MinecraftMinecraft Enchantment Calculator: anvil enchantment planner
The Minecraft Enchantment Calculator finds the cheapest order for combining your enchanted books on an anvil, showing the level cost of each step and accounting for Java Edition's 39-level limit. A sword with Sharpness V, Looting III, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III, Mending I costs 44 instead of 83 levels. Free, no sign-up, right in your browser.
Built by Rugile Rutkauskaite
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An item previously worked on at an anvil becomes more expensive with each additional combination.
Each selection is an enchanted book. Crossed-out chips conflict with your selection.
Select at least one enchantment on the left to calculate the cheapest anvil order.
Example result
What the Enchantment Calculator calculates
You choose an item and enchantments. The calculator finds the cheapest order at the anvil, with the level cost for each step. The example below is a fresh sword with six enchanted books; your result depends on your choices.
Example · Sword · Sharpness V, Looting III, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III, Mending I
- Total Anvil Cost
- 44levels
- Most expensive single step
- 17/ 39
- At 40 levels, the anvil displays “Too Expensive!”; each step must stay below that.
- Naive order
- 83levels
- Applying books to the item one by one costs 39 more levels.
- Work penalty afterward
- 7
- The sword has been worked on an anvil 3 times; each further modification costs more.
Step-by-step order
Target in the left Slot, sacrifice in the right: the anvil calculates costs only from the enchantments on the right item.
| Step | Anvil: left + right |
|---|---|
| 1. Apply to item | Sword + Sharpness V · Cost: 5 · Total: 5 |
| 2. Combine books | Looting III + Fire Aspect II · Cost: 4 · Total: 9 |
| 3. Apply to item | Sword + Book ×2 · Cost: 12 · Total: 21 |
| 4. Combine books | Sweeping Edge III + Mending I · Cost: 2 · Total: 23 |
| 5. Combine books | Book ×2 + Unbreaking III · Cost: 4 · Total: 27 |
| 6. Apply to item | Sword + Book ×3 · Cost: 17 · Total: 44 |
Guide
How to use the Minecraft Enchantment Calculator
No more guessing at the anvil: choose your item and enchantments, see the cheapest order, and follow it step by step.
Step 1
Choose item
Under “Your item”, choose the tool, weapon, or armor piece you want to enchant.
Step 2
Set prior anvil uses
Set how many times the item has already been used on an anvil. 0 means a fresh item; you can set up to 6 uses.
Step 3
Select enchanted books
Select up to 7 enchantments; each selection is an enchanted book. Crossed-out enchantments conflict with your selection.
Step 4
Customize tiers
Each enchantment starts at its maximum level. Use plus and minus to set your book's level.
Step 5
Read result
Check the total cost in levels, the most expensive step against the 39-level limit, and, if available, the savings compared with applying books one by one.
Step 6
Follow the anvil steps
Follow the steps in order: target in the left slot, sacrifice in the right. For “Combine books”, combine the books first; for “Apply to item”, put the book on the item.
Enchanting table basics
At the enchanting table, your experience level (max. 30) and the number of nearby bookshelves (max. 15) determine which enchantments are available. You cannot get curse or treasure enchantments (e.g., Mending, Frost Walker, Swift Sneak) there—only through trading, fishing, or chest loot, usually as an enchanted book. You then apply such a book to your item at the anvil. Silk Touch, on the other hand, is not a treasure enchantment and is offered at the enchanting table as usual.
How anvil costs are calculated
Each anvil operation costs (cost multiplier × target level) for each transferred enchantment, plus the prior work penalty of both items. This penalty doubles (plus 1) with each use, so the order matters.
Avoid “Too Expensive”
- Plan the entire combination in advance — after 6 uses, the penalty alone is already 63 levels.
- Combine inexpensive enchantments in books instead of applying each one directly to the item.
- Avoid unnecessary steps — each additional use of an anvil permanently increases the item's penalty.
- Enchant as much as possible directly at the enchanting table before using the anvil at all.
Prior work penalty: calculate previously worked items correctly
Each anvil use increases an item's penalty according to ×2 + 1. Under “Prior anvil uses”, set how many times your item has already been used on an anvil; the calculation will start with that penalty.
| Previous anvil uses | Prior work penalty in levels |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 15 |
| 5 | 31 |
| 6 | 63 |
Anvil cost multipliers
An enchantment's rarity determines its cost multiplier, whether it comes from an item or a book.
| Rarity | From item | From book | Enchantments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ×1 | ×1 | Protection, Sharpness, Efficiency, Power, Piercing |
| Unusual | ×2 | ×1 | Fire Protection, Projectile Protection, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Knockback, Unbreaking, Feather Falling, Quick Charge, Loyalty |
| Rare | ×4 | ×2 | Blast Protection, Breach, Fire Aspect, Looting, Sweeping Edge, Wind Burst, Fortune, Mending, Respiration, Aqua Affinity, Depth Strider, Frost Walker, Punch, Flame, Multishot, Luck of the Sea, Lure, Impaling, Riptide |
| Very rare | ×8 | ×4 | Silk Touch, Curse of Binding, Curse of Vanishing, Soul Speed, Swift Sneak, Thorns, Infinity, Channeling |
42 enchantments in the calculator
Maximum level, anvil cost multiplier, conflicts, and what each enchantment actually does — filterable by item.
42 of 42 enchantments
Protection
max IV
ProtectionSlightly reduces most types of damage.
