Minecraft weapons: swords, bows and crossbows

From relentless creepers and hordes of skeletons to the mighty Ender Dragon, the right weapon is key to surviving in Minecraft. The game has several types of weapons, and each one has its own uses and strategies. In this chapter we go through every weapon type in detail, compare their stats and suggest which enchantments are worth putting on them.

Sword

The sword is the basic and most commonly used melee weapon. The recipe is very simple: put 1 stick at the bottom of the middle column of the grid, with 2 units of your chosen material above it (wood, cobblestone, iron, gold or diamond). A sword is lighter than an axe and attacks faster, which makes it ideal for fighting several enemies at once.

In Java Edition the sword has a unique mechanic: the sweep attack. When you hit an enemy with a fully charged swing, nearby enemies within 1 block take extra damage too. This makes the sword especially effective against groups of mobs, like hordes of zombies or piglins. You can boost the sweep attack with the Sweeping Edge enchantment, which raises sweep damage to 75% of the base damage at level III.

Best sword enchantments

To get the most out of your sword, put the right enchantments on it. These are the most important ones:

• Sharpness V - an all-round damage boost of 3 points. Works against every enemy.
• Smite V - adds 12.5 damage against undead mobs (zombies, skeletons, the Wither). An alternative to Sharpness.
• Looting III - increases the loot dropped by the mobs you kill. A must for farming rare drops.
• Fire Aspect II - sets enemies on fire. Handy when you're collecting cooked meat.
• Unbreaking III - makes the sword last much longer. A must on every valuable sword.
• Mending - repairs the sword with experience. The most valuable enchantment in the game.

Bow

The bow is the basic ranged weapon and lets you attack enemies from a safe distance. To craft one you need 3 sticks and 3 string (dropped by spiders). The sticks go diagonally across the grid and the string goes on the opposite side. A bow needs arrows to shoot: 1 flint + 1 stick + 1 feather gives you 4 arrows.

The power of a shot depends on how long you draw the bow. A full draw (about 1 second) deals up to 9 damage, plus a critical hit marked by particles. A minimal draw deals just 1 damage. The bow is irreplaceable against skeletons (which are archers themselves), ghasts in the Nether and blazes.

Key bow enchantments

• Power V - raises arrow damage to 23 points at full draw. Lets you kill most mobs with a single shot.
• Infinity - shoot without using up arrows (you need at least 1 arrow in your inventory). It does NOT combine with Mending.
• Flame - sets the target on fire. Flaming arrows are also great for lighting TNT from a distance.
• Punch II - knocks enemies back when they're hit. Great for knocking mobs off cliffs.

Crossbow

The crossbow was added in version 1.14 and is a stronger but slower alternative to the bow. It deals up to 11 damage, more than a bow, but it takes longer to load (about 1.25 seconds). The crossbow's big advantage is that you can load it in advance and keep it ready to fire, so you can have your weapon ready before you walk into a dangerous room.

The crossbow's unique feature is that it can shoot fireworks. If you hold a firework rocket in your off hand, the crossbow loads and fires it. Fireworks made with firework stars explode on impact and deal area damage.

Crossbow enchantments

• Quick Charge III - cuts the loading time from 1.25 s to 0.5 s. Absolutely essential.
• Multishot - fires 3 arrows at once (but uses only 1). Great for fighting groups.
• Piercing IV - arrows pass through enemies and can hit several of them. It doesn't combine with Multishot.

Trident

The trident is a unique weapon that you can't craft at a crafting table. The only way to get a trident is to kill a drowned: these underwater zombies have a 6.25% chance to drop a trident (in Bedrock Edition, 3.75% of them hold one, and then the drop chance is 100%). The trident is extremely versatile: you can use it in melee (9 damage) and throw it at range (8 damage). After you throw it, you have to pick the trident up off the ground, unless it has the Loyalty enchantment.

The trident has four unique enchantments that no other weapon can get:

• Riptide III - throwing the trident in rain or water launches you in the direction of the throw. Great for traveling fast. It does NOT combine with Loyalty or Channeling.
• Loyalty III - the trident comes back to you after you throw it, like a boomerang. The return time gets shorter with each level.
• Channeling - hitting a mob during a thunderstorm summons a lightning bolt. It only works out in the open.
• Impaling V - adds extra damage. It works differently in Java Edition and Bedrock Edition.

The axe as a weapon

Although the axe is first and foremost a tool, in Java Edition it's a powerful alternative to the sword. A diamond axe deals 9 damage (versus 7 for a sword), but it attacks much more slowly (1 attack per second versus 1.6 for a sword). The axe's key advantage is that it can disable an opponent's shield for 5 seconds, which is a huge edge in PvP. Many advanced players carry both a sword (for PvE and fights against several enemies) and an axe (for PvP and fights against single, strong opponents).

Shield

The shield isn't an offensive weapon, but it's an essential part of your combat gear. The recipe: 6 planks in a Y shape + 1 iron ingot at the top center. While you're holding it up (right mouse button), the shield blocks 100% of the damage coming from the front (melee hits, arrows, fireballs). You can decorate it with patterns by combining it with a banner at a crafting table.