What deepslate coal ore is
Deepslate coal ore is the deepslate-layer version of regular coal ore. It generates in the deeper, darker stone below Y=0, drops coal when mined, and works the same way as its stone cousin once you account for the slower mining time. It was added in version 1.17 along with the rest of the deepslate ore family.
If you have ever dug straight down past Y=0 and hit that darker, mottled rock, you are in deepslate territory. Any ore that would normally appear in stone shows up here as a deepslate variant, and coal is no exception.
Mechanically, the block is mostly a hardness change plus a cosmetic swap. The coal that drops is identical to the coal you pull out of a regular coal ore block.
Where deepslate coal ore generates
Coal ore in current versions of the game uses a triangular distribution that peaks around Y=95 and tapers off in both directions. Above Y=0 you get the regular stone version; below Y=0 it takes the deepslate form. Because the bulk of coal generation sits well above sea level, the deepslate variant is far less common than the standard one. You will see it occasionally, but you will never see a vein of it the way you sometimes see big stone coal veins in a mountain.
Deepslate itself begins at Y=0 with a gradient transition and is fully solid from about Y=-8 down to bedrock. So deepslate coal ore lives in the thin band where the lower tail of coal generation overlaps with the upper part of the deepslate layer.
Common places to find it:
- Strip mines at Y=-30 to Y=-50, while you are after diamonds and iron.
- The walls of large caves and ravines below Y=0.
- Exposed in the floor or ceiling of ancient cities.
- Anywhere a deep cave system cuts through the upper deepslate layer.
If you are looking for coal specifically, you are wasting your time hunting deepslate coal ore. Regular coal ore in hills, mountains, and forested biomes is dramatically more common. Treat the deepslate version as a bonus when you find it on the way to something else.
How to mine deepslate coal ore
You need a wooden pickaxe or better to get a drop. Mining the block with your fist gives you nothing. Mining it with a shovel, axe, sword, or hoe also gives you nothing.
Mining times in seconds for an unenchanted tool with no haste:
| Tool | Time |
|---|---|
| Hand | 3.0 (no drop) |
| Wooden pickaxe | 0.75 |
| Stone pickaxe | 0.4 |
| Iron pickaxe | 0.25 |
| Diamond pickaxe | 0.2 |
| Netherite pickaxe | 0.2 |
| Golden pickaxe | 0.15 |
Every deepslate ore has a higher hardness than its stone equivalent: 4.5 versus 3. That means everything in the deepslate layer takes roughly 50% longer to break with the same pickaxe. It does not sound like much per block, but it adds up over a long mining session.
Enchantments worth thinking about:
- Fortune boosts the coal drop. Fortune III can drop up to 4 coal from a single block.
- Efficiency shortens the mining time. With Efficiency V and a Haste II beacon, the block breaks instantly.
- Silk Touch changes the drop from coal to the deepslate coal ore block itself, which is useful if you want the block for a build.
Drops and experience
Mined with a plain pickaxe, deepslate coal ore drops one piece of coal and zero to two experience orbs. Fortune adds extra coal:
- Fortune I: 1 to 2 coal
- Fortune II: 1 to 3 coal
- Fortune III: 1 to 4 coal
Silk Touch overrides Fortune. With Silk Touch, you get one deepslate coal ore block and 0 XP, regardless of any other enchantments on the pickaxe.
Smelting a deepslate coal ore block in a furnace also produces coal and a small amount of XP, but that is the long way around. Mining the block directly is almost always faster and gives you the Fortune multiplier.
Mining strategy: when to bother
Deepslate coal ore is not a great target on its own. If you are low on coal, surface mining or branch mining at Y=80 to Y=100 is far more efficient. Coal ore is dense up there, and you do not pay the deepslate mining tax.
Where the deepslate version actually pays off is as a side reward during deep mining. A typical diamond strip mine around Y=-58 will turn up a steady trickle of deepslate coal ore in the walls. Use Fortune III on those blocks and you can end a long session with a stack of coal you did not have to make a separate trip for.
