anvil Archives

AppWizard

April 9, 2026

Epic Games’ weekly freebie is a brand new game, and it’ll have you clobbering your pals in style

Prop Sumo is a new party game released on April 9, available for free on the Epic Games Store until April 16. Players can embody various inanimate objects, such as a grandfather clock or a punching bag, and engage in cooperative gameplay against over 40 other props. The game features nine vibrant maps and includes 22 unique items to enhance gameplay.

AppWizard

April 3, 2026

Enchanting Books in Minecraft: What Actually Works

Enchanting books in Minecraft serve as essential tools for managing upgrades, allowing players to collect valuable enchantments without the unpredictability of the enchanting table. They can be acquired through various methods: creating them (which is random), looting chests, trading with villagers (especially librarians), and fishing. To use enchanting books, players need an anvil to combine the book with an item, but they should be cautious of escalating experience point costs and incompatible enchantments. Enchanting books provide players with greater control over their gear enhancements, enabling them to avoid undesirable outcomes. Common mistakes include applying strong enchantments to low-quality gear, failing to combine books before use, and overlooking villagers as a source for enchanted books.

AppWizard

March 13, 2026

Minecraft 26.1 Pre-Release 2

The pre-release for version 26.1 has been shipped, featuring technical adjustments and fixes related to the Tiny Takeover game. Key changes include: - Adjusted dismount speed thresholds for Spears. - Fixed animation issues for the Baby Axolotl's hind leg. - Scaled the Baby Cat to match the Baby Ocelot's size. - Corrected the scaling of the Baby Horse model. New UI enhancements include an "Exclusive Fullscreen" display option, which requires a game restart to take effect and may limit certain input methods. Trade adjustments now ensure the Master Librarian offers three trades, including an enchanted book trade during the Rebalance experiment. Technical changes include the discarding of text components nested more than 16 times in server status messages. Fixed bugs in this pre-release include issues with despawning trader llamas, skeletons, cats, hoglins, zoglins, dolphins, squids, and various other gameplay and UI bugs. Players can access the pre-release through the Minecraft Launcher by enabling snapshots, but should back up their data as testing versions may corrupt worlds.

AppWizard

February 14, 2026

The Star Citizen free fly is back, giving you a chance to try the colossal space game as it nears a billion dollars in funding

A new Star Citizen free fly event has launched, allowing players to explore the game without any initial investment for just over a week. The highly anticipated single-player spinoff, Squadron 42, is now playable from start to finish, with hopes for a potential release by 2026. Crowdfunding for Star Citizen has surpassed 2 million, nearing a billion-dollar milestone. During the free fly event, participants can choose from various ships, including the RSI Salvation, Anvil Arrow, Drake Golem, Argo Mole, and Drake Cutlass Black. The recruit-a-friend campaign rewards both new players and existing ones who refer friends. The event runs until Monday, February 23, and players can join by visiting the official Roberts Space Industries website. Squadron 42 promises a 40-hour story-driven campaign featuring a star-studded cast.

AppWizard

February 13, 2026

I finished Arc Raiders’ new Shared Watch event in a single evening thanks to this one easy-to-craft item

The Shared Watch event in Arc Raiders allows players to engage in cooperative gameplay focused on defeating Arc, moving away from Candleberry hunts. Players can utilize Seeker Grenades, which were introduced in December, to effectively take down enemies like Wasps and Hornets. Crafting these grenades requires 2x Arc Alloy and 1x Crude Explosives. Bird City is a favorable map for this strategy, as players can lure Snitches and summon additional Arc. Seeker Grenades can be purchased from Apollo if players do not have the blueprint. Encouraging Snitches to summon more Arc increases targets and potential merits for the event.

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Hytale Feels Like Little More Than A Neat Minecraft Texture Pack

Hytale is an early access game that has been in development for a decade, facing a cancellation by Riot Games before its revival in November. The game features mechanics such as jumping two blocks high and a combat system that requires timing for attacks, which are similar to potential mods in Minecraft. Hytale includes familiar mobs like skeletons, spiders, zombies, and golems, alongside new creatures like goblins and Kweebecs, and a mysterious area known as the Void. Crafting in Hytale is more complex than in Minecraft, requiring multiple workstations, and workbenches can recognize adjacent chest contents. Despite its unique elements, Hytale often feels derivative of Minecraft, with similar sounds and inventory mechanics. Future updates, including an anticipated Adventure Mode, aim to introduce RPG-like storylines and quests. The game currently faces balancing issues but remains visually appealing, though it has not surpassed Minecraft's foundational elements.

