While the pickaxe may be the one tool where there really is not a lot of different enchantments, almost all of them will be really useful no matter what kind of game mod or game style you are currently playing.
The possibilities are endless but to reach a good endgame and build and craft all those amazing stuff, you'll need to mine and excavate a lot, and what better way to do that than with a great, enchanted pickaxe? Read more to find out what all of these enchantments do and when should you use them!
6. Efficiency
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“Increases the player's mining speed.”
Efficiency stats:
Maximum level: V
Enchantment weight: 10
Increase the chance for a shield to be temporarily disabled by an axe by %25 for level I, %30 percent for level II, %35 for level III, %40 for level IV, %45 for level V.
Efficiency is the best enchantment that we love seeing on our pickaxes. While you can get it up to Efficiency IV for your pickaxe via the enchantment table, to get the most-loved level V Efficiency pickaxe, you will have to combine two Efficiency IV pickaxes or books or finding a level V pickaxe as loot.
Well, what does it do? It helps you break blocks easier. With a level V netherite pickaxe, and with the help of the beacon’s effect, you can insta-break stone, which lead to really fast and efficiency mining sessions, well, before 1.19. Even though you can’t instantly break deep slate, an Efficiency V pickaxe is still a must if you want to have the best equipment for your character. Use Efficiency if:
You are going mining and want to mine the most amount of resources in the least amount of time possible.
You are building. Breaking misplaced blocks is a significant chunk of the process.
You want to have the best pickaxe possible along with other enchantments.
5. Fortune
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“increases the number and/or chances of specific item drops.”
Fortune stats:
On average, Fortune I gives you +33% increase in drops.
On average, Fortune II gives you +75% increase in drops.
On average, Fortune III gives you +120% increase in drops.
Fortune is an absolutely amazing enchantment. When I don’t have it, I don’t even really want to go mining too much. Why? Well, when you break a diamond ore block, do you want to get only a single diamond or have the chance to get 2 or 3? Well, we know the answer.
Even though you will need to choose between Silk Touch and Fortune, since you can’t enchant both for the same pickaxe, Fortune seems to be the favorite, especially for people who love going mining, but both have their uses. Use Fortune if:
You are going mining and you want a lot of diamonds! (or other resources)
You want a lot more nether quartz and other similar things. You can get a lot with Fortune!
4. Silk Touch
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“Causes certain blocks to drop themselves as items instead of their usual drops when mined.”
Silk Touch stats:
Incompatible with Fortune
Enchantment weight: 1
Maximum level: 1
Silk Touch is a great enchantment that cause items to drop themselves instead of other drops. For example, if you break a clay block with a Silk Touch pickaxe, you will not get clay balls like you usually would but instead get the clay block itself.
This is useful for a lot of things. Are you building and always placing the glass blocks wrong? Break them with Silk Touch and you will actually get the glass block back.
Also, some people love going mining and mining with a Silk Touch pickaxe, and only after coming back to the surface they place those blocks again and break them with a Fortune pickaxe. Useful for inventory space while mining I guess, and also endorphin levels. Use Silk Touch if:
You go mining and want to pack your loot a little bit tighter.
You want to break blocks like glass and get them as drops.
Want to get blocks like ore blocks and so on for more building blocks.
3. Unbreaking
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“Gives a chance for an item to avoid durability reduction when it is used,”
Unbreaking stats:
%100 more durability on a tool at Unbreaking I
%200 more durability on a tool at Unbreaking II
%300 more durability on a tool at Unbreaking III
If you can give your equipment any sort of Unbreaking, there is no question, you should do it. I really can’t think of a scenario where Unbreaking wouldn’t be useful. At level III your items will last three times as long and with a pickaxe, that is even more useful.
If you want to excavate a big area, you will definitely need Unbreaking. While around 2000 uses for a base netherite pickaxe might seem like a lot, but keep in mind that when you are carving out a slime chunk, you need to dig out around 30,000 blocks. So, yeah. Use Unbreaking if:
You want to excavate a big area without breaking your pickaxe.
You like going mining, especially branch mining.
You do anything with your pickaxe, honestly. There is no reason why you shouldn’t have Unbreaking on your pickaxe.
2. Mending
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“Restores durability of an item using experience.”
Mending stats:
Enchantment weight: 2
Incompatible with Infinity
Maximum level: 1
Mending came out later than the original enchantments, and it is definitely an amazing addition to the game. When you have Mending on your pickaxe, if you pick up XP orbs, rather than gaining XP for levelling up, the orbs will instead repair your pickaxe. To do this, you will have to hold your pickaxe in your hand, so be mindful of that.
Mending is probably the best for a pickaxe since you will be repairing your pickaxe while you also mine for resources; so, win-win! While it is best to have Mending on every single one of your tools and armor, the pickaxe might be the best option, or at least the first tool you should enchant with Mending.
Mending, different to the other enchantments, can’t be acquired from an enchantment table. You will have to find a Mending book and use the anvil to enchant your pickaxe with Mending. Use Mending if:
You like your equipment lasting longer.
You are going on mining.
1. Curse of Vanishing
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“Causes the item to disappear on death.”
Curse of Vanishing stats:
Maximum level: 1
Not able to disenchant.
Only appliable with an anvil
Curse of Vanishing is a weird one. Definitely one of the later entries into enchantments in Minecraft, this enchantment causes your equipment that is enchanted with Curse of Vanishing to disappear when you die.
While we can’t see any reason or benefit to having this enchantment on your pickaxe, maybe you beautiful readers can find a way to benefit from this enchantment.
Similarly, you also can’t get this enchantment out of an enchantment table. To get this enchantment, you will need to find a pickaxe in the world with this enchantment already on it or find an enchanted book for Curse of Vanishing, for whatever reason you might want to do that. Use Curse of Vanishing if:
You like your equipment to just *poof* disappear when you die.
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