just at least give yourself the illusion that you know where you are, even if you don't, and you will never be lost.
Markers! Very important! You can place special blocks in order to keep yourself aware of where you are, and help you if you happen to stumble upon one. Place markers in special rooms, or to show yourself where you have already cleared. Some blocks that you can use are: wood, wool, sand, torches (you can place these in formations to keep them from getting confused with regular torches), redstone torches, cobblestone, etc. Be creative with this!
Here's another interesting strategy: As you travel through your cave, place torches on the right side only. If you need to light up dark areas that aren't close to the right side, be sure to place torches so that they are attached to the ground, not the wall. This makes it easy to get out! Just remember: if torches are on your right, you are heading deeper into the cave. If torches are on your left: you are heading to safety.
How do I stay safe?
Be careful when traveling uphill, as mobs have a greater chance with a height advantage. If there is a hill ahead of you, and water is flowing down it, unless you can see the top, it might just be best to drop some marker torches and find a way to get to the top without going up the water, as mobs might flow down extremely fast.
Don't forget to look up ALOT. It is very possible that a creeper falls on you from above. Also, you will see more ores and other caves this way, and maybe even keep you from getting lost.
What and when should I mine?
Once you have cleared some of a cave segment, you can head back and mine the ores in that cave if you are comfortable. Don't try to mine and clear at the same time, as mobs will catch you off guard.
By the way: when I say cave segments, here's what I mean. Every time there is a fork in the cave, each path is a cave segment. Every time you reach a dead end, that is the end of a cave segment.
Mine all gravel and dirt, to some extent. It will reveal hidden places that you wouldn't have seen before, and new ores. You don't have to do this if you don't want but I usually do. I admit to being lazy and skipping it sometimes. But the amount of cool things that I have found from this technique is far worth it.
I'm tired, or I have a full inventory, or I am running out of tools!
Whenever you need a break, or your inventory is getting full, head back to your safe entrance room and unload your stuff. Doing this periodically also keeps you from getting lost.
I cleared the cave! Oh wait- what the hell was that!?
If you clear a lot of the cave, but you are still hearing lots of mobs or scary cave noises, it's not cheating to use F3 to find where the mobs are. Always follow the mob noises. There is probably a nice big cave or room filled with adventure and ores.
This room/cave is filled with monsters! I can't just run in there!
If you are digging and you hit a new cave area, and you are afraid that there is a mass amount of monsters within, there are 2 extremely helpful strategies you can use:
1) Digging to the top. Dig around the outside up and try to get to the top of the room. This will help you see inside, and maybe place some torches. Remember: every torch placed is a step towards clearing the cave, and placing a torch can only make things easier.
2) Digging to the bottom. It is awesome to dig so that your head is at the enemies' feet level, that way you can just easily stab their feet. Extremely useful with skeletons and creepers. That's right, creepers. They won't go boom if your head is where their feet is, if there is a block above you and a block below them:
Tested and proven.
Don't be afraid to spam the above 2 strategies. In a monster filled cave, they may be your only hope. Remember to turn around often as well, it's not fun to be ninja'd by a creeper.
If you panic, a nice solution is to dig a nice 1x2x1 hole out of the wall, and covering it up with dirt. I've used it once or twice.
Water.. what do I do with it?
Always get rid of water when you see it. It is difficult to use it to your advantage, and it is usually against you. What I do, is find the source, then place a dirt block where you suspect the source to be. Then you MUST remove the dirt block. This is important because, what if the water is just flowing from another cave into the room? This way, you are sure that that actually was the source.
If you are able to use water to your advantage, that's great, but that scenario is relatively unlikely.
When should I use my arrows? I don't want to waste them!
I usually use my bow against skeletons and slimes only, but you can use it against whatever you need to. Don't be afraid about wasting arrows, there are easily replenishable.
Dungeons, dungeons, dungeons..
Now let's talk dungeons.
There are two types of dungeons: open dungeons (monsters can get out of the dungeon, this may be causing you some grief, but don't worry, I have techniques) and closed dungeons (monsters can't get out). Your objective is to place a torch on each side of the spawner inside. 4 torches. Keep in mind that spawners only spawn monsters within 24 blocks from you. So if you feel there are too many monsters, run back and wait for them to despawn, then come back, and you might even find the dungeon completely empty! So here are some of my techniques that suggest using.
First of all, if it is an open dungeon, you can use those 2 techniques from earlier to try and get to the dungeon without going through endless waves of monsters, if you find yourself unable to fight them. If you are going to tunnel to the dungeon, make sure to seal off the entrance to your tunnel so that unwelcome guests don't fall you in. Unlikely, but possible. Once you get to a good point relative to the dungeon, it is a good idea to seal off the dungeon, making it a closed dungeon, if possible (unless you are using the first technique listed below).
