The Best Minecraft Enchantments for Every Tool, Weapon and Armor Piece
The best all-round Minecraft enchantments are Mending and Unbreaking III on everything, Protection IV on armor, Sharpness V on swords and axes, and Efficiency V with Fortune III or Silk Touch on tools.
Enchantments are what separate basic diamond gear from late-game equipment. Below you will find the ideal enchantments for each tool, weapon and armor piece, which ones cannot be combined, and how to actually get them in survival.
Key facts
- Must-haves: Mending and Unbreaking III on almost every item
- Enchanting table max: level 30, with 15 bookshelves around the table
- Mending: not available from the table – get it from villagers, fishing or chests
- Combining: use an anvil and enchanted books
- Anvil limit: “Too Expensive!” appears at 40 levels in survival
In this guide
Best enchantments by item
Sword
Sharpness V, Looting III, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III and Mending. On Java, add Sweeping Edge III for crowds. Knockback is optional, since it pushes mobs out of reach.
Pickaxe
Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending and either Fortune III (more diamonds, coal and lapis) or Silk Touch (collect ores and glass blocks intact). Most players keep one of each.
Axe, shovel and hoe
Efficiency V, Unbreaking III and Mending on all three. Add Sharpness V to an axe you use as a weapon, and Fortune III to a hoe for extra crops and saplings.
Bow and crossbow
Bow: Power V, Punch II, Flame, Unbreaking III and either Infinity or Mending. Crossbow: Quick Charge III, Multishot or Piercing IV, Unbreaking III and Mending.
Trident and mace
Trident: Impaling V, Unbreaking III, Mending, plus Loyalty III and Channeling, or Riptide III for travel. Mace: Density V or Breach IV, Wind Burst III, Unbreaking III and Mending.
Armor
Protection IV, Unbreaking III and Mending on every piece. Then add Respiration III and Aqua Affinity to the helmet, Swift Sneak III to the leggings, and Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III and Soul Speed III to the boots.
Elytra and fishing rod
Elytra only needs Unbreaking III and Mending. A fishing rod works best with Luck of the Sea III, Lure III, Unbreaking III and Mending.
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How to get the best enchantments
The enchanting table costs 4 obsidian, 2 diamonds and a book. Surround it with 15 bookshelves, one block away, to unlock level 30 offers. Librarian villagers sell specific enchanted books, including Mending, and are the most reliable source. Fishing and loot chests also drop books. Some enchantments are treasure-only: Swift Sneak comes from ancient cities and Soul Speed from piglin bartering.
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Pros and cons of each source
✅ Pros
- Villagers let you pick exactly the book you want
- The enchanting table is renewable and cheap with lapis
- Fishing gives books while you are AFK
⚠️ Cons
- Enchanting table results are random
- Villager trading takes time and emeralds
- Anvils get more expensive with every use
Enchantments that conflict
| Item | Can’t combine | Our pick |
|---|---|---|
| Pickaxe | Fortune ↔ Silk Touch | Fortune for ores |
| Sword | Sharpness ↔ Smite ↔ Bane of Arthropods | Sharpness |
| Bow | Infinity ↔ Mending | Mending |
| Crossbow | Multishot ↔ Piercing | Multishot |
| Trident | Riptide ↔ Loyalty / Channeling | Depends on use |
| Armor | Protection ↔ other Protection types | Protection IV |
| Boots | Depth Strider ↔ Frost Walker | Depth Strider |
Step by step: build a god-tier pickaxe
- Craft a diamond pickaxe and enchant it at level 30 with 15 bookshelves.
- Get Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Fortune III and Mending as books from librarians.
- Combine the books with each other first on an anvil, to keep costs low.
- Apply the combined book to the pickaxe in one final anvil step.
- Upgrade it to netherite on a smithing table: enchantments are kept.
➜ Visit the official Minecraft site
Frequently asked questions
What is the single best enchantment in Minecraft?
Mending. It repairs your gear using experience orbs, so your best items can last forever.
Why does the anvil say “Too Expensive!”?
Each anvil use raises the item’s repair cost. In survival, once a step would cost 40 levels or more, it is blocked. Combine books before applying them to avoid it.
Can I remove enchantments?
Yes. A grindstone removes all non-curse enchantments and returns some experience.
Do enchantments carry over when upgrading to netherite?
Yes. Upgrading diamond gear with a netherite ingot on a smithing table keeps every enchantment.
Final thoughts
Start with Mending and Unbreaking III, then add each item’s key damage or speed enchantment. Set up a librarian trading hall early, combine books smartly on the anvil, and your diamond gear will carry you all the way to netherite.
By the Annedehaas Games Team
