This guide was originally intended for use by my server players, but i decided to post it here.

Hello. Welcome to my PVP guide, for both new, and experienced players.
I will teach you the basics of PVP, as well as showing you how to hide your bases, chests, and much more.
If you know alot about PVP already, or want to skip to a certain point, here is a list of the categories: (Categories are marked in Bold, and sub-categories are marked in italic)

1. Simple base guide
   
   
2. Mining guide
   
   
3. PVP layouts/tactics and PVP guide
   

Basic base guide:

So, youo ve just started on my server, and dono t know what to do? Well first off, try and get out of spawn without being killed, and if you succeed, the first material you are going to need is wood. Wood may be scarce on my server, because sometimes the forests get burned, or it has simply been harvested by other players. You may even have enough money when you start to buy some logs from the shop.
Once you find enough wood, you will need to make the following:

• 1 Workbench
  
  
• 1 Wooden pickaxe
  
  
• 1 Wooden sword (Optional. Personally, i wait until i have enough stone for a sword, as it does more damage to mobs and players)
  

Next, using your wooden pickaxe, mine some stone, and collect about a stack of cobble, or keep on collecting cobble until your pickaxe breaks. Next, assuming you are still alive, i suggest you make the following:

• 1 Stone pickaxe
  
  
• 1 Furnace
  
  
• 1 Stone axe
  
  
• 1 Stone sword
  

Now, you have 2 options, option 1, stay where you are and use the axe to gather about 2 stacks of logs, or option 2, travel further away from spawn, then attempt to harvest more logs.
So, youo ve collected alot of wood, and gone far from spawn (I suggest at least 3,000 blocks) and youo re in need of a base, if you follow my guide your base SHOULD be hidden from most x-rayers, and curious players. Your base should be discrete, with a maximum size of about 25Ã 25 blocks, and make it around 3 blocks high.
If you use my checklist below, you should find your base is hidden, for about a week or so, before you need to move.

Your base should be:

• At bedrock level
  
  
• Discrete, and very well hidden
  
  
• NO staircases or ladders going to the surface
  
  
• No tell tale signs that a base is there, like water flowing into one block, or a cobble block in a desert biome
  
  
• It should also have everything you need there, like a small farm, enchanting room, crafting/smelting space, and possibly even an alchemy lab.
  
  
• Under an iced-over lake, or ocean, this stops people from seeing your name from above.
  

Once your base is set up, you are ready for the mining techniques!

Mining (Simple and advanced):

personally, I like branch mining, it is effective, and 98% of the time has a very high yeild, but ill start off simple.

The 5Ã 5 Vertical shaft mining:

I have used this method on many, many PVP servers to start off, and it is incredibly simple. It also usually yields the resources needed to mine the next ore/mineral you will find, so its effective if you dono t have much time on your hands, or have better things to do than mine.
Follow the steps below, and you could make up to $7,500 in game cash, which is alot to start out with.

The tools:

You will need the following:

• A shovel (Stone or above)
  
  
• A pickaxe (Stone or above)
  
  
• A sword (Stone or above)
  
  
• Some cobble/dirt/gravel, to cut off lava/water sources
  
  
• About half a stack of torches
  
  
• Alot of chest space
  

The method:

• Start out by marking off the border of your 5Ã 5 box (25 block square, in simpler terms)
  
  
• Next, o shaveo off all the dirt and grass from the surface, until you are left with a smooth stone floor
  
  
• Using your pickaxe, dig straight down, in layers, removing 25 stone blocks at a time.
  
  
• Hopefully you will receive ores in this order: Coal-Iron-Gold-Diamond, which will allow you to improve your tools, to mine further
  

You will need alot of chest space, considering you will mine about 1450 cobble/dirt/gravel blocks, if you dono t find any ores, and in my current server prices, that will get you abouto ¦ $2175 in the shop which is alot of money, if you think you can buy diamonds at 200 each.

Branch mining:

I use branch mining alot, i like it because it is effective, and can bring you a incredible amount of resources if you do it correctly. You can even follow it on from your vertical mining method above, if you want to get more bang for your buck.
I suggest making your central shaft about 20-50 blocks long, and making your branches about 15 blocks long, so it is discrete, in a way, and hard do accidental break in to. I also suggest making this about 1,000 blocks away from your main base, so then if anyone does find it, they cant simply follow it into your diamond-laden base.

The tools:

You will need the following:

• 1-3 Diamond pickaxes, depending on the size of your mine
  
  
• 1-2 Diamond shovels, depending on the size of your mine
  
  
• 64-300 torches, depending on the size of your mine
  
  
• 64-128 cobble/dirt/gravel, to cut off lava/water sources
  

The method:

• Start off by digging your central o backboneo of your mine, just dig a straight line for about 50 blocks.
  
