Uses for Gravel in Minecraft

Mining Gravel For Flint

• As you explore the world of "Minecraft" and come across gravel, you'll discover that when you mine it, you may occasionally get "flint." Flint can be used to make a "flint and steel," when combined with an iron ingot or combined with a stick and feather, to make "arrows."

Using Gravel for Color

• Gravel has a dark, gray color and and a different texture than stone. You can use this difference in color when creating large objects or buildings. Cobblestone is light gray so, by using gravel, you can add subtle color differences when creating statues or give the appearance of shadows.

Making Traps

• Gravel, like sand, suffers from the effects of gravity in the "Minecraft" universe. When you destroy a bottom block in a stack, the rest will fall down to take its place. You can use gravity to create traps for monsters, wildlife or other players. An easy example is to make a tunnel out of stone with stacks, 10 high, of gravel above the roof. When something follows you into the tunnel, you can destroy a stone block in the roof and the gravel will come crashing down.

Underwater Building

• Gravel and sand are perfect for underwater building due to the way they fall when the bottom of the stack is destroyed. You can make rooms underwater using gravel, surround them with glass or stone, then go in and remove the gravel, leaving an enclosed, air-filled pocket. This technique can be used to make large underwater complexes.