What Can Break Deepslate in Minecraft? A Comprehensive Guide

Deepslate, the dense, dark stone found deep beneath the Overworld, has become a staple for Minecraft players. Its increased hardness compared to regular stone adds a layer of challenge when mining. So, what exactly can break deepslate? The short answer is: a pickaxe. More specifically, you’ll need a pickaxe to effectively break deepslate. Any type of pickaxe will work on cobbled deepslate. However, using anything else will cause it to simply drop nothing. Let’s dive into a more detailed explanation and cover everything you need to know about breaking deepslate!

Deepslate’s Properties and Mining Mechanics

Understanding Deepslate and Cobbled Deepslate

First, it’s crucial to distinguish between deepslate and cobbled deepslate. Deepslate is the raw form of the block found underground. When mined with a pickaxe that doesn’t have the Silk Touch enchantment, it drops cobbled deepslate. Mining deepslate with a Silk Touch pickaxe, on the other hand, allows you to obtain the deepslate block itself. Cobbled deepslate can be mined with any pickaxe.

Tool Requirements

The key factor in successfully breaking deepslate is the tool you use. Only pickaxes are effective. Using any other tool – shovel, axe, hoe, or even your bare hands – will result in the block not dropping anything.

Breaking Time

Deepslate takes longer to break than regular stone. An iron pickaxe, for instance, takes approximately 50% longer to mine deepslate than regular stone. Enchantments such as Efficiency can significantly reduce this mining time. The specific time will also depend on the material of the pickaxe being used, with netherite pickaxes being the fastest.

Utilizing TNT and Other Methods

While a pickaxe is the only tool that will effectively give you blocks from the material, there are other tools that can break the block and still allow you to obtain materials through the pickaxe.

The Role of TNT

While not as efficient for targeted mining as a pickaxe, TNT can be used to break deepslate in bulk. Although deepslate has the same blast resistance as stone, the relatively cheap craft for TNT can be a viable option for obtaining large quantities of cobbled deepslate. The article excerpt indicated that roughly 32 cobbled deepslate can be obtained from a single TNT block.

The Wither and Other Entities

It’s important to note that the Wither cannot destroy deepslate. This makes deepslate a good building material in areas where Wither attacks might be a concern. Similarly, the Ender Dragon cannot break deepslate either. However, other entities like ghasts can destroy deepslate, so keep this in mind when building in the Nether.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Deepslate

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the details about deepslate in Minecraft.

1. Can I break deepslate with my bare hands? No, you cannot. You must use a pickaxe to obtain either deepslate (with Silk Touch) or cobbled deepslate.

2. What is the fastest way to break deepslate? The fastest way is using a netherite pickaxe with Efficiency V, Haste II (from a beacon), and preferably Fortune III if you’re mining ores embedded in the deepslate. If you’re just mining deepslate, skip Fortune III.

3. Can creepers destroy deepslate? No, deepslate is creeper-proof. This makes it a good option for building bases that can withstand creeper explosions.

4. Is deepslate explosion-proof? Deepslate is not entirely explosion-proof, but it has a blast resistance of 6. This means it can resist smaller explosions like ghast fireballs.

5. Can I find diamonds in deepslate? Yes! In versions 1.18 and later, you can find diamonds embedded in deepslate blocks below Y=0.

6. Does Fortune enchantment work on deepslate? The Fortune enchantment only affects the number of ores dropped (like diamonds, coal, etc.) when mining deepslate ore. It does not increase the amount of cobbled deepslate you get.

7. How does Silk Touch affect deepslate mining? Using a pickaxe with Silk Touch on deepslate will give you the deepslate block itself, instead of cobbled deepslate.

8. Can ghasts break cobbled deepslate? No, cobbled deepslate is ghast-proof.

9. Is deepslate harder to break than obsidian? While reinforced deepslate has a higher hardness than obsidian, regular deepslate is not harder to break than obsidian. It is harder than stone.

10. What are the different types of deepslate blocks? Aside from deepslate and cobbled deepslate, there are also variants like deepslate bricks, deepslate tiles, and their corresponding slabs, stairs, and walls.

11. Can the Wither destroy reinforced deepslate? No, the Wither cannot destroy reinforced deepslate.

12. What is reinforced deepslate? Reinforced deepslate is a very strong, blast-resistant block primarily found in Ancient Cities. It is not obtainable in Survival mode.

13. What is the blast resistance of deepslate? The blast resistance of regular deepslate is 6.

14. Why is deepslate harder to mine than stone? Deepslate has a higher hardness value than stone, meaning it simply takes more time and effort to break.

15. What can I craft with cobbled deepslate? You can craft various building blocks with cobbled deepslate, including slabs, stairs, and walls. You can also smelt it into regular deepslate.

Conclusion: Mastering Deepslate Mining

Deepslate, with its unique properties and the requirement of a pickaxe for mining, adds depth to Minecraft’s resource gathering. Understanding how to effectively mine it, whether with a Silk Touch pickaxe for obtaining deepslate directly, or a regular pickaxe for cobbled deepslate, is essential for any player venturing into the deeper parts of the world. While TNT can be used for bulk harvesting, a pickaxe remains the fundamental tool for breaking deepslate. Remember to consider enchantments like Efficiency and Haste to optimize your mining operations! Understanding game mechanics, such as those surrounding deepslate, is part of game-based learning. You can find out more about the benefits of this through the Games Learning Society website.