Techniques:
1) This method is recommended for people who are very confident with their fighting skills. This is pretty much the obvious thing that you would think to do. Just put your sword and torches in your hotbar, maybe your bow. Basically, just run a full circle around the spawner, placing a torch on each side as you go, and defending yourself from the monsters as you go. Once place the torches, kill off the rest of the monsters. NEVER stop moving with this technique. I find myself using this quite often, but if you are afraid of dying, don't even try this.
2) This method is basically hit and run. I've never used this, but I've heard of people really liking this technique. Break open a 1x2x1 hole in the wall, run inside, place however many torches you can, then run out, before getting killed, and seal the hole if you want. Then repeat again and again until the dungeon is cleared.
3) This technique is used mostly for skeleton dungeons, but not spiders. Find out which level the floor of the dungeon is on. Then standing on that level, dig one down and dig in. This will allow you to attack their feet. Now that I think about it, last I checked, hitting mobs at their feet does NOT work in SMP. Place torches wherever you can, and continue digging around the outside of the dungeon, allowing you to place torches on all sides, and killing off the rest of the monsters inside. Once the mobs stop spawning, then you can enter the dungeon.
4) This technique is similar to the above one, just go a layer higher. Do NOT do this for skeleton dungeons, but it is good for zombies, but not spiders. Kill them in a similar manner as above. The only difference between this one and above is it's slightly easier and takes less digging.
5) For a spider dungeon, this technique really simplifies things. You can dig around the walls (and even the floors) with a pattern like this :
[] [] :smile.gif: [] :biggrin.gif:
[] :sad.gif: [] [] :biggrin.gif:
Spiders can't fit through but you can. Light up the room and kill of the spiders.
6) From above! Make a tunnel to the top. I don't like this technique, as it is a lot harder, just get to a point from above that you can place torches, but mobs can't reach you.
7) Also from above! Get above the dungeon, and clear an area on the roof so that you can see how big the dungeon is. Then slowly remove each block of the ceiling one by one, and filling that column with sand, essentially filling the entire dungeon with sand. The mobs should start suffocating, and then you can just dig out the dungeon. Note: this method was featured on Yogscast.
Now that you have a lovely cleaned dungeon, we need to finish it off. NEVER DESTROY THE SPAWNER! You can make a mob trap with it, and even if you don't desire to, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Clear all the mossy cobblestone. Even if you think it looks ugly, it is rare and valuable. Maybe a creeper merchant will come to your house looking to purchase it. If there is a piece of mossy cobblestone under one of your torches, mine it and quickly place a block of dirt or regular cobblestone, and quickly replace your torch. Be prepared to fight off another monster, although this doesn't really give it enough time to spawn one, if you do it fast enough.
Take the chests. Yes, the chests, literally, and everything inside them. Don't leave ANYTHING. You earned everything in the dungeon, and its resources. Good resources, even if it is worthless. And its yours, so take it.
Make sure you mark where the spawner is, in case you ever want to make a trap with it, or humiliate it by making a large room made of pink wool and flowers around.
I just can't do it!
Don't worry if you are unable to clear the entire cave in one trip. Head back to the surface, relax, build, take a break. Go back down when you are ready. The cave will seem much easier after a nice rest, and maybe some more fighting practice.
Well, that's all I can think of at the moment, so good luck! I will continue to update this as I think of new tips and tricks. Thanks for the replies everyone! I will continue to update this post when I have ideas, and I will work on organization when I can't think of anything. By the way, is the spell check on these forums broken or what?
8/20/11 UPDATE:
Apparently, some people are still looking at this. I've pretty much stopped updating, but there are tons of good suggestions in the replies to this post. I'd suggest reading all of them to get ideas. There really is no "one way" to do anything.
I have a suggestion, however. You're guide does not mention dungeons. Like, at all. Dungeons are very common when spelunking.
Here are some things you could add into the dungeon section if you choose to add it:
-You can use F3 to find it...
-Always enter a dungeon from the top. If the dungeon is a zombie or spider dungeon, you can eliminate the spawner and enemies from above without getting hurt...
-Mine the mossy cobblestone. Even if you think it's ugly, mossy cobblestone is rare and you may want to use it later...
-If the dungeon is a skeleton dungeon, try to get below the dungeon, mine the block below the spawner, then mine the spawner and plug the hole up. Then get above the dungeon, for reasons stated before. Skeleton dungeons are a *****...
