CALCULATOR · XP COST
Minecraft XP Cost Calculator
Survival refuses any one anvil use that reaches 40 levels. Enter the item, books, and prior-work values to see the level bill before you open the anvil.
XP cost 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.
Worked example: 39 levels, still legal
Inputs: Sword with prior-work 5 (penalty 31); Sharpness V book with prior-work 2 (penalty 3). Cost breakdown: Sharpness V base 5 + prior-work penalties 34 = 39 XP. That is under 40, so survival allows the combine.
total = enchantment_cost + (2^item_pwp - 1) + (2^book_pwp - 1)
39 = 5 + (2^5 - 1) + (2^2 - 1)
39 = 5 + 31 + 3
Failure case: Too Expensive
Inputs: Helmet with prior-work 5 (penalty 31); Thorns III book (base cost 24). Cost breakdown: Thorns III base 24 + prior-work 31 = 55 XP. Survival prints Too Expensive and the helmet does not change.
Re-order books on the enchantment order calculator or start from a fresh item. The Too Expensive guide covers prior-work resets in more detail.
Prior-work penalty table
The live calculator adds these penalties for you. Use the table when you only know how many times the item has already been on an anvil.
| Prior-work n | Penalty (2^n - 1) | Max extra cost that still fits (total 39) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 39 levels of enchantment cost |
| 1 | 1 | 38 levels of enchantment cost |
| 2 | 3 | 36 levels of enchantment cost |
| 3 | 7 | 32 levels of enchantment cost |
| 4 | 15 | 24 levels of enchantment cost |
| 5 | 31 | 8 levels of enchantment cost |
| 6 | 63 | None — already Too Expensive |
FAQ
- What does Too Expensive mean?
- Survival anvils refuse a single combine whose total XP cost reaches 40 levels. The total is the enchantment cost plus prior-work penalties on both inputs. Creative mode ignores the cap; there is no vanilla gamerule to turn it off.
- How is prior-work penalty calculated?
- Each anvil use sets the result's prior-work to max(target, sacrifice) + 1. The next combine pays 2^n - 1 levels for that counter. A fresh item pays 0; prior-work 5 already pays 31 before the new enchantment cost is added.
- Does Mending reset prior-work?
- No. Mending repairs durability as you gain XP. It does not clear anvil history. A grindstone removes both enchantments and prior-work. The usual cheap fix is a fresh item plus a planned book order.
- Why does 39 work and 40 fail?
- The survival cap is 40, inclusive. The worked example below is 5 + 31 + 3 = 39 and is allowed. Add one more prior-work on the book and the same Sharpness V combine becomes 43 and is refused.