  
• Then, one by one, dig your 15-30 block long branches, but make sure to leave 2 blocks between your branches!
  
  
• Harvest any resources you find, and store them safely in your chests
  
  
• Choose whether to sell your yield, or keep it for your own personal use
  

PVP layouts/tactics and PVP guide (Simple and advanced):

To PVP, you need the correct layout that fits your current needs. If you are planning on a full-scale raid, go heavy, if your going to mess about at spawn, go light! Here are some useful things to remember when you engage in PVP:

• Out-smart your enemy! Confuse them, and catch them off track!
  
  
• Try to stay out of combat with anyone you know you cant kill
  
  
• If you know you cant win a fight, run! Dono t risk your items by staying!
  
  
• If you are fighting on land, try to get the higher ground, if you are fighting in an ocean, or another large
  

Layouts:

If you are fairly new on the server, or are low on materials, use this layout. If you are very rich, use the second layout.
layout one consists of easy to obtain items, that still do the job. You might be able to take on someone in full diamond, if you know how to fight, if you need some new ideas, or inspiration, read the o tacticso section.

layout one:

• Iron helmet (Enchanted, if possible)
  
  
• Iron chestplate (Enchanted, if possible)
  
  
• Iron platelegs (Enchanted, if possible)
  
  
• Iron boots (Enchanted, if possible)
  
  
• Diamond sword (Enchanted, if possible)
  
  
• Bow (Enchanted, if possible)
  
  
• About 16-45 arrows
  
  
• Some easy to obtain food, such as apples, pork or beef
  
  
• Potions (Optional)
  
  
• Flint and steel (Recommended)
  
  
• Lava bucket (Recommended)
  
  
• Water bucket (Recommended)
  

If you want to go bigger, and take on heavily-armed targets, littered with enchantments, then layout 2 is for you. But i must stress, if you do want to take on any player with enchantments, make sure you have some decent ones on your armour too!

Layout two:

• Diamond helmet (Enchanted)
  
  
• Diamond chestplate (Enchanted)
  
  
• Diamond platelegs (Enchanted)
  
  
• Diamond boots (Enchanted)
  
  
• Diamond sword (Enchanted, knockback and fire aspect are VERY helpful)
  
  
• Bow (Enchanted)
  
  
• 16-45 arrows
  
  
• Some easy to obtain food, such as apples, pork or beef
  
  
• Potions (Optional)
  
  
• Flint and steel (Recommended)
  
  
• Lava (Recommended)
  
  
• Water bucket (Recommended)
  

tactics:

In this sub-category, i will be explaining some of the useful tactics to endorse into your every day PVP routine, as well as some PVP tactics to avoid, that will most likely get you killed.
Here is a list of some tactics i like to use:

• o Ring around the roseyo
  
  
• o Dive and surfaceo
  
  
• o Hit and retreato
  

These are not all of the tactics available, but they are some that i like to use.
Ring around the rosey:
This tactic is very useful when fighting against skeletons, or players armed with a bow. It involves encircling your enemy, causing them to miss, turn slowly, or give up, which will hopefully allow you to get behind him, getting a few hits before he realises whats going on. I rate this tactic about 6/10, because alot of players know about this already, or they switch to a sword, and follow your movements.

Dive and surface:

This tactic is only useful when fighting in large bodies of water, like lakes or oceans. It involves you o divingo to get behind your enemy, and o surfacingo behind them, allowing you to get a few hits on them. hence the name, o Dive and surfaceo .

Hit and retreat:

This tactic is useful when you are low on health, and involves you charging forwards, jumping and sprinting, spamming your mouse, hopefully getting about 5-10 hits in a few seconds, and then running backwards, still spamming your mouse, keeping them back. This tactic lets you get alot of hits, without getting hurt as much.

Tactics to avoid:

The most common tactic used with amateur PVPo ers is charging into the enemy. This is a bad idea, and gets you killed, because the target usually assumes what you are doing, and gives them time to prepare, be it shooting you with their bow, or placing down some lava or fire, to burn you before you even get a hit.
Another common tactic, used when you are low on health, is simply running away. This is also a bad idea because you cannot defend yourself from behind, leaving you open for shots with a bow, or swings with a sword.

Thankyou for reading my guide. If you want to join my server when its released, please go to my website at:

http://craftiverse.net/

and/or my forum at:

http://craftiversepvp.forumotion.co.uk/