Two habits that help:
- Keep a Fortune III diamond or netherite pickaxe on your hotbar at deep Y levels. Swap to it for coal, diamonds, redstone, and emerald. Swap back to Silk Touch for ancient debris or any ore you want to move as a block.
- If you run a deep mining outpost, stockpile some regular coal ore from your surface trips so you are not burning fuel on coal you had to drag up from bedrock depths.
What coal does once you have it
Coal is the most flexible fuel in the game and the only ingredient for torches besides a stick. Quick reference:
- Furnace fuel. One coal smelts 8 items.
- Torches. 1 coal plus 1 stick crafts 4 torches.
- Campfires. 3 sticks, 3 logs, and 1 coal craft a campfire.
- Soul torches. Soul soil or soul sand plus a stick plus coal or charcoal.
- Coal blocks. 9 coal crafts 1 coal block, which works as fuel for 80 items and as a building block.
- Fire charges. 1 coal, 1 blaze powder, and 1 gunpowder craft 3 fire charges.
Coal and charcoal are interchangeable in most recipes. Coal is generally easier to keep in bulk because mining is faster than smelting whole logs into charcoal.
Java vs. Bedrock
The two editions match on deepslate coal ore. Generation distribution, mining times, hardness, and drops are the same. There are no edition-specific quirks worth memorizing for this block.
Common mistakes
A few small errors waste real time over the course of a world:
- Mining deepslate coal ore with your hand. Nothing drops. Get a wooden pickaxe.
- Using an unenchanted wooden pickaxe to clear ore at deep Y levels. It works, but Efficiency on at least a stone or iron pickaxe is a big speed jump.
- Forgetting Fortune. A coal ore block of any tier mined with a plain pickaxe gives you 1 coal. With Fortune III, you can get up to 4. Over a stack of ores, that is the difference between half a stack of coal and two stacks.
- Trying to push the block with a piston. Like all ore blocks, deepslate coal ore is not pushable.
Frequently asked questions
How rare is deepslate coal ore?
Much less common than regular coal ore, but you will see it regularly on any deep mining run. The rarity comes from geometry: coal generates mostly above Y=0, and deepslate only exists below Y=0, so only the lowest tail of coal generation lands inside the deepslate layer.
Can you mine deepslate coal ore with a wooden pickaxe?
Yes. A wooden pickaxe is enough to break the block and get a coal drop. It takes about 0.75 seconds with no enchantments, versus roughly 0.2 seconds with a netherite pickaxe. If you are doing serious deep mining, upgrade.
Does deepslate coal ore drop more coal than regular coal ore?
No. Both drop 1 coal by default, and both scale to a maximum of 4 with Fortune III. The deepslate variant is harder to mine, not more rewarding.
Does Silk Touch work on deepslate coal ore?
Yes. Silk Touch drops the deepslate coal ore block itself, with no coal and no XP. Useful if you want to use the block in a build or move it.
Can deepslate coal ore generate above Y=0?
No. The block requires deepslate to be the surrounding stone, and deepslate only generates from Y=0 down. Above that line, coal generates as the regular stone version.
Is it worth using Fortune III on deepslate coal ore?
If you already have Fortune III on the pickaxe you are using, yes. If you are choosing between burning Fortune III durability on coal or saving it for diamonds, save it for diamonds. The extra coal is nice, but the absolute gain is small.
What XP does deepslate coal ore drop?
Zero to two experience orbs per block. Silk Touch drops no XP at all.
Bottom line
Deepslate coal ore is a side benefit of any mining trip below Y=0, not a destination of its own. Coal generates mostly higher in the world, so the deepslate version is the rare exception rather than the rule. Do not go out of your way to find it. Carry a Fortune III pickaxe when you head deep, break the block whenever you see it, and you will end most diamond runs with extra fuel in the bag for the trip home.
