Iron Ore
Iron ore is the second-tier crafting material in Minecraft and the workhorse of mid-game progression.
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Description
It generates between Y=-64 and Y=320 in the Overworld, with peak density around Y=15 and a smaller secondary peak in mountain biomes above Y=80. A stone pickaxe or better is required to mine it; wooden tools yield nothing. Mining iron ore drops raw iron, which must be smelted in a furnace or blast furnace to produce iron ingots. Iron is required for buckets, anvils, hoppers, minecart rails, shears, flint and steel, iron pickaxes/swords/armour, and dozens of other recipes.
