Minecraft Enchantment Table Guide

A key aspect of Minecraft is the ability to improve the stats of items. You are able to improve attributes of things such as weapons, tools and armour, improving your game experience. This is done by using an enchantment table. Enchanting can be quite a difficult process to understand at first, here we will go through everything you need to know to get it up and running.

How to Craft an Enchantment Table

An enchantment table is crafted from 4 obsidian, 1 book and 2 diamonds.

Start by opening a crafting table and placing 3 of the obsidian along the bottom 3 slots and then placing the final obsidian, in the centre of the grid.

Place a diamond on either side of the middle obsidian and then complete the recipe by placing the book in the middle-top slot. If done correctly then you will be able to grab the Enchanting table from the box on the right.

When placing the enchantment table you should make sure it is near some bookcases. This will improve the available enchantments and give you more options.

Using an Enchantment Table

  • To maximise the output of the enchantment table you should place it in the centre of up to 30 bookcases. Leaving 1 block space between the bookcases and the enchantment table. However, you can place them wherever you want, even if you have no bookcases nearby. This limits the number of available enchantments.
  • Open the table by right-clicking on it (PC), Pressing the LT button (Xbox) or by pressing the ZL button (Nintendo Switch/Wii U)
  • You can remove any enchantments added by repairing your item. This, however, will require 2 of the same item, once repaired, one item will break, leaving you with the original, no longer enchanted.
  • Enchantments cost anywhere between 2 and 7 experience levels per enchant.
  • In order to enchant an item you will need, the level of experience points required for the enchantment you want, at least 3 lapis and an enchantment table.
  1. When opening the Enchantment Table, you will see a book icon with 2 boxes under it and then 3 boxes on the right. The first box under the book is where you place the item you wish to enchant.
  2. The first box under the book is where you will place lapis, you need this in order for the enchantment to work.
  3. Add the item you would like to enchant into the correct box, we will use a bow as an example.
  4. Once you have done that, place 3 lapis into the box next to your item. Doing this will cause a list of enchantments to appear in the 3 boxes on the right. There will be a number next to each enchantment, this number is the required level of experience that you will need in order to put the enchantment onto your item. The higher the number next to the enchantment, the better the stats given.
  5. In order to get more levels, you will have to collect exp from killing mobs. Click on the enchantment you would like to apply and once done, you will be able to see it by hovering over the item.

What Items Can You Enchant with an Enchantment Table?

There are limits when it comes to the items you can add enchantments too. The items you can enchant are things with multiple uses, such as armour and weapons.

The entire list of items available to enchant is as follows.

  • Shovels
  • Fishing Rods
  • Swords
  • Axes
  • Books
  • Armour
  • Pickaxes
  • Bows

What Are Enchantments?

Enchantments in Minecraft, are abilities and upgrades that can be added to items. These include things such as a higher damage rate or a more efficient tool.
The available enchantments are as follows:

For Tools

  • Fortune
    Increases the chance of gaining more than one ore when mining. The higher the level of enchantment, the higher the chance of gaining more than one ore. It cannot be used on an item that has silk touch.
  • Unbreaking
    When using an item with the unbreaking enchant, it has a chance of not using up any durability. The chance of it not decreasing durability is higher according to the level of the enchant on the item.
  • Efficiency
    Makes the tool better at doing its job. Pickaxes and axes etc will mine faster. Making for a faster resource gathering tool.
  • Silk Touch
    Allows the user the chance of picking up the raw block instead of the dropped item. For example, mining stone would drop a stone block instead of a cobblestone block. Makes mining ores that break into multiples more efficient as they will take up less inventory space.

For Bows

  • Punch
    When hitting a mob with an arrow from a Punch enchanted bow, it will be knocked much further back than usual. This is very useful for getting a creeper away from you before it blows up.
  • Flame
    Hitting a mob with a flame enchanted bow will cause them to be set alight. Using this to kill mobs such as a cow or sheep, will cause them to drop cooked meat instead of raw. The higher the level of enchantment, the longer the target will stay on fire for.
  • Infinity
    The most efficient enchantment for players looking to use a bow as a primary weapon. This enchantment will give the user unlimited arrows, meaning you will not run out mid-fight.
  • Power
    This increases the damage each arrow does to an enemy. Damage inflicted is increased according to the level of the enchantment.
  • Unbreaking
    Bows will have a slight chance of not using any durability per shot fired. This increases per level of enchantment.

