me branch mining in the early game: ok, first, ill dig a 2×5 staircase down to y11, while placing cobblestone stairs the whole way down, and placing torches exactly 4 blocks apart diagonally on the right hand wall. next, i’ll dig a 4x3x4 room in the center with 4 furnaces, a crafting table, lots of chests, and a water source crammed into it. then, i’ll begin digging 2×2 tunnels in each cardinal direction except for the one my staircase is on, placing one torch on the right hand side of the tunnel when the light level reaches exactly 3. from there, i’ll start digging 1×2 tunnels exactly 11 blocks apart, placing a torch on the ground when the light level reaches exactly 1. finally, i’ll dig 1×1 pokeholes every 3 blocks, in order to look for ores. and THAT is the most efficient way to branch mine.
ifesbob 