I have a suggestion, however. You're guide does not mention dungeons. Like, at all. Dungeons are very common when spelunking.
Here are some things you could add into the dungeon section if you choose to add it:
-You can use F3 to find it...
-Always enter a dungeon from the top. If the dungeon is a zombie or spider dungeon, you can eliminate the spawner and enemies from above without getting hurt...
-Mine the mossy cobblestone. Even if you think it's ugly, mossy cobblestone is rare and you may want to use it later...
-If the dungeon is a skeleton dungeon, try to get below the dungeon, mine the block below the spawner, then mine the spawner and plug the hole up. Then get above the dungeon, for reasons stated before. Skeleton dungeons are a *****...
Ah, thanks. I knew I was forgetting something. I'll add my dungeon tricks tomorrow.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No you didn't, because TNT damage doesn't stack.
See my About Me section for info about me.
Something I've been thinking about recently is bonemeal.
Normally, the two limiting factors to how long you can stay down in a cave are wood (for tools & torches), and food (for health). If you bring along a single sapling and a single seed however, you can use bonemeal from skeletons to grow trees and crops. A tree is easy, just use some dirt (plenty nearby) in a large open area and there's a tree. Crops won't need water if you're instantly growing them, so all you need is to make a wooden hoe and plant the seed in the tilled dirt. One bones gives three bonemeal, or enough instant-wheat to make one loaf of bread.
This way, you could theoretically stay underground indefinately, as you'll keep fighting skeletons and getting bones.
Okay I updated with some of your ideas. Thanks for the replies!
Quote from Harvey999555 »
Your wrong about not finding diamond on spelunking since i only find diamond when i spelunk
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If you want diamond, you will have to branch mine more. If you are finding more diamond spelunking than branch mining, you are either extremely lucky, or you are branch mining wrong. Check out Kiershar's tutorial. I have a branch mine solely for the purpose of finding more caves, and I find 95% of my diamond using it, rather than caves.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No you didn't, because TNT damage doesn't stack.
See my About Me section for info about me.
One thing I didn't see (though I only skimmed). Instead of carrying a ton of food items. Take a stack of grain in, keep 2 slots of actually prepared bread in. You get something like 50+ hearts in a single stack of grain, the only cost is the time to drop a crafting table, which is why you keep some bread prepared.
Updated to include some tips on farming (wood and wheat) for longer stays down there. Also mentioned bringing wheat with you and I just realized I forgot to mention fishing so I will add that in right away.
In other news, I'm downloading Portal 2!!!!!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No you didn't, because TNT damage doesn't stack.
See my About Me section for info about me.
Personally I like to trim the caves as I go through them (building steps and knocking down thin walls;I call this 'cave bonsai') and put down signs at intersections so if I have to run back for my stuff I don't get lost on the way back
The method I use to avoid getting lost in caves is to always place torches on the right-hand wall. This way I can tell which way leads to safety if I get disoriented. Torches on right = forward into the depths; torches on let means "heading back to safety". If a passage is wide enough that I feel I need to place torches on both sides to light it up sufficiently, then I make sure that the left-sided torches are floor-mounted rather than wall-mounted to avoid ambiguity. When I reach the end of a tunnel, I place a torch in the middle of the floor.
Using this method, I have never gotten lost, confused, or even bewildered when exploring caves. You are both marking areas which you have already been, AND which way you came from when you marked them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hans Lemurson's Thread of Links:http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/371610-hans-lemursons-thread-of-links/
Look here to find links to my inventions, creations, and my Youtube channel featuring Amazing Creations of Mine (Redstone engineering FTW!!!) and charming Music-Videos about clones. I also made "Minecraft in Minecraft" (2D platformer/building game). I'm currently trying to make a computer.
Two Problems:
You carry WAY too much stuff. there are 36 inventory slots. Your suggestion requires 28 slots. So you only have 8 slots to carry other stuff-that seems like alot,but it isnt. stuff adds up fast.
You only need 1 stack of arrows and about 2 or 3 pork as long as you are a decent fighter.
Also, It was proven that dirt/gravel pockets have absolutely NO correlation with finding ore or other caves,so digging through 18 dirt leaves you just as likely to find a cave if you dig through 18 stone. So don't waste your time.
My current cave system, after a little creative digging, goes down to layer 12. The problem I used to run into all the time was I would keep getting lost, but the area was so expansive, signs didn't help much. So, I just remembered one particular water stream, and a route up I could use from it. That way, if I ever got lost, I would just need to find that water stream.
I strip mine. Plunge straight down avoiding falling by using ladders as I go. when I hit the level I want to be at I plant torches as I mine out the space. Enough torches means no monster spawning which means I don't need to waste ore slots on food or arrows etc.
