Tutorial:Best enchantments guide

This guide will give an explanation and walk-through of the best enchantments that can applied to all enchantable items.

This page assumes that the world is created and played in the latest game version.

Enchantments with an anvil sign means that the enchantment cannot be obtained via the enchanting table and must be added through an anvil.

While there are several mutually exclusive enchantments, some will be the preferred choice meaning others can be ignored, while others have both distinct and useful applications, requiring multiples of the same gear with a mutually exclusive enchantment each.

Armor

Unbreaking is not as necessary on armor as on tools and weapons. Unbreaking III on a piece of armor only makes it last about 43% longer, but for a tool or a weapon, its durability is effectively quadrupled.

Invicon Netherite Helmet.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Helmet in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Protection IV Respiration III Unbreaking III Aqua Affinity Thorns III Mending When on Head: +3 Armor +3 Armor Toughness +1 Knockback Resistance +3 Oxygen Bonus +400% Submerged Mining Speed Helmet

There are multiple enchantment orders with the same cost in levels. At the same total costs in levels the cost in XP can still be different. For example two steps costing 2 and 4 levels require more XP than two steps costing 3 levels each. The optimal enchantment order with Thorns III is {[(Helmet + Thorns III)@12 + (Respiration III + Unbreaking III)@3]@11 + [(Protection IV + Mending)@2 + Aqua Affinity]@3}@14 with a cost of 12 + 3 + 11 + 2 + 3 + 14 = 45 levels. The optimal enchantment order without Thorns III is {[(Helmet + Respiration III)@6 + (Protection IV + Mending)@2]@8 + (Unbreaking III + Aqua Affinity)@2}@9 with a cost of 6 + 2 + 8 + 2 + 9 = 27 levels.

Invicon Netherite Chestplate.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Chestplate in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Protection IV Unbreaking III Thorns III Mending When on Chest: +8 Armor +3 Armor Toughness +1 Knockback Resistance Chestplate

The optimal enchantment order with Thorns III is {[(Chestplate + Thorns III)@12 + (Unbreaking III + Mending)@2]@7 + Protection IV}@7 with a cost of 12 + 2 + 7 + 7 = 28 levels. The optimal enchantment order without Thorns III is [(Chestplate + Protection IV)@4 + (Unbreaking III + Mending)@2]@7 with a cost of 4 + 2 + 7 = 13 levels.

Invicon Netherite Leggings.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Leggings in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Protection IV Swift Sneak III Unbreaking III Thorns III Mending When on Legs: +6 Armor +3 Armor Toughness +1 Knockback Resistance +0.45 Sneaking Speed Leggings

The optimal enchantment order with Thorns III is {[(Leggings + Swift Sneak III)@12 + (Thorns III + Mending)@2]@16 + (Protection IV + Unbreaking III)@3}@11 with a cost of 12 + 2 + 16 + 3 + 11 = 44 levels. The optimal enchantment order without Thorns III is {[(Leggings + Swift Sneak III)@12 + (Unbreaking III + Mending)@2]@7 + Protection IV}@7 with a cost of 12 + 2 + 7 + 7 = 28 levels.

Swift Sneak

Swift Sneak can be obtained only from loot chests in ancient cities. The chests can contain enchanted books with any level of Swift Sneak (up to 3).

Invicon Netherite Boots.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Boots in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Protection IV Unbreaking III Feather Falling IV Depth Strider III Soul Speed III Thorns III Mending When on Feet: +3 Armor +3 Armor Toughness +1 Knockback Resistance +1 Water Movement Efficiency Boots

There are multiple enchantment orders with the same cost in levels. At the same total costs in levels the cost in XP can still be different. For example two steps costing 2 and 4 levels require more XP than two steps costing 3 levels each. The optimal enchantment order with Thorns III is {[[(Boots + Soul Speed III)@12 + (Thorns III + Mending)@2]@16 + (Depth Strider III + Feather Falling IV)@4]@14 + (Protection IV + Unbreaking III)@3}@15 with a cost of 12 + 2 + 16 + 4 + 14 + 3 + 15 = 66 levels. The optimal enchantment order without Thorns III and Soul Speed III is {[(Boots + Depth Strider III)@6 + (Protection IV + Unbreaking III)@3]@9 + (Feather Falling IV + Mending)@2}@10 with a cost of 6 + 3 + 2 + 9 + 10 = 30 levels.

