Pickaxes

A pickaxe is required to obtain any stone, and must be of a suitable material for different minerals.

General

• Bedrock cannot be broken by any means in Survival mode.

Recipe

3 x head material across the top row, and 2 sticks/bamboo vertically below the centre. Head materials below.

Wooden plank Wooden plank Wooden plank

Types

Successive types include the abilities of previous ones but can mine faster.

None

Collects: glow stone, odd rock, bone.

Breaks: netherrack, sandstone, rock/cobble, coal, iron, lapis, redstone, obsidian, topaz, end stone, ender gem.

You can punch your way out of a bad spawn, but you won't get anything useful from it.

Wood (planks)

Collects: rock/cobblestone (as cobblestone), coal, sandstone, coral, end stone.

Mines faster: glow stone, odd rock, bone.

Breaks: netherrack, iron, lapis, redstone, obsidian, topaz, ender gem.

60 uses.

The only pick craftable without prior tools. Fine for rocks, but don't use on some ores or you'll lose them.

Stone (cobblestone)

Collects: netherrack, iron, topaz.

Mines faster: glow stone, odd rock, bone, rock/cobblestone (as cobblestone), coal, sandstone, coral, end stone.

Breaks: lapis lazuli, redstone, diamond, obsidian, ender gem.

130 uses.

Decent, disposable general-purpose pick when you don't need better.

Iron (ingots)

Collects: lapis lazuli, redstone, gold, diamond, ender gem.

Mines faster: glow stone, odd rock, bone, rock/cobblestone (as cobblestone), coal, sandstone, coral, end stone, netherrack, iron, topaz.

Breaks: obsidian.

251 uses.

Collects almost everything it breaks.

Gold (ingots)

33 uses.

Same as Iron. Gold is very weak and better saved for items that need it than wasted on equipment.

Diamond (gems)

Collects: obsidian.

Mines faster: all blocks.

>1500 uses.

Rare, long lasting pickaxes. Collects all blocks it breaks including obsidian.