What Enchanting Does and Where to Start

Enchanting adds magical effects to your tools, weapons, and armor in Minecraft PC. An enchanted diamond pickaxe mines faster. An enchanted sword does more damage. An enchanted helmet protects you better. You explore enchantments at an Enchanting Table, which you craft or find in villages and strongholds.

To enchant anything, you need three things: an Enchanting Table, the item you want to enchant, and Lapis Lazuli (a blue ore you mine from stone). The Enchanting Table shows you a list of random enchantments each time you open it. You pick one, pay Lapis Lazuli, and the enchantment appears on your item.

The higher your experience level, the stronger the enchantments offered. You gain experience by mining, fighting mobs, and smelting. Most players aim for level 30 before enchanting their best gear, because that unlocks the strongest effects available.

Key Takeaways

  • Build an Enchanting Table using 1 Book, 2 Diamonds, 4 Obsidian, and 1 Eye of Ender, then place it in your base.
  • Surround your Enchanting Table with Bookshelves (at least 15 of them, placed one block away) to unlock the highest-level enchantments.
  • You need Lapis Lazuli to pay for each enchantment; mine it from stone blocks or find it in village chests.
  • Your experience level determines which enchantments appear; reach level 30 to see the strongest options.
  • Some enchantments conflict with each other and cannot appear on the same item, such as Silk Touch and Fortune on a pickaxe.

Crafting and Placing Your Enchanting Table

To make an Enchanting Table, open your Crafting Table and arrange these materials: 1 Book (crafted from 3 Paper and 1 Leather), 2 Diamonds, 4 Obsidian blocks, and 1 Eye of Ender. Place the Book in the center, Diamonds in the top-left and top-right corners, Obsidian around the edges, and the Eye of Ender in the bottom-middle slot. This produces 1 Enchanting Table.

Place the Enchanting Table anywhere in your base. It does not need to be on a specific block type. However, the table works better when surrounded by Bookshelves. For every Bookshelf placed one block away (horizontally or vertically, not diagonally), the table gains power. At 15 Bookshelves, you unlock all possible enchantments. Without Bookshelves, you see only weak enchantments.

To arrange Bookshelves efficiently, place your Enchanting Table in the center of a 5×5 area and put Bookshelves in a square around it, leaving one block of air between the table and each shelf. This setup gives you 12 Bookshelves and decent enchantment strength. For maximum power, add 3 more Bookshelves above or below the table.

Mining and Finding Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli is a blue ore found in stone. Mine it with any pickaxe (stone or better) and it drops as a blue item. You need Lapis Lazuli to pay for enchantments—each enchantment costs between 1 and 3 Lapis Lazuli, depending on the enchantment's power level.

Lapis Lazuli spawns most commonly between Y-level 0 and Y-level 64 (check your coordinates by pressing F3 on PC). Dig a staircase down to around Y-level 30 and mine horizontally, looking for blue ore mixed into the stone. One block of Lapis Lazuli ore drops 4 to 8 Lapis Lazuli items, so you gather a supply quickly.

If you do not want to mine, you can find Lapis Lazuli in village chests, stronghold chests, and shipwreck chests. Librarian villagers also trade Lapis Lazuli for Emeralds if you have a village nearby. For early-game enchanting, mining is usually faster.

How to Use the Enchanting Table

Open the Enchanting Table by right-clicking it. A window appears with three slots on the left: the top slot holds the item you want to enchant, and the bottom two slots hold Lapis Lazuli. On the right, you see three enchantment options, each with a level number (I, II, or III) and a cost in Lapis Lazuli.

Place your tool, weapon, or armor piece in the top slot. Place Lapis Lazuli in the bottom slots (you need at least as much Lapis as the enchantment costs). The three options refresh. Click the enchantment you want. Your item gains that enchantment, the Lapis Lazuli is consumed, and your experience level drops by the amount shown.

The enchantment options are random each time you open the table. If you do not like the three options, close the table and open it again to see new ones. This is called "rerolling." You can reroll as many times as you want without cost until you find an enchantment you like.

Understanding Enchantment Levels and Conflicts

Enchantments have levels shown as Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V). A higher level means a stronger effect. Sharpness V on a sword deals much more damage than Sharpness I. Higher-level enchantments cost more Lapis Lazuli and require a higher experience level to appear.

