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Best Bow Enchantments in Minecraft

  • Power V
  • Punch II
  • Flame I
  • Unbreaking III
  • Infinity I

Cheapest anvil order: 29 levels in 5 steps (Java)

Customise in the calculator

Why each enchantment earns its slot

  1. V
    Power

    Arrow damage +25% per level (+25% more).

  2. II
    Punch

    Arrows knock targets back further.

  3. I
    Flame

    Arrows set targets on fire and light TNT and campfires.

  4. III
    Unbreaking

    Chance to skip durability loss; roughly quadruples tool life at level III.

  5. I
    Infinity

    Shooting uses no normal arrows; you still need one in your inventory.

Cheapest order to combine the books

Left item goes in the anvil’s first slot. Costs are Java Edition levels for a fresh bow and books straight from the table or a librarian.

  1. Bow + Infinity book4
  2. Punch book + Unbreaking book3
  3. Bow (Infinity) + Book (Punch + Unbreaking)9
  4. Power book + Flame book2
  5. Bow (Infinity + Punch + Unbreaking) + Book (Power + Flame)11

Trade-offs to know

Infinity and Mending conflict. Infinity is great early; Mending wins long-term because you can craft arrows cheaply.

Other enchantments a bow can take: Mending.Mending can’t sit with Infinity.

With cheats on (Java 1.21.5+), this command gives the finished bow: /give @p bow[enchantments={power:5,punch:2,flame:1,unbreaking:3,infinity:1}]

Every bow enchantment

EnchantmentMaxWhat it doesConflicts with
Power
VArrow damage +25% per level (+25% more).—
Punch
IIArrows knock targets back further.—
Flame
IArrows set targets on fire and light TNT and campfires.—
Infinity
IShooting uses no normal arrows; you still need one in your inventory.Mending
Unbreaking
IIIChance to skip durability loss; roughly quadruples tool life at level III.—
Mending
Treasure		ICollected XP repairs the item (2 durability per XP point). Librarian trade or loot only.Infinity
Curse of Vanishing
Curse		IThe item is destroyed instead of dropping when you die.—

Questions players ask

What are the best bow enchantments in Minecraft?

The strongest all-round set is Power V, Punch II, Flame I, Unbreaking III, Infinity I. Infinity and Mending conflict. Infinity is great early; Mending wins long-term because you can craft arrows cheaply.

How many levels does a max-enchanted bow cost?

Combining the books in the cheapest order costs 29 levels in total over 5 anvil uses in Java Edition, and no single step reaches the 40-level “Too Expensive!” cap. Applying the books one at a time costs more because the bow’s prior-work penalty doubles with every use.

Which bow enchantments can’t be combined?

Mending and Infinity are mutually exclusive, so pick one of each pair.

Is there a command to give a fully enchanted bow?

Yes, with cheats on in Java Edition 1.21.5 or later: /give @p bow[enchantments={power:5,punch:2,flame:1,unbreaking:3,infinity:1}]. Older versions use a different syntax.