Two Problems:
You carry WAY too much stuff. there are 36 inventory slots. Your suggestion requires 28 slots. So you only have 8 slots to carry other stuff-that seems like alot,but it isnt. stuff adds up fast.
You only need 1 stack of arrows and about 2 or 3 pork as long as you are a decent fighter.
Also, It was proven that dirt/gravel pockets have absolutely NO correlation with finding ore or other caves,so digging through 18 dirt leaves you just as likely to find a cave if you dig through 18 stone. So don't waste your time.
Chests are extremely easy to make, if you have enough wood. If you read my guide, you would see that I like to make a base camp before going into the cave with a double chest for storing junk. Yeah, the arrows are a little overboard, as I have personally never used more than half a stack, which I only got close to on days that I just really didn't feel like fighting. But I put 2 stacks of arrows, because I know that new players (which are the main focus of this guide) might feel like they are wasting arrows too much, but having a LOT eliminates this feeling, at least a little bit. Plus, unless you find a zombie spawner, you won't have a lot of feathers down there. It also depends on the cave, and you. If you are the type who doesn't leave a cave until you have finished clearing it, 2 or 3 pork isn't even close to enough, even for a great fighter. And for the record, a stack of wheat takes up less space than 3 pork. I know there is no correlation between gravel/dirt and ores. But mining it is fast, easy, and close to free. It usually covers more floor and wall space than you realize, allowing for more ore chances. Plus you might discover a shortcut to another part of the cave, or better yet, a new cave. You would be surprised how many good findings I have discovered just from mining gravel (I tend to get lazy with dirt, because it is utterly worthless).
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No you didn't, because TNT damage doesn't stack.
See my About Me section for info about me.
Sorry for the double post. I made a major update this time. Added a new section, did some organization, discussed the amount of resources you bring down into the cave, and added some more useful tips for not getting lost. Thanks for the replies. I try to add in as many of your ideas as I can, even if I don't like using them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No you didn't, because TNT damage doesn't stack.
See my About Me section for info about me.
It is my personal opinion that this is the best thread ever.
Great for newbies, and for people like me who are usually too chicken to spelunk for very long! I'm one of those losers who still finds that Minecraft can be one super scary game, so the whole 'it's okay to be afraid' angle is wicked.
Really helpful! <3
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Quote from Mega Bear »
Pigs can mine too, you know. Treat them as your equals.
Racist assholes.
It is my personal opinion that this is the best thread ever.
Great for newbies, and for people like me who are usually too chicken to spelunk for very long! I'm one of those losers who still finds that Minecraft can be one super scary game, so the whole 'it's okay to be afraid' angle is wicked.
Really helpful! <3
Haha thanks! I am also "one of those losers who still finds that Minecraft can be one super scary game" and I used to find spelunking really scary too. Fear is half the fun! The other half is realizing what the other half is... Comprehend that!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
No you didn't, because TNT damage doesn't stack.
See my About Me section for info about me.
Now, before we start, you must ask yourself, WHY do you want to go spelunking? If you are doing it for diamond, then don't spelunk. Seriously, you will be wasting your time. Due to the erratic nature of the caves, the often go above diamond level, so about 80% of the time, there is a 0% chance of finding diamond. Just go make a branch mine or something. Otherwise, continue reading.
PREPARATION
The first thing we need to deal with is, of course, preparation. This may be a little more work than you want to deal with, but it is necessary if you want to SAFELY go where no man has ever gone before (you can skip this if you want to be extremely risky and not prepare at all).
1) First of all, you need to make a basic diamond mine. You can look up how to make one. You just need to do this until you get a little bit of diamond. This may seem a little unintuitive, as it is basically the opposite of spelunking, but it is very important because you MUST have a diamond sword. It makes things SO much easier, and it lasts ridiculously long for only 2 diamond.
2) Next, you need to practice sword combat (you can do this before getting a diamond sword). I suggest staying on the surface for a really long time. Just before dawn (or even at night) every morning, make a bunch of wooden swords and go outside and kill things. You may want to start with stone swords, and then move down, as wooden swords are pretty tough to fight with. Do this until you can usually kill most things without taking a hit. And creepers should never explode. Now, after doing this, you should have enough string to make a bow, so do that. Make some arrows too.
3) Although not vital, it is a good idea to practice with the bow. It has an extreme downwards curve, that will get you every time. This may sound ridiculous, but shoot chickens. Stand at varying distances and continue sniping them. They are the smallest target (besides tiny slimes) and since they are passive, you can't predict their movements as well, and you are also saving humanity at the same time! They also drop feathers, so you will be gaining arrows from doing this. They are way harder to shoot than the aggressive mobs, so if you get good shooting them, you will be pro underground.
