WithMinecraft1.18’s Caves & Cliffs Part 2 update making suchmassive changes to how worlds generateboth above and below ground, the way in which players found ores was going to need a significant overhaul. In the old system, each ore started generating at a certain depth and then continued generating all the way to the bottom, meaning players could mine at the bottom and find everything.
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The new system changes that. Some ores now won’t generate below a certain depth, meaning players will need to be mining in the proper layers to find some crucial materials. Some ores also have greater probability in specific biomes, so a lot of exploring will be on the menu for players.
8Coal Ore
The most common ore in the game, Coal Ore will be just about everywhere players look when they first start cave diving. With the ability to generate inlevels 320 to 0,those looking for coal will need tostay above the Deepslate layer,looking in regular stone caves or mountainous terrain.
The distribution algorithms for this ore mean there are two levels where coal is the most common,95 and 136.It’s worth noting that both of those layers will likely be above average ground level, meaning mountains are the best place to go looking for coal.
7Copper Ore
The game’s newest ore, added in 1.17, copper is another ore that is relatively easy to find. The total range for copper generation are layers112 to -16.This means players can dip their toes into the Deepslate layers and find a bit of copper, but they’re best sticking a little higher than that.
What’s interesting about copper is that it has amuch greater spawn rate inDripstone Cave biomes,becoming as common as coal in those areas. Whether the player is in a Dripstone Cave or not, the best layer to find copper is48, meaning players won’t need to dive too far below the surface to get hold of them.
6Iron Ore
Old faithful, iron is likely the material players will be using for most of the mid-game. Iron tools and armor are best to get as early as possible, as they will keep the player safe in the time before they can find diamonds. Thankfully, its range is the widest of all ores, generating from320 to -64,which is the entire height of aMinecraftworld.
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It is not distributed evenly throughout that space, though, and surprisingly it favours the tallest mountains. There are two layers where iron is most plentiful, those beinglayers 232 and 15.Going that deep won’t be too much of a challenge for most players, but those lucky enough to have some very tall mountains near their home are in luck.
5Lapis Lazuli Ore
An odd material needed for both dyeing and enchanting, Lapis Lazuli is surprisingly rare. It generates in regular caves and Deepslate caves in equal amounts, generatingfrom layer 64 down to Bedrock.However, it’s relatively rare in those areas.
The algorithm for generating it makes it only slightly more common than gold in most situations. Those looking specifically for it will bebest looking just on the cusp of the Deepslate layer, at -1.That said, players might be better off going a bit higher. While the ore will be slightly less common, Stone can be mined a lot quicker than Deepslate, making it more efficient overall, especially with an efficiency enchantment.
4Redstone Ore
Useful for all kinds ofcrazy contraptions and advanced machines, Redstone is one of the most common ores to find in the deepest depths ofMinecraftworlds. Itstarts generating at layer 16 and keeps going all the way down to Bedrock.
When looking for the most common layers, going as deep as possible is the right thing to do. Redstonegets more common with each layer below -32, so mining around -59will be the way to go. While it is theoretically more common a little deeper, Bedrock starts spawning from level -60 downwards, which makes mining around it much harder.
3Gold Ore
The classic shiny object that everyone wants, gold has a limited number of uses inMinecraft. It is virtually useless when it comes to tools and armor; however, theNether’s Piglinswill happily take it off players hands in exchange for some goodies.
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Under ordinary circumstances, gold generates from layers32 to -64, with the most common layer being -16.However, when ina Badlands biome, the odds of gold drastically increase. In that biome, gold generates fromlevel 256 and goes down to level 32before switching to its standard generation. It’s equally common all the way up, too, somining anywhere in a Badlands biome is the way to go.
2Emerald Ore
Needed for trading with Villagers, Emeralds aren’t often found in ore veins. Getting Emeralds is generally much easier if donevia Villager trading, but this could give players a headstart on that process. This ore is unique, as itonly generates in Mountain biomes, which this update has thankfully made far bigger than they used to be.
In a mountain biome, Emeralds will generate fromlayer 320 (the very top of the world) to -16.Unlike most ores, though, they generate far more the higher in the world players go. While this theoretically makes 320 the best place for them, it is impossible for a mountain to generate that high, makinglayer 236 the best spot to find these green gems.
1Diamond Ore
The beauty that everyone is after,Diamonds are the best possible orethat can be found in the Overworld. Diamonds and the process of finding them have become a key part ofMinecrafticonography, and players will be pleased to know that it has become just a little bit easier with this update.
Perhaps on purpose, Diamond’s generation looks quite similar to Redstone. It starts generating atlayer 16and goes all the way down to Bedrock. It also gets more common the deeper it goes, although it doesn’t become anywhere near as common as Redstone. Thebest layer to look for it is -59to avoid Bedrock getting in the way, although if players are lucky enough to find one of the new massive caves, they will likely find multiple veins of Diamond visible in the walls.
