“Minecraft” enchanting is a sophisticated system that transforms early-game equipment into formidable late-game gear, allowing players to enjoy hours of gameplay. Mastering this system is essential for anyone looking to elevate their experience in the game.
How ‘Minecraft’ Enchanting Works
The enchanting process in “Minecraft” revolves around three primary components: the enchanting table, the anvil, and the grindstone. The enchanting table requires lapis lazuli and experience levels to apply semi-random enchantments, while the anvil is used to combine enchanted items and books. The grindstone, on the other hand, removes enchantments in exchange for a small XP refund. Each enchantment has levels ranging from I to IV or V and is compatible with specific gear types, such as Protection for armor, Sharpness for swords and axes, and Efficiency for tools. Players typically utilize the enchanting table to obtain initial “starter” enchants and then refine their gear with specific enchanted books sourced from villager trading, fishing, chests, or loot farms.
Best Enchant Order for Armor
When it comes to armor, a structured approach is key. Players should prioritize core defenses and durability before adding niche or luxury enchantments. A common strategy is to aim for Protection IV (or specialized protections), Unbreaking III, and Mending on all armor pieces, followed by role-specific utilities like Feather Falling, Respiration, or Swift Sneak. To optimize anvil costs, players often combine books first and then apply them to the armor in as few anvil uses as possible. For instance, Unbreaking III and Mending can be merged into one book, while utility enchantments like Respiration and Aqua Affinity can be combined separately before being added to the armor.
Helmet Enchant Order
A well-equipped helmet typically includes Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Respiration III, and Aqua Affinity, with Thorns III as an optional enhancement. To manage anvil costs effectively, players can first combine Respiration and Aqua Affinity into one book, and Unbreaking and Mending into another, before merging these combined books into the helmet in one or two final steps.
Boots Enchant Order
Boots serve as the most utility-focused armor piece, often featuring Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III or Frost Walker, Soul Speed III, Unbreaking III, and Mending. To keep work costs in check, the same principle applies: combine related movement enchantments into books, merge Unbreaking and Mending, and then apply two or three well-packed books rather than numerous individual ones.
Best Enchant Order for Weapons
Weapons should be tailored to specific roles, whether for general PvE, PvP, or specialized mob farming. In many survival scenarios, players aim for a versatile melee weapon for overworld combat and a ranged weapon for challenging encounters and bosses. Swords typically focus on Sharpness V (or Smite/Bane of Arthropods, depending on the target), Looting III for increased drops, Sweeping Edge III for crowd control, and Unbreaking III and Mending for durability, with optional Fire Aspect and Knockback. Axes can serve dual purposes as both weapons and tools, often utilizing Sharpness or Smite, Efficiency, Unbreaking, and Mending, sometimes replacing Looting on the sword or pairing with it.
Sword Enchant Order
To avoid the “Too Expensive” label on a sword, players can create “book bundles.” For example, combining Sweeping Edge III and Looting III, and separately merging Unbreaking III and Mending. Sharpness V is then applied to the weapon, followed by the composite books in as few anvil operations as possible, with Fire Aspect or Knockback added only if there is still room for additional costs.
Bow, Crossbow, and Trident
For bows, a typical optimal setup includes Power V, Unbreaking III, and either Infinity or Mending (but not both), with Flame and Punch as optional enhancements. Players usually decide early on whether to use Infinity or Mending, then combine Power and Unbreaking in books, finishing with the chosen sustaining enchant. Crossbows often prefer Quick Charge III, Unbreaking III, Mending, and either Multishot or Piercing, which are mutually exclusive. Tridents typically feature Loyalty or Riptide, Impaling V, Channeling (for Loyalty builds), Unbreaking III, and Mending, with separate tridents recommended for Loyalty and Riptide roles as these two cannot coexist.
Best Enchant Order for Tools
Among tools, pickaxes hold the highest priority in most survival worlds due to their role in resource acquisition and building efficiency. A common strategy involves crafting two primary pickaxes: one with Fortune III for ore collection and another with Silk Touch for building blocks and utility. Both pickaxes generally require Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, and Mending, with either Fortune III or Silk Touch as the specialized enchant. Shovels, axes, and hoes follow a similar pattern, best managed by prioritizing Efficiency and durability enchants, adding Fortune or Silk Touch later as needed for specific tasks.
Pickaxe Enchant Order
For the Fortune pickaxe, a common approach is to apply Fortune III first, followed by a combined Unbreaking III + Mending book, and finally Efficiency V, utilizing around three anvil operations in total. For the Silk Touch pickaxe, many players prefer to apply Efficiency V earlier, then add a bundled Unbreaking + Mending book, and finish with Silk Touch to maintain manageable work penalties and repair costs. Utility gear such as fishing rods, elytra, and shears is simpler to enchant and rarely encounters the “Too Expensive” wall due to fewer required enchantments. Fishing rods typically carry Lure, Luck of the Sea, Unbreaking, and Mending; elytra are primarily focused on Unbreaking III and Mending; and shears benefit from Efficiency, Unbreaking, and Mending for large-scale wool or leaf collection.
General Rules to Avoid “Too Expensive”
From an anvil perspective, the optimal enchant order for tools, weapons, and armor adheres to several consistent principles rather than a strict sequence. The foremost guideline is to combine books with each other first, following a “tournament bracket” pattern, and only then merge them onto the item near the end. Players should refrain from adding numerous single books directly to an item, as each operation increases the internal work cost and XP price. Maintaining similar work histories on both sides of each anvil operation, limiting renames, and grinding and restarting if a piece becomes too expensive early are all practical strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it better to build “perfect” gear early or upgrade gradually?
Gradual upgrading is generally more advantageous, as early and mid-game gear is more susceptible to loss and resources are often limited. Players gain more value from mid-tier enchants initially, then invest in perfect netherite sets once they have access to strong XP and book sources.
2. Should players keep a separate “work” set and “display” set of gear?
Many long-term players opt for a practical “work” set and a cosmetic or themed “display” set. The work set focuses on durability and utility, while the display set can feature flashy but less efficient choices, such as heavy Thorns or unusual combinations.
3. How does repairing with raw materials compare to repairing with the anvil?
Repairing with raw materials does not increase work penalty but cannot restore enchantments, making it suitable for low-value items. Enchanted late-game gear is typically maintained with Mending and only occasionally repaired or upgraded through the anvil.
4. Are there situations where “sub-optimal” enchantments are actually better?
Indeed, some “weaker” choices can be strategically advantageous in farms or specific setups. For instance, skipping Knockback can help keep mobs in kill zones, or avoiding Fire Aspect may be beneficial when it can adversely affect certain drop types.
