Tutorials/Best enchantments guide

This guide will give you an explanation and walk-through of the best enchantments you can apply to everything that can be enchanted in the game.

page assumes that the world is created and played in the latest game version. However, it is possible to obtain different and more extreme enchantment combinations on prior versions; early 1.14 releases notably allow more than one protection enchantment to be applied to a single piece at a given time.

The enchantments are sorted from highest to least priority.

On this page, an sign means that the enchantment cannot be obtained via enchanting table, and must be added through an anvil.

Armor
Have at least one piece with protection, preferably the pants, or just enchant your entire armor set with protection (save for one situational enchantment on the chestplate).

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.


 * Mending
 * Protection IV or Projectile Protection IV or Blast Protection IV or Fire Protection IV
 * Unbreaking III
 * Respiration III
 * Aqua Affinity
 * Thorns III (Optional. Consumes extra Durability)

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  with a cost of 6 + 2 + 2 + 8 + 9 = 27 levels.


 * Mending
 * Protection IV or Projectile Protection IV or Blast Protection IV or Fire Protection IV
 * Unbreaking III
 * Thorns III (Optional. Consumes extra Durability)

The optimal enchantment orders is  with a cost of 4 + 2 + 7 = 13 levels.


 * Mending
 * Protection IV or Projectile Protection IV or Blast Protection IV or Fire Protection IV
 * Unbreaking III
 * Thorns III (Optional. Consumes extra Durability)

The optimal enchantment orders is  with a cost of 4 + 2 + 7 = 13 levels.


 * Mending
 * Protection IV or Projectile Protection IV or Blast Protection IV or Fire Protection IV
 * Feather Falling IV
 * Unbreaking III
 * Depth Strider III or Frost Walker II (Depth Strider overall preferred, as it is used in more circumstances)
 * Soul Speed III (Optional. Consumes extra Durability)
 * Thorns III (Optional. Consumes extra Durability)

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  with a cost of 6 + 3 + 2 + 9 + 10 = 30 levels.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Sharpness V (for general use) or Smite V (for fighting undead mobs, such as wither and wither skeleton farms) or Bane of Arthropods V (allows 1-hit killing of all arthropods; not recommended, unless for a spider farm)
 * Sweeping Edge III (Deals more damage to multiple mobs while standing still, useful for XP farms, though you may accidentally hit your pets if they're too close)
 * Looting III (must-have for manual mob farms)
 * Fire Aspect II (Optional. Makes endermen a hassle to fight, since they teleport everywhere while on fire; hostile mobs that are set on fire set you on fire on melee attacks; cooks food dropped by cows, pigs, hoglins, sheep, chickens, rabbits, cod, and salmon) even in rain.
 * Knockback II (Optional. Can make drowneds and skeletons a hassle to fight; useful against creepers)


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Efficiency V
 * Sharpness V or Smite V  (allows 1-hit killing of most undead mobs) or Bane of Arthropods V  (allows 1-hit killing of arthropods) or Cleaving III [upcoming: JE Combat Tests] (extends shield stun duration and increases damage) [note that axes are more useful for combat on Java Edition]
 * Silk Touch (useful for melons, bookshelves and beehives) or Fortune III (only slightly useful for melons)


 * Infinity or Mending
 * Power V
 * Unbreaking III
 * Flame
 * Punch II (Optional)

Infinity means without Unbreaking you need 383 fewer arrows. With Unbreaking I / II / III you need on average 767/1151/1535 less arrows (1536=24 stacks). Mending means your bow will never break if you continually gain enough experience, which will likely happen. If you have an enchanting setup and a lot of iron for anvils, infinity is better, unless you can obtain large quantities of arrows with ease. Another exception would be if you got a powerful bow early game, for example from fishing. Mending would be better because you won't have a lot of iron or an enchanting table early on.

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  with a cost of 5 + 3 + 2 + 9 + 10 = 29 levels.


 * Quick Charge III
 * Multishot or Piercing IV *
 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending

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.

You are more likely to hit another mob with Multishot or the same one when its a larger mob, but the chance that you hit something else unintentionally increases with both enchantments (a villager to make an iron golem angry or a zombified piglin or bees). Piercing allows reusing arrows which hit a mob, so it almost substitutes Infinity, and it can be useful for achieving certain advancements or killing at spawners. Piercing is usually better because you use less arrows, and with multishot, you can only see where one arrow will land, not all three. Also, Piercing uses 1 durability per shot, while Multishot uses 3; more precious ammunition such as tipped arrows can also be retrieved after use, which is a benefit that Infinity doesn't have.


 * Mending (must-have, as tridents can otherwise only be repaired with other tridents)
 * Unbreaking III
 * Loyalty III and Channeling or only Riptide III *
 * Impaling V (useful for fighting guardians, but not drowneds, or underwater combat in general)

Loyalty can be useful for fighting mobs in any weather conditions. Loyalty will make your trident come to you automatically, unless you throw it into the void.

Riptide is useful for fast transportation in certain weather conditions or underwater, it can also be used as a reliable substitute of firework rockets for elytra as long as there is a water source nearby, or it is raining.

