Can I Mine Obsidian with a Gold Pickaxe? A Comprehensive Guide
The short and direct answer is: yes, you can mine obsidian with a gold pickaxe, but it’s incredibly inefficient and impractical. While a gold pickaxe possesses the speed to break many blocks quickly, its lack of sufficient pickaxe power means it won’t actually drop the obsidian. You’ll end up destroying the obsidian block without obtaining the resource itself. This distinction is crucial to understand if you’re planning any serious obsidian gathering in Minecraft. Let’s delve into the details and explore the complexities of obsidian mining with various tools.
Understanding Pickaxe Power and Obsidian Mining
The Mechanics of Mining
In Minecraft, each block has a specific hardness level, and each pickaxe material has a “pickaxe power.” To successfully mine a block and receive its drop, your pickaxe power must meet or exceed the block’s hardness. Obsidian has a high hardness rating, requiring a pickaxe with a minimum of 55% pickaxe power to be mined properly.
The Gold Pickaxe: Fast but Feeble
The gold pickaxe is famed for its fastest mining speed among all pickaxes. However, it’s also known for having very low durability and most importantly, insufficient pickaxe power for obsidian. This means that while a gold pickaxe can quickly break through blocks like stone and even netherrack, it simply won’t yield obsidian when used on that block. You’ll just end up wasting precious durability on destroying obsidian, without getting any actual obsidian in return.
Alternatives for Obsidian Mining
Since a gold pickaxe is a poor choice, let’s look at the proper ways to gather obsidian effectively.
The Necessary Tools
The most reliable tools for mining obsidian are:
- Diamond Pickaxe: This is the most common pickaxe used for obsidian mining, as it meets the required power threshold and has reasonable durability.
- Netherite Pickaxe: This is the superior option, being slightly more durable and efficient than diamond, but it’s much more challenging to obtain.
Other Methods (Not Pickaxes)
While pickaxes are the standard, there are alternative ways, albeit unconventional, to obtain obsidian:
- Hand Mining: You can technically “mine” obsidian with any item in your hand, including your bare hands. However, this process is excruciatingly slow, taking close to 5 minutes for a single block.
- Wither Destruction: A wither can break obsidian blocks. Sometimes the blocks drop when destroyed by a wither, but this isn’t always guaranteed.
- Commands: If you’re playing in a world where you can use commands, you can use
/setblockor/fillto spawn in obsidian.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To address the common questions about mining obsidian and the gold pickaxe’s role, here are 15 frequently asked questions:
1. Can I mine obsidian without a diamond pickaxe?
Yes, you can technically mine obsidian without a diamond pickaxe, but it’s extremely inefficient. Mining by hand takes an absurd amount of time. Other tools below diamond power destroy the obsidian block without yielding a drop.
2. What is the fastest way to mine obsidian?
The fastest pickaxe for mining obsidian is the Netherite pickaxe. While the mining speed is the same as a diamond pickaxe, the netherite is slightly more durable.
3. What blocks can I mine with a gold pickaxe?
The gold pickaxe is effective for mining stone-related blocks such as stone, cobblestone, and andesite. However, it can only mine coal ore and nether quartz ore. It cannot mine any higher tier of ore and, as established, it cannot effectively mine obsidian.
4. Is a gold pickaxe worth it in Minecraft?
Generally, the gold pickaxe is not worth it due to its very low durability. While it offers fast mining speed on specific blocks, its minimal durability makes it far less practical than other options like stone or iron.
5. What is the best pickaxe for mining obsidian?
The best pickaxe for mining obsidian is the netherite pickaxe due to its efficiency and durability over diamond pickaxes.
6. Can a gold pickaxe mine diamonds?
No, a gold pickaxe cannot mine diamonds. You need at least an iron pickaxe to obtain diamonds from diamond ore.
7. What happens if I try to mine obsidian with an iron pickaxe?
If you try to mine obsidian with an iron pickaxe, the block will break but nothing will drop. You’ll get nothing from the block, wasting time and durability.
8. How much obsidian do I need for a Nether Portal?
You need a minimum of 10 obsidian blocks to create a nether portal, but getting 14 makes the build slightly easier by allowing you to place the portal completely from the ground without the need for extra scaffolding.
9. Can I break crying obsidian with a diamond pickaxe?
Yes, crying obsidian can be harvested only with a diamond or netherite pickaxe.
10. Is gold better than netherite in any way?
While gold is more abundant and useful for trading, it’s not better than netherite for tools or armor. Gold is also faster at strip mining without a beacon. Netherite tools have increased durability and are more effective for combat and for mining obsidian. Gold is important for crafting golden apples and golden carrots, which are key items in the late game.
11. Is a golden axe faster than diamond?
Yes, a golden axe is faster at chopping wood than a diamond axe, but it has far less durability. Diamond axes are still generally the better option for practical use.
12. Are netherite pickaxes worth the effort?
Netherite pickaxes provide better durability over diamond, and are the best way to mine obsidian. While slightly more difficult to obtain, it’s recommended to make netherite tools.
13. Can you make an ender chest with crying obsidian?
No, you cannot make a regular ender chest with crying obsidian. Though a Crying Ender Chest has been suggested as a fan-made idea.
14. Can you make a Nether Portal with crying obsidian?
No, crying obsidian cannot be used to make a Nether Portal. Nether portals are created exclusively with regular obsidian.
15. What is the best way to collect obsidian quickly?
The fastest and most practical way to gather obsidian is by finding a lava pool, pouring water onto it to create obsidian, and mining it with a diamond or netherite pickaxe. Another method is using withers to destroy blocks, but the drops are not guaranteed.
Conclusion
While a gold pickaxe can technically interact with obsidian, it’s not a practical or efficient tool for mining it. A gold pickaxe is not powerful enough to harvest obsidian. If you’re serious about obtaining obsidian, you’ll need to invest in a diamond or netherite pickaxe. Remember to plan for your material needs, consider alternative mining methods if needed, and avoid the futile effort of trying to harvest obsidian with gold tools. By understanding the mechanics of pickaxe power and block hardness, you can effectively gather the resources you need in Minecraft.