4) Find a cave. Preferably near the bottom of the map, as they seem to tend to be larger than those by the surface, from my experiences. Plus the extra possibility of finding diamond makes it a little more fun. You can do this by continuing your diamond mine if you want.
GEARING UP
With it, you are almighty and powerful. You are the god of the undergrounds, the master of the deep. Without it, you are but a pig in a sea of zombie pigmen. This is the most important step by far.
Armor, armor, armor, armor. 24 pieces of leather (and soon iron, after your first successful spelunking mission) is definitely worth spending to save your life. If it is leather, make sure it is completely new. If it is iron, you don't need to worry too much. If it is diamond, congratulations, you just wasted 24 diamond on an overkill pile of junk that isn't THAT much better than iron.
Here is what I always bring down. You can modify this to fit your needs.
1) 1 diamond sword: obvious reasons
2) 1 bow: " "
3) 4 stacks of arrows: I rarely use more than 1 stack, but this way, you feel more like you can shoot them whenever you need them, without feeling like you are wasting them.
4) 4 iron, or 1 diamond pickaxe: self explanatory
5) 4-5 iron shovels: you can bring 2 diamond ones instead, but I honestly don't think it's worth it
6) 1 or 2 stacks of wheat
7) 2 stacks of wood: wood is the only resource that you won't find down here, and it's one of the most useful
8) 2 stacks of torches: self explanatory
9) bucket of water: lavaaaaaaaa
10) a stack of dirt
These will be discussed more thoroughly in the Renewable Resources section.
Once you are down there, make a safe entrance room to your cave. In here, make a double chest or two. This will allow you to stay down for MUCH longer. And if you plan on staying for a really long time, make a crafting bench and a furnace. In the chest, we will put our resources that we won't need on the spot. Here's what I have in my inventory after unloading into the chest:
1) sword
2) bow
3) 2 stacks of arrows
4) 2 iron pickaxes (or the diamond one)
5) 3 iron shovels
6) 2 stacks of torches
7) bucket of water
8) 4 food items
9) stack of dirt
My hotbar usually looks like:
sword, bow, pickaxe, shovel, torch, bucket, food, food, dirt
Now we can enter the cave... after we discuss some things:
RENEWABLE RESOURCES
Let's think to ourselves for a second. What is keeping us from staying down in the caves full time? What are the underground UN-renewable resources?
Wood: The obvious one. There are no trees underground.
Food: I don't see any fields of wheat or pigs underground, do you?
Arrows: We don't really get enough feathers from zombies without a spawner.
These are pretty much what draw us to the surface.
Let's start with wood. How can we get lots of wood down there with us? Well, the obvious answer is, bring wood. That's a really good idea. I don't think anyone disagrees. Also, if you want to spend a lot of time down there, you can make a small tree farm.
So how about food? Again the obvious answer: bring food. Yeah, bring some. That goes without saying I believe. But how about, instead of bringing a bunch of cooked pork chops or bread, what if you brought a stack of wheat? That's 21 bread, all in one inventory slot. Can't argue with that. Although not that useful, I feel I should mention that you can make a wheat farm underground... if you wanted to live there or something..
Arrows. Arrows, arrows, arrows... This is actually a rather complicated subject matter. Many factors involved: How good of a fighter you are, how often you use arrows, how long you plan to stay down there, how big your cave is, how many spawns you get in it, how you react to fear, many many factors. I have given my suggestion earlier, (2 stacks), just because of the psychological feeling of having enough to waste, so you aren't afraid to use them. I usually use much less than half a stack for one cave expedition, but that is just me, and it depends on what mood you are in. Do whatever you feel you need. Please don't argue on this. This is purely how many YOU want to bring.
Now, there is another easy solution to getting these resources: Don't bother with them. Just walk back to the surface whenever you need a refill. It all depends on how YOU like to spelunk. I honestly like long expeditions, never seeing the sun for multiple IRL days (both the in-game sun, and IRL sun). Remember, this is all what makes YOU feel comfortable, I am just merely giving suggestions.
THE CAVE
I'm scared! I'm not ready for this! Help! What do I do?
This is more of a psychological battle than anything. Fear is not the enemy. Fear is a natural human emotion that helps us stay rational. Trust your instincts, but don't let them get the best of you. If you are too afraid to go on, don't, or you may find yourself panicking in a time of great danger. Go at your own pace, and don't feel like a wimp if you have to head back and take a break. This is actually a very good tactic.
