Mine Ores and Stone Efficiently with Hammers

Why Hammers Beat Pickaxes for Mining

Hammers mine a 3×3 area with each swing, meaning you clear nine blocks at once instead of one. This makes them ideal for strip mining, quarrying, and clearing large stone sections. They have the same mining speed as pickaxes but cover vastly more ground.

How to Mine Effectively

1. Position yourself so the block you're targeting is in the center of your swing. The 3×3 area radiates outward from where you're looking.

2. Mine downward or horizontally through stone, ore, or dirt. Each swing clears a 3×3 section, so you'll break through layers quickly.

3. Watch your durability—hammers are more durable than pickaxes, but the 3×3 mining still consumes durability faster than single-block mining. Plan for repair or crafting a backup hammer.

4. Use for quarrying: Create a 3-wide tunnel and swing downward repeatedly. You'll clear massive volumes of stone in minutes.

Pro Tip

When mining ore veins, position yourself so the ore is at the center of your 3×3 swing to maximize ore collection and minimize wasted swings on surrounding stone.