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.
Best Enchantments for Every Item
The best all-round set for most gear is Mending plus Unbreaking III, then the item's main enchantment: Protection IV on armour, Sharpness V on swords, Efficiency V on tools and Power V on bows. This page lists minecraft.wiki's recommended set for every item.
What are the best enchantments for each item?
| Item | Recommended | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | Mending, Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Respiration III, Aqua Affinity | Thorns III |
| Chestplate | Mending, Protection IV, Unbreaking III | Thorns III |
| Leggings | Mending, Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Swift Sneak III | Thorns III |
| Boots | Mending, Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III, Depth Strider III (or Frost Walker II) | |
| Sword | Mending, Unbreaking III, Sharpness V (or Smite V), Looting III, Sweeping Edge III (Java) | Fire Aspect II, Knockback II |
| Axe | Mending, Unbreaking III, Efficiency V, Sharpness V (or Smite), Silk Touch or Fortune III | |
| Bow | Power V, Unbreaking III, Flame, Punch II, plus Infinity or Mending | |
| Crossbow | Quick Charge III, Unbreaking III, Mending, plus Multishot or Piercing IV | |
| Trident | Mending, Unbreaking III, Impaling V, plus Loyalty III and Channeling, or Riptide III | |
| Mace | Mending, Unbreaking III, Density V (or Breach) | Wind Burst III, Fire Aspect II |
| Pickaxe | Mending, Unbreaking III, Efficiency V, plus Fortune III or Silk Touch | |
| Shovel | Mending, Unbreaking III, Efficiency V, Fortune II or III | |
| Fishing rod | Mending, Unbreaking III, Lure III | Luck of the Sea III |
Choices with "or" cannot go together: Sharpness and Smite, Fortune and Silk Touch, Infinity and Mending, Multishot and Piercing, Riptide with Loyalty or Channeling, and Depth Strider with Frost Walker. Full list: every enchantment.
Why these choices?
- Mending and Unbreaking III keep gear alive almost forever, though Unbreaking III only makes armour last about 43% longer while it roughly quadruples a tool's or weapon's life.
- Smite V instead of Sharpness one-hits most common undead mobs and helps against the Wither.
- Swift Sneak only comes from ancient city chests, up to level III.
- Depth Strider is usually preferred to Frost Walker because it helps in more situations.
- Efficiency V with Haste II mines stone instantly.
Are Thorns, Fire Aspect and Knockback worth it?
They are optional. Thorns uses up extra durability and can kill mobs you are trying to move. Fire Aspect makes endermen harder to fight because they keep teleporting, and Looting does not apply to mobs that die from fire, though it cooks their meat. Knockback can push targets out of reach or into lava; minecraft.wiki suggests Knockback I or none at all.
Does the order of enchanting matter?
Yes, because every anvil step raises the cost. minecraft.wiki works out orders such as a full Thorns helmet for 50 levels in total, or 27 levels without Thorns, by merging books in pairs first. See anvils and enchanting.
What does 'god' or max enchanted gear mean?
Players call an item with every compatible enchantment at its highest level a god or max item: for example a sword with Mending, Unbreaking III, Sharpness V, Looting III and Sweeping Edge III, or a pickaxe with Mending, Unbreaking III, Efficiency V and Fortune III. You cannot put every enchantment on one item, because some exclude each other: Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods; Fortune and Silk Touch; Infinity and Mending; Protection and the other protection types. Use the table above as the max set for each item, and combine books in an anvil to get there.
What are the best enchants on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
What are the best sword enchantments?
Mending, Unbreaking III, Sharpness V (or Smite V), Looting III and, on Java, Sweeping Edge III.
What are the best armour enchantments?
Mending, Protection IV and Unbreaking III on every piece, plus helmet and boots extras.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.