ENCHANTMENTS · COMBAT

Piercing in Minecraft - Anvil Cost & Compatibility

Crossbow arrows pierce through multiple mobs.

Max Level

4

Book Cost

1/lvl

Conflicts

Multishot

Treasure

No

Added

vanilla

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Anvil Calculator

Optimal order · XP cost · Too-Expensive guard
0 = brand new. Every anvil use raises this by 1.

Pick the gear you want to enchant. Books you add below will be merged onto it in the cheapest order we can find.

Books / sacrifices (1)
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Compatible items

How to get Piercing

  • Enchanting table: Surround a level 30 table with 15 bookshelves and roll until Piercing appears.
  • Villager trading: Reroll librarian villagers until one stocks Piercing.
  • Loot: Bastions, end cities and trial chambers regularly drop enchanted gear with Piercing.
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Anvil cost worked example

Applying a level-4 Piercing book onto a brand-new item costs 4 XP levels (book multiplier 1 times level 4). Adding it on top of an item that has already been on the anvil once raises the cost by another 1 level for the prior-work penalty; twice and the penalty jumps to 3; three times, 7; and so on by 2^n - 1.

Pair Piercing with cheap stuff first if you can - Unbreaking and Mending have low multipliers and don't conflict, so they're usually the cheapest path to a full endgame loadout.

Pair Piercing with

FAQ

What does Piercing do in Minecraft?
Crossbow arrows pierce through multiple mobs.
What is the maximum level of Piercing?
Piercing caps at level 4.
Which items can have Piercing?
Crossbow.
What enchantments conflict with Piercing?
Piercing cannot share an item with Multishot.
How much XP does Piercing cost on the anvil?
Each level of Piercing adds bookMultiplier 1 times the new level to the anvil cost. At max level (4) that is 4 XP plus any prior-work penalty.

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