Some enchantments cannot exist on the same item because they conflict. Silk Touch (mines blocks as whole blocks) and Fortune (mines more drops) cannot both be on a pickaxe. Mending (repairs with experience) and Infinity (infinite arrows) cannot both be on a bow. If you want both effects, you need two separate items.

You can add multiple non-conflicting enchantments to one item. A pickaxe can have Efficiency, Unbreaking, and Mending all at once. Each enchantment you add costs Lapis Lazuli and experience. Plan which enchantments you want before you start, so you do not waste resources on ones you will replace.

Reaching Experience Level 30 for Best Enchantments

Your experience level (shown as a green bar at the bottom of your screen) determines which enchantments appear. At low levels, you see only weak enchantments. At level 30, you unlock the strongest options. Most players target level 30 before enchanting their main tools.

Gain experience by mining (especially diamonds and ores), fighting mobs, smelting items in a furnace, and breeding animals. Mining is slow but steady. Fighting mobs in caves or a mob grinder is faster. Smelting is reliable if you have a furnace and materials. The fastest method is a mob grinder (a structure that traps mobs and kills them automatically), but building one takes time.

Once you reach level 30, open your Enchanting Table. You will see much stronger enchantments than before. After you enchant an item, your experience level drops. You can enchant again once you reach level 30 a second time, or you can enchant lower-level items at lower experience levels if you want.

Common Enchantments and What They Do

For Pickaxes: Efficiency (mines faster), Unbreaking (lasts longer), Silk Touch (mines blocks as whole blocks), Fortune (mines more drops), and Mending (repairs with experience).

For Swords: Sharpness (deals more damage), Knockback (pushes mobs away), Fire Aspect (sets mobs on fire), Looting (mobs drop more items), and Mending.

For Armor: Protection (reduces all damage), Fire Protection (reduces fire damage), Blast Protection (reduces explosion damage), Projectile Protection (reduces arrow damage), Thorns (damages mobs that hit you), Unbreaking, and Mending.

For Bows: Power (deals more damage), Punch (knocks mobs back), Flame (arrows set mobs on fire), Infinity (infinite arrows), and Mending.

Mending is the most valuable enchantment because it repairs your item automatically as you gain experience. If you find a Mending book in a chest or from a librarian, save it for your best tool.

Using Enchanted Books to Transfer Enchantments

You can find Enchanted Books in chests throughout the world (villages, strongholds, shipwrecks, end cities). Each book holds one enchantment. You can also enchant blank books at your Enchanting Table to create new Enchanted Books.

To transfer an enchantment from a book to an item, use an Anvil. Place the item in the left slot and the Enchanted Book in the right slot. The Anvil combines them, adding the book's enchantment to your item. This costs experience levels but lets you choose exactly which enchantment you want, rather than relying on random table rolls.

Anvils are found in villages and strongholds, or you can craft one using 3 Blocks of Iron and 4 Iron Ingots. Using an Anvil with Enchanted Books is slower than the Enchanting Table but gives you control. Many players use the Enchanting Table for their first enchantments, then use Anvils and books to refine their gear later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need 15 Bookshelves to enchant, or just to unlock the best enchantments?

You can enchant without any Bookshelves, but you will only see weak enchantments. Bookshelves increase the power of the enchantments offered. At 15 Bookshelves, you unlock the highest levels. If you have fewer Bookshelves, you still see enchantments—just weaker ones.

Can I remove an enchantment I do not like?

No. Once an enchantment is on an item, you cannot remove it. You can only add more enchantments or craft a new item. This is why rerolling the Enchanting Table before you commit is important—you can see all three options and pick the best one before spending Lapis Lazuli.

What happens to my experience level after I enchant?

Your experience level drops by the amount shown on the enchantment button. If you are level 30 and enchant something that costs 30 levels, you drop to level 0. You must gain experience again to reach level 30 for your next enchantment.

Can I enchant a tool that is already enchanted?

Yes, but only at an Anvil. The Enchanting Table will not let you add enchantments to an already-enchanted item. Use an Anvil with an Enchanted Book to add a second enchantment to your tool.

Is Mending better than Unbreaking?

Mending is stronger because it repairs your tool for free as you gain experience. Unbreaking just makes your tool last longer before breaking. If you can get Mending, use it. If not, Unbreaking is a solid second choice.