How to Tell if a Villager Will Have Mending in Minecraft
The quest for a Mending villager is a common one for Minecraft players. Mending is a powerful enchantment that repairs tools, weapons, and armor using experience points, making it incredibly valuable. So, how can you tell if a villager will offer the coveted Mending enchantment? The answer isn’t a simple one, but it is manageable with a bit of patience and knowledge of villager mechanics.
The key is understanding that only Librarian villagers can trade Mending books. These librarians need a lectern to become a librarian, and the game uses a random roll to determine their trades. So, there’s no direct way to look at a villager and know beforehand if they will sell Mending. Instead, you need to create a librarian and then check its trades. This process involves breaking and replacing the lectern until the desired trade appears. Essentially, there is no guaranteed way to look at a villager and know if they’ll have Mending until you convert them into a librarian.
The Process of Acquiring a Mending Librarian
The process for getting a Mending villager is a bit like playing the lottery, but with better odds if you know the mechanics. It comes down to the following key steps:
- Find a Villager: Locate an unemployed villager within a village or transport one to your desired location.
- Place a Lectern: Place a lectern near the villager. This should be within the villager’s reach. If the villager is within range of multiple lecterns, it will select one randomly. Be prepared to break other lecterns if a villager chooses the wrong one!
- Observe the Transformation: If successful, the villager will become a Librarian. They will now wear different clothing.
- Check the Trades: Right-click on the Librarian villager and observe their trade offers.
- Repeat if Necessary: If the first trade is not Mending, break the lectern, wait for the villager to become unemployed, and then replace it. Repeat this process until Mending appears in the first slot of the trade options.
- Secure the Trade: Once you get a Mending trade, buy one immediately to lock that trade in place. Villagers that have been traded with will not have their trades change.
The most crucial aspect to realize is that the first trade slot is the key, as this is the most frequently rerolled and where you want Mending to appear. It’s vital to buy the Mending book right away as trades cannot be changed after a villager is traded with.
Understanding the Randomness of Trades
The process can be time-consuming because it’s heavily reliant on the game’s random number generator. It’s important to understand that:
- Each time you place a lectern, the game rolls the dice to determine the trades the librarian will offer.
- There’s a roughly 1/72 chance of getting a Mending book as the first trade.
- This means that, on average, you will need to break and replace the lectern around 72 times to get Mending. However, it could take less or much more.
- The key to patience is preparing all the resources ahead of time, to quickly reset and retry trades.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mending Villagers
Here are some frequently asked questions to further illuminate the process of obtaining Mending villagers and understand related mechanics:
1. What are the odds of a librarian having Mending in their first trade?
The odds of a librarian villager having Mending as their first trade are approximately 1 in 72. This is because there’s a 50% chance of getting a book trade rather than a bookshelf and a 1/36 chance of a book being Mending.
2. Can any villager become a librarian?
No, only unemployed villagers can become librarians when a lectern is placed nearby. Nitwit villagers, wearing green clothing, cannot take jobs.
3. Can a nitwit villager become a librarian?
No. Nitwit villagers cannot take any job. They can be recognized by their green robes and will shake their heads if interacted with for trading.
4. Is it possible to get Mending from a level 1 librarian?
Yes. Mending can be the first trade a Librarian villager has, so there is no need to level up a villager to unlock the Mending trade.
5. Do swamp villagers have better chances of getting Mending?
No, all librarians have the same odds. However, if you get a swamp villager you are guaranteed to get mending as a trade, though it may not be the first or even the most commonly offered one. However, swamp villages do not occur naturally.
6. Do I need both Mending and Unbreaking?
Yes, absolutely! Unbreaking increases the durability of your items, while Mending repairs them using XP. They work incredibly well in conjunction with each other to increase item durability and longevity.
7. Is there a Mending 2 enchantment?
No. The Mending enchantment only has one level, Mending I.
8. How much does a Mending book usually cost?
A Mending book costs between 10 and 38 emeralds, with the chance of each price appearing being evenly distributed (without trading discounts).
9. Why won’t my villager accept a job?
Villagers need a bed linked to them and a workstation (lectern for a librarian). Ensure there is one bed per villager within range, even if they cannot physically access it, and that the workstation is available and unlinked to another villager. Also, check if they are a nitwit (green clothes).
10. Why is my villager not restocking Mending?
Villagers need access to their workstation to restock trades. This requires a 1x1x2 space, where they can stand next to their workstation. Make sure their workstation is unblocked.
11. Can I get Mending books from fishing?
Yes, you can get Mending books by fishing. However, the chances are much higher if your fishing rod has the Luck of the Sea enchantment.
12. What is the best villager for getting emeralds?
Librarian villagers are the best source for emeralds because they buy paper, which is cheap and easy to obtain. They also sell enchanted books.
13. Why does my villager have green sparkles, but no job?
If a villager has green sparkles but isn’t taking a job, it means another villager has already claimed that workstation. Check your area for the other villager. Break and replace any unclaimed workstations to ensure the villager selects the one you intend them to use.
14. Why is my villager wearing green robes?
Villagers with green robes are called nitwits. They cannot take jobs and are essentially useless.
15. Can you combine two Mending 1 books?
Yes, you can combine two Mending I books using an anvil to repair the book.
Conclusion
While there’s no surefire way to tell if a villager will have Mending before transforming them into a librarian, understanding the mechanics allows you to increase your chances. The key is patience, persistence, and an understanding of the randomization. Don’t give up! With enough lectern placement and a bit of luck, you’ll soon have your very own Mending librarian to keep your tools and armor in tip-top shape.