Minecraft is a survival sandbox game that lets players explore a world made of blocks while also creating whatever their minds can think of. If playing in creative these players have the freedom to create whatever they wish without worrying about whether they have the blocks needed. However, when playing in survival, these same players will need to search for the blocks they may need to not only build things but also to pull through.

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Although a player could go and explore the world of Minecraft to find plenty of the most needed blocks, many Minecraft veterans have found ways to spawn the block easily by using block generators. This reduces the need to go searching for resources such as cobblestone or charcoal as it can be made directly at a player's base as long as it is set it up correctly.

5 Concrete

Concrete on top of concrete powder blocks in a rainbow of colours in Minecraft

Concrete is commonly used by players in many of their building projects, because the block can be dyed into many colors similar to how players can customize wool blocks. Unlike what can be received from sheep, concrete originally starts as a concrete powder block which has a different appearance to it. This block only becomes fully concrete once it has been put into contact with a water block.

A player may begin to find it tedious to sit there placing down water to turn concrete powder into concrete. Some have found ways of making concrete generators that keep it to a compact design. It will require some knowledge in Redstone, as players will need to know how to use observers and droppers and hoppers, but once this has been mastered a player can create themselves a compact concrete creator.

4 Basalt

A player holding a bucket of lava looking at a Basalt Generator in the Nether in Minecraft

In the Nether update basalt is one of few blocks that has been added to the game. Although it can be used in its usual state, it can also be found as polished basalt as part of ancient cities, as well as transformed into smooth basalt if the resource is put into a furnace. This is similar to placing cobblestone into a furnace to return it back to stone. Surprisingly, basalt can be generated outside of the Nether by players.

All they require is a blue ice block which can be mined from the bottom of an iceberg as long as the pickaxe has Silk Touch, a block of soul sand, and some lava. Players will need to dig down two blocks and place the soul sand at the bottom, place the blue ice on one side of the hole and the lava on the other. When the lava flows over the hole it will become basalt. After that, a player needs to do is to mine the basalt block and the cycle will continue.

3 Water

An Infinete water source in the ground in Minecraft

Although many players may argue that water itself isn't a block, technically everything in Minecraft takes up a block of space and each section of water would therefore be a block of water. Players can make themselves an infinite water source right near their base without ever running out of water. This is very easy to do and can help those players that have decided to set up shop a distance away from any sort of river, lake, or ocean.

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A player will first need a bucket to collect the water from its original source to then transfer it to its new location. Then all that needs to be done is to dig a two-by-two hole in the ground, fill two opposite corners with water, after which the player can collect as much water as they require from any corner. It can also be created using a one-by-three grid, where two ends should be filled with water; however, a player can only collect their water from the middle.

2 Obsidian

A player making a Nether Portal using an Obsidian Generator in Minecraft

Obsidian doesn't have many uses in Minecraft apart from creating a Nether portal and being used to craft enchantment tables. A player will not be required to collect that much of it, especially with how long it can take to mine, even with a diamond pickaxe, which is the only way to mine the block. A Netherite pickaxe can also be used, but a player would need a portal in the first place to collect the resources.

Players can use an obsidian generator to create a Nether Portal hands-free without needing to worry about using a diamond pickaxe. This is done by creating a sort of mold with a scrap block such as dirt which the player will then fill with lava, putting water over the top of this will then transform it to obsidian. Gradually the portal will be built up layer by layer until there is a fully made portal.

1 Cobblestone

A player holding a bucket of water looking down at a Cobblestone Generator in Minecraft

As the first generator many players might build, it is of no surprise that it would be one that creates cobblestone. This simple block may in fact be everywhere underground but recent updates included other sorts of blocks to be found under there as well. Some players may find themselves lacking this very useful resource as it is used for much more than just houses.

A cobblestone generator doesn't require many things to put together. All players will need is a bucket of lava, a bucket of water, and a pickaxe to get it going. There have been many variations of this block generator but the simplest way to create it is by making a five-block trench with a one-block gap. The water should be placed at the end closest to the hole with the lava at the other. When the two elements meet they create cobblestone which the player can then mine.

Minecraft is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, and many other platforms.

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