The Minecraft enchanting table is the block that lets you pick and apply randomly generated special abilities to your gear, making weapons, armor, tools, and books more powerful. To use it, you need two resources: Lapis Lazuli and experience points.
What is a Minecraft Enchanting Table?
The Minecraft enchanting table is a workstation that adds special abilities to items. It works for weapons, armor, tools, and books. Using the table requires paying experience points and lapis lazuli. Only items with no enchantments can be enchanted directly using an enchanting table. The table is often confused with the anvil, which repairs and combines enchantments but cannot fix damaged items.
How to Make a Minecraft Enchanting Table
To craft the enchanting table, you need four obsidian, two diamonds, and one book. Obsidian is created by combining lava and water and can only be mined with a diamond pickaxe. Obsidian can also be found in lava lakes inside caves or woodland mansions. Diamond comes from blocks with turquoise veins located 15 layers deep and requires an iron, golden, diamond, or Netherite pickaxe. A book is made from leather and paper or gathered from destroyed bookcases. Books can be stolen from villages, mine shafts, woodland mansions, pillager outposts, witch huts, and shipwrecks.
- Access your crafting table’s graphical user interface.
- On the 3x3 grid, place four obsidian, two diamonds, and one book in the exact pattern shown in the crafting recipe.
- Wait for the enchanting table to appear in the output slot.
- Drag the enchanting table to your inventory.
- Place the workstation wherever you want.
How to Use the Minecraft Enchanting Table
The enchanting table has a simple interface. You do not need complicated rituals to use it.
- Approach your enchanting table and access its GUI.
- Place the weapon, armor, tool, or book to enchant in the left input slot under the book icon.
- Put up to three Lapis Lazuli in the right input slot under the book icon.
- Wait for one to three clickable enchantment options to appear on the right side of the UI.
- Pick the specific enchantment you want. Each enchantment consumes 1 to 3 experience levels and 1 to 3 Lapis Lazuli, depending on the chosen slot. The XP to be deducted is indicated by the green number on the left of the enchantment's name; the level you need to reach is the number on the right.
How to Get Better Enchantments
Because enchantments from the table are randomly generated, you may get weak variants. Three methods ensure you obtain higher-tier enchantments with numerals like III, IV, or V.
Place bookshelves around the enchanting table
Bookshelves make the enchanting table offer better enchantments. Place up to 15 bookshelves with a one-block gap between them and the table. The best formation is a square 5x5 block outline surrounding the table, leaving an entry point for access. Bookshelves are crafted from three books and six wood planks.
Level up your character
The higher your level, the better the enchantments offered. Experts recommend reaching level 30 because the best enchantments may require you to be between level 30 and 50. This only works with the 15-bookshelf setup; without bookshelves, leveling from 9 to 50 does not affect enchantment tier.
Always offer 3 Lapis Lazuli
The enchanting table only rolls out enchantments equivalent to the Lapis Lazuli placed. Enchantments worth three Lapis Lazuli are the best. To make tier three to five enchantments appear, always offer three Lapis Lazuli.
A Quick List of Minecraft Enchantments by Gear Type
Melee weapons (swords and axes)
Bane of Arthropods: boosts attack against arthropod mobs and slows them. Fire Aspect: burns the target. Looting: increases loot drops from mobs. Knockback: pushes mobs away. Sharpness: increases damage. Smite: increases damage to undead mobs.
Ranged weapons (bows and crossbows)
Flame: arrows inflict fire. Infinity: projectiles do not use up arrows. Multishot: fires three arrows at once. Piercing: arrows hit multiple enemies. Power: increases arrow damage. Punch: increases knockback from arrows. Quick Charge: crossbows load faster.
Armor (helmets, chestplates, leggings, boots)
Aqua Affinity: speeds up underwater mining. Blast Protection: minimizes damage and knockback from explosions. Curse of Binding: prevents armor from being removed. Depth Strider: speeds up underwater movement. Feather Falling: decreases fall damage. Feather Falling is great for parkouring in Minecraft. Fire Protection: shortens burn time and reduces fire damage. Frost Walker: freezes water into ice. Frost Walker can be used for navigating the Nether. Projectile Protection: reduces damage from projectiles. Protection: lessens most damage types. Respiration: lets you breathe longer underwater. Soul Speed: increases walking speed on soul sand and soul soil. Thorns: reflects damage taken.
Tools (pickaxes, shovels, hoes, rods)
Efficiency: speeds up mining and can make axes stun shields. Fortune: increases item drops from blocks. Luck of the Sea: better chances of rare items when fishing. Lure: attracts fish faster. Silk Touch: blocks drop themselves when mined.
Universal
Mending: repairs items in exchange for XP orbs. Unbreaking: improves durability. Curse of Vanishing: items disappear upon death. Curse of Vanishing is suitable for Multiplayer Mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an enchanting table on an item that already has enchantments?
To add more enchantments to an already-enchanted item, you must use an anvil.
Do I need to use emojis and custom keyboards to navigate the enchanting table?
No, the enchanting table interface works with standard controls on any device. Emojis and custom keyboards are not required for any part of the enchanting process.
What happens if I place more than 15 bookshelves around the enchanting table?
Placing more than 15 bookshelves has no additional effect. The maximum benefit for enchantment quality is reached with exactly 15 bookshelves arranged with a one-block gap.
Can I enchant a book with the enchanting table?
Yes, you can place a book in the enchanting table to create an enchanted book. This book can later be applied to gear using an anvil.
Why do some enchantments show a red number instead of a green one?
A red number means you do not have enough experience levels to select that enchantment. You need to level up before you can choose that option.
