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.
The Minecraft Spear: Jabs, Charge Attacks and Lunge
The spear, added in 1.21.11, is a melee weapon with 4.5 blocks of reach on Java (4 on Bedrock) instead of 3, but it cannot hit anything within 2 blocks. Click to jab; hold use to lower it for a charge attack that deals damage based on how fast you and the target close in, and early in the charge can knock riders off their mounts. Its own enchantment, Lunge, throws you forward when you jab.
How is the spear different from a sword?
- Reach 4.5 blocks on Java (4 on Bedrock) instead of 3, but it cannot hit targets within 2 blocks.
- It can hit several entities with one attack and reaches through cobwebs and tall grass.
- It cannot break blocks: clicking always jabs.
- On Java the jab only works at a 100% charged attack meter; on Bedrock it has a use cooldown shared by every spear in your inventory.
How does a spear charge attack work?
Hold use to lower the spear. If you and the target are closing in on each other at 4.6 blocks a second or faster, the spear deals damage based on that speed; at 5.1 blocks a second or faster it also knocks the target back, and in its first stage it dismounts riders. The charge goes through three stages, losing its dismount and knockback as it goes. You can charge while your jab is on cooldown, so alternating jab and charge roughly doubles your attack rate.
What are the spear tiers and how do you get one?
Craft a spear from a stick and any tool material: planks, stone, copper, iron, gold or diamond. Higher tiers charge up faster and recover more slowly. Zombies, husks and zombie horsemen can carry iron spears, and piglins golden ones; each drops 8.5% of the time. See tool tiers.
What enchantments can a spear have?
| Enchantment | Max level |
|---|---|
| Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods | V |
| Looting | III |
| Knockback, Fire Aspect | II |
| Lunge | III |
| Unbreaking | III |
| Mending | I |
| Curse of Vanishing | I |
Lunge launches you forward on a jab, costing hunger (saturation first) and 1 durability. Jab with Lunge and go straight into a charge to carry the speed into the hit. See every enchantment.
Is the spear used in PvP?
Yes: Spear PvP is its own kit, built around grounded spear combos with no elytra, mace or wind charges, and some Mace PvP variants carry a spear too. See PvP kit types and Mounts of Mayhem (1.21.11).
Which versions can join ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
What is the spear's reach?
4.5 blocks on Java (4 on Bedrock), but it cannot hit anything within 2 blocks.
What does Lunge do?
It launches you forward when you jab, costing hunger and 1 durability.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.