Channeling makes a lightning strike on any mobs you attack with your trident (only works under thunderstorms). This can be used to turn villagers into witches, pigs into zombified piglins, red mooshrooms into brown mooshrooms, and creepers into charged creepers. A charged creeper's explosion will cause a nearby mob to drop its head (such as zombies, skeletons, and other creepers) so this enchantment is useful for farming mob heads. But beware of that as charged creepers' explosions are 50% more powerful than an explosion of TNT.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Fortune III (useful for ores) or Silk Touch (useful for ice, stone, etc.)
 * Efficiency V (allows instant mining of many blocks)

Fortune III has the highest priority when you mine for most ores, especially diamonds.

Efficiency V, when combined with the Haste II effect obtained from beacons, allows the instant mining of stone, making mining much faster.

Silk Touch is useful for a variety of blocks. A notable one is the ender chest, a block used frequently in late-game, which can only be retrieved with a Silk Touch pickaxe.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Efficiency V (Efficiency IV is sufficient, as all blocks mineable with a shovel can be instantly mined with Efficiency IV)
 * Silk Touch (useful for grass blocks or gravel) or Fortune III (useful for flint)


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Efficiency V (allows instant mining of all blocks mineable with a hoe)
 * Silk Touch (useful for obtaining leaves) or Fortune III (useful for obtaining apples and saplings from leaves, or obtaining more Potato or Carrot from Crops)


 * Unbreaking III (needs in Bedrock Edition)
 * Mending
 * Efficiency V
 * Silk Touch (useful for melons, bookshelves and beehives) or Fortune III (only slightly useful for melons)


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Luck of the Sea III
 * Lure III


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending
 * Efficiency V (allows instant mining of wool)
 * Silk Touch (useful for cobweb)

It is usually not recommended to enchant shears at all, as they can only be enchanted through an anvil, and they are crafted with iron ingots which are very easy to come by in late-game. So only enchant them if you have an abundance of enchanted books of the above categories.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending

Similar to shears, flint and steel is not recommended to be enchanted.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending

It is usually not recommended to enchant shields, but if the shield has a banner applied to it, it might be worth it to enchant it.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending

Being one of the least used tools in the game, it is not recommended to obtain the tool in the first place, not to mention enchanting it.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending

This tool is not recommended to be enchanted, for reasons similar to carrot on a stick stated above. In addition, even if its durability is depleted, it will simply turn into a fishing rod, which means the player can simply craft the rod with another warped fungus in their inventory to make a new one.


 * Unbreaking III
 * Mending

It is almost necessary to apply these two enchantments to elytra, as they are one of the most useful modes of transportation in late-game. Unbreaking is needed to quadruple the elytra's airborne time, since elytra breaking in mid-air can be deadly; Mending is the most effective way to repair elytra, as otherwise they can only be repaired with phantom membranes or other elytras in an anvil, and the cost increases over time.

Conflicting Enchantments
Conflicting enchantments are enchantments that cannot be combined on the same armor, weapon or tool. The following enchantments cannot be combined:


 * Protection, Projectile Protection, Blast Protection, and Fire Protection cannot be combined.
 * Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, and Cleaving [upcoming: JE Combat Tests] cannot be combined.
 * Silk Touch and Fortune cannot be combined.
 * Infinity and Mending cannot be combined.
 * Piercing and Multishot cannot be combined.
 * Both Loyalty and Channeling cannot be combined with Riptide.
 * Frost Walker and Depth Strider cannot be combined.

Further guide
The following armor enchantments cannot be combined: Protection, Projectile Protection, Blast Protection, and Fire Protection. Protection prevents half the damage that would be blocked by the other three. Protection is better, but there are sometimes other factors you should take into account. If you fall often in lava, it would be better to put Fire Protection on your armor. If you die often from creeper explosions, put Blast Protection armor on.

Note: More than 20 Enchantment Protection Factor (EPF) is useless. 1 Level of Protection = 1 EPF, 1 Level of specific type of Protection = 2 EPF. For example, two pieces of armor with Blast Protection IV (EPF 8 each) and a single piece with Protection IV (EPF 4) would give a total EPF of 20 versus explosions.

The following sword/axe enchantments cannot be combined: Sharpness, Smite, and Bane of Arthropods. Depending on what you want to do with the sword or axe, you can choose the most suitable. Sharpness is useful for general use, Smite is useful against undead mobs (skeletons, zombies, withers, etc.), Bane of Arthropods is useful against Arthropods (spiders, cave spiders, bees, silverfish, and endermites). Each level of Smite and Bane of Arthropods deals 2.5 extra damage to the specific group of mobs. Sharpness deals 1.25 extra damage [ Bedrock Edition] and  extra damage $$. If you are going to battle a lot of undead mobs (with the same sword or axe) more than every third[ Bedrock Edition / fourth[ Java Edition, level I to II] / fifth[ Java Edition, level III to V] time, Smite deals the most damage. The same rule is not fully valid for choosing Bane of Arthropods, as Arthropods have low health, meaning Sharpness should be enough. Sharpness is the best choice, so have another sword with Smite for zombie farming (optional), or carry both a sharpness sword and a smite sword (optional, only if you have good inventory management).undefinedundefinedundefined

Aside from curses, there aren't any enchantments that should be avoided with other tools.