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If you followed our guide to surviving the first day then you’ll already have taken quite the chunk out of the list. So what next? Well presumably you’ve come here because you’re not sure what to do with yourself, so take our advice: dig.

Well build a sword, and then dig. There’s a very clear logic to the achievements in Minecraft if you need the assured feeling that you’re doing something ‘right’ through the medium of pings and Gamerscore.

Before we go anywhere seek out a Cow if you didn’t meet one on your first day. You’ll want some leather armor to protect yourself underground and this comes from cows. Find some, kill them, and craft some protective gear.

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Cow Tipper

Harvest some leather.

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15

Now get to the digging. If you haven’t yet, make a stone pickaxe (ping) and now head underground to find yourself some iron so you can smelt it.

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Acquire Hardware

Smelt an iron ingot.

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15

While down in the depths feel free to tackle an enemy, there’s a reward for that. The best advice we can give you is to be patient. Try and lure foes into tight spaces such as bottlenecks and fight them on your terms. Don’t see an enemy and go all gladiator on it, he might have friends hiding around the corner.

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Monster Hunter

Attack and destroy a monster.

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20

Similarly, pack a bow and arrows. You might meet a skeleton down there and PC players can seek out an achievement for nailing one of them over distance.

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[PC Only] Sniper Duel

Kill a skeleton or wither skeleton with an arrow from more than 50 meters.

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So you found some Iron, you say? Then a good way to occupy your time while digging down might be to make a minecart track. Make it long enough and there’s a congratulatory graphic.

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On A Rail

Travel by minecart at least 1 km from where you started.

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40

The ultimate aim of this slow dive down is the acquisition of Obsidian. This material is located by having water meet lava, a situation you can force through the use of a bucket. Use the bucket to carry water with you and as soon as you find some lave dump to water nearby so that it flows into it, thus creating Obsidian. Find enough Obsidian and you’ll be able to construct a ‘frame’ that sits five blocks high and four blocks wide, then you’ll want to use a flint and steel to set the thing on fire, this will create a Nether portal…

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The following achievements aren’t available for Xbox players but the challenge and bountiful resources are - tackle the Ender Dragon!

Once you’ve reached the Nether you’re really getting somewhere. You’ve now got access to all the materials and tools you should need to make some formidable gear so the aim is simply to craft the best gear and weapons possible, making considering a spot of enchanting to help further, and then you’ll want to track down a fortress in the overworld. Do so and you’ll hopefully find an Ender Portal inside. Activate the portal if necessary and then enter this to take on Minecraft’s biggest challenge…

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[PC Only] The End?

Locate the End.

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[PC Only] The End.

Defeat the Ender Dragon.

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Of all the achievements this line is the most logical. You could throw some extras into that progression (such as catching and cooking a fish or growing some food – you’ll need it for the arduous underground journeys anyway so it’s worth it) but what you see above is the minimum essential line that we recommend. Most other achievements are standalone but they are worth investigating if only to give you a good grasp of the Minecraft basics, so have a look through the list should you ever find yourself at a loss as to how to occupy yourself.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Microsoft Game Studios
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Wii, Wii U, XB 360, XB One
  • Genre
    Sandbox, Survival
  • Guide Release
    18 May 2013
  • Last Updated
    7 December 2020
  • Guide Author
    James Bowden

Share this free guide:

  • The best way to survive your first night - optimise your time.
  • Key items, valuable techniques and advise on how best to advance through the game.
  • Information on over 150 natural, crafted and smelted items.
  • Construction ideas for novice players, including castles and ‘Hobbit Holes’.
  • More than 45 minutes of helpful, narrated video showcasing survival basics, monument building, trap construction.
  • Explanation of Redstone and its varied application in gadgets such as trapdoors and doorbells.
  • Essential graphical mods to make the PC version of Minecraft look and run better than ever before.

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