Summary
Minecraft’s enchantments are vital for any player wanting to take on the game’s tougher challenges, from the Wither to the Warden. Those looking to improve their weapons with some arcane flair ought to know the bestMinecraftenchantments to take.
Minecrafthas some harsh trialsin store for willing players. There are not only a couple of bosses and especially hardy foes, but swathes of loot to uncover over the title’s sprawling worlds. The best enchantments are those that will be a constant benefit, though even situational boons can come in handy. Whilst many meet these conditions, there are some enchantments that should be recycled for experience.
S-Tier – Weapon Enchantments' Cream of the Crop
S-Tier enchantments are absolute must-haves, offering benefits that are practically necessary for advancing toMinecraft’s hardest peaks. There are no downsides to throwing these onto their respective weapons. Mending is the clear standout here; it’s the enchantment that preserves all others, easily better than any other method of repair by a mile. The only possible exception here is Sharpness, which isrivaled by a competingMinecraftenchantment. Smite and Sharpness can’t exist on the same sword, and there are situations where Smite is superior (such as fighting the Wither or braving a Nether Fortress). However, Sharpness is still good in Smite’s role and is applicable to non-undead mobs—making it the best option for a player’s main weapon.
A-Tier – Consistent Damage and Great Utility
A-Tier enchantments aren’t quite as crucial, but they’re still solid options and hugely beneficial. The plurality of undead mobs make Smite a solid option. While it shouldn’t be the go-to choice, anyone fighting the Wither really ought to consider applying it to a back-up sword. This tier is also whereMinecraft’s trident enchantments start to appear, with a conflicting but decent series. Loyalty is vital for tridents without Riptide, but the latter is solid enough for the choice to be tough. Riptide is not only a great traversal method by itself, but can give elytra a speed boost during the rain.
This tier also offers fantastic enchantmentsforMinecraft’s ranged weapons. Piercing has the trade-off of denying Multishot, but it’s generally the better choice; it helps players preserve ammo and allows them to shoot through shields. Flame has the possible downside of giving mobs fire attacks, but this is far less likely to be an active detriment when compared to Fire Aspect. Flame’s application to ranged attacks is better suited for getting the most bang for buck with fire damage, since enemies usually won’t be in range to light the player on fire in return.
B-Tier – Niche but Valuable Enchantments
B-Tier is home to above-average enchantments; they may not be essential, but they can still offer a good deal. Sweeping Edge is a bit of a headache to understand and isonly available inMinecraft’s Java version, but it can be a decent boon to mob farming and is wholly beneficial. Impaling only reaches its full potential on Bedrock Edition, but it’s still a no-brainer for a non-Riptide trident. Channeling is incredibly niche—only really of use to trophy-hunters. Still, it’s really the only way to reliably attain mob heads, so it’s at least comfortable within said niche.
Punch is asolid asset to aMinecraftarcher. While it has the potential to suffer from the flaws of Knockback by pushing enemies too far away, its ranged capability makes up for this to some extent. It can also help elytra users in a pinch, but this serves little use in the age of fireworks. Multishot is similarly niche, but combining it with potion arrows is a force to be reckoned with up-close. This build used to be especially broken on Bedrock, piercing through armor and Totems of Undying, but it’s been reined in a little.
C-Tier – Sword Enchantments With Big Drawbacks
Similarly-styled middle-road picks, Fire Aspect and Knockback are occasionally detrimental due to theirapplication onMinecraft’s swords. Fire Aspect can give a foe their own fire attacks whilst lit ablaze, while Knockback keeps mobs away—which isn’t good if that mob happens to have ranged attacks. However, they’re also some ofMinecraft’s most fun enchantments. Burning enemies to a crisp or knocking them off a cliff is great fun with some decent combat uses. Moreover, Fire Aspect will cause livestock to drop cooked meat on a kill, which is especially useful in the Nether, where a player may be peckish for hoglin pork.
D-Tier – Minecraft’s Weakest Weapon Modifiers
D-Tier enchantments are the bottom of the barrel (barringMinecraft’s purposefully detrimental curses), practically useless if not self-defeating. Bane of Arthropods only applies to a tiny pool of mobs, all of which have less health than a zombie. In addition, some of these mobs are very unlikely to be encountered—such as the neutral bee, the uncommon endermite, and the mineshaft-specific cave spider. Worse yet, Bane of Arthropods locks out Sharpness, thereby devaluing a weapon immensely. It only has the slight saving grace of being useful against hordes of poisonous cave spiders, but even then those mobs can be two-shot by an iron sword.
Infinity used to be amust-haveMinecraftenchantment. However, the introduction of Mending dethroned it immediately. This is because Infinity is incompatible with Mending, a far superior enchantment that can endlessly preserve a bow’s other enchantments that a player may have slaved away to get. Moreover, a good skeleton farm and/or a fletcher villager will easily provide a good supply of arrows. With these factors combined, there’s simply no need for infinite ammunition when it denies usage of one ofMinecraft’s best enchantments.
Minecraft
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
