How to use enchantment books in Minecraft
Anvil basics, the cost formula, and how to chain multiple books without burning a stack of XP bottles.
Anvil basics
- Mine 3 iron blocks + 4 iron ingots and craft an anvil.
- Place it; right-click to open. Slot 1 = item to enchant, slot 2 = enchanted book.
- The right side of the panel shows the XP cost. If it reads Too Expensive!, the combine is blocked in survival.
- Press the output slot once you have enough XP levels. The book is consumed; the item gains the enchantment.
XP cost formula in plain words
Each enchantment on the book contributes its book multiplier times the resulting level on your item. Add 2^n - 1 levels for the item's and the book's prior-work counters. Sum all of those for the total.
Cheapest path: pair books with other books before applying to the item. Two fresh books pair at almost-free cost (the result is one book with both enchantments, prior-work 1). Applying that combined book to the item is one anvil use instead of two, so the item's prior-work counter only goes up by 1.
Calculator demo
The calculator below has a typical sword loadout (Sharpness, Looting, Unbreaking, Mending) pre-filled. Adjust to match your books, press Calculate, and you'll see the merge order with the lowest total XP.
Anvil Calculator
Optimal order · XP cost · Too-Expensive guardPick the gear you want to enchant. Books you add below will be merged onto it in the cheapest order we can find.