Feather Falling

When obtaining Feather Falling from an enchanting table, the player should not enchant at level 30, but reduce to levels 22, 24 or 26. At level 30, there is only about a 3% chance to obtain Feather Falling on a pair of diamond boots; but using level 24 and 26, the chance is a much-higher 30%; at level 22, the chance is as high as 44%. The enchantment level can be reduced by placing torches or most other blocks between the enchanting table and bookshelves, preventing the enchanting table from detecting the bookshelves.

Weapons

Invicon Netherite Sword.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Sword in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Sharpness V Sweeping Edge III Looting III Unbreaking III Fire Aspect II Knockback II Mending When in Main Hand:  8 Attack Damage  1.6 Attack Speed +0.75% Sweeping Damage Ratio Sword

  • Unbreaking III
  • Mending BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
  • Sharpness V (for general use)
    • or Smite V
      • For fighting undead mobs, such as the wither and wither skeletons.
      • Allows one-hit killing of most common undead mobs.
  • Sweeping Edge III ‌
    • Deals more damage to multiple mobs while standing still, useful for XP farms.
    • May deal high amounts of damage to friendly mobs if they're too close to the target.
  • Looting III
    • Massively increases the amount of loot from fighting mobs, very useful for farming.
  • Fire Aspect II
    • Optional
    • Makes endermen more difficult to fight because they constantly teleport as a result of the fire.
    • Zombies and their variants ignite the player if aflame when they hit their target.
    • Cooks the meat dropped by all mobs, even if they're underwater.
    • Useful against players because of the obscuring effects of fire.
  • Knockback II
    • Optional
    • Makes ranged targets more difficult to fight.
    • Makes chaining hits together much harder without a wall.
    • May push targets into environmental hazards such as lava.
    • Effective against pressuring melee attackers such as creepers and piglin brutes.

To reduce the various negative effects of Knockback, it may be wise to enchant a sword with Knockback I or to forgo it altogether.

The optimal enchantment order is ⟨{[(Sword + Looting III)@6 + (Sweeping Edge III + Unbreaking III)@3]@11 + (Sharpness V + Knockback II)@2}@11 + (Fire Aspect II + Mending)@2⟩@14 with a cost of 6 + 3 + 11 + 2 + 11 + 2 + 14 = 49 levels.

Invicon Netherite Axe.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Axe in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Efficiency V Sharpness V Silk Touch Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  10 Attack Damage  1 Attack Speed +26 Mining Efficiency Axe

The optimal enchantment order is {[(Axe + Sharpness V)@5 + (Efficiency V + Unbreaking III)@3]@10 + (Silk Touch + Mending)@2}@10 with a cost of 5 + 3 + 10 + 2 + 10 = 30 levels

Invicon Bow.png: Inventory sprite for Bow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Power V Flame Punch II Unbreaking III Mending Bow

There are multiple enchantment orders with the same cost in levels. At the same total costs in levels the cost in XP can still be different. For example two steps costing 2 and 4 levels require more XP than two steps costing 3 levels each. The optimal enchantment orders is {[(Bow + Power V)@5 + (Infinity (or Mending) + Unbreaking III)@3]@9 + (Punch II + Flame)@2}@10 with a cost of 5 + 3 + 2 + 9 + 10 = 29 levels.

Invicon Crossbow.png: Inventory sprite for Crossbow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Piercing IV Quick Charge III Unbreaking III MendingInvicon Arrow Loaded Crossbow.png: Inventory sprite for Arrow Loaded Crossbow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Crossbow Projectile: [Arrow] Piercing IV Quick Charge III Unbreaking III MendingInvicon Firework Loaded Crossbow.png: Inventory sprite for Firework Loaded Crossbow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Crossbow Projectile: [Firework Rocket]  Flight Duration: 3 Piercing IV Quick Charge III Unbreaking III MendingInvicon Crossbow.png: Inventory sprite for Crossbow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Multishot Quick Charge III Unbreaking III MendingInvicon Arrow Loaded Crossbow.png: Inventory sprite for Arrow Loaded Crossbow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Crossbow Projectile: 3 x [Arrow] Multishot Quick Charge III Unbreaking III MendingInvicon Firework Loaded Crossbow.png: Inventory sprite for Firework Loaded Crossbow in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Crossbow Projectile: 3 x [Firework Rocket]  Flight Duration: 3 Multishot Quick Charge III Unbreaking III Mending Crossbow

  • Quick Charge III BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
  • Multishot
    • Incompatible with Piercing.
    • May unintentionally hit other mobs.
    • Cannot hit the same target multiple times in one shot.
    • Uses 3 durability per shot.
  • Piercing IV
    • Incompatible with Multishot.
    • May hit other mobs if they're in the path of the arrow.
    • Arrows can be retrieved, including tipped arrows.
  • Unbreaking III
  • Mending BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft

Crossbows can only receive up to Quick Charge II through an enchanting table. Quick Charge III must be obtained via other means: either by combining two crossbows in an anvil, using enchanted books, or via mob drops.

