Minecraft Ores Tutorial (Xbox 360)

In the world of Minecraft, you'll be coming across the ore that you see to your right. It is easily noticeable by it's black color. These ores can be mined with a wooden pickaxe, so if you don't have any stone tools readily available, don't worry.

It's a good idea to stock up on as much coal as you can. And also keep in mind that there are two types of coal. Regular "coal" and "charcoal". The difference between the two, is that regular coal is found in its ore form, whereas charcoal is created by burning raw wooden blocks in a furnace. Either way, they can be used for the same purpose: fuel and torches.

Keep in mind that torches cannot be made without wood, so always keep a few blocks of wood handy for sticks; an ingredient crucial for torches.

In the real world, gold is precious. But when it comes to Minecraft, I'd recommend you lay off the ore. Gold is fairly weak (just like in real life), and making armor and weapons out of it will only lead to frustrations later on. Each piece of armor as well as your tools have a life meter. The more you use it, the more damage the piece takes until it is completely destroyed. Gold's life meter is very low. So making weapons and tools out of it would be (in my honest opinion), a complete waste of time. I would recommend sticking to iron or diamond ores, as they are stronger than gold.

If you're going to be using gold, make them into blocks. They add a nice touch to houses and buildings that you make, and you can use them for all kinds of projects.

Iron ore is definitely a great choice for tools and armor. This ore requires a stone, iron, or diamond pickaxe (it cannot be mined with a wooden one) and is mostly found underground. Caves are a safe haven for this ore, and they usually come in veins of 4 to 10. Every ore comes in veins, meaning that there are more than one stacked by each other.

Iron ore can be melted in a furnace to make iron ingots, which can then be crafted into armor, weapons, shears, compasses, buckets, as well as a flint and steel (which is needed to enter the Nether. A tutorial for another day.) They can also be used to make iron blocks, which can be utilized in houses or buildings as walls or floors.

Lapis Lazuli ore can be found deep underground (usually at bedrock level) and must be mined with a stone or better pickaxe. Mining Lapis Lazuli ore will immediately provide the player with Lapis Lazuli shards which can be used as dye, or also be used to make Lapis Lazuli blocks. The player can also combine the dye with other colored dyes, to make new ones, and then use these dyes on things like sheep and tamed wolves' collars.

Note: Lapis Lazuli cannot be used to make armor and weapons.

Redstone ore is quite useful in the world of Minecraft. When mined, redstone ore will provide what is known as redstone dust, and this can be gathered immediately after the block is broken down. Like Lapis Lazuli, redstone does not need to be smelted first in order to gather its elements.

Redstone torches are dimly lit torches crafted from redstone dust that can detonate TNT blocks. Redstone dust is needed in order to make a compass, and seems to have some kind of magnetic properties. (A compass is also needed to make a whole new map, in case it is needed) Also, redstone dust can be used to power traps and lamps (such as the redstone lamp) and also makes levers functional.

This is it. The ore you've been waiting for. If you're new to Minecraft, then let it be known: it is common knowledge that diamond ore is the most sought after ore on the game. Diamonds are rare, naturally occurring within the first 16 layers up from the bedrock. Once mined, it immediately provides the player with diamonds.

Note: Diamond ore must be mined with an iron or better pickaxe. Wooden and stone pickaxes will not work.

Diamond ore often comes in veins of 1 to 9 blocks (sometimes more). It is a good idea to mine around the diamond ore, to ensure that there are no other hazards, such as lava or openings that may have your precious diamonds falling into caves. As said before, diamond ore is mostly found within the first 16 layers above the bedrock, however, it is possible to find it even above that. Let it be noted though, that there is more of a chance that these diamond ores will be surrounded by lava, providing a rough hazard if the player wishes to mine it.

Diamond ore will provide you with diamonds. Which in turn will allow you to craft armor and weapons. The result? Diamonds are the toughest element in the Minecraft world. Any armor and weapons crafted from it will benefit from its durability, and will take much, much longer to wear out and break.

Also remember, diamonds can also be crafted into diamond blocks, which can be used just like regular stone and wooden ones.

There you have it. All the ores in the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft. Do keep in mind that there are other ores in the PC version, but my tutorials don't cover that. If you want more Xbox 360 Minecraft tutorials, check out my other Hubs. Until then, keep playing, mining, and crafting until your fingers are numb!