Tips for Caving?

[Moldiworp2]

I've been having trouble getting past the iron > diamond hump because of the sheer dangers of caving. I tend to only mine at night when spawns are lowest, with a mix of wool/leather armor. Has anyone got any tips on mitigating cave dangers or superior ways of mining? I tend to HC spawn more at this point than anything else I've encountered yet.

[Gunnerman21]

Torches. And block off any dead ends you've already explored with a wall of dirt and maybe a sign saying what it was, also removing the torches from that area as well to save them and make decoy spawn areas.

[FlowerChild]

Yup, light up absolutely everything as you explore, and take the time to mine coal to keep up with that. Block off any side passages you come across until you are ready to explore them.

You basically want to make sure that mobs can only come at your from one direction at any given time, and stay constantly aware of what's going on in that direction.

When I find ore I want to mine, I also usually explore a distance in that direction, lighting it up, before coming back and mining the resource so that I don't wind up ambushed while staring at a wall.

And last but not least, I usually don't go caving until I have a full set of mixed wool and leather armor, and I don't descend to the bottom strata until I have an iron sword.

The more trouble you have at the bottom layer, the more I would suggest preparing for it beforehand with more iron equipment. Taking the time to mine iron for a sword, shears, armor, etc. will keep you safer and likely save you time if you'd respawn otherwise.

Effectively, you set the difficulty level of the bottom strata based on how much time you spend preparing for it. Given enough time, you can pretty much tank it if you so choose.

[ExpHP]

Look up. Everywhere you walk, look up. Sometimes there will be openings above you where you least expect it, and you'll want to explore them or block them off. I hold that there is little that presents more hidden danger in Minecraft than a dark area above you.

In a similar respect, ravines are bad news. The only time I ever explore an underground ravine is when I enter it from near the top, and I try to aim to light up each layer of "shelves" before moving down to the next... though this can be resource-heavy.


Another unrelated tip: At all times when it is possible, have an escape route already in mind. For instance, when I enter a passage I previously walled off, I typically only break one block of the barrier to enter; this is because I may need to run back out and seal it if there's a creeper around the bend.

[Crazylemon64]

Another unrelated tip: At all times when it is possible, have an escape route already in mind. For instance, when I enter a passage I previously walled off, I typically only break one block of the barrier to enter; this is because I may need to run back out and seal it if there's a creeper around the bend.

Of note, I recently lost a promising run that had just acquired an iron pickaxe to not having a support wall next to my ladder, and I was unable to climb the ladder to escape a zombie and the skeleton that was damage-boosting it. So make sure you can use your escape path in a time of panic.

[Sandrew]

My strategy involves not mining anything while caving except on the return trip. My focus is entirely on blocking off branches and exploring each one of them in sequence (always starting with the left most branch at splits). Whenever I hit a dead-end I mine all resources until I hit what is at that moment the main branch. This guarantees that on the return trip I have a safe work area and can gather my resources without worrying too much about mobs. And as ExpHP said, look up man. Especially at the lower strata, branches in the ceiling are the most lethal thing around.

[-J-]

I've learned that the best way to explore caves (for me at least) is to take it slow. It's also good to keep a good supply of dirt at all times in case there's a fork in the road. However, yesterday I learned that whenever there's a say 3 or 4 way fork in the road and you've got no blocks to spare, it might be a good idea to lure whatever might be waiting behind the corner in to the light. If there are some hostile beings in the vicinity they should come after you after which the dark areas should be quite a bit safer until you can torch the place up.

[Moldiworp2]

Yeah I think I just need to block off things more. That and look up more, I always seem to miss those damn roof caves. Think I'll go on a hunting trip to get more armor before the next delving. Thanks for the tips guys!

[EtherealWrath]

Try to avoid direct confrontation- if you must fight then use the terrain to your advantage.

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-Hide from a skeleton to lure it closer instead of getting shot closing the gap yourself.
-Duck and cover. Out in the open is a bad place to be- hug the walls. Shelter yourself; 2 or 4 blocks gives them something to walk around and blocks projectiles.
See something coming? Set up and ambush it- ideally a few blocks set so you can poke something through without getting hit back.
-Segregate groups and take them out one at a time.

Theres no shame in turning back if it gets too dangerous.

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They seem to get bored and wander off if theres nothing to hunt- giving you a clear shot later on

Just don't get lost down there- work out a system for navigating underground.

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-Personally I place torches on the left- I know if torches are on my right I'll find shelters/exits.

[magikeh]

I have a terrible sense of direction most especially when caving in an abandoned mineshaft. So when the time comes that you are ready to return to the surface and find yourself completely lost, dig a 4x4 shaft straight up and make some stairs. This way you can 1) continue where you left off and 2) Its a lot easier to navigate the above land than the caves below.

[eternal8phoenix]

I have a terrible sense of direction most especially when caving in an abandoned mineshaft. So when the time comes that you are ready to return to the surface and find yourself completely lost, dig a 4x4 shaft straight up and make some stairs. This way you can 1) continue where you left off and 2) Its a lot easier to navigate the above land than the caves below.