Invicon Trident.png: Inventory sprite for Trident in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Riptide III Impaling V Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  9 Attack Damage  1.1 Attack SpeedInvicon Trident.png: Inventory sprite for Trident in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Channeling Loyalty III Impaling V Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  9 Attack Damage  1.1 Attack Speed Trident

  • Mending BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft (Highly recommended as tridents can otherwise only be repaired with other tridents.)
  • Unbreaking III
  • Loyalty III
  • Channeling
    • Large crowd control while a thunderstorm is occurring.
      • May unintentionally lead to some mobs transforming into more powerful versions of themselves.
  • Riptide III
    • Incompatible with Loyalty and Channeling.
    • Replaces the throw attack with a dash that allows rapid transport while touching water.
      • Rain counts as water for these purposes, allowing incredibly fast transport while using an elytra.
      • Snow does not count as water for these purposes.
  • Impaling V
    • On Java Edition, Impaling makes the trident deal increased damage to marine mobs (not including Drowned). On Bedrock Edition, Impaling makes the trident deal increased damage to any entities that are touching water or rain.

Invicon Mace.png: Inventory sprite for Mace in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Wind Burst III Density V Fire Aspect II Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  6 Attack Damage  0.6 Attack SpeedInvicon Mace.png: Inventory sprite for Mace in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Wind Burst III Breach IV Fire Aspect II Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  6 Attack Damage  0.6 Attack Speed Mace

  • Unbreaking III
  • Density V
    • or Smite V
      • For fighting undead mobs, such as wither and wither skeleton farms.
      • Allows for the one hit killing of most common undead mobs.
    • or Breach IV
      • Reduces the effectiveness of armor by 60%
      • For fighting other players, as most other entities do not have strong enough armor for it to make a difference compared to the other damage enchantments
  • Mending BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
  • Wind Burst III BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
    • Optional
    • Very difficult to obtain.
    • Creates a wind charge when a mob is hit by the player after falling from a high height
  • Fire Aspect II BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
    • Optional
    • Causes immunity to be applied to the mob, which may cause the Wind Burst enchantment to not activate.

Tools

Invicon Netherite Pickaxe.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Pickaxe in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Netherite Pickaxe Efficiency V Fortune III Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  6 Attack Damage  1.2 Attack Speed +26 Mining EfficiencyInvicon Netherite Pickaxe.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Pickaxe in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Netherite Pickaxe Efficiency V Silk Touch Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  6 Attack Damage  1.2 Attack Speed +26 Mining Efficiency Pickaxe

  • Unbreaking III
  • Mending BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
  • Fortune III
    • Incompatible with Silk Touch.
    • Multiplies block drops, increases the chances for rare drops.
      • Massively increases yield from ores.
  • Silk Touch
    • Incompatible with Fortune.
    • Useful for collecting the base form of blocks rather than what they drop, such as ice, stone or ender chests.
    • Since both Fortune III and Silk Touch pickaxes are useful, many players make both pickaxes
  • Efficiency V
    • Allows instant mining of many blocks depending on the level.
      • Efficiency V combined with Haste II allows the instant mining of stone.
    • Efficiency V pickaxes can be too powerful for delicate tasks, especially when working with netherrack. A weaker pickaxe can come in handy depending on the situation.

Invicon Netherite Shovel.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Shovel in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Netherite Shovel Efficiency V Silk Touch Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  6.5 Attack Damage  1 Attack Speed +26 Mining EfficiencyInvicon Netherite Shovel.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Shovel in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Netherite Shovel Efficiency V Fortune III Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  6.5 Attack Damage  1 Attack Speed +26 Mining Efficiency Shovel

  • Unbreaking III
  • Mending BlockSprite anvil.png: Sprite image for anvil in Minecraft
  • Efficiency V
    • Optional
    • Most materials mined using shovels are soft. Efficiency V shovels can be too powerful for delicate tasks.
  • Silk Touch
    • Incompatible with Fortune.
    • Allows the collection of gravel without the chance of flint.
  • Fortune III
    • Incompatible with Silk Touch.
    • Useful for getting flint.

