How to Be an Expert Minecraft Player

Written by Zac Churchill | Edited by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: March 13, 2023 Approved

Minecraft is one of the most popular games of all time. While the game may seem simple, it is deceptively deep. Minecraft is a game that has many aspects to it, including mining, hunting, surviving, and creating. Becoming an expert at Minecraft depends on what aspect of the game you want to become an expert at. Some players are excellent at playing the game in Survival mode, while other players are master builders who build amazing structures and worlds in Creative mode. This wikiHow teaches you how to be an expert at Minecraft.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Becoming an Expert at Minecraft in Survival Mode

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Gather resources. When you first start a new game of Minecraft, you have nothing except a map. The first thing you want to do is gather wood. You can get wood from punching tree trunks. If there aren't any trees in the area you spawn, gather some dirt or sand blocks from the ground. Open your crafting menu and use the wood blocks to craft wooden plank blocks and sticks. You can craft wooden plank blocks and sticks without using a crafting table.
2
Build a shelter. A shelter can be used to protect you from hostile mobs. There are a few hostile mobs during the daytime, but most of them come out at night. A shelter is essential if you want to survive the first night. Your first shelter will most likely be temporary. Don't put too much time and effort into it. Just build a small shelter that protects you from all sides. It can be made out of wooden planks, dirt, sand or any material. When you decide on a permanent location, you can build a bigger and better shelter.

