Getting Started with Copper
Copper gear is your first major progression step after stone tools. Begin by mining copper ore in the overworld—it generates at similar levels to iron but is more abundant. Smelt the raw copper in a furnace to get copper ingots.
Crafting and Upgrading
Craft copper tools and armor using the standard crafting recipes with copper ingots. These tools are faster than stone and more durable, making them ideal for mining deeper ores.
To upgrade existing stone tools to copper, use a smithing table with your stone tool and a copper upgrade template. Upgrade templates can be found in villages, mineshafts, and other structures. Place your stone tool in the left slot, the template in the middle slot, and a copper ingot in the right slot.
What's Next
Once you've established copper gear, begin gathering iron ore from deeper levels. Iron remains the next tier of progression, or you can explore the Nether to pursue rose gear as an alternative path using Nether resources.