How copper is going to work in Minecraft caves and cliffs 1.17 update

As Minecraft's 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update approaches, there has been greater anticipation for what is to come. After years of having the same overworld ores to mine, it's exciting to see Minecraft add a fresh new resource for players to collect and experiment with.

In addition to copper, there are some amazing mobs and blocks that players will be able to experiment and play with. This update is truly game-changing, and the reaction by the Minecraft community is evidence to that.

So what information is available on Minecraft's new copper block?

There is minimal information, at the moment, on the functions of copper. Copper can be converted into blocks, slabs, and stairs. It has an industrial look to it and will be a great block for professional and aspiring builders.

Despite not having too many uses at the moment, there is one aspect that Minecraft has added into the material that is unique to it.

Copper that is exposed to the elements will experience weathering over time in each player's Mincecraft world.

According to CaptainSparklez, a veteran Minecraft youtuber, "Every stage takes anywhere between 50 to 82 in-game days of a loaded chunk area to go from one stage to the next."

This accounts for all forms of copper other than waxed copper. So copper blocks, stairs, and slabs that are exposed to rain and other outdoor elements will start to oxidize and turn green after a certain amount of time.

At the moment, there are only 4 stages of oxidization in Minecraft: new, lighlty-weathered, semi-weathered and weathered. The new block changes from lightly-weathered to semi-weathered, until the block gets greener and oxidized to its final state.

This new aging process that is being added into Minecraft will allow long term players and veterans of the game to show off their builds with pride.

For players that wish to observe their creations change over time, there is a new block called 'waxed copper' being added into the game, which retains its reddish hue, regardless of what it is exposed to. It also comes in block, stair, and slab format.

Where can copper be found in Minecraft?

Although, it probably is rarer than iron ore, copper ore seems to spawn at a similar range of Y levels to iron. Once mined, it's ready to be smelted into copper ingots. This is similar to how iron and gold can be smelted into their forms of ingots.

This has caused some speculation regarding copper; will it become a metal that can bridge the gap between iron and diamond, or leather and iron. If this new metal gets turned into armor and weapons, the Minecraft community has questioned why players would want to use it in the first place.

Answers will only be available once the complete update has been released.

What can currently be made out of copper?

The current recipes that are known to involve copper are the latest tools in the game: the lightning rod and the spyglass.

It's anticipated that there will be more that can be formed with copper. However, for now, these are the two objects released and proven to be included in the update.

The lightning rod is a tool used to keep lightning from striking wooden structures and burning them down. Within a 14 block radius, if lightning is to to strike during a thunderstorm, it will strike a lightning rod.

If struck by lightning, the rod will also let out a pulse of a redstone signals. Any savvy redstone user will then be able to build an insane weather-controlled devices.

Even just a simple redstone lamp contraption may be built, incase the player is not at base when the lightning strikes. It's a great way to test if it works, and will be a moment of pride for the player when it functions as it was intended to.

One reddit user even brought up the fact that this block may potentially allow players to create charged creeper farms. This also puts forward the idea of an easily made head farm for collecting mob heads.

The other tool that's confirmed to be added is the spyglass. Finally, Minecraft is adding a way to zoom in without mods. It allows players to view in third-person, in addition to being used for weapons with clear sniping shots. This is something that the Minecraft community has been requesting for some time.

In addition to sniping shots and long-distance combat, this is a great tool when a player is exploring the ocean. It allows the player to zoom in on any faraway landmasses that they might spot.

This is all the information currently available on the copper block that is being added to Minecraft. Ideally, more will be added with the 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update that expected to come out in 2021. Players are incredibly excited to explore this new update, and can't wait to see what it brings for future Minecraft updates.