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Craft tools. Tools are essential in Minecraft. To craft tools, you will first need to craft a crafting table out of 4 wooden plank blocks in your inventory. Place the crafting table and open it. Use the panel on the left to view a list of all crafting recipes. Select a tool you want to craft. You need to have the ingredients in your inventory to craft an item. Start crafting the tools you need to survive and gather more materials. You can craft tools out of sticks as well as wood, stone, iron, gold, or diamond. Weapons made of wood are the weakest and will not last long. Stone tools are stronger than wood, and iron tools are stronger than stone. Tools made of diamond are the strongest. The following are some tools you will need to craft in order to survive:
- Sword: A sword can be used to fight off hostile mobs as well as slaughter animals for food.
- Pickaxe: A pickaxe is used to mine stone and other minerals such as coal, iron, redstone, or diamond. Some minerals require a pickaxe made of a specific material to be mined. For example, iron ore requires a pickaxe made of stone or stronger to be mined. Diamond cannot be mined with anything less than an iron pickaxe.
- Axe: An axe makes it quicker to get wood from trees and can also be used as a weapon.
- Hoe: A hoe can be used to till the soil so that you can plant crops and make a garden.
- Shovel: A shovel can be used to dig. If you dig far enough underground, you can find stone and other minerals. Be careful not to dig straight down. You won't be able to escape if you run into danger. Dig at an angle.
- Torches: Torches are crafted from sticks and coal or charcoal. They can be placed on walls and provide light. This allows you to see at night and wards off hostile mobs.
- Chest: A chest can be used to store objects from your inventory. If you die, you will drop everything in your inventory and be forced to recover everything. Use a chest to store items you don't want to lose, but don't need to carry with you.
- Bed: To craft a bed, you will need some wool from sheep and some wooden plank blocks. A bed allows you to safely sleep through the night (all players need to be in their beds), as well as respawn from the last bed you slept in if you die. Place a bed in your shelter and sleep in it so that you respawn in your shelter if you die.
- Furnace: Furnaces can be crafted out of cobblestone. Furnaces are used to cook food and smelt iron ore into iron blocks that can be used to make tools.
- Fishing rods: Fishing rods are crafted from a stick and some string, which can be gathered from slaughtering a spider. Fishing rods can be used to catch fish, which can be used for food.
- Boat: A boat is crafted form wooden plank blocks and a shovel. It can be used to safely and quickly traverse rivers and waterways.
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Find food. Food is needed to survive in Minecraft. If your hunger meter is full, your health will replenish if you are injured. If your hunger meter runs out, you will start to lose health. You can get food by slaughtering animals and cooking their meat in a furnace, or by harvesting crops. You can also craft recipes from wheat, sugar cane, and other ingredients using a crafting table.
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Explore. Exploration is one of the most fun aspects of Minecraft. When you start a new game of Minecraft, a map is the only thing you are given. Use the map to explore the world. The map will fill out the more you explore the world. Take note of anything of interest. This can include caves, villages, new biomes, or structures, or temples.
- Be careful not to lose your map. If you drop your map and lose it, you will need to craft a new one and start over again.
- Be careful not to wander too far from your shelter. Minecraft worlds are randomly generated and are virtually infinite in size. It's very easy to get lost in Minecraft.
- Keep note of your shelter’s coordinates by pressing the “fn” and “f3” keys together so you’ll know which direction to go if you get lost.
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Set up a permanent home base. After you have explored the world a little bit, find a location to set up your permanent base. It should be an area with plenty of resources nearby. This could be near a village, or a large cave system, or in a rich biome such as a forest, jungles, or mountains. Once you find a suitable location, start constructing your permanent shelter. It can be constructed out of any material you want. The stronger the material, the better. It should be large enough to house your bed, several chests, a crafting table, furnace, and any other useful tools you want to use (anvil, brewing station, enchantment table). You may also want to take some time to add some decorations to your permanent home.
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Go mining. Mining is how you find some of the most valuable resources in Minecraft. This includes iron ore, redstone, gold ore, emerald, diamond, and more. The easiest way to mine is to find a cave and explore it. You can also dig your own mine with a shovel. Bring a stone or an iron pickaxe (preferably iron). Use the pickaxe to mine minerals from the stone blocks that have colored spots on them. Different colored spots correspond to different minerals.
- Blocks with black spots contain coal. Blocks with light yellow spots contain iron ore. Blocks with dark yellow spots contain gold ore. Blocks with light blue spots contain diamond. Blocks with green spots contain emerald. Blocks with dark blue spots contain lapis lazuli.
- Be careful. Caves are especially treacherous. They are full of hostile mobs, lava, and deadly drops. Don't bring anything into a cave that you don't need. It's also very easy to get lost in caves. You may even want to place a chest at the cave entrance to store your findings and things you want to keep.
- Bring lots of torches. Placing torches not only helps illuminate your path, but they can also act as breadcrumbs to help you find your way out of the cave. Be sure to collect the torches on your way out.
- Be careful around lava. With the exception of netherite, any items dropped in lava will not be recoverable.
- Obsidian is the hardest material in the game. Obsidian is formed with still lava touches still water. It can often be found in caves It requires a diamond pickaxe to mine.
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Craft armor. Armor is used to provide a little more protection. It can be crafted out of leather (from slaughtering cows), chainmail, iron, gold, or diamond using a crafting table. Armor consists of four pieces: a helmet, chest piece, pants, and shoes. Craft each piece individually and equip them in the inventory.
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Build farms. One way to create a continuous supply of resources is to build farms. Gardens can be used to plant and grow crops. This provides you with an endless supply of wheat, carrots, potatoes, beetroot, pumpkins, melons, and more. You can also farm animals in Minecraft. Use fences to keep them enclosed and feed them to make them want to breed. When you have enough, you can slaughter them for meat or materials.
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Tame animals. There are many animals that you can tame in Minecraft. Horses and mules can be ridden when tamed. Llamas and mules can be used to transport chests. Wolves can be used as hunting partners. Cats can be used to keep creepers away. Use the following steps to tame animals in Minecraft:
- Horses, Mules, Llamas: You can tame horses, mules, and llamas by attempting to mount them repeatedly. When they stop bucking you off and show hearts over their head, they have been tamed. You can craft a lead to walk them. Horses and mules must have a saddle equipped in order to ride them.
- Dogs/Wolves: Collect bones that are dropped when you kill skeleton archers. Give them to wolves to tame them. When hearts appear over their head and it's collar turns red, it has been tamed.
- Cats: Cats hang around villages. Give cats raw fish in order to tame them. When hearts appear over their head, they have been tamed.
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Learn enchantments. Enchantments are a way for you to add bonuses and perks to your tools, weapons, and armor. You first need to craft an enchantment table from diamond, obsidian blocks, and a book. You can then use the enchanting table to make enchanted books. Then you need to craft an anvil out of three iron blocks and four iron bars. Use the anvil to make enchanted tools, weapons, and armor using your enchanted books.
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Explore the Nether. In Minecraft, the Nether is a Hell-like dimension that is full of fire, lava, and many hostile mobs that can't be found in the regular Minecraft overworld. You can also find many minerals and materials that can't be found in the Minecraft overworld. Many of the ingredients needed to make potions can only be found in the Nether. To get to the Nether, you need to build a Nether portal out of obsidian blocks and then light it on fire using flint and steel. Then you can pass through the Nether portal to get the Nether and back again.
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Learn to make potions. Potions can be used to add temporary status effects to you, mobs, or other players. Some effects are positive. Some are negative. Some potions can be consumed. Other potions can be thrown. To make potions, you first need to craft a brewing stand from cobblestone and a Blaze rod (found in the Nether). Then you need to craft a bottle out of glass. Then you can make potions from various ingredients and a glass bottle.
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Beat Minecraft. For the most part, Minecraft is an open-ended game that never really ends. Many people aren't aware that it is actually possible to beat Minecraft. If you've mastered everything else Minecraft has to offer, you can craft an Eye of Ender and use it to find an Ender portal. Once you find one, place an Eye of Ender on each of the pedestals to activate the Ender portal. Pass through the Portal to reach the End. From there, you will need to slay the Ender Dragon to beat Minecraft. This is not an easy task, but if you can beat the Ender Dragon without cheating or switching to Creative mode, you are truly an expert at Minecraft.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Becoming an Expert at Building In Minecraft