AppWizard

December 25, 2025

‘Minecraft’ Enchanting and Gear Progression: Best Enchant Order for Tools, Weapons, and Armor

The enchanting system in "Minecraft" involves three main components: the enchanting table, anvil, and grindstone. The enchanting table uses lapis lazuli and experience levels to apply enchantments, while the anvil combines enchanted items and books, and the grindstone removes enchantments for XP. Enchantments range from I to IV or V and are specific to gear types. Players typically start with the enchanting table for initial enchants and refine gear using enchanted books obtained through various means. For armor, players should prioritize Protection IV, Unbreaking III, and Mending, followed by utility enchantments. Helmets often include Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Respiration III, and Aqua Affinity, while boots focus on utility with similar core enchantments. Weapons should be tailored to roles, with swords often featuring Sharpness V, Looting III, and Unbreaking III. Bows typically include Power V and either Infinity or Mending, while tridents have Loyalty or Riptide, Impaling V, and Unbreaking III. Tools, especially pickaxes, are prioritized for resource gathering, with common setups including a Fortune III pickaxe and a Silk Touch pickaxe, both requiring Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, and Mending. General rules to avoid high anvil costs include combining books before applying them to items and managing work histories effectively. Players often upgrade gear gradually rather than aiming for perfect gear early on, and many maintain separate work and display sets of gear. Repairing with raw materials does not incur a work penalty but cannot restore enchantments, while some sub-optimal enchantments can be strategically beneficial in certain situations.

AppWizard

December 1, 2025

Crossbow vs Bow Minecraft: Complete Comparison Guide

In Minecraft, the bow and crossbow are two primary ranged weapons, each with unique characteristics. Bow: - Draw time: 1 second for full power - Damage: 5–10 hearts, varies with arrow type and enchantments - Ammo: Unlimited as long as arrows are in inventory - Enchantments: Power, Punch, Flame, Infinity - Strengths: Rapid fire, critical hits, Infinity enchantment - Weaknesses: Lower base damage, requires skill for maximum draw - Durability: 384 uses - Repair methods: Anvil + string, crafting a new bow, Unbreaking & Mending Crossbow: - Loading time: 1–1.25 seconds - Base damage: Higher than the bow - Ammo: Arrows and fireworks - Enchantments: Piercing, Quick Charge, Multishot, Unbreaking - Strengths: High damage per shot, special projectiles, reliable hit - Weaknesses: Slower firing, no critical hits, lower durability - Durability: 326 uses - Repair methods: Anvil + string, Unbreaking & Mending, crafting a new crossbow Comparison: - Bow has moderate damage and faster firing speed, while crossbow has high damage but is slower due to reload. - Bow can achieve critical hits; crossbow cannot. - Bow is better for rapid attacks and mobility, while crossbow excels in high-damage bursts and strategic use against armored enemies. Players often choose based on their playstyle: the bow for agility and rapid fire, and the crossbow for powerful, deliberate shots. Many players find value in using both weapons to adapt to different combat situations.

AppWizard

November 23, 2025

The biggest-budget, most notorious space game around is holding a huge free trial, with over 200 ships you can try

Star Citizen has surpassed 0 million in crowdfunding and sales. The Intergalactic Aerospace Expo (IAE) 2955 is currently taking place in Orison, showcasing a collection of spacecraft and vehicles, allowing players to test nearly 200 ships for free. The event runs from November 20 to December 3. Star Citizen alpha 4.4 has been released, introducing the new star system Nyx, along with new missions, weapons, and a revamped injury system. The expo will feature a rotating list of ships from various manufacturers, with the community-voted Ship Showdown finalists available for testing on November 29. CIG has improved accessibility through enhanced tutorials and guides. The event includes recruit-a-friend bonuses, offering rewards for both referrers and newcomers.

AppWizard

November 19, 2025

Now that I’ve learned the cost per shot of weapons in Arc Raiders, I’m an even bigger fan of my beloved Stitcher

The Stitcher is the most efficient weapon in Arc Raiders, delivering 13,700 damage over 1,950 shots per full repair at a cost of two credits per shot. The Rattler IV averages 11,900 damage at 3.9 credits per shot. The Osprey is inefficient, becoming unusable after firing one and a half max ammo stacks. The Venator, a rare pistol, inflicts 16,400 damage and achieves 91 magazines per full repair, making it cheaper to repair on a per-damage basis than the Anvil.