Invicon Netherite Hoe.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Hoe in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Netherite Hoe Efficiency V Silk Touch Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  1 Attack Damage  4 Attack Speed +26 Mining EfficiencyInvicon Netherite Hoe.png: Inventory sprite for Netherite Hoe in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Netherite Hoe Efficiency V Fortune III Unbreaking III Mending When in Main Hand:  1 Attack Damage  4 Attack Speed +26 Mining Efficiency Hoe

Invicon Fishing Rod.png: Inventory sprite for Fishing Rod in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Luck of the Sea III Lure III Unbreaking III Mending Fishing Rod

Invicon Shears.png: Inventory sprite for Shears in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Efficiency V Unbreaking III Mending Shears

It is usually not recommended to enchant shears at all as they can only be enchanted through an anvil and are crafted with iron ingots which are very easy to come by in late-game.

Invicon Flint and Steel.png: Inventory sprite for Flint and Steel in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Unbreaking III Mending Flint and Steel, Invicon Shield.png: Inventory sprite for Shield in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Unbreaking III Mending Shield, Invicon Carrot on a Stick.png: Inventory sprite for Carrot on a Stick in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Unbreaking III Mending Carrot on a Stick, Invicon Warped Fungus on a Stick.png: Inventory sprite for Warped Fungus on a Stick in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Unbreaking III Mending Warped Fungus on a Stick, Invicon Brush.png: Inventory sprite for Brush in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Unbreaking III Mending Brush, and Invicon Elytra.png: Inventory sprite for Elytra in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Unbreaking III Mending Elytra

Similar to shears, it is not recommended to enchant the flint and steel, carrot on a stick, warped fungus on a stick, or brush, but it may prove useful at times.

When a pair of elytra does not have Mending, it can only be repaired with phantom membranes or another pair of elytra in an anvil. The XP level cost increases with every anvil operation. Eventually, the repair becomes too expensive to perform. The optimal enchantment order is (Item + Unbreaking III)@3 + (Mending)@3 with a cost of 3 + 3 = 6 levels.

Mutually-Exclusive Enchantments

Mutually-exclusive enchantments are enchantments that cannot be combined on the same armor, weapon or tool without /give‌ or changing the playerdata.nbt using a NBT editor. The following enchantments cannot be combined:

  • Protection, Projectile Protection, Blast Protection, and Fire Protection cannot be combined in general. But in 19w02a snapshot for Java Edition 1.14 these enchantments can be combined (even all 4 of them at 1 item). In 1.14.3 Pre-Release 2 these enchantments became impossible to combine again and cannot be combined since this version. But if these enchantments were combined at any part of armor in between 19w02a - 1.14.3 Pre-Release 2 then they will save all these protection qualities after updating to later versions of the game.
  • Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, and Cleaving​ cannot be combined.
  • Silk Touch and Fortune cannot be combined.
  • Infinity and Mending cannot be combined. But in 15w42a snapshot for Java Edition 1.9 up to Java Edition 1.11, these enchantments can simply be combined in an anvil and both enchantments work as is even when upgraded to newer versions of the game. Another method involves a grindstone enchantment duplication bug in 24w10a and 24w11a snapshots for Java Edition 1.20.5 where one can put the first item that one wants to enchant on the first slot with a second mutually-exclusive one on the bottom slot, transferring the enchantment from the item on the bottom slot to the first, duping them and the process can be repeated, allowing for most mutually-exclusive enchantments to be combined. Note that the two items need to be the same type and can't be books.
  • Piercing and Multishot cannot be combined.
  • Both Loyalty and Channeling cannot be combined with Riptide, But Loyalty and Channeling can coexist.
  • Frost Walker and Depth Strider cannot be combined.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ a b c d While putting Protection IV on all armor pieces is generally the best way to enchant your armor, it may be worth it to put Blast Protection IV, Projectile Protection IV, or Fire Protection IV on one armor piece while putting Protection IV on all other armor pieces if you will take frequent damage from explosions (such as in Crystal PVP), projectiles, or fire and lava. In the 19w02a snapshot for Java Edition 1.14, all four enchantments could be combined. In 1.14.3 Pre-Release 2 these enchantments became impossible to combine again and cannot be combined since this version. Hence the player could downgrade their world to 19w02a, enchant a full set of diamond armor, upgrade to the latest version, add Swift Sneak and Soul Speed to the leggings and boots, and then upgrade their armor to netherite to get an armor set with all four Protection enchantments.

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