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Practice building in Creative Mode. Creative mode gives you an infinite supply of all blocks and resources. You don't have to worry about finding resources and crafting anything. Building a complex structure in Survival mode is an arduous task that takes forever. Use Creative Mode to make things easier.
- You will not be able to earn any achievements or trophies in Creative mode. Achievements and trophies will be disabled on a Survival mode game once it has been switched to Creative mode or cheats are activated. Be sure to keep your Survival mode games and Creative mode games as separate save files.
- When you create a new game in Minecraft, you have the option to make a Flat World under "World Type" in the Game Settings menu. This creates a flat world with no trees, water, hills, mountains, or caves. You may want to consider creating a flat world when building structures. That way you don't have to worry about landscaping before you start building.
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Study other people's builds. One way to get ideas and inspiration for a new Minecraft build is to look at builds that other people have made. Download maps made by other people, as well as look at photos and YouTube videos online. Take note of the color scheme they use, what types of blocks they use and where. Pay attention to how roofs, pillars, and furniture are constructed. See what types of blocks are used to make different shapes and designs. Check out how lighting is used. Build up a collection of reference material for your own builds.
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Make a sketch or model of your build. Before you start making an elaborate Minecraft build, it's a good idea to sketch your ideas on paper or build a model of them. You can use isometric paper to draw a 3D model of your build on paper. You can also use 3D modeling software, such as Google SketchUp, Blender 3D, or TinkerCAD to create a rough model of your structure.
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Decide on a color scheme. Think about what colors you want your structure to have before you start building. It's a good idea to have a few complimentary colors and one contrasting color. For example, you may decide to make the walls a brick-red color with maybe some light shades of red here and there. Then you may want to make the roof an aqua-blue color or emerald green to contrast with the red. ^{[1]
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Use basic blocks to build the bulk shape of your structures. When you first start making a structure, start with basic blocks that have bright colors. Use them to build the basic shape of your structure. Don't worry about adding slabs, stairs, or details just yet. Just build the bulk of the structure using basic blocks to get a feel of the shape and scale. You can add details later.
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Break down larger shapes into smaller shapes. For example, if you are building a mansion, you may start by building a huge rectangle that is the size you want the mansion to be. Then you may want to add a smaller rectangle to the front where you want the entranceway to go. Then you may want to cut out or add another smaller rectangle on both sides where you want window wells to go. Then you may decide you want to create a diagonal shape around the corners of the roof or foundation. Then maybe you'll want to finish by adding some trim around all the edges. Then you can add a separate roof on top of all your rectangle shapes to get a complex roof shape. ^{[2]
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Use a variety of blocks on your builds. Don't just use a single block type such as cobblestone, wooden planks, or brinks for all the walls on your build. Keep the color scheme complimentary, but use a variety of blocks with different textures that contrast with each other. If you are using cobblestone, you may want to use some smooth stone around the doors and windows or in between layers. Use a different color block for the roof and/or trim. Add some depth to your walls too. Don't just make each side a flat surface. Add some trim around the edges or windows. Add arches around doors or window seal below windows.
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Use rows and columns of blocks to get different roof angles. It's easy to create a roof that is at a 45-degree angle by making blocks that staircase up 1 block at a time. You can make shallower angles by making blocks that staircase after rows or two or three. You can also make steeper angles by making blocks that staircase after columns or two or three. You can also use slabs and stair pieces to adjust the angle of a roof.
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Use stairs, slabs, fences, and trap doors in creative ways. You don't have to use stair pieces just to make stairs. For example, you can place upside-down stair pieces to make a countertop or table. A trap door or pressure plate can also be used as a tabletop You can also use trapdoors to make window shutters or the armrests of a chair. You can add slabs to add an overhang below a roof or adjust the angle of a roof. You can use slabs and slabs placed at different angles to create all kinds of unique patterns. You can also stack fence posts to make a pole or create a hanging chandelier. You can make a chair by placing a single stair piece with two trap doors on both sides.
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Learn redstone mechanics. In Minecraft, redstone works as a source of electricity or power. It can be used to make all kinds of mechanical contraptions. You can use redstone to make automatic lights and automatic doors. You can also make an elevator, or a drawbridge. There are all kinds of mechanisms you can make with redstone in Minecraft. People have even used redstone to build a functioning computer inside Minecraft.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I brew potions with a cauldron?

Community Answer

A cauldron is only used for filling up an empty water bottle and for decorations. For brewing, use a brewing stand.
Question

What mobs do I need to watch out for?

Karianna Wood

Community Answer

Some of the most dangerous mobs are: endermen, creepers (charged or not), spider jockeys (rare), skeletons, blazes, wither skeletons, and the bosses (Enderdragon and the Wither).
Question

How do I get a brewing stand?

Gerbillover

Community Answer

Craft it by placing a blaze rod in the middle of your crafting table (obtained by killing blazes in the Nether) and cobblestones across the bottom.