Introduction
Tired of your diamond pickaxe shattering right when you’re about to break that last block of ancient debris? Frustrated with your enchanted armor wearing down after a few skirmishes with creepers? The struggle is real in Minecraft, where durability is a constant concern. But there’s a solution, an enchantment that can virtually eliminate the need for constant repairs: the Mending enchantment. This enchantment is an absolute game-changer, allowing you to maintain your most prized tools and armor indefinitely. Imagine never having to craft another diamond pickaxe again! Mending uses the experience points (XP) you collect from defeating mobs, mining, and other activities to automatically repair damaged items. This keeps them in tip-top shape, and most importantly, prevents them from breaking completely. This article is your comprehensive guide to unlocking the power of Mending in Minecraft, detailing the various methods you can use to acquire this vital enchantment and offering tips for utilizing it effectively.
Understanding Mending: The Basics
At its core, the Mending enchantment is about sustainability. It fundamentally alters how you manage your equipment in Minecraft. Instead of meticulously hoarding resources and constantly crafting replacements, you can focus on using your gear and letting the world (and your hard-earned experience) take care of the repairs.
So, how does it work? When you have an item equipped with Mending, any experience orbs you collect are diverted to repairing that item’s durability. The amount of experience required to restore durability varies, but generally, a small amount of experience can go a long way. This means that every zombie you defeat, every ore you mine, and every fishing trip you take contributes directly to the longevity of your tools and armor. Crucially, any experience not used for repairing is then added to your level. You need to balance gaining XP and keeping your items in prime condition.
Mending can be applied to a wide array of items in Minecraft, making it incredibly versatile. These include essential tools like pickaxes, axes, shovels, and hoes. Your precious armor pieces – helmets, chestplates, leggings, and boots – can also benefit from Mending. It even works on weapons like swords, bows, and crossbows. Beyond the basics, Mending is essential for more advanced items, such as the Elytra (those amazing wings that allow you to fly!), fishing rods, shears, flint and steel, and shields. Think of all the iron and diamonds you can save by keeping your shield forever!
However, it’s important to understand the limitations of Mending. It won’t repair items beyond their maximum durability. If your item is already at full durability, any experience you gain will simply go towards your experience level. Mending also doesn’t add extra durability to an item; it only repairs existing damage. For increased durability, you’ll want to combine Mending with the Unbreaking enchantment.
It is also worth noting the difference between Mending and Infinity, enchantments that can both be applied to bows. However, they are mutually exclusive. Mending allows you to fire arrows without needing to replace them. Infinity makes it so that you never need to use arrows at all, as long as you have at least one in your inventory.
Methods to Obtain Mending
The path to acquiring Mending can take several routes, each with its own level of reliability and effort. Let’s explore the most common methods:
Trading with Villagers
In terms of reliability and sustainability, trading with villagers is the gold standard for obtaining the Mending enchantment. Specifically, you’ll want to focus on Librarian villagers, who have the chance to offer enchanted books, including Mending.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up a Librarian villager trading system:
First, you’ll need to locate a village. Villages are scattered throughout the overworld in various biomes. Once you’ve found a village, you may want to consider setting up a villager breeder. This will ensure a steady supply of villagers for trading. Villager breeders typically involve creating a small enclosed space with beds and food to encourage villagers to reproduce. Plenty of tutorials exist online to guide you through the construction of an effective villager breeder.
Once you have your villagers, the next step is to turn one into a Librarian. To do this, place a Lectern (a crafting table made from wood slabs and a bookshelf) near an unemployed villager. If the villager is able to access the Lectern, they will automatically become a Librarian.
Now comes the rerolling phase. This is where the process becomes a bit grindy, but it’s essential for finding the Mending trade. Interact with the Librarian and check their available trades. If Mending isn’t among them, break the Lectern and then replace it. This will cause the Librarian to reset their trades. Repeat this process until the Librarian offers a Mending book. This can be time-consuming, but it’s a reliable way to eventually get the enchantment. Remember to check that there is a bed in the villager’s vicinity, as this helps to ‘lock’ the villager to the spot you are placing it.
One way to drastically reduce the cost of villager trades is to cure Zombie Villagers. If you find a Zombie Villager, you can cure it by throwing a Splash Potion of Weakness at it, then feeding it a Golden Apple. After a few moments, the Zombie Villager will transform back into a normal villager. Curing a villager grants you the “Hero of the Village” effect, which significantly reduces the cost of trades with all villagers in the village. This effect is temporary, but curing Zombie Villagers can make Mending much more affordable. In order to cure a zombie villager, it is recommended to trap it in a safe space so that it doesn’t escape as it is being cured.
Finally, it’s crucial to secure your villagers. Villagers are vulnerable to zombie attacks and can despawn if left unprotected. Enclose their trading area with walls and a roof, and ensure there are no gaps where zombies can get in. Placing light sources inside the enclosure will also help prevent zombie spawns.
