Tools

Axe

Trees and other wooden objects can be broken with any tool or object, but Axes carve through these blocks faster than anything. Use Wooden Axes early in the game, but upgrade to Stone as soon as you can. Iron Axes are never required, but they’re quick to get the job done, and they look nice too.

In a pinch, Axes are decent weapons. They lose more durability when they’re used to kill monsters, but if you don’t have a Sword, these tools offer your best form of defense.

Recipe

Bucket

Craft a Bucket or two and keep them in your inventory. Use them to carry water over to farming projects or down into the depths. Use that water to irrigate Farmland, to put out Lava and turn it into Obsidian, or to create traps and waterways that carry creatures or goods from one area to another.

Two Buckets are better than one, because two Water blocks can form an infinite water source. Carve out three blocks in the floor to make a trench, and use both Buckets to fill each end of the trench. Now you can gather water from the middle of the trench without needing additional Water blocks. This is quite useful underground or in other dry areas.

If you have a Cow, use a Bucket on it to gather Milk. Milk can remove effects from your character, such as Poison!

Recipe

Clock

Clocks show you the position of either the sun or moon, regardless of where you’re standing in the Overworld. This is wonderful if you’re worried about getting caught outside in the evening, or if you’re underground and still want to stick to a schedule.

Recipe

Compass

A Compass is a basic tool you carry around to help you avoid getting lost. It shows the direction you’re facing, as long as you stay in the Overworld—Compasses do not work in the Nether or the End.

Recipe

Empty Map

You can use Empty Maps to create a picture of the world around your character. You can see things near the area where you first use the Map. It’s smart to center these on your starting region. However, Maps don’t show you very much territory at first. To increase their scope, you need to zoom out, and this involves additional crafting. Use more Paper and your existing Map to see a wider area. You can do this up to four times to get maximum coverage.

If you ever need to copy your Map, use your existing one and a new Empty Map. This creates a clone of your old Map to use as a backup. Or you can give these to other players as a way of sharing knowledge.

Fire Charge

Fire Charges are single-use items, so they provide a very costly way to start fires. However, they’re often crafted as a precursor to Firework Stars (very fun), or to create dangerous traps. Use Fire Charges and a Dispenser as a way to deal damage to enemies that trigger your trap. This is especially powerful when you fill the target area with flammable objects!

Recipe

Fishing Rod

Fishing Rods are crafted from simple items. Break Wood into Sticks and kill Spiders to get a couple pieces of String early in the game. Once crafted, your Fishing Rod is a decent source of food and occasional treasure.

• Possible Fish: Fish, Salmon, Clownfish, Pufferfish (don’t eat these)
• Treasure: Bow, Enchanted Book, Fishing Rod, Lily Pad, Name Tag, Saddle

Recipe

Flint and Steel

Flint and Steel is a tool for starting fires without much mess or inconvenience. Carry one of these in your inventory, especially if you’re killing livestock for food. Set animals on fire to immediately cook their meat; it’s a nice time-saver. Or bring Flint and Steel into the Nether so you can relight Nether Portals to return to your home.

Avoid the temptation to set forests on fire. Once started, there’s a chance that it can get out of control!

Recipe

Hoe

You don’t use Hoes too frequently, so you only need them on your hotbar if you’re farming. Use Hoes on Dirt or Grass blocks to turn either of them into Farmland. Farmland is used for planting Seeds, to grow Wheat and other edible crops. Make sure your Farmland has access to water within four blocks to keep it irrigated.

Recipe

Pickaxe

Pickaxes are possibly the most important tool in Minecraft. With these, you can break Stone, Cobblestone, Netherrack, important ores and metals, and so forth. You use these tools constantly when you mine, so they always deserve a place on your hotbar.

You need a certain quality of Pickaxe to mine certain materials. Wood is useful only to harvest your first few pieces of Stone. Stone Pickaxes are faster and stronger, but can’t mine better materials, such as Diamond, Redstone, etc. Switch to Iron Pickaxes for most tasks once you’re established, and don’t look back. Diamond is required only for working on Obsidian blocks.

Recipe

Shears

Shears are a tool that doesn’t get constant use, but they’re still nice to have in your inventory. This is especially true if you wander the Overworld’s surface. Shears safely collect Wool from Sheep, Red Mushrooms from Mooshrooms, String or cobwebs in mine tunnels, and they can hack through leaves like nobody’s business.

Recipe

Shovel

Shovels are essential tools that you craft early in the game and never stop creating. A Shovel is the best tool for loose blocks, including Gravel, Dirt, and Sand. Using Axes or Pickaxes for the same tasks damages those tools compared to using them for their normal functions, and it takes much longer.

For this reason, it’s smart to keep a Pickaxe, Shovel, and Axe on your hotbar at the same time. Switch between them so you always use the correct tool for the job.

Recipe