Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, community sites named in the text and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Sharpness and Strength: 1.8 vs Modern
Damage boosts were much stronger before 1.9. In 1.8, Sharpness added 1.25 damage per level (6.25 at Sharpness V); since 1.9 it adds 1 at level I and 0.5 per level after (3 at V). Strength in 1.8 added 130% damage per level; since 1.9 it adds a flat 3 per level.
How did Strength change?
minecraft.wiki's Strength history shows Strength at 130% bonus damage per level before 1.9, changed back to +3 per level in 1.9 snapshot 15w33a. The 1.9 notes describe it as moving from a relative bonus to an absolute one. Weakness changed too: from 0.5 less damage to a flat 4 less. Bedrock still multiplies damage by 1.3 per level in its own formula.
What does this mean for 1.8 PvP?
Percentage-based Strength scaled with your weapon, so a strong sword with Strength II was far deadlier in 1.8 than the same setup today. Bigger Sharpness numbers had the same effect. That is part of why potions and enchantments feel so impactful on 1.8 servers. Other 1.8 differences: no attack cooldown (attack cooldown), sword blocking, rods with knockback (fishing rod PvP) and no pearl cooldown (ender pearls).
Which numbers apply on ArtemisPvP?
ArtemisPvP is built around 1.8.9 combat and also adds its own custom enchantments on top of vanilla ones; see enchant books and the 1.8.9 PvP FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
How much damage did Sharpness V add in 1.8?
6.25 extra damage (1.25 per level). Since 1.9 it adds 3.
How strong was Strength in 1.8?
130% extra damage per level; since 1.9 it adds 3 damage per level.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.