Minecraft Branch Mining Guide (Advanced)

At some point in Minecraft, mining deep underground to collect resources becomes a necessity. Mining in random directions, sometimes called drifting or spelunking, is not very effective. Strip mining makes sure nothing gets missed by leaving absolutely no block unearthed, but it's not very efficient because it takes a lot of time and resources. Branch mining, however, is a faster and more efficient way of discovering hidden resources clumped together in underground veins without wasting time breaking blocks that probably aren't hiding anything important.

Steps

1. Dig a staircase down to the level where you want to begin your mine. Whether or not you want to use actual steps is up to you, but ideally you will dig forward one block for every block you dig down so you create a natural staircase. To get the best resources, dig all the way down to the bedrock and begin your mine 7-10 blocks above that.
2. Dig out a central room to serve as the mine's starting point on this level. This doesn't have to be big, but it should be big enough that you can use it as a central point to orient yourself and find your way out of the mine. It's also a good place to drop a workbench, oven or chest so you don't have to surface whenever you need to forge new tools or store resources.
3. Build four long tunnels that branch off from your mine's starting point. These will be the main corridors from which the mine's branches will stem. Twenty blocks is a good starting length, but you can make it as long as you'd like.
4. Starting with your first tunnel, skip four blocks and begin a secondary tunnel in either direction. This will be your first branch and can be as long as you'd like. If you uncover resources you want, feel free to dig them out now or come back to them later.
5. Return to the main tunnel and repeat the process, creating branch tunnels every fifth block for each of the tunnels surrounding the starting point of your mine. If done properly, you should uncover all but the smallest of resource deposits in the areas you are mining.

Tips

The most valuable resources are usually found deep underground. For this reason, it's usually a good idea to begin your branch mining near the bottom of the world -- digging all the way to the bedrock and then beginning the mine two or three blocks above that point.

You never know what is on the other side of a block. At some point, you're going to break through a block to find water or lava pouring in, perhaps even a cave or dungeon with deadly mobs. Always have a defense ready -- a block to plug the hole, a bucket of water to turn the lava to cobblestone or obsidian or a weapon to defend yourself. Also, never dig directly above or beneath you. Many Minecrafters have met their ends by having things fall on them or by plummeting to their deaths in unknown caverns because they didn't follow this simple rule.