Minecraft Enchantment Order Calculator
Choose an item and the enchanted books you have, and get the anvil order that costs the fewest XP levels — while keeping every step below the "Too Expensive!" limit. (Java Edition 1.21)
Enchantments (one book each)
Mutually exclusive enchantments (e.g. Sharpness and Smite) switch each other off. The item is assumed to be new and unenchanted.
Cheapest order
Why does the order matter?
Every time an item or book goes through an anvil it gets a prior work penalty. It starts at 0 and grows 1 → 3 → 7 → 15 → 31 levels. Adding books one at a time to your sword makes each step more expensive until you hit 40 levels and see "Too Expensive!". Combining books in pairs first keeps the penalties low.
How the cost is calculated
- Step cost = penalty of the left item + penalty of the right item + enchantment cost of the right (sacrifice) item.
- Enchantment cost = level × multiplier. When the sacrifice is a book, the book multiplier applies (usually half the item multiplier).
- The calculator compares every possible merge order and picks the one with the lowest total levels where no single step reaches 40.
FAQ
How do I follow the steps?
Work from the top: put the "left slot" item in the first anvil slot and the "right slot" book in the second. Books made in earlier steps are used later.
Can I rename the item at the same time?
Renaming adds 1 level to that step. Do it on the cheapest step.
Does this work for Bedrock Edition?
Bedrock uses some different multipliers and rules, so results may differ slightly.