Best Enchantments for Every Item
The best enchantments for every item, in one place. Pick your gear to see its max build, what to skip, and the cheapest anvil order. We check every build against the Java 26.3 game rules.
| Item | Max build | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | Protection IV, Respiration III, Aqua Affinity, Thorns III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 45 |
| Chestplate | Protection IV, Thorns III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 28 |
| Leggings | Protection IV, Swift Sneak III, Thorns III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 44 |
| Boots | Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Soul Speed III, Depth Strider III, Thorns III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 66 |
| Elytra | Unbreaking III, Mending | 6 |
| Sword | Sharpness V, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Knockback II, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 49 |
| Axe | Sharpness V, Fortune III, Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending | 32 |
| Spear | Lunge III, Sharpness V, Fire Aspect II, Knockback II, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 46 |
| Mace | Wind Burst III, Density V, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III, Mending | 31 |
| Trident | Channeling, Impaling V, Loyalty III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 33 |
| Bow | Power V, Flame, Punch II, Unbreaking III, Mending | 26 |
| Crossbow | Multishot, Quick Charge III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 17 |
| Pickaxe | Fortune III, Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending | 23 |
| Shovel | Fortune III, Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending | 23 |
| Hoe | Fortune III, Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending | 23 |
| Fishing Rod | Luck of the Sea III, Lure III, Unbreaking III, Mending | 24 |
| Shears | Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending | 14 |
| Brush | Unbreaking III, Mending | 6 |
| Flint and Steel | Unbreaking III, Mending | 6 |
| Shield | Unbreaking III, Mending | 6 |
| Carrot on a Stick | Unbreaking III, Mending | 6 |
| Warped Fungus on a Stick | Unbreaking III, Mending | 6 |
How these builds are chosen
Each max build takes every useful enchantment the item can hold in Java 26.3. Where two enchantments exclude each other, the build picks the one most players want, and the item page explains the alternative: Silk Touch instead of Fortune, Infinity instead of Mending, Breach instead of Density and so on. We always leave curses out.
The levels column is the total cost of the cheapest anvil order for fresh gear. The same engine as the enchantment calculator solves it, and each order has its own step-by-step page: helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, sword, axe, spear, mace, trident, bow, crossbow, pickaxe, shovel, hoe, fishing rod, shears.
Start with the essentials
If you are new to enchanting, three books matter on almost everything: Unbreaking, Mending and the item's main enchantment, like Protection, Sharpness or Efficiency. Everything else is a bonus. Read how to enchant for where to get them.
Two rules decide most builds. First, take one enchantment from each conflict group: Sharpness or Smite, Fortune or Silk Touch, Loyalty or Riptide. Second, the order matters: the order pages put the dearest books on while the item has no penalty yet, and that saves a lot of levels.
Quick picks by playstyle
- Mining: a Fortune III pickaxe for ores and a Silk Touch one for blocks, plus an Efficiency V shovel.
- Mob farms: a Looting III sword and full Protection IV armor with Mending.
- Boss fights: a Smite sword or a Density mace for the wither, and a Power V bow for the dragon's crystals.
- PvP: a Breach mace, a Sharpness axe and Protection IV armor with Thorns.
- Ocean: a Loyalty trident, a Respiration helmet and Depth Strider boots.
- Nether: Soul Speed boots, a strider stick and one Fire Protection piece.
- Travel: an Unbreaking and Mending elytra, plus a Riptide trident for rainy days.
The choices that matter most
The big either-or choices each have their own comparison: Sharpness vs Smite, Fortune vs Silk Touch, Mending vs Infinity, Loyalty vs Riptide, Density vs Breach and Multishot vs Piercing. Each one shows the numbers, so you can pick for your own playstyle.
Treasure books are the slow part of any build. Mending, Frost Walker, Soul Speed, Swift Sneak and Wind Burst never come from the enchanting table. So read the treasure enchantment guide and how to get Mending before you plan.