Does Fortune Affect Shears in Minecraft? The Ultimate Guide
The short answer? No, Fortune does NOT affect shears in Minecraft, at least not in the way you might expect. While the game’s code once hinted at the possibility of Fortune affecting honeycomb collection from beehives, this functionality was never fully implemented. Therefore, when shearing sheep or collecting other items with shears, the Fortune enchantment will have absolutely no effect.
While this might be disappointing for some, understanding the specific enchantments that do work with shears, and the multitude of uses for this versatile tool, is crucial for maximizing your gameplay. Let’s dive deep into the world of shears in Minecraft, exploring their functions, enchantments, and common misconceptions.
Understanding Shears in Minecraft
Shears are a surprisingly versatile tool in Minecraft, used for much more than just shearing sheep. They are primarily used for collecting items without destroying the source block, which is especially handy for renewable resources. Shears also work best to get wool from sheep.
Key Uses for Shears:
- Shearing Sheep: This is the most iconic use. Shears allow you to collect 1-3 wool from sheep without harming them. The sheep will regrow their wool after eating grass.
- Collecting Leaves: You can harvest leaf blocks with shears, allowing you to transport them and use them for decorative purposes. Without shears, leaf blocks will decay.
- Harvesting Vines: Shears are the fastest way to collect vines, which are useful for climbing, decorating, and crafting.
- Honeycomb Collection: While Fortune doesn’t apply, shears are essential for obtaining honeycomb from beehives and bee nests without angering the bees (if the hive or nest is full and ready to be harvested).
- Breaking Cobwebs: Shears make quick work of cobwebs, yielding string.
- Carving Pumpkins: You can use shears to carve a face into a pumpkin, creating a jack-o’-lantern.
- Mooshroom Milking: Shearing a Mooshroom turns it into a regular cow and yields mushrooms.
- Tripwire Hooks: Shears can quickly break tripwire hooks without triggering them.
- Glow Lichen: Use shears to harvest glow lichen without breaking it.
Enchantments for Shears
While Fortune is a no-go, shears can still be enchanted, making them more efficient and durable. Here’s a breakdown of the enchantments that do work:
- Efficiency: Increases the speed at which you can use the shears, allowing you to shear sheep or harvest leaves more quickly.
- Unbreaking: Increases the durability of the shears, making them last longer before breaking. A must-have for any frequently used tool.
- Mending: Repairs the shears using experience orbs collected while using them. This enchantment, combined with an XP farm, can make your shears virtually indestructible.
- Curse of Vanishing: A negative enchantment that causes the shears to disappear upon your death. Avoid this one!
How to Enchant Shears
Shears can only be enchanted using an anvil. You’ll need an enchanted book containing the desired enchantment and some experience levels. Place the shears and the enchanted book in the anvil and combine them. Keep in mind that some enchantments are rarer than others and may require significant time and effort to obtain.
Why Doesn’t Fortune Work on Shears (And Could It?)
The fundamental reason Fortune doesn’t work on shears stems from how the game developers designed the mechanic. Fortune primarily affects blocks that drop items when destroyed, increasing the quantity of those items. Shears, however, are often used to collect items without destroying the source block. In the case of honeycomb, even though shears do collect the item without destroying a source block, the code was never finished to fully utilize the Fortune enchantment for increased drop rates. It is interesting to consider how enchantments change the way that players learn and interact with a game, and the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org focuses on exactly these sorts of issues.
The Honeycomb Exception (That Never Was)
The initial thought in the Minecraft community was, “If Fortune affects drops, surely it should increase the amount of honeycomb obtained from beehives!” This makes logical sense, and the code did initially suggest this was the intent. However, this feature was never fully implemented, leaving many players disappointed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Shears and Fortune
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Will Fortune ever work on shears for honeycomb collection?
While it’s impossible to say for sure what the developers might do in the future, as of the latest versions of Minecraft, there are no plans to implement Fortune for honeycomb collection with shears.
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Can I use a command to make Fortune work on shears?
You might be able to use commands or mods to change the game’s behavior and force Fortune to affect shears, but this would require modifying the game and wouldn’t be possible in vanilla Minecraft.
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What’s the best enchantment for shears?
Mending and Unbreaking are considered the best enchantments for shears, as they significantly increase their lifespan and reduce the need for repairs. Efficiency is also useful for speeding up shearing and harvesting.
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Do shears lose durability when used in a dispenser?
Yes, dispensers can use shears to shear sheep or collect honeycombs, and this will decrease the shears’ durability.
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Can I put Silk Touch on shears?
Yes, you can put Silk Touch on shears through the use of an anvil, though it is generally not considered to be very useful.
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Is it possible to get shears with all the enchantments at once?
You can have Unbreaking, Mending, and Efficiency on the same pair of shears. The Curse of Vanishing cannot be combined with other positive enchantments.
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Do colored sheep drop more wool than white sheep when sheared?
No, the color of the sheep does not affect the amount of wool dropped when sheared. All sheep drop 1-3 wool of their corresponding color.
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Can I use shears to get string from spiders?
No, shears cannot be used directly on spiders to get string. You can use shears to break cobwebs, which will drop string.
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Do shears work on beehives with all the bees inside?
No, you should only use shears on beehives or bee nests when they are full of honey (level 5). Otherwise, you won’t get honeycomb.
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Does Looting affect the wool dropped from sheep?
No, Looting only affects drops from mobs when they are killed, not when sheared.
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Does Fortune work on any other tools when harvesting crops?
Yes, Fortune on a hoe will produce much better results when a player uses it to harvest items. Axes with Fortune will increase the number of apples and saplings obtained when chopping down trees.
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Why is shearing sheep better than killing them for wool?
Shearing sheep is more efficient because you can repeatedly shear the same sheep after it eats grass to regrow its wool. Killing sheep requires you to find more sheep, making shearing a more sustainable method.
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Can shears be used to harvest kelp faster?
No, shears do not affect the speed at which you harvest kelp.
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Does the type of grass a sheep eats affect the wool it regrows?
No, the type of grass (normal, podzol, etc.) does not affect the color or amount of wool a sheep regrows.
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What happens if I try to shear a baby sheep?
Nothing happens. Baby sheep cannot be sheared. You must wait for them to grow into adults before you can shear them for wool.
Conclusion
While the lack of Fortune enchantment on shears for honeycomb collection might be a slight disappointment, the tool remains incredibly versatile and valuable in Minecraft. By understanding the enchantments that do work and mastering the various uses of shears, you can significantly enhance your gameplay and resource management. So, grab your shears, enchant them wisely, and get shearing!