What is the Rarest Thing to Mine in Minecraft?
The question of the rarest thing to mine in Minecraft is a fascinating one, often debated among players. While the game boasts a variety of rare items and resources, the true king of rarity when it comes to mining is undoubtedly Deepslate Emerald Ore. This is not to be confused with standard emerald ore, which is already quite rare itself. Deepslate Emerald Ore takes the rarity to another level. This exceptional ore only generates when emerald ore replaces deepslate or tuff blocks deep underground, far below the surface. Its scarcity, compounded with the already infrequent nature of emerald ore and the conditions in which it spawns, solidifies its position as the rarest mineable resource in Minecraft. It’s significantly rarer than both standard emerald ore and ancient debris, making it a true trophy for any dedicated miner.
Understanding Rarity in Minecraft
Before delving further, it’s crucial to understand how rarity works in Minecraft. Several factors contribute to an ore’s scarcity, including:
- Spawn Biome: Some ores are restricted to specific biomes, limiting their potential locations. Emerald ore, for instance, is exclusively found in mountain biomes.
- Generation Height: The depth at which an ore spawns affects its availability. Certain ores are more common near bedrock, while others are found closer to the surface.
- Vein Size: Ores are generated in “veins,” groups of connected blocks. Some ores, like emerald ore, are known for generating in very small, often single-block veins, drastically reducing their frequency.
- Deepslate Variant: In recent updates, some ores have a deepslate variant. These deepslate versions typically generate at lower y-levels where deepslate is found and often boast a higher hardness, further increasing the challenge of obtaining them.
Considering these factors helps clarify why Deepslate Emerald Ore stands out as the rarest mineable item.
Why Deepslate Emerald Ore Is So Rare
The extreme scarcity of deepslate emerald ore stems from a combination of factors:
- Rarity of Normal Emerald Ore: Emerald ore is already the rarest ore to generate, found only in mountain biomes and usually in veins of one.
- The Deepslate Factor: Deepslate Emerald Ore only spawns when it replaces a deepslate block, and since emerald ore is already rare, the deepslate varient will be incredibly rare. This combination of events only occurs at lower y-levels where deepslate is most prominent.
- Generation Attempts: Minecraft attempts to place ore veins in each chunk. The frequency of these attempts and the size of the veins determine an ore’s rarity. The conditions to generate deepslate emerald ore are incredibly strict, leading to extremely low spawn rates.
Comparing Deepslate Emerald Ore to Other Rare Ores
To fully appreciate the rarity of Deepslate Emerald Ore, let’s compare it to other notably rare ores:
- Emerald Ore: Already rare, found in mountains in small veins, but significantly more common than its deepslate counterpart.
- Ancient Debris: Found only in the Nether, and while rare, spawns more frequently than Deepslate Emerald Ore. Ancient debris is needed to craft netherite, a crucial end-game material, but its rarity doesn’t quite match that of Deepslate Emerald.
- Diamond Ore: Pre-1.18, diamond ore was considered very rare. While it’s still a valuable find, it is much more common than both emerald and deepslate emerald ore.
- Deepslate Copper: Another rare variant but relatively more common than the Deepslate Emerald Ore.
The comparison highlights how Deepslate Emerald Ore is exceptionally rare, even among these rare resources.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about rare items and ores in Minecraft:
1. What is the rarest item overall in Minecraft?
While Deepslate Emerald Ore is the rarest mineable item, the Dragon Egg is often cited as the rarest item overall. You can only obtain one per world by defeating the Ender Dragon for the first time. While you can respawn the Ender Dragon, you will not receive another egg.
2. How do you find Netherite ore in Minecraft?
To find Netherite, you must mine Ancient Debris in the Nether, typically at Y level 8-15. Then, smelt the Ancient Debris into Netherite Scrap, and combine it with gold ingots to create Netherite ingots.
3. What is the hardest block to break in Minecraft?
The hardest blocks to break in Minecraft include Bedrock, End Portal Frames, and Reinforced Deepslate. However, you can’t break bedrock in survival mode, only in creative mode.
4. Is deepslate copper rare?
Deepslate Copper Ore is a rarer variant of copper ore, found at the lower levels where deepslate generates. While rarer than regular copper, it is still more common than deepslate emerald.
5. Do diamonds appear in deepslate?
Yes, Diamonds can be found in deepslate, as Deepslate Diamond Ore. This variant is found at lower y-levels and requires more time to mine due to its higher hardness.
6. How rare is a 3 vein of emerald?
Finding a 3-block vein of emerald ore is rare, as they often spawn in single-block veins. In Java Edition, 50 attempts are made per chunk to place emerald ore, but the conditions for 3 to spawn together are infrequent, and this will not occur with deepslate emeralds. On Bedrock this happens much more frequently due to the different generation methods.
7. What is the rarest mob in Minecraft 2023?
The Blue Axolotl is considered one of the rarest mobs. Although Axolotls spawn in Lush Caves, the Blue variant has a very low chance of naturally spawning.
8. Can you move crying obsidian with pistons?
No, crying obsidian cannot be pushed or pulled by pistons or sticky pistons.
9. Where can you find ancient debris?
Ancient Debris is found in the Nether, mostly at Y-level 15, and is most often found in veins of 1-2.
10. Is Gold a bad ore in Minecraft?
Gold has become more useful, especially after the Nether update. Gold can be used for bartering with Piglins, and is needed to make netherite.
11. How do you hatch a dragon egg in Minecraft?
You cannot “hatch” a dragon egg to get a new Ender Dragon. You can respawn the Ender Dragon by using end crystals on the portal surrounding the egg pedestal, but it will not produce a second egg.
12. How rare is deepslate coal?
Deepslate coal is less common than regular coal because it spawns where deepslate generates, which is below Y=0. It replaces tuff or deepslate, which reduces its frequency.
13. How do you get crying obsidian?
Crying obsidian can only be obtained by bartering with Piglins in the Nether.
14. Is gold ore rare in Minecraft?
Gold Ore is quite rare, though more common in Mesa biomes. It spawns in veins of 4-8 blocks in the lower parts of the map.
15. Is a diamond rarer than an emerald?
While a diamond is rare, emeralds are approximately 20 times rarer. However, the deepslate emerald is by far the most rare.
Conclusion
In the vast and varied world of Minecraft, the pursuit of rare items is a constant motivation for players. While many items hold a place of honor, Deepslate Emerald Ore emerges as the true king of mined resources, owing to its unique combination of rarity factors. This ore’s extreme scarcity makes finding it an accomplishment worth celebrating and a testament to a player’s dedication and exploration. As Minecraft continues to evolve, the hunt for rare resources will undoubtedly remain a captivating part of the gameplay experience.