When checking for Mending, look for a book with the Mending enchantment and a relatively low emerald cost. The price can vary depending on factors like the villager’s level and whether they’ve been cured. The color of the book doesn’t matter, only that it has the Mending enchantment.
Common issues you might encounter include villagers not changing trades (ensure they have access to their workstation and a bed) or villagers despawning (ensure they are properly enclosed and protected).
Fishing
Another way to obtain Mending is through fishing. Fishing for enchanted books is possible but relies heavily on luck. The chances of catching an enchanted book are relatively low compared to other types of loot you can reel in. This can be very time consuming.
To increase your chances of catching an enchanted book, you’ll want to use a fishing rod with the Lure and Luck of the Sea enchantments. Lure increases the overall catch rate, while Luck of the Sea specifically increases the chance of catching treasure items, which include enchanted books. In addition to the other enchantments, Unbreaking will increase the lifespan of your fishing rod.
AFK fish farms are commonly used to automate this process. These farms typically involve creating a contraption that automatically casts and reels in your fishing rod, allowing you to passively fish while you’re away from your computer. However, the effectiveness of AFK fish farms has been reduced in recent Minecraft versions.
The advantages of fishing for Mending are that it doesn’t require finding a village and can be done passively with an AFK farm. However, the disadvantages are significant: it’s heavily RNG-dependent (relying purely on random number generation), can be extremely time-consuming, and there’s no guarantee you’ll ever catch a Mending book.
Looting Treasure Chests
Mending books can also be found as loot in treasure chests scattered throughout the world. However, the probability of finding a Mending book in a chest is typically very low.
Chests with a chance of containing Mending books can be found in various locations, including dungeons, mineshafts, strongholds, desert temples, jungle temples, ancient cities, woodland mansions, and end cities. Each location has its own loot tables, which determine the types of items that can be found in its chests.
To efficiently loot these structures, it’s helpful to use torches to prevent mob spawns, and maps to navigate complex areas like mineshafts and strongholds. Ancient Cities are some of the most dangerous places to try and loot treasure chests. They are usually well guarded by the Warden, a blind mob with extreme hearing, high HP, and extremely high damage.
The advantages of this method are that it can be combined with exploration and other activities. However, the disadvantages are that the probability of finding Mending is low, it requires significant exploration, and many of the locations are dangerous.
Raiding Ancient Cities
Ancient Cities are another potential source of Mending books. However, these underground structures are extremely dangerous due to the presence of the Warden. They are also very difficult to navigate as they are extremely dark, which helps the Warden stay hidden.
Applying the Mending Enchantment
Once you’ve obtained a Mending book, you’ll need to apply it to the item you want to enchant using an anvil.
Place the item and the Mending book in the anvil’s slots. The anvil will then display the experience cost required to combine them. If you have enough experience levels, you can proceed with the enchanting process.
Keep in mind that combining enchantments can be expensive in terms of experience. To minimize the cost, try renaming the item before applying the enchantment. This can sometimes reduce the experience cost. Also, combining enchantments in a specific order can help keep the cost down. Experiment with different combinations to find the most efficient way to apply all the enchantments you want.
The “Too Expensive!” error is a common issue encountered when using anvils. This error occurs when the experience cost of combining items exceeds the maximum level you can have. To avoid this, try to apply enchantments early in the item’s life, before it accumulates too much “prior work penalty” (a hidden value that increases the cost of subsequent anvil operations).
Tips and Tricks for Using Mending Effectively
To make the most of your Mending enchantment, consider these tips:
Managing experience gain is crucial. Set up XP farms to quickly replenish your experience levels. These farms can be as simple as a mob spawner trap or as complex as an enderman farm. Prioritize repairs when you have a lot of XP. Don’t let your tools or armor get too damaged before repairing them, as it will take more experience to fully restore their durability.
Combining Mending with other enchantments can further enhance its effectiveness. Unbreaking, in particular, is a great combination. Unbreaking increases the durability of your item, meaning it will take longer to break. This makes Mending even more efficient, as it will have less damage to repair.
Troubleshooting
Occasionally, you may encounter issues with Mending. If Mending isn’t working, make sure the item is actually damaged. Mending only repairs damaged items, so if the item is at full durability, it won’t use any experience. Also, ensure you’re actually gaining experience. Some activities, like being in the void or being hit by certain status effects, can prevent you from gaining experience. If villagers are not spawning, ensure there are enough beds available. If the anvil is failing, you are attempting to perform a task that is too expensive.
Conclusion
The Mending enchantment is a true game-changer in Minecraft, offering a sustainable solution for maintaining your valuable tools and armor. Whether you choose to trade with villagers, cast your line for enchanted books, or brave the depths of dungeons, acquiring Mending is well worth the effort. So, venture forth, explore the world, and unlock the power of Mending. May your tools never break again, and may your adventures be filled with endless possibilities! What are your favorite methods for getting Mending? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!