For Swords

  • Looting
    Using the looting enchantment on swords gives the user a higher chance of gaining more drops from mobs than if they were killed by a non-enchanted sword. This also improves the rate of rare drops from mobs.
  • Smite
    Increases the damage given to certain mobs. This enchantment is fairly rare, it deals more damage to mobs that are classed as “undead”. This includes Skeletons, Wither Skeletons, Zombies and Zombie Pigmen.
  • Flames
    As the name suggests, hitting a mob with a Flames enchanted weapon will cause them to go on fire. The mob will stay on fire for longer depending on the level of the enchantment.
  • Knockback
    Enables the user to knockback an opponent. This enchantment is best paired with the Sharpness Enchantment as together they will inflict high damage and knockback a mob, meaning you can hit them fast and hard, making for an easy fight.
  • Bane of Arthropods
    BoA is a commonly used enchantment. It increases the damage dealt on certain mobs. The mobs that take more damage from this are Silverfish, Cave Spiders, Endermites and Spiders.
  • Unbreaking
    Each time you use your sword there will be a chance that the durability will not decrease.
  • Sweeping Edge
    Each Mob hit in a single swipe by a sword with this enchantment will have a damage multiplier added to it.
  • Sharpness
    Increases damage dealt. It can also be applied to Axes.

For Crossbows

  • Piercing
    Allows players to shoot through more than one target, up to a maximum of five (One per level of enchantment).
  • Quick Charge
    Decreases the reload speed. Also takes less time to charge.
  • Unbreaking
    Using the crossbow has a chance of not decreasing the durability.
  • Multishot
    Using multishot enables the player to shoot 3 arrows at one time while only using 1.
  • For Shields
  • Unbreaking
    The shield has a chance of not losing durability when being used.
  • Mending
    Instead of gaining experience when you kill mobs, it will repair the durability of your items.
  • Curse of Vanishing
    When you die you will lose the item enchanted with this.

For Armour

  • Projectile Projection
    When hit by ranged shots such as arrows, the damage dealt to you will be decreased. Especially useful against the Ender Dragon or mobs such as Skeletons.
  • Thorns
    When a mob hits you, you will deal damage to any mobs in your range. This, however, makes your armour durability go down faster.
  • Blast Projection
    Reduces damage taken from explosions. A very useful enchantment for attacks from mobs like Creepers or from TNT.
  • Protection
    You will take less damage from all attacks with this enchantment on your armour. Though, the attack specific enchantments have a better defence against their set attack type.
  • Fire Protection
    Reduces damage taken from fire. Great against mobs such as Blazes or useful when falling in lava.

Boots Only

  • Frost Walker
    With this enchantment, you are able to walk across water and every block you step on will turn into ice, creating a path. However refrain from jumping into the water at height while wearing boots with this enchantment as it will create a block under you, meaning you will most likely die.
  • Feather Falling
    You will take reduced damage when dropping from a large height.
  • Depth Strider
    Allows the wearer to move much faster while in water.

Helmet Only

  • Respiration
    With this enchantment, you will be able to stay underwater longer. You will also take much less damage once your oxygen levels are at 0.
  • Aqua Affinity
    Allows the user to mine blocks at an increased speed whilst in water. Max speed is given when the user is standing on a block.
  • For Trident
  • Loyalty
    You will have the trident returned to you when it hits a mob or block.
  • Riptide
    When you use the trident in water/rain you have a chance of being thrown to your target alongside the trident.
  • Impaling
    When attacking sea mobs such as squids, you will have an increased damage rate.
  • Channelling
    Only effective when there is a thunderstorm. Using in one, causes the user to cast a lightning strike upon a mobs

Others

  • Curse of Vanishing
    Any item enchanted with this will be destroyed upon death.
  • Mending
    An extremely useful enchantment. This enchantment can be used on any enchantable items. When killing mobs, instead of gaining exp points, the exp will be used to repair any broken items.