Should Armor Have Mending? A Deep Dive into Minecraft’s Most Valuable Enchantment
Absolutely, yes. Armor should almost always have Mending in Minecraft. It’s arguably one of the most, if not the most, valuable enchantment you can apply to your gear, and its benefits are especially pronounced on armor. The ability to constantly repair your hard-earned protective layers simply by gathering experience points is game-changing, turning what would be a costly, resource-intensive maintenance chore into a passive benefit. While other enchantments offer their own advantages, Mending’s sheer utility and long-term value make it a top priority for any serious Minecraft player. Let’s delve deeper into why Mending is so vital for armor and address some common questions surrounding its application.
The Power of Mending on Armor
The core functionality of Mending is elegantly simple: it uses experience orbs you collect to repair the enchanted item instead of contributing to your level. This bypasses the need to craft replacement armor or use anvils and precious resources, which is particularly critical for high-tier armor like diamond or netherite. Consider the sheer time and effort it takes to acquire the materials for a full set of diamond armor, let alone netherite. With Mending, that investment becomes significantly more durable, as you are essentially constantly repairing it through normal gameplay.
Without Mending, you’d constantly need to monitor your armor’s durability and seek out materials for repair. This can interrupt gameplay and force players to return to bases more frequently than they would if using Mending. This is especially taxing in long expeditions or while tackling challenging builds.
Another key benefit is the near-perfect synergy between Mending and Unbreaking. While Mending repairs your gear when you gain experience, Unbreaking slows down durability loss. Combined, the two become an absolute force multiplier, dramatically extending the lifespan of your armor. You can fight off hordes of monsters, venture into dangerous caves, and generally engage with Minecraft’s challenges knowing your armor is continually being repaired and will last a very long time. This allows you to focus on exploration, building, or combat without the constant worry of running out of protection.
Why is Mending Better than Unbreaking Alone?
While Unbreaking is a fantastic enchantment for extending item lifespan, it doesn’t address the core problem of item degradation. Eventually, even with Unbreaking III, armor will break, requiring a trip back to base for repairs or crafting replacements. Mending, however, eliminates this need almost entirely. As long as you are gaining experience – something that happens naturally while playing the game – your armor will be repaired, often faster than it degrades, making it near-indestructible. This is why experienced Minecraft players typically prioritize Mending over Unbreaking alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mending on Armor
Here are 15 FAQs to further illustrate the nuances and applications of Mending, particularly on armor:
1. How Does Mending Work Specifically on Armor?
Mending on armor utilizes experience orbs to repair durability loss, rather than increasing your experience level. The game randomly selects an item with Mending and allocates experience points to fix that item. This includes your armor pieces. If an item doesn’t need repair, the experience points go to your level as they normally would.
2. Can You Have Both Mending and Unbreaking on Armor?
Yes! Mending and Unbreaking are very much compatible with each other. They create a powerful combination, with Unbreaking slowing the rate at which armor loses durability and Mending constantly repairing it. This synergy makes armor last exceptionally long.
3. Is Mending the Best Enchantment for Armor?
While subjective to individual playstyle, Mending is often considered the most valuable, particularly for long-term gear. Other enchantments like Protection or Thorns provide defensive buffs, but Mending is unique as it provides essentially infinite durability to your armor.
4. How Do I Get Mending for My Armor?
Mending cannot be obtained from an enchanting table. Instead, you must find Mending enchanted books through trading with Librarian Villagers, in chest loot, or very rarely through fishing. It is a rare and highly coveted enchantment for this reason.
5. How Rare is Mending From Fishing?
The base chance of fishing a Mending book is very low, around 0.8%. However, using a fishing rod with the Luck of the Sea enchantment can greatly increase this probability.
6. Can I Combine Mending and Protection IV on My Armor?
Absolutely! Mending has no compatibility issues with defensive enchantments like Protection, Blast Protection, Fire Protection, or Projectile Protection. You can combine them with any of those enchantments.
7. Can I Combine Mending and Thorns on My Armor?
Yes, Thorns and Mending can be used simultaneously. However, note that Thorns will damage the armor when an enemy attacks you, which will be repaired by mending if you gain experience points.
8. Does Mending Only Repair the Armor I’m Wearing?
Yes, Mending only works on armor you are actively wearing. If you are not wearing a piece of armor, it won’t receive repair from your experience points.
9. If I Have Multiple Mending Armor Pieces, How is Repair Distributed?
The game randomly chooses which piece of armor receives the repair. If multiple items need repair, the distribution is still random. You can prioritize a certain armor piece for repair by removing other mending items and having the item you want repaired in your main or off-hand.
10. Is Mending Better than Infinity for a Bow?
No, Mending is not as good as Infinity on a bow. Due to the inability to have both, and the fact that Infinity completely eliminates the need for arrows, it is the preferred enchantment over Mending for a bow.
11. Does Mending Work on Elytra?
Yes, Mending is incredibly beneficial on Elytra because, unlike armor, they cannot be repaired with crafting and require phantom membranes, or experience and mending, to repair them. Applying Mending to elytra is a common practice for long-term sustainability.
12. How Much Experience is Required to Repair Armor?
The exact experience required depends on the durability lost. Every point of durability repaired usually costs one experience point. The more damaged your armor, the more experience it takes to fully mend.
13. Does Efficiency Affect How Fast Mending Repairs My Armor?
No, Efficiency only affects the speed of mining. It has no impact on how fast Mending repairs armor. The rate at which Mending repairs is solely dependent on the experience points you are gathering.
14. What’s the Max Level of Mending?
The max level of Mending is level 1. You can only ever apply Mending I. There are no higher levels available.
15. Why Isn’t My Armor Mending?
If your armor isn’t mending, check that you actually have the Mending enchantment on it. It’s also possible that all your Mending gear is already fully repaired. Make sure you’re gaining experience points, and the armor has taken some durability damage, to see the effect. If all these parameters are met, then you may just be unlucky, and the game may be prioritizing other items. To avoid this, it can be a good strategy to only wear the armor you want repaired, with only one item equipped.
Conclusion: Mending is Essential for Armor
In conclusion, Mending is an absolutely vital enchantment for armor in Minecraft. Its ability to perpetually repair your gear using experience points is a game-changer, allowing you to focus on what matters: exploring, building, and conquering challenges. While other enchantments offer valuable benefits, Mending provides long-term, cost-effective durability. When combined with Unbreaking, your armor becomes incredibly resilient. Securing a Mending book, therefore, is a worthwhile endeavor for any player looking to enhance their Minecraft experience. Don’t hesitate to prioritize Mending for your armor—you won’t regret it.