Can You Get Infinity and Mending on a Bow in Minecraft? The Definitive Answer
The short answer, delivered with the authority of someone who’s spent countless hours in the Minecraft world, is no. In standard, survival Minecraft, you cannot have both Infinity and Mending on the same bow. This intentional limitation, implemented by Mojang, is a balance decision that aims to prevent what they perceived as an overpowered weapon. While there are a few very limited exceptions that exist, they are not widely available in the standard Minecraft experience. This article will delve into why these enchantments are mutually exclusive, the implications for your gameplay, and alternative strategies to maximize your bow’s effectiveness.
The Mending vs. Infinity Dilemma: A Tale of Two Enchantments
Let’s break down each enchantment and why they can’t coexist.
Understanding Infinity
The Infinity enchantment allows you to fire an unlimited number of arrows from your bow, provided you have at least one arrow in your inventory. This enchantment essentially eliminates the need to craft or gather vast quantities of arrows, freeing up resources and inventory space. However, it’s important to note that Infinity only works with standard arrows; it will not apply to Tipped Arrows or Spectral Arrows, which will still be consumed upon use.
Understanding Mending
The Mending enchantment repairs an item by using experience orbs collected by the player. Whenever you gain experience (from mining, defeating mobs, trading, or any other experience-generating activity), a portion of that experience is diverted to repairing the enchanted item. This effectively makes the item virtually indestructible, as long as you continue to earn experience.
Why the Conflict?
Mojang’s reasoning for making these enchantments mutually exclusive is based on game balance. A bow with both Infinity and Mending would essentially be unbreakable and require no resource management for arrows. This was deemed too powerful, diminishing the need to engage with crafting and resource gathering aspects of the game. Imagine a player never having to worry about arrow counts or bow durability!
Getting Around the Limitations (With Caveats)
While a naturally obtained bow with both enchantments is impossible in survival mode, there are a few ways to circumvent this limitation, but be aware that these often involve methods not available in the standard game:
- Commands: Using commands in Creative Mode, or if you have operator privileges on a server, you can create a bow with both Infinity and Mending. This is primarily for testing purposes or for custom game modes. You will need to learn to use the
/givecommand to be successful with this method. - Modifications: Various mods exist that remove or alter enchantment restrictions, allowing you to combine Infinity and Mending. However, using mods will change the core gameplay experience and may not be compatible with all servers. Mods are generally for the PC version of the game, and not the Bedrock/Console versions.
- Older Versions (Legacy): There was a brief window in very early versions of Minecraft where it was possible to obtain a bow with both enchantments. However, this was a glitch and has since been patched. Skeletons could RARELY drop a bow enchanted with both infinity and mending.
These methods are highly situational and are generally not a standard way to play Minecraft.
The Optimal Bow Enchantment Strategy
Since you must choose between Infinity and Mending, the optimal choice depends on your play style and resource availability. The general consensus is:
- Infinity: Is generally better if you want to avoid arrow crafting at all costs.
- Mending: Is useful if you have lots of experience (a mob farm for instance) and want to keep the durability maxed out.
In most cases, Infinity is favored by players due to its convenience, while Mending is the preferred choice by the player that will always have an experience farm readily available.
Related Enchantments to Consider
Regardless of whether you choose Infinity or Mending, other enchantments can significantly enhance your bow’s capabilities:
- Power V: Increases the damage dealt by your arrows. This is arguably the most important enchantment for any bow.
- Punch II: Adds knockback to your arrows, pushing enemies further away. This is great for crowd control and keeping enemies at a distance.
- Flame: Sets your arrows on fire, causing additional fire damage to your targets. This enchantment also works with infinity enchantment.
- Unbreaking III: Increases the durability of your bow, making it last longer before needing repair. Mending AND Unbreaking III is what you would want on any piece equipment like base enchantments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Infinity cancel out Mending?
Yes, Infinity and Mending are mutually exclusive. You cannot have both on the same bow in standard Minecraft.
2. What is Mending not compatible with?
Mending is primarily incompatible with Infinity on bows. It can be combined with nearly any other enchantment on other tools and armor.
3. Should I get Mending or Infinity?
It depends on your play style. Infinity saves you from crafting arrows, while Mending keeps your bow in good condition if you consistently earn experience. Infinity is generally more favored.
4. What enchantment can you get with Infinity?
You can combine Infinity with enchantments like Power, Punch, Flame, and Unbreaking.
5. Can you get Mending from an enchantment table?
No, Mending cannot be obtained directly from an enchantment table. You must find it as a treasure enchantment through fishing, trading with villagers, or looting structures.
6. Is Infinity a rare enchantment?
Yes, Infinity is a relatively rare enchantment. Its probability increases slightly at higher enchantment levels. The probability value is 10-14%.
7. Why can’t Mending and Infinity go together?
Mojang made them incompatible because a bow with both enchantments would be overpowered.
8. Is Unbreaking 3 worth it if you have Mending?
Yes, Unbreaking III is a valuable addition to any item with Mending. It reduces the rate at which the item loses durability, further extending its lifespan.
9. What’s the highest Mending you can get?
The maximum level for Mending is Level 1 (Mending I).
10. What can Mending be combined with?
Mending can be combined with most enchantments, except Infinity on bows.
11. Should I combine Mending and Unbreaking?
Yes, combining Mending and Unbreaking is highly recommended for any valuable tool or armor piece.
12. Is there Mending 2?
No, the maximum level for the Mending enchantment is Level 1.
13. Can skeletons drop Infinity Mending bows?
Extremely rarely, a skeleton horseman might drop a bow enchanted with both Infinity and Mending, but this is incredibly rare and difficult to achieve.
14. Can you stack Infinity and Flame?
Yes, Infinity and Flame can be combined on a bow.
15. Does Mending take XP away from you?
Yes, Mending uses experience orbs to repair items. Half of the experience goes to repairing the item, and the other half goes to your experience bar.
Conclusion
While the dream of an Infinity and Mending bow remains just that, understanding the mechanics and limitations of Minecraft’s enchantments allows you to make informed decisions and optimize your gear for your preferred play style. Whether you choose the convenience of Infinity or the longevity of Mending, a well-enchanted bow remains a formidable weapon in the world of Minecraft.
The world of gaming is always evolving, and it’s important to understand how we learn within those spaces. For further insights into game-based learning, be sure to visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.