Matted's Tools Plus: Expanding Minecraft's Crafting Arsenal
Minecraft's vanilla tool progression has always been straightforward: wood to stone to iron to diamond. While this system works perfectly, players who enjoy a deeper crafting experience often look for mods that add variety without breaking the game's core balance. Matted's Tools Plus for version 1.6.2 does exactly that. It introduces a collection of new tool sets built from materials already present in the vanilla world, each with its own unique stats, durability, and tactical niche. Whether you are an early-game survivor or a late-game builder, these tools give you meaningful alternatives to the standard pickaxe and sword.
What Makes Tools Plus Stand Out
Unlike many mods that flood your inventory with overpowered gear, Matted's Tools Plus stays true to the vanilla feel. Every tool set uses materials you can gather through normal gameplay, and the crafting recipes mirror the familiar patterns. The result is a seamless extension of Minecraft's tool system, where your choice of material genuinely matters. You might carry a quartz pickaxe for its high enchantability, then switch to an obsidian tool when you need something that lasts through marathon mining sessions.
Complete Tool Set Breakdown
Each material brings a distinct set of attributes to the table. Here is a detailed look at what you can craft and how these tools perform:
Brick Tools
- Uses: 111
- Mining Level: Stone
- Efficiency: 4.5
- Damage: 1
- Enchantability: 8
Brick tools are an excellent early-game alternative to stone. They offer slightly better efficiency and a respectable number of uses, making them ideal for players who have access to clay but not yet iron. The modest enchantability also means you can put a basic enchantment on them without burning through too many experience levels.
Quartz Tools
- Uses: 175
- Mining Level: Stone
- Efficiency: 5
- Damage: 2
- Enchantability: 20
Quartz tools shine in the enchantment department. With an enchantability of 20, they rival gold tools in their ability to receive high-level enchantments, but they last far longer. If you have been stockpiling Nether quartz, turning it into a pickaxe or sword can give you a powerful early-Nether advantage, especially when combined with Fortune or Sharpness.
Flint Tools
- Uses: 80
- Mining Level: Stone
- Efficiency: 3
- Damage: 1
- Enchantability: 5
Flint tools are the most primitive of the new additions. They function as a slightly worse stone tier, but their real value lies in availability. If you are stranded without wood or cobblestone, a few pieces of gravel can get you a working tool. They also add a nice thematic touch for survival challenges or adventure maps.
Obsidian Tools
- Uses: 2,500
- Mining Level: Diamond
- Efficiency: 10
- Damage: 2
- Enchantability: 5
Obsidian tools are the heavyweights of the mod. With an astonishing 2,500 uses and diamond-level mining capability, they outlast even diamond gear. The trade-off is low enchantability and relatively low damage, making them better suited for mining and construction than combat. They are perfect for large-scale excavation projects where you do not want to constantly repair or replace your pickaxe.
Sandstone Tools
- Uses: 100
- Mining Level: Stone
- Efficiency: 5.5
- Damage: 1
- Enchantability: 7
Sandstone tools are a desert survivor's best friend. They offer a surprising efficiency boost over stone, making them great for clearing sand and sandstone quickly. While their durability is average, the ease of gathering the material in desert biomes means you can craft replacements on the fly without diverting from your main resource goals.
Emerald Tools
- Uses: 800
- Mining Level: Iron
- Efficiency: 12
- Damage: 1
- Enchantability: 16
Emerald tools are the speed demons of the set. With an efficiency of 12, they mine faster than diamond, though they cannot harvest obsidian. Their high enchantability also makes them a prime candidate for efficiency and unbreaking enchantments. If you have a villager trading hall producing excess emeralds, converting them into tools can dramatically speed up your building projects.
Redstone and Lapis Tools
While the original description teases Redstone and Lapis tool sets, the exact stats for these materials are less documented. In practice, they tend to fill niche roles: redstone tools might offer a balance between speed and durability, while lapis tools could emphasize enchantability even further. Experimentation is key, and part of the fun is discovering how these less common materials perform in the field.
Integrating the Mod into Your Game
Getting started with Matted's Tools Plus is straightforward. Since the mod is designed for Minecraft 1.6.2, you will need a compatible mod loader like Forge for that version. Once installed, the new tool recipes appear in your crafting table automatically. You can craft pickaxes, axes, shovels, hoes, and swords using the standard layout, simply replacing the stick handles with the appropriate material block or gem. For example, a brick pickaxe uses three bricks across the top row and two sticks below, just like a vanilla stone pickaxe. If you are managing multiple mods and want a smoother experience, you can easily install this mod via the foxygame.net launcher — a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu, eliminating the hassle of manual file placement.
Why Tools Plus Still Matters
Even though Minecraft has evolved through countless updates since version 1.6.2, mods like Matted's Tools Plus capture a timeless design philosophy: expand player choice without overwhelming the core game. The new tool sets encourage you to look at familiar blocks differently. A pile of quartz is no longer just a building block; it is a potential enchanted sword. A stack of obsidian becomes a pickaxe that will outlast your entire diamond supply. This kind of subtle, integrated expansion keeps the game fresh, especially for players who enjoy long-term survival worlds or modded servers that value balance over excess.
Final Thoughts
Matted's Tools Plus is a brilliant example of how a small, focused mod can enhance Minecraft's crafting mechanics. By adding tool sets for Brick, Quartz, Flint, Obsidian, Sandstone, Emerald, and others, it gives you practical alternatives at every stage of the game. The stats are carefully tuned to avoid overshadowing vanilla tiers while still rewarding resourcefulness. Whether you are a nostalgic player returning to older versions or simply someone who appreciates well-designed content, this mod deserves a spot in your modpack. Craft a quartz pickaxe, dig out a mountain with obsidian, and rediscover the joy of meaningful material choices.