Borin can do the tedious digging for you. He can tunnel in straight lines or clear out a designated underground area while you focus on the ores.
Setting Up a Strip Mine
1. Go to the depth where you want to strip mine and stand where the tunnel should start.
2. Open Borin's custom menu and assign him the straight-line mining task.
3. Borin mines forward in a straight path. Walk behind him and check the tunnel walls for exposed ores.
4. For a classic branch mine, run several parallel tunnels and leave a gap of solid stone between them.
Clearing a Designated Area
Borin can also dig out a designated underground area on command. This is useful for:
- Carving out an underground base or storage room
- Opening up space for a farm or a nether portal
- Clearing stone around an ore-rich spot
Pick the task from his menu and let him work. Stay close so he can hand you what he collects.
Let Him Light the Way
Borin places torches around dark paths as he goes. Freshly dug tunnels stay bright, which cuts down on hostile mobs spawning behind you. It also makes the way back to the surface easy to follow.
Keep your own torches as a backup for side passages he hasn't reached yet.