Enchanting is a feature, in Minecraft that enables players to enhance the abilities of their armor, tools, weapons, and books. By adding enchantments these items can be improved significantly. Enchantments can be categorized into groups based on what you’re enchanting such as armor, tools, weapons, and books.
To enhance items in Minecraft you need to utilize the experience orbs leveling system. This means that you must have at least reached level 1. Once you have placed the item and lapis lazuli in the table three enchantment options will appear before you.
The specific enchantments that appear depend on two factors; your level and the enchantment level. Another way to enhance items is, by using an anvil, which allows you to combine enchantments from two items or apply a book to an item.
The following enchantments can be applied to all types of armor (Helmets, Chestplates, Leggings, and Boots);
Helmet
Aqua Affinity: This enchantment enables mining and digging speeds while underwater. Without this enchantment, your mining speed is reduced by 5x while swimming.
Respiration III: With this enchantment active, your ability to breathe underwater is extended by 45 seconds. It allows for periods of swimming underwater when equipped.
Chest
For the chest, you should add enchantments, like Protection IV, Mending, and Unbreaking III. No additional enchantments are necessary for the chest.
Leggings
Similarly for the leggings make sure to include Protection IV, Mending, and Unbreaking III. No need to add any enchantments.
Boots
As, for the boots go for Protection IV, Mending, and Unbreaking III. These enchantments should suffice without requiring any ones.
Best Minecraft weapon enchantments
As a rule of thumb, always affix Unbreaking III and Mending to your most potent weapons whenever feasible. The bow, however, deviates from this rule because you cannot incorporate mending if the bow has the Infinity enchantment. Find more details in the bow segment below.
Sword Enchantments
Sharpness V: It escalates damage by 3 (Java Edition) or 6.25 (Bedrock Edition). This enchantment is crucial in intensifying melee damage.
Smite V: This can enhance your sword by amplifying harm to undead mobs, but Sharpness V cannot coexist with it. Mostly, Sharpness V is superior due to its wide application against enemies.
Sweeping Edge III: It augments sweeping damage by 75%. It’s worth noting that the Bedrock edition of Minecraft does not offer this enchantment.
Looting III: It expands item drops from mobs but doesn’t affect XP drops. It’s a tremendously useful enchantment used for farming wither skeleton skulls.
Other optional enchantments include Fire Aspect II (ignites enemies) and Knockback II (propels opponents when you strike them) based on your preferred play style.
Axe Enchantments
Sharpness V: It considerably elevates melee damage.
Smite V: Like with a sword, you can also attach this to an axe to heighten the damage against undead mobs. However, it can’t exist alongside Sharpness V. Opt for Sharpness V unless focusing on undead foes.
Efficiency V: This enchantment enormously hastens woodcutting, a prerequisite if you intend to utilize your axe for lumbering purposes.
Your choice between Silk Touch or Fortune III depends on your preference. Axes usually don’t necessitate either of these enchantments.
Bow Enchantments
Power V: It supplements arrow damage, making it easier to destroy monsters.
Infinity: An exceptional enchantment for bows. It allows indefinite shooting without arrow consumption. However, a caveat: the bow must possess one arrow in inventory, and lack the mending enchantment.
Flame: This enchantment ignites your arrows, dealing more significant damage. Flame arrows can’t incinerate objects like wood or trees, only applicable to targets.
How to enchant equipment in Minecraft?
In Minecraft, you can choose to enchant your gear using either a table or an anvil. Here’s how you can do it step by step:
Enchanting Table Method
1. First create a table by gathering one book, two diamonds, and four obsidian.
2. Place the table that you’ve crafted on the ground.
3. Right-click, on the table to activate the enchanting interface.
4. Within the interface place the item you want to enchant in the slot.
5. Deposit lapis lazuli in the slot of the interface. The amount of lapis lazuli required depends on the desired level of enchantment.
6. Choose from three presented options for your enchantment on the table.
7. To complete the process click on your chosen enchantment. It will be applied to your item.
Anvil Method
1. Obtain either a book or another enchanted item.
2. Place your chosen item for enchantment with the book or item, onto the anvil.
3. At this stage you also have an option to rename your item if desired.
To finish the process you’ll need to use your experience points to apply the enchantment to your item.
Keep in mind that the enchantments available, on the enchanting table are chosen randomly so you might have to try a few times before getting the enchantment you want. Also, some enchantments cannot be combined on an item at the time.
Best enchantments in Minecraft
The enchantments highlighted here are effective for both the Bedrock and Java versions of Minecraft.
Unbreaking
Unbreaking is among the most frequently used Minecraft in-game enchantments, which can be applied to any item with durability. As suggested, Unbreaking enlarges the item’s durability. And as veteran Minecraft players would know, enhanced durability means saving considerable time.
Mending
Mending is the logical successor to the Unbreaking enchantment. It is one of the most common enchantments used in Minecraft. By collecting experience orbs, you can mend any item. The only requirement for this enchantment to work is that the item must be active. Whether you’re wearing it or it is in your prime or secondary hand.
Sharpness
This particular enchantment can be deployed to either a sword or an axe in Minecraft. The utilization of it escalates the inflicted damage. Given a sharper sword or axe, killing mobs becomes easier and quicker. A sharper axe also aids in chopping timber quickly. In the Bedrock version, sharpness escalates by an additional 1.25 damage with each level. In the Java edition, it scales up by “0.5xlevel + 0.5”. This level, Sharpness 5, is achievable only through the game’s Anvil.
Infinity on Bows
This enchantment, as it inferentially suggests, provides you with limitless arrows. This enchantment is an excellent addition to the catalog of best Minecraft enhancements and proves useful in the Ender Dragon battle. Absent this enchantment, shooting an arrow results in its loss.
Thus, with only one arrow in your inventory and this enchantment on your bow, you stand at an advantage. Unlike other enchantments, the Infinity on Bows does not have levels – since infinity cannot be exceeded – though, the arrows will operate like the regular ones.