Minecraft Enchantments Guide: Best Survival Enchantments for Beginners

Minecraft enchantments are special power-ups for gear that make weapons, armor, and tools more effective. In survival mode you typically enchant items with an enchanting table or an anvil. An enchanting table (plus lapis lazuli and experience levels) applies a random enchantment; surrounding the table with 15 bookshelves unlocks the strongest level-30 enchants. Anvils are used to combine enchantments or apply enchanted books you’ve traded, fished, or looted. Below is a simplified breakdown of the most useful enchantments by item type—swords, bows, armor, pickaxes, axes, and general tools—explaining what each does and why it matters for beginners in survival.

Swords — Best Enchantments for Melee

The sword is your primary melee weapon, and the right enchantments make it deadlier and last longer.

• Sharpness V – Boosts overall melee damage, letting you kill mobs faster.
• Looting III – Increases mob drops and rare-drop chances, speeding resource gathering.
• Unbreaking III – Greatly slows durability loss so your sword lasts longer.
• Mending – Uses experience orbs to repair durability, making a good sword virtually permanent.
• Fire Aspect II – Sets targets ablaze, adding burn damage and auto-cooking animals.
• Knockback II (optional) – Sends enemies flying; useful for crowd control.
• Sweeping Edge III (Java only, optional) – Increases sweep-attack damage against groups.

Why it helps: Sharpness and Looting accelerate combat and loot collection, Unbreaking and Mending extend lifespan, and Fire Aspect or crowd-control enchants add extra safety. Aim for Sharpness V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, and Mending as your core sword setup.

Bows — Best Ranged Enchantments

A well-enchanted bow keeps dangers at a distance.

• Power V – Significantly increases arrow damage.
• Infinity – Grants unlimited arrows as long as you carry one.
• Unbreaking III – Reduces durability loss from every shot.
• Flame – Sets targets on fire for bonus damage.
• Punch II (optional) – Adds knockback to arrows.
• Mending (alternative to Infinity) – Repairs with XP; choose this if you prefer durability over endless arrows.

Why it helps: A Power V bow with Infinity is a top-tier ranged weapon—high damage, zero arrow worries, and long-lasting thanks to Unbreaking.

Armor — Best Enchantments to Stay Alive

Good armor enchants are your survival insurance policy.

• Protection IV – Broad damage reduction from most sources.
• Feather Falling IV (boots) – Greatly reduces fall damage.
• Unbreaking III – Extends armor lifespan.
• Mending – Repairs armor with XP for near-infinite durability.
• Respiration III (helmet) – Extends underwater breathing time.
• Aqua Affinity (helmet) – Removes underwater mining penalty.
• Depth Strider III (boots) – Speeds movement in water.
• Frost Walker II (boots, optional) – Freezes water beneath your feet.
• Thorns III (optional) – Reflects damage but wears armor faster.

Why it helps: Protection IV on all pieces plus Feather Falling IV on boots drastically reduces most survival threats, while Unbreaking and Mending keep your armor intact indefinitely.

Pickaxes — Best Enchantments for Mining

The pickaxe is your resource engine; enchant it well.

• Efficiency V – Vastly increases mining speed.
• Fortune III – Yields more gems and ores per block.
• Unbreaking III – Triples effective durability.
• Mending – Repairs with XP for endless use.
• Silk Touch (on a second pick) – Harvests blocks intact instead of drops.

Why it helps: An Efficiency V, Fortune III, Unbreaking III, Mending pickaxe mines faster, yields more resources, and never breaks—perfect for long survival sessions.

Axes — Best Enchantments for Woodcutting and Combat

Axes chop wood quickly and, in Java Edition, hit hard in combat.

• Efficiency V – Speeds wood gathering dramatically.
• Unbreaking III – Extends durability.
• Mending – Repairs with XP.
• Sharpness V (or Smite V/Bane V) – Adds serious combat damage.
• Silk Touch (optional) – Collects blocks like beehives or bookshelves intact.
• Fortune III (optional) – Increases sapling or apple drops.

Why it helps: An Efficiency V axe with Unbreaking and Mending turns lumber work into a breeze; add Sharpness V if you want a devastating melee weapon, too.

General Tools and Utility Enchants

• Efficiency V on shovels and hoes speeds digging and harvesting.
• Unbreaking III + Mending on all frequently used tools (shovels, hoes, fishing rods, shears, shields) keeps them from breaking.
• Luck of the Sea III and Lure III on a fishing rod boost treasure catches and bite rate.
• Silk Touch or Fortune III can be situationally useful on axes, shovels, or hoes depending on your farming style.

Why it helps: Fully enchanted everyday tools speed resource gathering and last forever, freeing you to explore, build, and survive without constant repairs.

FAQ

How do I enchant items in Minecraft survival mode?

Use an enchanting table with lapis and XP for random enchants, or an anvil to combine enchanted books or items. Surround the table with 15 bookshelves for max-level enchants and keep XP handy for anviling.

What are the best sword enchantments?

Best sword combo: Sharpness V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending. Add Fire Aspect II or Sweeping Edge III (Java) for extra damage or crowd control.

What should I put on my pickaxe first?

Prioritize Efficiency V for speed, then Fortune III for more drops. Finish with Unbreaking III and Mending so your pickaxe lasts forever.

Which armor enchantments save lives most often?

A full set of Protection IV plus Feather Falling IV on boots prevents most deaths from combat and falls. Add Unbreaking III and Mending to keep armor in top shape.

Can I have both Infinity and Mending on a bow?

No. Infinity (unlimited arrows) and Mending (XP repairs) are mutually exclusive on bows. Pick one: Infinity for endless arrows, Mending for endless durability.