Your goal no matter what it was before is: to clear the next segment of the cave.
I'm afraid of getting lost! What do I do?
Stay observant of different paths. Take mental notes of your surroundings. Getting lost is a horrible thing. Just at least give yourself the illusion that you know where you are, even if you don't, and you will never be lost.
Markers! Very important! You can place special blocks in order to keep yourself aware of where you are, and help you if you happen to stumble upon one. Place markers in special rooms, or to show yourself where you have already cleared. Some blocks that you can use are: wood, wool, sand, torches (you can place these in formations to keep them from getting confused with regular torches), redstone torches, cobblestone, etc. Be creative with this!
Here's another interesting strategy: As you travel through your cave, place torches on the right side only. If you need to light up dark areas that aren't close to the right side, be sure to place torches so that they are attached to the ground, not the wall. This makes it easy to get out! Just remember: if torches are on your right, you are heading deeper into the cave. If torches are on your left: you are heading to safety.
How do I stay safe?
Be careful when traveling uphill, as mobs have a greater chance with a height advantage. If there is a hill ahead of you, and water is flowing down it, unless you can see the top, it might just be best to drop some marker torches and find a way to get to the top without going up the water, as mobs might flow down extremely fast.
Don't forget to look up ALOT. It is very possible that a creeper falls on you from above. Also, you will see more ores and other caves this way, and maybe even keep you from getting lost.
What and when should I mine?
Once you have cleared some of a cave segment, you can head back and mine the ores in that cave if you are comfortable. Don't try to mine and clear at the same time, as mobs will catch you off guard.
By the way: when I say cave segments, here's what I mean. Every time there is a fork in the cave, each path is a cave segment. Every time you reach a dead end, that is the end of a cave segment.
Mine all gravel and dirt, to some extent. It will reveal hidden places that you wouldn't have seen before, and new ores. You don't have to do this if you don't want but I usually do. I admit to being lazy and skipping it sometimes. But the amount of cool things that I have found from this technique is far worth it.
I'm tired, or I have a full inventory, or I am running out of tools!
Whenever you need a break, or your inventory is getting full, head back to your safe entrance room and unload your stuff. Doing this periodically also keeps you from getting lost.
I cleared the cave! Oh wait- what the hell was that!?
If you clear a lot of the cave, but you are still hearing lots of mobs or scary cave noises, it's not cheating to use F3 to find where the mobs are. Always follow the mob noises. There is probably a nice big cave or room filled with adventure and ores.
This room/cave is filled with monsters! I can't just run in there!
If you are digging and you hit a new cave area, and you are afraid that there is a mass amount of monsters within, there are 2 extremely helpful strategies you can use:
1) Digging to the top. Dig around the outside up and try to get to the top of the room. This will help you see inside, and maybe place some torches. Remember: every torch placed is a step towards clearing the cave, and placing a torch can only make things easier.
2) Digging to the bottom. It is awesome to dig so that your head is at the enemies' feet level, that way you can just easily stab their feet. Extremely useful with skeletons and creepers. That's right, creepers. They won't go boom if your head is where their feet is, if there is a block above you and a block below them:
Tested and proven.
Don't be afraid to spam the above 2 strategies. In a monster filled cave, they may be your only hope. Remember to turn around often as well, it's not fun to be ninja'd by a creeper.
If you panic, a nice solution is to dig a nice 1x2x1 hole out of the wall, and covering it up with dirt. I've used it once or twice.
Water.. what do I do with it?
Always get rid of water when you see it. It is difficult to use it to your advantage, and it is usually against you. What I do, is find the source, then place a dirt block where you suspect the source to be. Then you MUST remove the dirt block. This is important because, what if the water is just flowing from another cave into the room? This way, you are sure that that actually was the source.
If you are able to use water to your advantage, that's great, but that scenario is relatively unlikely.
When should I use my arrows? I don't want to waste them!
I usually use my bow against skeletons and slimes only, but you can use it against whatever you need to. Don't be afraid about wasting arrows, there are easily replenishable.
Dungeons, dungeons, dungeons..
Now let's talk dungeons.
There are two types of dungeons: open dungeons (monsters can get out of the dungeon, this may be causing you some grief, but don't worry, I have techniques) and closed dungeons (monsters can't get out). Your objective is to place a torch on each side of the spawner inside. 4 torches. Keep in mind that spawners only spawn monsters within 24 blocks from you. So if you feel there are too many monsters, run back and wait for them to despawn, then come back, and you might even find the dungeon completely empty! So here are some of my techniques that suggest using.
