Minecraft enchantments guide: How to enchant your tools and armour in Minecraft
Go all Harry Potter without the need for a mod.
As with all good games, Minecraft makes use of an upgrade system - but it's a rather unique one.
Upgrading your tools, weapons and other items in Minecraft makes is done through a magical process called enchanting, which is typically a rather long-winded affair that requires several steps, some specific equipment and rather a bit of luck.
When you do finally get to enchant your equipment, there's no guarantee which weird and wonderful ability will be imbued on your item - your weapon may get extra damage, or your most prized possession could be rendered useless.
Some of the enchantments are admittedly very powerful - and cool - so it's easy to see why so many players take the gamble, so here's how to do some enchanting of your own in the perennially popular video game.
You can also see our guides on how to play Minecraft for free, as well as lists of the very best Minecraft skins, best Minecraft shaders and best Minecraft mods.
What items can you enchant in Minecraft?
Armour, tools, weapons, and books can all be enchanted in Minecraft.
How to enchant items in Minecraft
In survival mode, there are three main ways to enchant an item:
- Trade experience points and lapis lazuli at an enchanting table (unenchanted items only).
- Combine an enchanted book with an item at an anvil.
- Combine two of the same item with different enchantments at an anvil - the resulting single item will have the enchantments of both.
It's also possible to obtain items that are already enchanted, which can be done by trading with villagers, fishing, bartering, exploring end cities and killing pillagers, vindicators and certain hostile mobs.
Or there's always Minecraft console commands and cheats - we won't judge...
How to use the Enchantment Table in Minecraft
First, you'll have to build your very own Enchantment Table - this requires four obsidian, two diamond, and a book to do so. Make sure you have lots of Lapis Lazuli also.
Place three of the obsidian at the bottom of your crafting table with the fourth in the centre. The two diamond then go either side of the obsidian and the book in the centre of the top row and voila - an enchanting table should then appear ready to go into your inventory.
To perform the enchantment itself, place your selected item in the left slot of the Enchantment table along with some lapis lazuli. Three enchantments will appear - with a higher player level required for the best enchantments - but you'll only be able to choose one. The enchantments cost player levels however, so make sure you read the requirements carefully.
The three enchantments are random every time, so if you're after a specific one this could take a few tries. If you have a high enough level one option is simply to choose the enchantment with the lowest cost, then use a Grindstone to remove the enchantment so you can try again.
Placing bookshelves will increase the enchantment levels given - with the best odds coming from a full border made up of fifteen bookshelves.
How to find and use Enchanted Books in Minecraft
Another option is to use Enchanted Books, which can be found in the world through looting chests, fishing, trading with villagers, bartering with piglins or drops from raids.
You can also enchant books at the Enchantment Table - perfect if you do not have a specific item you wish to enchant yet. Repeatedly enchanting books will eventually give you a max level enchantment, which you can then bestow upon a chosen item.
This can be done by using an anvil, which can be mined or crafted using three blocks of Iron and four Iron ingots. You can then enchant an item by placing your chosen item in the first slot and an enchanted book in the second. As long as have enough experience, the compatible enchantments from the book will then transfer to the item, keeping the highest level of any type.
However, be warned that unusable spells will be lost - enchanted books are single use.
Minecraft Enchantment List
There's quite a few Enchantments available in Minecraft so you'll be lucky to get a specific one - though here's the full list:
- Aqua Affinity - Increases underwater mining rate.
- Bane of Arthropods - Increases damage to arthropods, namely spiders, cave spiders, silverfish, endermites, and bees.
- Blast Protection - As the name suggests, explosion damage is reduced.
- Channeling - Channels a bolt of lightning to a hit target during thunderstorms - but only compatible with the Minecraft Trident.
- Curse of Binding - Binds items to you so they can't be removed.
- Curse of Vanishing - The item is destroyed on death.
- Depth Strider - Underwater movement speed is increased.
- Efficiency - Increases mining speed.
- Feather Falling - Fall damage is decreased.
- Fire Aspect - Target is set on fire.
- Fire Protection - Fire damage and burn time is reduced.
- Flame - Arrows set the target on fire.
- Fortune - Increases chances of certain block drops.
- Frost Walker - Water beneath the player turns into frosted ice, and prevents damage from magma blocks.
- Impaling - Deals additional damage to ocean mobs.
- Infinity - Shooting arrows does not use up regular arrow stock.
- Knockback - Knockback is increased.
- Looting - Mob loot is increased.
- Loyalty - Only compatible with the Trident. Trident returns when thrown.
- Luck of the Sea - Increases the rate of good loot.
- Lure - Decreases fishing time.
- Mending - Repairs the item when gaining XP orbs,
- Multishot - Shoot three arrows at the cost of one.
- Piercing - Arrows can now pass through multiple entities.
- Power - Arrow damage is increased.
- Projectile Protection - Projectile damage is decreased.
- Protection - Most types of damage are reduced.
- Punch - Arrow knockback is increased.
- Quick Charge - Crossbow charging time is reduced.
- Respiration - Underwater breathing time is extended.
- Riptide - Trident launches player with itself when thrown in water or rain.
- Sharpness - Damage is increased.
- Silk Touch - Mined blocks drop themselves.
- Smite - Undead mobs receive more damage.
- Soul speed - Walking speed over soul sand and soul soil is increased.
- Sweeping Edge - Sweeping attack damage is increased.
- Thorns - Reflects some damage back to opponents when hit.
- Unbreaking - Item durability is increased.
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