Conflicts: Fire Protection, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection
Fire Protection
max IVReduces fire damage and shortens burn duration.
Conflicts: Protection, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection
Blast Protection
max IVReduces explosion damage and the resulting knockback.
Conflicts: Protection, Fire Protection, Projectile Protection
Projectile Protection
max IVReduces damage from projectiles such as arrows.
Conflicts: Protection, Fire Protection, Blast Protection
Sharpness
max VIncreases melee damage.
Conflicts: Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach
Smite
max VSignificantly increases damage against undead mobs.
Conflicts: Sharpness, Bane of Arthropods, Density, Breach
Bane of Arthropods
max VIncreases damage against spiders and similar creatures and also slows them.
Conflicts: Sharpness, Smite, Density, Breach
Density
max VIncreases mace smash attack damage based on fall distance.
Conflicts: Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Breach
Breach
max IVReduces the effectiveness of the target's armor during a diving attack.
Conflicts: Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density
Knockback
max IIIncreases knockback from melee hits.
Fire Aspect
max IISets hit enemies on fire.
Looting
max IIIIncreases loot from defeated enemies.
Sweeping Edge
max IIIIncreases sweep attack damage against nearby enemies.
Wind Burst
max IIICreates a gust of wind during a mace smash attack that launches you upward.
Efficiency
max VIncreases mining speed.
Fortune
max IIIIncreases the chance of additional block drops.
Conflicts: Silk Touch
Silk Touch
max IBlocks drop themselves instead of their usual items.
Conflicts: Fortune
Unbreaking
max IIIIncreases the chance that durability is not consumed.
+11Mending
max IAutomatically repairs the item using collected experience.
Conflicts: Infinity
+11Curse of Binding
max IThe item can no longer be removed from the armor slot.
Curse of Vanishing
max IThe item disappears on death instead of being dropped.
+11Respiration
max IIIExtends the time you can breathe underwater.
Aqua Affinity
max IRemoves the reduced mining speed underwater.
Feather Falling
max IVReduces fall damage.
Depth Strider
max IIIIncreases underwater movement speed.
Conflicts: Frost Walker
Frost Walker
max IITurns water beneath your feet into walkable ice.
Conflicts: Depth Strider
Soul Speed
max IIIIncreases movement speed on soul sand and soul soil.
Swift Sneak
max IIIReduces the slowdown while sneaking.
Thorns
max IIIHas a chance to deal damage to attackers.
Power
max VIncreases arrow damage.
Punch
max IIIncreases knockback from fired arrows.
Flame
max IFired arrows catch fire and ignite the target.
Infinity
max INo longer consumes arrows when shooting (one arrow in the inventory is enough).
Conflicts: Mending
Multishot
max IFires three arrows at once in a spread.
Conflicts: Piercing
Piercing
max IVArrows pierce multiple enemies.
Conflicts: Multishot
Quick Charge
max IIIReduces crossbow loading time.
Luck of the Sea
max IIIIncreases the chance of finding rare treasure while fishing.
Lure
max IIIReduces the wait for a fish to bite.
Impaling
max VSignificantly increases damage against aquatic mobs.
Loyalty
max IIIThe thrown trident returns to you.
Conflicts: Riptide
Channeling
max ISummons lightning to strike affected enemies during a thunderstorm.
Conflicts: Riptide
Riptide
max IIIPropels you through water or rain along with your trident.
Conflicts: Loyalty, Channeling
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Brief answers about enchantments, anvil costs, and the 39-level cap.
The cheapest order for combining your enchanted books on an anvil, with each step's level cost, total cost, most expensive step, and approximate XP required from level 0. A fresh sword with Sharpness V, Looting III, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Unbreaking III, Mending I costs 44 levels over 6 steps, with the most expensive step costing 17 levels. Applying the books to the sword one by one costs 83 levels.
It checks combination paths exactly: combining books first or applying them directly to the item, with the target in the left slot and the sacrifice in the right. Each step costs the enchantments on the right-hand item plus both items' prior work penalties. Paths with any step over 39 levels are excluded; the lowest-total-cost plan is shown.
In Java Edition, the anvil rejects any individual step costing more than 39 levels. The prior work penalty grows with each anvil use according to ×2 + 1, so the order matters. If the calculator can't find an order below this limit for your selection, it also shows “Too Expensive!”. Try lower enchantment levels, fewer enchantments, or fewer prior anvil uses.
Up to 7 books per calculation. Each selection represents an enchanted book and starts at its maximum level, which you can adjust with plus and minus. Whether they can all be applied to one item depends on the 39-level limit per step.
Yes. Under “Prior anvil uses”, set how many times the item has already been used on an anvil (0 to 6). The calculator applies the resulting prior work penalty—0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, or 63 levels—to steps involving the item. Select only the enchantments you still want to add with books.
In the calculator, these are Mending and Infinity; Fortune and Silk Touch; the four Protection enchantments with each other; Sharpness, Smite, Bane of Arthropods, Density, and Breach with each other; Depth Strider and Frost Walker; Multishot and Piercing; and Riptide with Loyalty and Channeling. Enchantments that conflict with your selection appear crossed out.
17 item types: sword, axe, pickaxe, shovel, hoe, bow, crossbow, trident, mace, fishing rod, shears, helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, elytra, and shield. The calculator shows only applicable enchantments for each item.
The calculator models Java Edition anvil mechanics, including the 39-level limit per step. It isn't designed for Bedrock Edition, where costs may differ.
Any more questions?
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