First of all, if it is an open dungeon, you can use those 2 techniques from earlier to try and get to the dungeon without going through endless waves of monsters, if you find yourself unable to fight them. If you are going to tunnel to the dungeon, make sure to seal off the entrance to your tunnel so that unwelcome guests don't fall you in. Unlikely, but possible. Once you get to a good point relative to the dungeon, it is a good idea to seal off the dungeon, making it a closed dungeon, if possible (unless you are using the first technique listed below).
Techniques:
1) This method is recommended for people who are very confident with their fighting skills. This is pretty much the obvious thing that you would think to do. Just put your sword and torches in your hotbar, maybe your bow. Basically, just run a full circle around the spawner, placing a torch on each side as you go, and defending yourself from the monsters as you go. Once place the torches, kill off the rest of the monsters. NEVER stop moving with this technique. I find myself using this quite often, but if you are afraid of dying, don't even try this.
2) This method is basically hit and run. I've never used this, but I've heard of people really liking this technique. Break open a 1x2x1 hole in the wall, run inside, place however many torches you can, then run out, before getting killed, and seal the hole if you want. Then repeat again and again until the dungeon is cleared.
3) This technique is used mostly for skeleton dungeons, but not spiders. Find out which level the floor of the dungeon is on. Then standing on that level, dig one down and dig in. This will allow you to attack their feet. Now that I think about it, last I checked, hitting mobs at their feet does NOT work in SMP. Place torches wherever you can, and continue digging around the outside of the dungeon, allowing you to place torches on all sides, and killing off the rest of the monsters inside. Once the mobs stop spawning, then you can enter the dungeon.
4) This technique is similar to the above one, just go a layer higher. Do NOT do this for skeleton dungeons, but it is good for zombies, but not spiders. Kill them in a similar manner as above. The only difference between this one and above is it's slightly easier and takes less digging.
5) For a spider dungeon, this technique really simplifies things. You can dig around the walls (and even the floors) with a pattern like this :
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[] :sad.gif: [] [] :biggrin.gif:
Spiders can't fit through but you can. Light up the room and kill of the spiders.
6) From above! Make a tunnel to the top. I don't like this technique, as it is a lot harder, just get to a point from above that you can place torches, but mobs can't reach you.
7) Also from above! Get above the dungeon, and clear an area on the roof so that you can see how big the dungeon is. Then slowly remove each block of the ceiling one by one, and filling that column with sand, essentially filling the entire dungeon with sand. The mobs should start suffocating, and then you can just dig out the dungeon. Note: this method was featured on Yogscast.
Now that you have a lovely cleaned dungeon, we need to finish it off. NEVER DESTROY THE SPAWNER! You can make a mob trap with it, and even if you don't desire to, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Clear all the mossy cobblestone. Even if you think it looks ugly, it is rare and valuable. Maybe a creeper merchant will come to your house looking to purchase it. If there is a piece of mossy cobblestone under one of your torches, mine it and quickly place a block of dirt or regular cobblestone, and quickly replace your torch. Be prepared to fight off another monster, although this doesn't really give it enough time to spawn one, if you do it fast enough.
Take the chests. Yes, the chests, literally, and everything inside them. Don't leave ANYTHING. You earned everything in the dungeon, and its resources. Good resources, even if it is worthless. And its yours, so take it.
Make sure you mark where the spawner is, in case you ever want to make a trap with it, or humiliate it by making a large room made of pink wool and flowers around.
I just can't do it!
Don't worry if you are unable to clear the entire cave in one trip. Head back to the surface, relax, build, take a break. Go back down when you are ready. The cave will seem much easier after a nice rest, and maybe some more fighting practice.
Well, that's all I can think of at the moment, so good luck! I will continue to update this as I think of new tips and tricks. Thanks for the replies everyone! I will continue to update this post when I have ideas, and I will work on organization when I can't think of anything. By the way, is the spell check on these forums broken or what?
8/20/11 UPDATE:
Apparently, some people are still looking at this. I've pretty much stopped updating, but there are tons of good suggestions in the replies to this post. I'd suggest reading all of them to get ideas. There really is no "one way" to do anything.
See my About Me section for info about me.
I have a suggestion, however. You're guide does not mention dungeons. Like, at all. Dungeons are very common when spelunking.
Here are some things you could add into the dungeon section if you choose to add it:
-You can use F3 to find it...
-Always enter a dungeon from the top. If the dungeon is a zombie or spider dungeon, you can eliminate the spawner and enemies from above without getting hurt...
-Mine the mossy cobblestone. Even if you think it's ugly, mossy cobblestone is rare and you may want to use it later...
