Ores

This page describes and shows all the ores that are found in Middle-earth.

Coal Ore
Coal ore is a mineral block that drops coal when mined. The coal ore block itself (rather than coal) can be obtained by mining it with a pickaxe with the Silk Touch enchantment.

Coal ore naturally generates in veins between stone blocks, much like other ores. Coal may be found at almost any elevation, from cliff faces, through underground caves and sea bottoms, down to bedrock. On average, there are about 142.6 coal ores per chunk. It is the only ore to appear well above sea level; coal ore comprises about 1% of all stone, regardless of altitude making it the easiest ore to find.

Coal veins can vary greatly in size — mountaintop deposits are usually five blocks at most, but underground ones are generally at least ten blocks, and can range up to 64. Coal ore drops 1 piece of coal and 0 to 2 experience when mined with any pickaxe. Mining with a Fortune enchanted pickaxe will increase yields.

Copper Ore
Copper ore is an ore found commonly throughout Middle-earth. It can be smelted into copper ingots, which can be combined with tin to make bronze. It can be found up to layer 64 and is about half as common as iron. A pickaxe of at least stone or equivalent strength is required to mine this ore. Copper ore will likely come in a vein of 4-10 ores, but this can fluctuate depending on its surrounding environment. It will drop copper ore when mined, making it so that, like iron, it must be smelted to get the raw ingot in a type of alloy forge or furnace.

Gold Ore
Gold ore is a mineral block found underground. Gold ore will drop as an item if mined by a pickaxe of at least iron strength, but if it is mined with anything else, it will drop nothing but particle effects.

Gold ore generates in veins of 4-8 blocks (sometimes up to 16 if two veins happen to spawn together, and as few as 1 if the block that was supposed to be gold ore is occupied by a generated structure). It only appears in the bottom 32 layers of the world. From levels 2-29, the occurrence of gold ore is at 0.1437% (about five times as rare as iron). On average, there are 8.2 blocks of gold ore per chunk.

Glowstone Ore
Glowstone ore is an ore found only in the Dwarven biomes, where it is slightly uncommon. Glowstone ore can only be found in the biomes where Dwarves spawn (Iron Hills, Blue Mountains). and Red Mountains. In those biomes it spawns on Level 32 and lower.

When mined, it drops glowstone dust, which explains the prevalence of glowing bricks in Dwarven structures. A pickaxe of at least stone or equivalent strength is required to mine this ore. This is currently one of many ways to gather glowstone, the others being from Witches, Witch huts, the Nether, Dwarven travelling traders, Dwarf Miners, and Underwater Elven Ruins.

Gulduril Ore
Gulduril ore spawns only in Mordor, Dol Guldur, and Angmar. It is about as rare as gold. It gives off a sickly green light, like the walls of Minas Morgul in Peter Jackson's film adaptations, and drops Gulduril crystals when mined.

The current uses for this ore (that is, its crystal) are making Morgul Portals, Morgul torches, and Morgul Steel, which is used in crafting Morgul Blades and armour. Morgul steel is stronger than Black Uruk Steel and Orc Steel, but not as strong as mithril.

Iron Ore
Iron ore is a mineral block found underground. It is the most common mineral that can be used to make tools and armour other than coal, which is used in making several alloys. Iron ore will drop as an item if mined by a stone pickaxe or better. If mined by any other tool, it will drop nothing but particle effects.

Iron occurs only around from bedrock to slightly above sea level (layers 1-63). However, almost all of the iron ore will be at the lower levels. On average, there are about 77 iron ores per chunk. Veins can vary in size, but the most common is 2×2×2. Iron always comes in veins of 4 to 10 unless dirt, gravel, a cave, or another ore overlapped into it. Each block in the vein, which otherwise would be stone, has a random chance of being iron ore instead.

Lapis Lazuli
Lapis lazuli ore is the ore block from which lapis lazuli is obtained. A stone pickaxe or better is required to obtain a drop from lapis lazuli ore. If mined with a Silk Touch enchanted pickaxe, it will drop itself, otherwise it will drop 4-8 lapis lazuli and 2-5 experience. When mined with a Fortune enchanted pickaxe, there is a chance the drops will be multiplied by between 2 and the level plus 1, up to a maximum of 2 to 4 at level III (for a maximum of 32 lapis lazuli dropped).

Lapis lazuli ore is found at a depth of 31 and below, but only in Near Harad and Harondor, as of Public Beta 25. Note that this does not include Near Harad Fertile!

