Minecraft resource gathering/Iron

Iron can be found at any level in Minecraft and can be mined with stone-tier pickaxes or higher.

Obtaining

Iron ore naturally occurs in ore veins at any level of the Overworld. It drops raw iron (ever since the "Caves and Cliffs" update. Otherwise, it drops Iron Ore), which can be smelted into Iron Ingots; Silk Touch is required to obtain iron ore after the Caves and Cliffs update. Blocks of raw iron can rarely be found in ore veins in deep caverns.

Iron golems drop 3–5 Iron Ingots when killed. Zombies have a very small chance of dropping a single Iron Ingot.

Iron Ingots can be found as chest loot for dungeons, abandoned mineshafts, bastion remnants, buried treasure, desert temples, End cities, jungle temples, Nether fortresses, pillager outposts, shipwrecks, strongholds, village toolsmiths, village armorers, village weaponsmiths, and woodland mansions. Iron Nuggets can be found as chest loot for bastion remnants, ruined portals, shipwrecks, and taiga village houses. Blocks of iron can be found as chest loot for bastion remnants.

Usage

Iron is mainly used to craft tools and armor.