Updated 23 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Armor and Protection
Armor points show as the armor bar and set how much damage you block; diamond and netherite also have armor toughness, which helps against big hits. Protection IV on every piece adds up to 64% more reduction, and total reduction caps at 80%.
How does armor work in Minecraft?
Each piece of armor gives armor points, added together and shown as the armor bar. The bar shows up to 20, and the armor attribute is capped at 30. Armor blocks less as hits get bigger, which is where armor toughness comes in: only diamond, netherite and wolf armor have it, and it keeps armor effective against strong hits.
A full set of leather, copper, iron, gold or diamond armor takes 24 units of the material. Netherite armor is made by upgrading diamond armor at a smithing table.
How much does Protection reduce damage?
Protection reduces damage by 4% per level, up to 16% on one piece with Protection IV, so Protection IV on all four pieces gives 64%. The enchantment is applied after the armor's own reduction, and the combined limit from enchantments is 80%. You can reach 80% against one damage type with three Protection IV pieces plus one specific protection IV (such as Blast or Fire Protection), giving 48% general and 80% specific protection.
Which armor is best?
minecraft.wiki lists the seven full sets from weakest to strongest as leather, copper, gold, chainmail, iron, diamond and netherite; turtle shell is a helmet only. Copper armor, added in 1.21.9, has more durability than leather and gold but less than iron. For the strongest gear see how to get netherite.
What armor matters in PvP?
minecraft.wiki's kit list shows Blast Protection on one piece in its Crystal, Cart and Vanilla PvP kits; Crystal and Cart are built around explosives. See every PvP kit.
How does armor work on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
How much does Protection IV reduce damage?
16% per piece; 64% with Protection IV on all four pieces.
What is the maximum damage reduction from enchantments?
80%.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.