-If the dungeon is a skeleton dungeon, try to get below the dungeon, mine the block below the spawner, then mine the spawner and plug the hole up. Then get above the dungeon, for reasons stated before. Skeleton dungeons are a *****...
Ah, thanks. I knew I was forgetting something. I'll add my dungeon tricks tomorrow.
See my About Me section for info about me.
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Normally, the two limiting factors to how long you can stay down in a cave are wood (for tools & torches), and food (for health). If you bring along a single sapling and a single seed however, you can use bonemeal from skeletons to grow trees and crops. A tree is easy, just use some dirt (plenty nearby) in a large open area and there's a tree. Crops won't need water if you're instantly growing them, so all you need is to make a wooden hoe and plant the seed in the tilled dirt. One bones gives three bonemeal, or enough instant-wheat to make one loaf of bread.
This way, you could theoretically stay underground indefinately, as you'll keep fighting skeletons and getting bones.
What do you mean it doesn't work? - Flint Generator
Once upon a time in Minecraft... - The Three Little Pigs
Ready! Set! Go! - Speedboat Racecourse
Look out below! - Death From Above
If you want diamond, you will have to branch mine more. If you are finding more diamond spelunking than branch mining, you are either extremely lucky, or you are branch mining wrong. Check out Kiershar's tutorial. I have a branch mine solely for the purpose of finding more caves, and I find 95% of my diamond using it, rather than caves.
See my About Me section for info about me.
Tired of plain old puzzle maps? Try out "The Secret of Wayhart Point"an adventure map where you are free to explore!
Sticky
Post for n00b guide
Post in minecraft wiki
It's pics not dics
In other news, I'm downloading Portal 2!!!!!
See my About Me section for info about me.
Using this method, I have never gotten lost, confused, or even bewildered when exploring caves. You are both marking areas which you have already been, AND which way you came from when you marked them.
Look here to find links to my inventions, creations, and my Youtube channel featuring Amazing Creations of Mine (Redstone engineering FTW!!!) and charming Music-Videos about clones. I also made "Minecraft in Minecraft" (2D platformer/building game). I'm currently trying to make a computer.
You carry WAY too much stuff. there are 36 inventory slots. Your suggestion requires 28 slots. So you only have 8 slots to carry other stuff-that seems like alot,but it isnt. stuff adds up fast.
You only need 1 stack of arrows and about 2 or 3 pork as long as you are a decent fighter.
Also, It was proven that dirt/gravel pockets have absolutely NO correlation with finding ore or other caves,so digging through 18 dirt leaves you just as likely to find a cave if you dig through 18 stone. So don't waste your time.
https://secure.worldcommunitygrid.org/index.jsp
Caves cluster. There are areas with few, and areas with complexes that seem like swiss cheese.
I strip mine. Plunge straight down avoiding falling by using ladders as I go. when I hit the level I want to be at I plant torches as I mine out the space. Enough torches means no monster spawning which means I don't need to waste ore slots on food or arrows etc.
Caves; I block up and ignore.
Chests are extremely easy to make, if you have enough wood. If you read my guide, you would see that I like to make a base camp before going into the cave with a double chest for storing junk. Yeah, the arrows are a little overboard, as I have personally never used more than half a stack, which I only got close to on days that I just really didn't feel like fighting. But I put 2 stacks of arrows, because I know that new players (which are the main focus of this guide) might feel like they are wasting arrows too much, but having a LOT eliminates this feeling, at least a little bit. Plus, unless you find a zombie spawner, you won't have a lot of feathers down there. It also depends on the cave, and you. If you are the type who doesn't leave a cave until you have finished clearing it, 2 or 3 pork isn't even close to enough, even for a great fighter. And for the record, a stack of wheat takes up less space than 3 pork. I know there is no correlation between gravel/dirt and ores. But mining it is fast, easy, and close to free. It usually covers more floor and wall space than you realize, allowing for more ore chances. Plus you might discover a shortcut to another part of the cave, or better yet, a new cave. You would be surprised how many good findings I have discovered just from mining gravel (I tend to get lazy with dirt, because it is utterly worthless).
See my About Me section for info about me.
See my About Me section for info about me.
Great for newbies, and for people like me who are usually too chicken to spelunk for very long! I'm one of those losers who still finds that Minecraft can be one super scary game, so the whole 'it's okay to be afraid' angle is wicked.
Really helpful! <3
Haha thanks! I am also "one of those losers who still finds that Minecraft can be one super scary game" and I used to find spelunking really scary too. Fear is half the fun! The other half is realizing what the other half is... Comprehend that!
See my About Me section for info about me.