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Best Book Enchantments in Minecraft (2026)
Plan the optimal anvil order for your book - avoid “Too Expensive!” and choose a compatible Java Edition loadout without wasting rare books or XP.
Anvil Calculator
Optimal order · XP cost · Too-Expensive guardPick the gear you want to enchant. Books you add below will be merged onto it in the cheapest order we can find.
All Book Enchantments
| Enchantment | Max Level | Book Cost | Conflicts | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protection | 4 | 1/lvl | Fire Protection, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection | vanilla |
| Fire Protection | 4 | 2/lvl | Protection, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection | vanilla |
| Blast Protection | 4 | 4/lvl | Protection, Fire Protection, Projectile Protection | vanilla |
| Projectile Protection | 4 | 2/lvl | Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection | vanilla |
| Respiration | 3 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Aqua Affinity | 1 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Thorns | 3 | 8/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Feather Falling | 4 | 2/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Depth Strider | 3 | 4/lvl | Frost Walker | vanilla |
| Frost Walker [treasure] | 2 | 4/lvl | Depth Strider | vanilla |
| Soul Speed [treasure] | 3 | 8/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Swift Sneak [treasure] | 3 | 8/lvl | - | 1.19 |
| Sharpness | 5 | 1/lvl | Smite, Bane of Arthropods | vanilla |
| Smite | 5 | 2/lvl | Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach | vanilla |
| Bane of Arthropods | 5 | 2/lvl | Sharpness, Smite, Density, Breach | vanilla |
| Knockback | 2 | 2/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Fire Aspect | 2 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Looting | 3 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Sweeping Edge | 3 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Efficiency | 5 | 1/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Fortune | 3 | 4/lvl | Silk Touch | vanilla |
| Silk Touch | 1 | 8/lvl | Fortune | vanilla |
| Unbreaking | 3 | 2/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Mending [treasure] | 1 | 4/lvl | Infinity | vanilla |
| Power | 5 | 1/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Punch | 2 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Flame | 1 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Infinity | 1 | 8/lvl | Mending | vanilla |
| Multishot | 1 | 4/lvl | Piercing | vanilla |
| Piercing | 4 | 1/lvl | Multishot | vanilla |
| Quick Charge | 3 | 2/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Impaling | 5 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Loyalty | 3 | 4/lvl | Riptide | vanilla |
| Channeling | 1 | 8/lvl | Riptide | vanilla |
| Riptide | 3 | 4/lvl | Loyalty, Channeling | vanilla |
| Lunge | 3 | 2/lvl | - | 1.21.11 |
| Luck of the Sea | 3 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Lure | 3 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Density | 5 | 1/lvl | Breach, Smite, Bane of Arthropods | 1.21 |
| Breach | 4 | 4/lvl | Density, Smite, Bane of Arthropods | 1.21 |
| Wind Burst [treasure] | 3 | 4/lvl | - | 1.21 |
| Curse of Binding [curse] [treasure] | 1 | 8/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Curse of Vanishing [curse] [treasure] | 1 | 8/lvl | - | vanilla |
Best Book Combos
The right combo depends on what you do with your book. These are example Java Edition loadouts based on the calculator's compatibility data. Enter the books you actually have above to see a lower-cost order before you use an anvil.
Step-by-step anvil order
Apply books in the order the calculator above prints. As a heuristic: the cheapest books first (Unbreaking, Mending), the per-level multiplier-1 enchants next (Sharpness, Efficiency, Power), then the high-cost ones (Looting, Fortune, Thorns, Silk Touch).
This calculator uses a Java Edition anvil-cost model with a 40-level
survival cap and a 2^n - 1 prior-work
penalty. It does not model Bedrock-specific math, mods, datapacks, or
snapshot behavior, so verify a valuable final combine in game.
How to get the best book enchantments
- Villager trading: Librarian villagers offer single enchanted books for emeralds; trap two villagers and reroll until you have one each of Mending and Unbreaking III.
- Enchanting table: Build 15 bookshelves around a level 30 table for the strongest single enchant. Combine the result onto your book via the anvil.
- Loot & structures: Trial chambers, ancient cities, and bastions reliably drop high-level books.
- Fishing: With a Luck of the Sea III rod you can pull enchanted books on roughly 1% of catches.
World compatibility
MinecraftCalc is scoped to Java Edition planning. Bedrock, modded, datapack, and snapshot worlds can differ in available enchantments or mechanics. Treat the result as a planning path and confirm the final combine in the world where you play.
FAQ
- What enchantments can I put on a Book in Minecraft?
- A Book accepts 43 enchantments: Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection, Respiration, Aqua Affinity, Thorns, Feather Falling, Depth Strider, Frost Walker, Soul Speed, Swift Sneak, Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Knockback, Fire Aspect, Looting, Sweeping Edge, Efficiency, Fortune, Silk Touch, Unbreaking, Mending, Power, Punch, Flame, Infinity, Multishot, Piercing, Quick Charge, Impaling, Loyalty, Channeling, Riptide, Lunge, Luck of the Sea, Lure, Density, Breach, Wind Burst, Curse of Binding, Curse of Vanishing.
- What is the maximum number of enchantments on a Book?
- You can stack up to 99 enchantments on a single book via anvil combines. Conflicting enchantments such as Sharpness/Smite/Bane of Arthropods or Silk Touch/Fortune cannot share the same item.
- Why does my book say 'Too Expensive!' on the anvil?
- Each anvil use raises the item's prior-work penalty (2^n - 1 XP levels). Combined with the per-level enchantment cost, hitting 40 total levels triggers the Too Expensive cap on survival mode. Use the calculator above to plan an order that stays under 40.
- How do I repair a book?
- Book doesn't have a vanilla repair material. The most reliable option is Mending plus a steady source of XP (fishing or villager trading).
Related
Top enchantments for book
- Protection
- Fire Protection
- Blast Protection
- Projectile Protection
- Respiration
- Aqua Affinity
- Thorns
- Feather Falling
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