The highest concentration of lapis lazuli ore is found between levels 13 and 16. At this level, the concentration is about 0.083% of all blocks (0.1013% of stone). The concentration drops linearly as one gets farther from these rows. Overall, lapis lazuli is around 1.1 times as common as diamond ore with an average of 3.43 blocks of lapis lazuli ore per chunk.

Mithril Ore
Mithril ore is the most valuable material in Middle-earth. The ore is extremly rare, but the best weapons, tools and armour can be crafted out of mithril. Mithril ore can only be found in Meneltarma and the Misty Mountains (including the Misty Mountain Foothills) at layer 16 or below.

To mine it, you will need any pickaxe of iron strength or greater. In the Misty Mountains each chunk has a 1/4 chance of spawning a mithril vein, with the max being up to six ores. In Meneltarma every chunk will spawn a vein of mithril ore, but having only a max size of four.

Morgul Iron Ore
Morgul Iron ore is an ore found in Mordor, Dol Guldur and Angmar. It is about as common as normal iron ore, and can be smelted into Orc Steel ingots in the Orc forge. A pickaxe of at least stone or equivalent strength is required to mine this ore.

For players living in Mordor, this might be an important ore as Orc Steel is used in place of iron for all Orc equipment and no iron ore can be found in Mordor. Morgul Iron ore can be alloyed into many different materials. In an Orc forge, Morgul Iron ore can be alloyed into Black Uruk Steel if you use Naurite in the top, Morgul Steel if you use Gulduril crystals in the top, and normal Orc Steel if you do not add anything.

Naurite Ore
Naurite ore is an ore only found in Mordor. The name is derived from the Elvish word for fire. It is about as common as coal ore, and drops Naurite gems when harvested. It can be used as fuel in forges and can be crafted into a mineral block or can be used to craft Orc torches. It is also the alloy used (with Morgul Iron) in an Orc forge, to create Black Uruk Steel ingots. Items made from these ingots are much stronger than items crafted from Orc Steel ingots, but not as strong as Morgul Steel.

Quendite Ore
Quendite ore is a semi-rare ore exclusive to the Lothlórien and Lindon biomes, found up to layer 48. The name is derived from the Elvish word for the race of Elves, Quendi.

When broken, the ore drops one Quendite crystal, which has a variety of uses, from crafting items (such as High Elven torches) to creating the useful Elven Portal. The crystals can also be alloyed with iron in a Dwarven forge to create Galvorn ingots. A pickaxe of at least iron or equivalent strength is required to mine this ore.

Remains
A block of remains is an ore block found only in the Dead Marshes biome, but is often hard to get to due to their tendency to spawn underwater, and a Marsh Wraith will spawn if you step into the water. Upon digging up a block of remains, the player gains the achievement "Worth the Risk?" When dug with any type of shovel, remains will yield all sorts of loot. This includes all types of bones (except for troll bones), silver coins, gold or silver nuggets, skeleton skulls, and ancient items.

Saltpeter Ore
Saltpeter ore is a fairly common mineral that can be mined in order to acquire saltpeter and which is found underground. Combined with sulfur and charcoal (not regular coal) on a crafting table, it gives two heaps of gunpowder. This is the only way you can obtain gunpowder in Middle-earth to make things such as Orc Bombs. Saltpeter can also be used to make bonemeal by crafting it together with dirt.

Silver Ore
Silver ore is an ore found in Middle-earth which can be smelted into silver ingots. It can be found up to layer 32 and is about twice as common as gold. A pickaxe of at least iron or equivalent strength is required to mine this ore.

Silver ore is useful in the game because it can be smelted into silver ingots, which can then be then crafted into nine silver nuggets, and four of these make four silver coins. This means that players can slowly make money by mining undergound, rather than needing to find a trader in order to do so.

Sulfur Ore
Sulfur ore drops sulfur and can be found in Middle-earth, similarly to saltpeter. When combined with saltpeter and charcoal (not regular coal) in a crafting table, it creates two heaps of gunpowder, being the only way to obtain gunpowder within Middle-earth. Gunpowder is needed to craft Orc Bombs. Sulfur can also be used to make sulfur matches. Sulfur matches are used to light fire, like flint and steel. They are made of sulfur and a stick. The match is used up in this process.

Tin Ore
Tin ore is an ore found commonly throughout Middle-earth which can be smelted into tin Ingots, useful for making bronze. It can be found up to layer 64 and is about half as common as iron. A pickaxe of at least stone or equivalent strength is required to mine this ore.