Minecraft enchantments: how to enchant items and best enchantments

Minecraft had almost limitless possibilities when it launched, but over the years has added some very unexpected features and mechanics. There have been plenty of new items to craft and materials to find, but things like brewing potions and enchanting items add new layers of depth to everything you do.

Enchantments in particular are especially valuable for any player, or group of players, thanks to the variety of buffs they provide. They can make just about every piece of equipment better, but the process is a little esoteric. If you’re struggling to master the art of enchantments in Minecraft, we’ll make it nice and simple.

How to make an enchanting table

Just like you need a brewing stand to make potions, you can’t enchant anything in Minecraft without an enchanting table. While it might look like a simple thing to make, the ingredients aren’t so easy to come across. You will need one book, two diamonds, and four obsidian blocks to craft an enchanting table by placing them as shown above.

While just the table itself is all you need to get started, we highly recommend you build additional bookshelves and place them one block away from the table. Each bookshelf within one block of the table will increase the table’s level — allowing you to get better enchantments — up to a maximum of 15. Bookshelves are crafted by placing three planks on the top row, three books in the middle, and three more planks on the bottom row of your crafting table. You will know if the shelves are buffing the table when you see the glowing symbols flying between the bookshelves and the enchanting table.

How to enchant items, remove enchantments, and combine enchantments

Once you have your enchanting table and bookshelves all set up, you can get to enchanting. To do this you will need three things: an item to enchant, lapis lazuli, and XP. Place the item you want to enchant in the left square under the book and the lapis lazuli to the right, which will populate three different enchantments in