Of course this only works until the point where you tunnel up into an ocean :P

[Niyu]

Don't forget to look at the ceiling. Sometimes there are branches you won't see unless you look up.

[magikeh]

Of course this only works until the point where you tunnel up into an ocean :P

:D Then use some wood from the mineshafts to make signs to put at the top of the stairs. :P Because if you hit an ocean, you've got to allow the hatsies to have some caving fun too ;)

[Keys]

All of the posters have good advice. Another thing to consider is bringing a chest or two with you. If you get to a point where you get lucky finding iron, redstone, coal, diamonds, and still have the urge to keep mining, you can head back to a "safe" part of your mine, put down a chest and put your hard earned gains there until its time to go back to the surface. If you die, you still have your stored goods. You always have a chance that you can get back to your lost gear before they despawn, but there are no guarantees.

Wooden signs at mineshaft intersections telling you how to get out is a must. last night, I got enough diamond for a pick in order to get obsidian. Armed with my new diamond pick, i knew roughly where ther was a large quantity of it was where I had removed the lava. I got 16 blocks of obsidian, and started for the exit. Problem was, I had done more exploration after the find, and had not placed signs in that area, It was in cave spider, and unexplored territory. To top it off, there was a hidden hole in the ceiling. The creeper blew out my exit, thus disorienting my whereabouts. It was harrowing, but after a good ten minutes of searching, I found my way back to one of my signs which led me out.

If iron is scarce near your base, and it took a long time to get your iron pick, Leave it back at base, explore and light up the cave, mineshaft to secure a large portion of it, and then return with the pick and get the discovered ore safely. Nothing is worse than losing it before you have a chance to benefit from it.

[MaxAstro]

This took me a while to figure out: Shears are a godsend. Take the time to train your reflexes: If you see anything but a creeper, switch to your sword or bow. If you see a creeper, switch to your shears. It is immensely safer than any other way of dealing with them.

Shears can also save your life if you get webbed by a spider when there's more than one mob around.

[SpaceGuyR]

Get a shovel to search in areas you've already made safe instead of digging deeper. An iron shovel can usually pay for itself if you find more than one deposit.

[Dorugami]

Listen very very very carefully at all times

[SterlingRed]

I personally deviate somewhat from the light up everything first approach that many are mentioning. I don't get much time to play btw, so I try to make the most of my time mining by doing it as quickly as possible without a lot of back and forth lighting up and blocking off sections before I mine.
Here's how it works.

I enter a cave (leather armor, shears, iron sword) and light it up maybe a torch or two ahead of an ore or coal deposit and go back and mine that as quickly as possible. Then I continue on my way. Every fork I encounter I always move up and to the right. If it dead ends, I back track to the last intersection, block off the dead end, and take the next cave branch that is to the right. If the branch loops back on an explored section, I block the branch off from the explored area as if it was a dead end and turn around to the last intersection and continue. This prevents me from getting lost in a loop of explored area. Overall the idea is to always move as quickly as possible and don't pause in open unexplored areas. Always get into the next branch and move forward. This does mean that it is possible to get mobs behind and ahead of you. But except for mining ores, you should always be moving. Never stand still or stay in one area for a long period of time. Doing this means you can stay ahead of mobs that come from behind and you can minimize the amount of time mobs have to build up in unexplored areas. When I'm out of space, tools, food, or whatever, I simply follow my torches back. It's always a single path because I've blocked off all the explored branches. I can return to wherever I left off in the same way since there is only one accessible lit route. Note that before having iron tools and shears, more caution is required as this method leads to a fair number of close calls. But overall I've found it to be quite effective and efficient if you're paying attention and respond quickly to mobs.

[icynewyear]

I recommend reckless abandon and exploring abandoned mineshafts with a minimal of equipment. This never ends badly.

[EtherealWrath]

I recommend reckless abandon and exploring abandoned mineshafts with a minimal of equipment. This never ends badly.

I second that- being overly cautious has killed me on several occasions.

[Anavros]

This should be obvious, but don't peek over high ledges without watching your back. This is a bad habit for me and has resulted in many facepalm-inducing deaths.

[FlowerChild]

I recommend reckless abandon and exploring abandoned mineshafts with a minimal of equipment. This never ends badly.

Nor does running into a nearby jungle in the early game to loot a temple :)

[Crazylemon64]

I recommend reckless abandon and exploring abandoned mineshafts with a minimal of equipment. This never ends badly.

Nor does running into a nearby jungle in the early game to loot a temple :)

Oh, definitely! Also, if you ever get the chance, loot every witch hut you see when you immediately see it. That's one of the best strategies for success.

[Moldiworp2]

I recommend reckless abandon and exploring abandoned mineshafts with a minimal of equipment. This never ends badly.

Reckless abandon was my previous 'tactic', lighting up fast and hard. Usually too fast and too hard because I kept getting rogered :/

[finite8]

I recommend reckless abandon and exploring abandoned mineshafts with a minimal of equipment. This never ends badly.

Nor does running into a nearby jungle in the early game to loot a temple :)

Yes well, i discovered the problems with this on my third attempt i believe. Trying to fight off a spider with your bare hands is somewhat tricky.