Minecraft just got so much bigger with the first part of Caves & Cliffs. Copper is just one of the new blocks you can find, alongside new mobs and new cave types.
Here's everything you should know.
Latest - Part One is Finally Out
After months of teasing, part one of Caves & Cliffs is finallly here.
You can download it yourself and get playing right now
Where to find copper
As with most ores, copper will be found underground across all biomes, and drops when the block is broken.
The ore will spawn in new large ore veins, and so will be abundant once discovered.
Once smelted, the copper can be used to craft two new items!
New items
The addition of copper to Minecraft allows Mojang to put more craftable items in the game.
For copper, this includes both Lightning Rods and Telescopes, both of which are made exclusively of the new material.
How to Build the Lightning Rod
Lightning rods are incredibly easy to build. Just find some copper in a cave, smelt it in a furnace, and put three on top of each other. This will make the rod.
You can use this to divert lightning or the effects of a trident with channeling. It disperses that electricity and emits a Redstone signal in response. This means you can use it to make devices when storms happen.
Aging
As another cool new feature for the Caves and Cliffs Update, Copper ages over time. This can happen on each copper-made block.
This aging period manifests itself in a blue-green patina which takes over the block over a course of 16 days.
READ MORE: Minecraft: How to Make Smooth Stone
Additionally, weather such as rain can speed up this process, an exciting element of realism.