Mastering Mending: The Ultimate Guide to Farming Mending Books in Minecraft
The most efficient way to farm Mending books in Minecraft revolves around two primary methods: villager trading and fishing. Villager trading, specifically with Librarian villagers, is generally considered the fastest and most reliable approach. This involves setting up a villager breeder to create a large pool of villagers, breaking and replacing lecterns to cycle through trades until a Mending book is offered, and then locking in that trade. Alternatively, fishing, while less consistent, provides an accessible method for obtaining Mending books, especially when utilizing a fishing rod enchanted with Luck of the Sea. Both methods, when optimized, can provide a steady stream of Mending books, crucial for maintaining your gear.
The Librarian’s Secret: Mastering Villager Trading for Mending Books
This is the gold standard of Mending book farming. It requires a bit of initial setup but offers the most control and consistency. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Building a Villager Breeder
A villager breeder is a structure designed to automatically produce villagers. There are countless designs available online, from simple to complex. Key elements include:
- Enclosed space: Villagers need to be contained.
- Beds: Villagers will only breed if there are more beds than villagers. Ensure there are enough beds for the existing villagers and the new baby villagers.
- Food: Villagers need food to breed. Provide them with carrots, potatoes, beetroot, or bread. Automatic farms can be incorporated for efficiency.
- Light: Keep the area well-lit to prevent hostile mobs from spawning.
Setting Up a Trading Hall
Once you have a steady supply of villagers, you need a place to turn them into Librarians and check their trades. A simple trading hall consists of individual cells or spaces for each villager, each containing a Lectern.
- Place a Lectern: Place a Lectern near an unemployed villager. This will (usually) turn the villager into a Librarian.
- Check the Trade: Interact with the villager to see their trade offers. If a Mending book is present, congratulations! Skip to locking the trade. If not, proceed to step 3.
- Break and Replace the Lectern: Destroy the Lectern. This will cause the villager to become unemployed again. Place the Lectern back down. This resets the villager’s trades.
- Repeat: Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the villager offers a Mending book.
Locking in the Mending Trade
Once a Librarian offers a Mending book, it’s crucial to lock in that trade. This prevents the villager from changing their trades later. To do this, you must trade with the villager at least once. Buying anything from them will lock in their entire trade list, including the precious Mending book.
Optimizing the Process
- Curing Zombie Villagers: Curing a zombie villager significantly reduces their trading prices. This can be done by trapping a zombie villager, splashing it with a Weakness potion, and then feeding it a Golden Apple. This discount applies permanently.
- Applying Hero of the Village Effect: Defeating a raid in a village grants the “Hero of the Village” effect, which temporarily reduces trading prices. This can stack with the zombie villager discount for incredibly cheap trades.
- Using Name Tags: Give each of your Librarians a Name Tag to prevent them from despawning.
- Lighting and Protection: Ensure your trading hall is well-lit and protected from hostile mobs. A stray zombie can turn your valuable Librarians into zombie villagers.
Casting Your Line: The Art of Fishing for Mending Books
Fishing is a more passive method of acquiring Mending books. While less consistent than villager trading, it can be a good option, especially early in the game.
Enchantments are Key
The Luck of the Sea enchantment significantly increases your chances of catching treasure items, including Enchanted Books. Aim for Luck of the Sea III on your fishing rod. The Lure enchantment increases the rate at which you catch fish, making the process faster overall. Mending and Unbreaking on your fishing rod are also very good.
Location, Location, Location
The size of the water source doesn’t matter, but it needs to be clear of obstructions above it. This will affect how often you catch something.
Automating the Process
AFK (Away From Keyboard) fishing farms can be built to automatically fish for you while you are away. These farms typically use weighted pressure plates or note blocks to automatically cast and reel in the fishing rod. There are many different designs available online.
Limitations of Fishing
Keep in mind that fishing is inherently random. You may catch fish, junk, or treasure. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get a Mending book within a reasonable timeframe. However, with the right enchantments and an automated farm, you can significantly improve your odds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mending Book Farming
1. What are the odds of getting a Mending book from a Librarian?
The odds are quite low initially. A villager has a 1/2 chance of becoming a Librarian and then a 1/36 chance of offering a Mending book as their first trade. This translates to a 1/72 chance. However, by breaking and replacing the Lectern, you can cycle through trades much faster than finding a new villager.
2. How many bookshelves do I need for level 30 enchantments?
You need 15 bookshelves placed correctly around an enchanting table to unlock level 30 enchantments.
3. Can I get Mending from the enchanting table?
No, Mending is a treasure enchantment. It cannot be obtained from the enchanting table. It can only be found in chests, from fishing, or through villager trading.
4. Is Mending or Unbreaking better?
Mending is generally considered superior to Unbreaking. Mending completely repairs the item using experience orbs, effectively making it last forever. Unbreaking only slows down the rate at which the item loses durability.
5. What is the highest level of Mending enchantment?
The Mending enchantment only has one level: Mending I.
6. Why isn’t my Librarian offering Mending?
The villager’s trades are randomized. If a Librarian isn’t offering Mending, break and replace the Lectern until they do.
7. Can I combine Mending books?
No, you cannot combine two Mending books together. However, you can combine a Mending book with other enchantments, such as Unbreaking or Efficiency.
8. How do I know if a villager is a Librarian?
A villager will become a Librarian when they link to a Lectern. They will also change their appearance to wear glasses and carry a book.
9. Is Mending worth it on a fishing rod?
Yes, absolutely! A fishing rod with Mending can become virtually indestructible if used primarily for fishing. The experience gained from catching fish will repair the rod faster than it loses durability.
10. Why am I not getting enchanted books from fishing?
The base chance of catching an enchanted book is very low. Make sure your fishing rod has the Luck of the Sea enchantment to significantly increase your chances.
11. Can you put Mending on Elytra?
Yes, you can apply Mending to an Elytra using an anvil and an enchanted book. This is highly recommended, as Elytra can be difficult to repair otherwise.
12. How rare is it for a villager to sell a Mending book?
As previously mentioned, the initial chance is around 1/72. However, the real rarity depends on how quickly you can cycle through trades by breaking and replacing the Lectern.
13. How does Mending work? Does it take away XP?
Mending uses experience orbs to repair the item. When you gain XP, half of it goes towards repairing the Mending item, and the other half goes towards your experience level.
14. Is Mending better than Infinity on a bow?
This depends on your playstyle. Infinity eliminates the need for arrows, while Mending ensures your bow never breaks. Many players prefer Infinity for its convenience.
15. Where can I learn more about game-based learning?
You can explore the Games Learning Society website at GamesLearningSociety.org to discover more about the intersection of games and education.
By mastering these techniques, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a Mending book farming expert, ensuring your tools and armor remain in pristine condition for all your Minecraft adventures. Good luck, and happy crafting!