Guides
How to Make Copper Armour in Minecraft
Learn how to craft copper armor in Minecraft, including where to find copper ore, smelting it into ingots, and creating a full set of copper armor pieces for protection.
Copper armor was introduced in Minecraft 1.21, offering players a new early-game armor option. While it doesn't provide as much protection as iron or diamond armor, copper armor has a unique aging mechanic that changes its appearance over time. Here's everything you need to know about crafting and using copper armor.
Finding Copper Ore
Before you can craft copper armor, you'll need to gather copper ore. Copper ore generates in the Overworld at Y levels 0 to 96, with the highest concentration between Y levels 48 and 0. You can find it in regular stone, deepslate, and granite variants.
- Mine copper ore with a stone pickaxe or better
- Each ore block drops 2-5 raw copper when mined with Fortune
- Copper ore is most common in underground caves and mineshafts
Quick Tip
Use a Fortune III pickaxe to maximize your copper yield. Each ore block can drop up to 5 raw copper, making it much easier to gather the materials you need.
Smelting Raw Copper
Once you've collected raw copper, you'll need to smelt it into copper ingots. Place raw copper in a furnace or blast furnace with any fuel source (coal, charcoal, wood, etc.) to create copper ingots.
- 1 raw copper = 1 copper ingot
- You'll need 24 copper ingots for a full set of armor
- Blast furnaces smelt faster but only work with ores
Crafting Copper Armor
Copper armor consists of four pieces: helmet, chestplate, leggings, and boots. Each piece requires a different amount of copper ingots and follows the standard armor crafting pattern.
Copper Helmet
Requires: 5 copper ingots
Protection: 2 armor points
Crafting: Place 3 ingots in the top row, 1 in the middle-left, and 1 in the middle-right
Copper Chestplate
Requires: 8 copper ingots
Protection: 5 armor points
Crafting: Fill the entire crafting grid except the bottom row
Copper Leggings
Requires: 7 copper ingots
Protection: 4 armor points
Crafting: Fill the left and right columns, plus the top-middle slot
Copper Boots
Requires: 4 copper ingots
Protection: 1.5 armor points
Crafting: Place 2 ingots in the bottom-left and bottom-right corners
Full Set Summary
- Total copper ingots needed: 24
- Total protection: 12.5 armor points (6.25 armor bars)
- Durability: Lower than iron armor but higher than leather
Copper Armor Aging
One of the unique features of copper armor is that it oxidizes over time, changing from its original orange-brown color to a green patina. This is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect the armor's protection or durability.
- Copper armor ages when exposed to air (worn or in inventory)
- The aging process has 4 stages: normal, exposed, weathered, and oxidized
- You can use honeycombs to wax copper armor and prevent oxidation
- Waxed copper armor can be unwaxed with an axe to resume aging
When to Use Copper Armor
Copper armor sits between leather and iron armor in terms of protection. It's a good early-game option if you find copper before iron, or if you want a unique aesthetic for your character.
Leather Armor
3 armor points
Easiest to obtain
Copper Armor
12.5 armor points
Good early-game option
Iron Armor
15 armor points
Best early-game protection
Tips and Tricks
- Copper armor can be enchanted just like other armor types
- Consider using copper armor for decorative builds or themed servers
- If you want to preserve the original look, wax your armor immediately after crafting
- Copper armor is repairable using copper ingots on an anvil
- For maximum protection, upgrade to iron or diamond armor when available
Ready to craft your copper armor?
Start your Minecraft server and begin gathering copper ore to create your first set of copper armor. Before you begin, check our modded server RAM guide to ensure smooth gameplay.