Minecraft Enchantment Order Calculator (Java)
Pick your item and enchantments, and get the anvil order that costs the fewest levels and never hits "Too Expensive!". A sword with Sharpness, Unbreaking, Mending, Looting, Fire Aspect costs 31 levels in the best order instead of 46 one by one.
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Enchantments (9 fit this item)
Total levels
23
Most expensive step
8
Anvil uses
4
Saves 4 levels compared with adding the books one by one.
Do these steps in order
- 1Left slot: Netherite Sword · right slot: Looting III6 lv
- 2Left slot: Unbreaking III · right slot: Mending I2 lv
- 3Left slot: Netherite Sword (so far) · right slot: Unbreaking III + Mending I7 lv
- 4Left slot: Netherite Sword (so far) · right slot: Sharpness V8 lv
Keep at least 8 levels for the biggest step. Afterwards the item's next anvil use costs 7 extra levels, so finish all books in one go.
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Every enchantment in Minecraft 26.3
| Enchantment | Max level | Book cost per level | Can't combine with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Affinity | I | 2 | - |
| Bane of Arthropods | V | 1 | Breach, Density, Impaling, Sharpness, Smite |
| Blast Protection | IV | 2 | Fire Protection, Projectile Protection, Protection |
| Breach | IV | 2 | Bane of Arthropods, Density, Impaling, Sharpness, Smite |
| Channeling | I | 4 | Riptide |
| Density | V | 1 | Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Impaling, Sharpness, Smite |
| Depth Strider | III | 2 | Frost Walker |
| Efficiency | V | 1 | - |
| Feather Falling | IV | 1 | - |
| Fire Aspect | II | 2 | - |
| Fire Protection | IV | 1 | Blast Protection, Projectile Protection, Protection |
| Flame | I | 2 | - |
| Fortune | III | 2 | Silk Touch |
| Frost Walker | II | 2 | Depth Strider |
| Impaling | V | 2 | Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density, Sharpness, Smite |
| Infinity | I | 4 | Mending |
| Knockback | II | 1 | - |
| Looting | III | 2 | - |
| Loyalty | III | 1 | Riptide |
| Luck of the Sea | III | 2 | - |
| Lunge | III | 1 | - |
| Lure | III | 2 | - |
| Mending | I | 2 | Infinity |
| Multishot | I | 2 | Piercing |
| Piercing | IV | 1 | Multishot |
| Power | V | 1 | - |
| Projectile Protection | IV | 1 | Blast Protection, Fire Protection, Protection |
| Protection | IV | 1 | Blast Protection, Fire Protection, Projectile Protection |
| Punch | II | 2 | - |
| Quick Charge | III | 1 | - |
| Respiration | III | 2 | - |
| Riptide | III | 2 | Channeling, Loyalty |
| Sharpness | V | 1 | Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density, Impaling, Smite |
| Silk Touch | I | 4 | Fortune |
| Smite | V | 1 | Bane of Arthropods, Breach, Density, Impaling, Sharpness |
| Soul Speed | III | 4 | - |
| Sweeping Edge | III | 2 | - |
| Swift Sneak | III | 4 | - |
| Thorns | III | 4 | - |
| Unbreaking | III | 1 | - |
| Wind Burst | III | 2 | - |
Book cost per level is what each level of that enchantment adds to an anvil step when it comes from a book. Data from the game files.
How to use it
- Choose the item you want to enchant.
- Tick the enchantments and levels you have books for. Ones that can't go together are greyed out.
- Follow the steps in order: left slot, right slot, and the level cost of each step.
- Do all the steps in one session. Every anvil use makes the next one more expensive.
How it works
Every anvil use adds a "prior work" penalty (1, 3, 7, 15… levels), and each book adds its enchantment levels times a cost multiplier. The calculator tries every way of pairing books first and then onto the item, and picks the cheapest one where no single step reaches 40 levels, the survival limit. Enchantment limits, costs and conflicts come from Minecraft 26.3's own game data.
Questions
What does "Too Expensive!" mean in Minecraft?
In survival on Java Edition, the anvil refuses any single step that would cost 40 levels or more. A good order keeps every step below that by combining books before putting them on the item.
Is it cheaper to combine books first?
Usually, yes. Merging books keeps the item's prior-work penalty low, so the final steps cost less. The calculator checks every order and shows the cheapest.
Why can't I add Sharpness and Smite together?
Some enchantments are mutually exclusive, like Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods, or Mending and Infinity. The calculator greys these out.
Does it work for Bedrock?
The order is calculated with Java Edition anvil rules. Bedrock's anvil costs work differently, so the totals can differ there.
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By PickaxeKit Editorial Team. Updated 2026-11-09.