The enchanting table is one of the most powerful blocks in Minecraft. With the right setup, you get access to level 30 enchantments that dramatically improve your gear. In this guide, we show you how to build the perfect enchanting room.
The perfect bookshelf arrangement
For maximum enchantments (level 30), you need exactly 15 bookshelves. They must:
- Be within 2 blocks of the enchanting table.
- Be at the same height or one block higher than the table.
- Have one block of air between the bookshelf and the table (no blocks in between).
The standard arrangement is a U-shape or square around the table, with an opening to access it.
Classic 15-bookshelf layout
B B B B B B . . . B B . T . B B . . . . B B B . . T = Enchanting table B = Bookshelf . = Empty (air)
This gives you all 15 bookshelves with an open path to the table.
How enchanting works
- Place an item and 1-3 lapis lazuli in the enchanting table.
- You see three options with different XP costs (1, 2, or 3 levels).
- The third option (level 30) gives the strongest enchantments.
- The enchantments that appear are partially random. If you do not see anything useful, enchant a cheap item (wooden sword) to reset the options.
Best enchantments per gear piece
| Item | Best enchantments |
|---|---|
| Sword | Sharpness V, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Mending, Fire Aspect II |
| Bow | Power V, Infinity, Unbreaking III, Flame |
| Pickaxe | Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending, Fortune III (or Silk Touch) |
| Helmet | Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Aqua Affinity, Respiration III |
| Chestplate | Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending |
| Leggings | Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Swift Sneak III |
| Boots | Protection IV, Unbreaking III, Mending, Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III |
Mending vs. Infinity
Mending and Infinity are not compatible on the same bow. Choose Infinity if you do not want to constantly craft arrows. Choose Mending if you want to keep the bow forever. Most players choose Infinity and craft a new bow when it breaks.
Tips for efficient enchanting
- Enchant books: enchant books and combine them on an anvil with your item. This gives more control over which enchantments you get.
- Build an XP farm: an enderman farm, blaze farm, or mob spawner provides enough XP for level 30 quickly.
- Villager trading: a librarian villager can sell any enchanted book. Level them to Master for the best enchantments.
- Grindstone: use the grindstone to remove unwanted enchantments and recover some of the XP.
How much XP does level 30 cost?
You need 1,395 XP points to reach level 30. That sounds like a lot, but a good mob farm produces this in a few minutes. The enchantment then costs another 3 levels, dropping you to level 27.
Can I place more than 15 bookshelves?
Yes, but it has no effect. The maximum is 15 bookshelves for level 30. Extra bookshelves are purely decorative.
Does enchanting work differently on servers?
The mechanics are identical on singleplayer and multiplayer. Some servers have custom plugins that modify enchantments (custom enchants, higher levels), but the vanilla enchanting table works the same.
Build your enchanting room on a Minecraft server at HostValues.
