What Does Efficiency Do in Minecraft?

The Efficiency enchantment allows your tools to break blocks faster in Minecraft. It can be applied to your Pickaxes, Shovels, Axes, Hoes, and even Shears. There are 5 levels of Efficiency, however, it can be tricky to get the highest level.

Table Of Contents

    How the Efficiency Enchantment Works

    The player cutting down a tree with an axe.

    Efficiency will increase the speed at which a tool breaks the correct type of block. The “correct” type is the kind of block that would naturally be harvested with that tool. For example, an Axe enchanted with Efficiency will chop through wooden blocks faster, but will not break stone blocks any quicker than normal.

    As the highest level of the Efficiency enchantment, you’ll want level 5 on your tools for the fastest mining. However, this is pretty hard to do for Stone and Diamond tools. You cannot get Efficiency level 5 on Stone or Diamond tools by enchanting conventionally.

    Getting Efficiency Level 5 on Your Stone Tools

    For Stone-tier tools, you can combine 2 of the same kind of item to get Efficiency level 5 on a new version of that item. You just need Efficiency level 4 on both of the component items. It’s possible for you to combine 2 enchanted tools on an Anvil. However, it would be a waste of time to enchant Stone tools. Save your XP for enchanting at least Iron-tier tools or better.

    To make an Anvil, you’ll need 3 Blocks of Iron as well as 4 Iron Ingots. On a Crafting Table, start assembling the Anvil by placing the 3 Blocks of Iron on the top row. Then, place 1 Iron Ingot on the centermost slot and the remaining 3 on the bottom row.

    Getting Efficiency Level 5 on Your Diamond Tools

    There is also no way to naturally enchant a Diamond-tier tool with Efficiency level 5, regardless of whether you use an Enchanting Table or an Anvil. The only way to get a Diamond-tier tool with Efficiency level 5 is to find one in the Chests of specific locations.

    Such tools have a small chance of appearing in the Chests of Bastion Remnants and End Cities. As such, you’ll need to either make a trip to the Nether or to the End to find the most efficient Diamond tools.

    The Effects of Each Level of the Efficiency Enchantment

    • +25% mining speed at level 1
    • +30% mining speed at level 2
    • +35% mining speed at level 3
    • +40% mining speed at level 4
    • +45% mining speed at level 5
    The player breaking a stone block with an iron pickaxe.

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