ITEMS · WEAPON
Mace Enchantment Compatibility and Costs
Plan the optimal anvil order for your mace - avoid “Too Expensive!” and choose a compatible Java Edition loadout without wasting rare books or XP.
Anvil Calculator
Up to 8 books · Level cost · Survival capPick the gear you want to enchant. Books you add below will be merged onto it in the cheapest order we can find.
All Mace Enchantments
| Enchantment | Max Level | Book Cost | Conflicts | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smite | 5 | 1/lvl | Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density, Impaling, Sharpness | vanilla |
| Bane of Arthropods | 5 | 1/lvl | Breach, Density, Impaling, Sharpness, Smite | vanilla |
| Fire Aspect | 2 | 2/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Unbreaking | 3 | 1/lvl | - | vanilla |
| Mending [treasure] | 1 | 2/lvl | Infinity | vanilla |
| Density | 5 | 1/lvl | Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Impaling, Sharpness, Smite | 1.21 |
| Breach | 4 | 2/lvl | Bane of Arthropods, Density, Impaling, Sharpness, Smite | 1.21 |
| Wind Burst [treasure] | 3 | 2/lvl | - | 1.21 |
| Curse of Vanishing [curse] [treasure] | 1 | 4/lvl | - | vanilla |
Recommended Mace loadouts
The right combo depends on what you do with your mace. 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.
Choose Density, Breach, Smite or Bane of Arthropods as the damage specialization.
Falling smash
- Density 5
- Wind Burst 3
- Unbreaking 3
- Mending 1
Density increases smash damage with falling distance. Wind Burst adds a rebound on a successful smash.
Armor reduction
- Breach 4
- Wind Burst 3
- Unbreaking 3
- Mending 1
Breach reduces armor effectiveness instead of providing Density’s falling-distance bonus.
Before you spend books: Those four specializations conflict with one another. Wind Burst is compatible with each, but its rebound changes the movement you must control.
Data and method
Compatibility, maximum levels and anvil multipliers are checked against Java Edition 26.3 (released 2026-09-15). The enchantment definitions (anvil cost, maximum level, supported items, exclusive sets) and the table, trade and loot tags are the same as in 1.21.11. The book fee is half the definition’s anvil_cost, rounded down with a minimum of one, multiplied by the resulting enchantment level. Prior-work penalties are added separately.
These are worked planning examples and editorial loadout choices, not claims of in-game testing or guaranteed match results. The calculator handles an unenchanted target and up to eight single-enchantment book rows; it does not model repair materials, renaming, mods or newer version changes.
Step-by-step anvil order
Enter the actual books and prior-work counts. The search evaluates both book-pair orientations and displays each level cost; there is no universal “cheapest book first” rule.
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.
Where to get books for mace
Choose an enchantment this item can actually accept before collecting books. The lists below use the Java 26.3 pools; eligibility is not a guaranteed offer, level, or drop rate.
- Ordinary librarian book pool: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Fire Aspect, Unbreaking, Mending, Density, Breach, Curse of Vanishing The optional Villager Trade Rebalance experiment changes trades; check the rules enabled in your world.
- Enchanting a book at the table: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Fire Aspect, Unbreaking, Density, Breach Fifteen correctly placed bookshelves unlock level-30 offers, but do not guarantee a particular enchantment or maximum level. This is book-pool eligibility, not a claim that this item itself can enter the table.
- Special acquisition routes: Wind Burst have dedicated source notes on their enchantment pages. Ordinary librarian rerolls and more bookshelves cannot add them to those pools.
- Before applying a book: Check its level, any additional enchantments, and its actual prior-work count. The calculator accepts one enchantment per book row; a multi-enchantment loot book is outside that input format.
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 Mace in Minecraft?
- A Mace has 9 compatible enchantment candidates: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Fire Aspect, Unbreaking, Mending, Density, Breach, Wind Burst, Curse of Vanishing. They cannot all share one Mace: Density and Breach each conflict with the other, Smite, and Bane of Arthropods.
- Can every listed enchantment share one Mace?
- The table lists candidates. Whether they can coexist depends on this item’s available conflicts; check each row and the examples below. Those four specializations conflict with one another. Wind Burst is compatible with each, but its rebound changes the movement you must control.
- Why does my mace say 'Too Expensive!' on the anvil?
- Each modeled book combine sets the result’s work count to the larger input count plus one. The corresponding penalty is 2^n - 1 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 mace?
- Mending can use collected XP while this item is equipped or held. This planner calculates book transfers, not repair-material costs; check repair choices in your in-game anvil.
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