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In a game with “mine” in the name, the importance of having a good pickaxe can not be understated. So, today, we explore the best pickaxe enchantments in Minecraft 1.21 alongside the most optimal setup a general-purpose enchanted pickaxe can have, especially in the early game.

All Compatible Enchantments

Efficiency

• Maximum Level: V
• Source: Enchanting Table & Enchanted Books
• Restrictions: None

Efficiency enchanted tools provide a bonus to gathering speed, increasing with each level of the enchantment to a maximum of level 5.

Fortune

• Maximum Level: III
• Source: Enchanting Table & Enchanted Books
• Restrictions: Incompatible with Silk Touch

Fortune enchanted tools provide a 33% chance to double the drops of a block such as iron ore at level one, increasing to 25% to double or triple the drops at level two and 20% to double, triple, or quadruple the drops at level 3. Each roll at doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the drops has a separate chance to occur.

Silk Touch

• Maximum Level: I
• Source: Enchanting Table & Enchanted Books
• Restrictions: Incompatible with Fortune

Silk touch enchanted tools cause gathered blocks to drop in their unbroken state. For example, gathering an iron ore block would cause the iron ore block to drop rather than raw iron.

Unbreaking

• Maximum Level: III
• Source: Enchanting Table & Enchanted Books
• Restrictions: None

Unbreaking creates a chance that an item or tool’s durability will not decrease when used, averaging a 100% increase in lifespan per level of the enchantment. This enchantment has a maximum level of 3.

Mending

• Maximum Level: I
• Source: Enchanted Books
• Restrictions: None

Gathered Experience Orbs are automatically consumed to repair items enchanted with Mending. Mending enchanted items must be in the main hand, off hand, or an equipped armor slot for this effect to occur.

Best Pickaxe Enchantments

• Efficiency V
• Fortune III
• Unbreaking III
• Mending I

Players seeking to craft the ultimate pickaxe will want to aim for the enchantments we have listed above. This is the maximum number of enchantments the pickaxe can hold, with fortune taken in favor of silk touch. While silk touch is great for conserving inventory space on long mining trips, fortune is simply far more useful to have on hand, especially in the early game when it comes to getting diamonds as quickly as possible. Additionally, the fortune enchantment applies to any broken fortune-compatible block, regardless of whether the pickaxe is the intended tool for the job. This includes both carrots and potatoes alongside blocks like gravel. With all of the above in mind, it is important to note that the high value of a fortune three pickaxe does not take away from the value of having a second pickaxe with silk touch. One should always aim to have one of each, especially by the late game.