How to Mine Ores Efficiently Using YUNG's Better Caves Generation

YUNG's Better Caves exposes far more stone surface than vanilla caves, which means more visible ore and more efficient mining if you use the layout instead of fighting it.

Let the caves do the digging

• Explore open caverns first. Their tall walls and floors expose ores that would otherwise be buried, so you spend fewer pickaxes per ore.
• Check the walls at eye level and above, not just the floor. Ore veins often sit in the vertical faces of large caverns.
• Look at the boundaries between cave types. Where a tunnel meets a large cavern, the exposed rock face is often rich.

Mine smart around the layout

• When you find a vein, dig one block past it in each direction. Veins often continue just out of sight behind the exposed face.
• Do not strip-mine blindly through a cave system. Follow the natural tunnels and only branch when a tunnel dead-ends.
• Bring a light source and place it as you mine so you can see ore glints and avoid mobs.

Depth matters

Different ores appear at different elevations. Descend through the cave system toward the deeper lava level for the rarest ores, and mine the walls on the way down rather than rushing past them.

Bring the right kit

Carry spare pickaxes, a water bucket for lava, blocks for bridging, and food. The interconnected caves let you stay underground a long time, so stock for a long trip rather than a short one.