Smite 5 vs. Sharpness 5: Which Reigns Supreme in Minecraft?
The age-old question, debated across countless Minecraft servers and whispered in the hallowed halls of the Nether: Which is more powerful, Smite V or Sharpness V? The straightforward answer is: it depends. Smite V is undeniably more powerful against undead mobs, while Sharpness V is more versatile, dealing respectable damage against all enemy types. The choice boils down to your primary objective: specializing in undead annihilation or maintaining a general combat advantage.
Understanding the Enchantments
Sharpness: The Generalist’s Choice
Sharpness is a core weapon enchantment that increases the base damage of your swords and axes. Each level adds a flat damage bonus, making your weapon hit harder regardless of the target.
- Sharpness I: Adds 1 damage point.
- Each subsequent level adds 0.5 damage points.
- Sharpness V: Adds a total of 3 damage points.
While this might not sound like much, remember that Minecraft’s damage system also considers critical hits and weapon base damage. Sharpness effectively boosts every attack, making it a reliable choice for general mob control and player-versus-player (PvP) combat. Given this is measured in half hearts and adding the half heart done by the player’s fist (which is added to weapon damage to determine the total damage dealt per swing), a sharpness 5 netherite axe does 6.5 hearts of damage per swing.
Smite: The Undead Destroyer
Smite is a specialized enchantment that significantly increases damage dealt specifically to undead mobs. This includes zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, zombie piglins (now zombified piglins), drowned, phantoms, and the Wither boss, among others. However, Smite is utterly useless against everything else.
- Each level of Smite adds 2.5 damage points against undead mobs.
- Smite V: Adds a whopping 12.5 damage points against undead mobs.
The difference is staggering. Smite V can allow you to one-shot many undead mobs with a single swing of a well-chosen weapon, dramatically increasing your efficiency in areas densely populated with these enemies. This means that at Smite V (the highest level), you’ll get an extra 12.5 damage with every swing against undead.
Damage Comparison: Axes vs. Swords
The effectiveness of Smite also depends on whether you’re using a sword or an axe, and which version of Minecraft you’re playing (Java or Bedrock).
- Java Edition: Axes, especially Netherite axes, benefit more from Smite due to their higher base damage. A Smite V Netherite axe can often one-shot many undead mobs, making it incredibly powerful for clearing dungeons and fighting the Wither.
- Bedrock Edition: Swords with Smite are arguably more efficient due to a slight damage calculation difference, giving them a potential edge against certain undead mobs.
Choosing the Right Enchantment
Here’s a simplified breakdown to help you decide:
- Choose Sharpness V if:
- You want a versatile weapon for general mob fighting.
- You prioritize PvP combat.
- You frequently encounter a variety of mob types.
- You want a consistent damage boost against all enemies.
- Choose Smite V if:
- You frequently explore areas with high concentrations of undead mobs (e.g., the Nether, dungeons, swamps at night).
- You want to quickly eliminate undead mobs.
- You are preparing to fight the Wither.
- You are playing on Java Edition and prefer using axes.
The Bottom Line
While Sharpness is more adaptable, Smite provides unparalleled damage against its specific target group. Understanding your gameplay style and the challenges you face most often will guide you to the right choice. Neither enchantment is inherently “better,” but one will likely be more beneficial depending on your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can Smite and Sharpness be combined on a weapon?
No, Smite and Sharpness are mutually exclusive enchantments. You cannot have both on the same weapon in vanilla Minecraft. You could make a second sword and put the sharpness book on that one and place both in an anvil with the sharpness sword being first so it will override the smite sword. However this can get quit costly in terms of levels. All enchantments from the smite sword excluding the smite will transfer to the new one you make.
2. What mobs does Smite affect?
Smite affects all undead mobs, including: zombies, skeletons, wither skeletons, zombie villagers, zombified piglins, drowned, phantoms, the Wither, skeleton horses, zombie horses, strays, husks, and zoglins. As the Enderman isn’t classified as an undead mob, it will not be dealt extra damage points.
3. Is Sharpness 5 the highest level Sharpness can reach?
Yes, Sharpness V is the maximum level for the Sharpness enchantment obtainable through standard enchanting methods (enchanting table, anvils). While Sharpness VI-VII Enchanted Books can be purchased during the Dark Auction on some servers, these are not part of the base game.
4. Can Sharpness 5 one-shot a zombie?
Whether Sharpness V can one-shot a zombie depends on the weapon used, critical hits, and other status effects. For example, TIL Sharpness V netherite sword crits one-shot all hostile/night mobs (spiders, skeletons, creepers, zombies) when using jump 2, speed 2 beacon.
5. How much damage does Smite 5 add?
Smite 5 adds 12.5 damage points specifically against undead mobs. Each level of Smite you add gives your weapon an extra 2.5 points of damage with every hit against an undead mob. This is in addition to the weapon’s base damage.
6. Does looting affect XP drops?
No. There is no mechanic in vanilla Minecraft that changes the amount of XP you get.
7. What is a good trade for a Sharpness 5 book?
Sharpness V can cost anywhere from 17 to 64 emeralds when trading with a Librarian villager. The cost varies depending on the villager’s level and trading history.
8. What’s the best enchantment for a pickaxe?
The best enchantments for a pickaxe are Efficiency (I-V), Fortune (I-III) or Silk Touch (I), Unbreaking (I-III), and Mending (I). Curse of Vanishing (I) is a negative enchantment.
9. Is Smite better on a sword or an axe?
This proves that if players are on the Bedrock Edition, they should apply this powerup to swords, as they are more powerful against undead mobs compared to axes. Whereas, if players are on the Java Edition, axes are more powerful if the Smite enchantment is applied, for they can deal more damage than swords.
10. Is Sharpness a good enchantment?
Yes, Sharpness is considered an excellent enchantment. It boosts the overall damage output of your weapon against all enemy types, making it a very versatile choice for general combat.
11. Does Sharpness remove Smite?
No, Sharpness doesn’t remove Smite. If you want to replace Smite with Sharpness, you would need to use an anvil to apply a Sharpness-enchanted book to the Smite-enchanted weapon, but this can get quit costly in terms of levels. All enchantments from the smite sword excluding the smite will transfer to the new one you make.
12. How do you get a Sharpness 255 sword?
You need to use a command. For example, for a sword with 255 sharpness, you should type out /give @p minecraft:diamond_sword{Enchantments:[{id:sharpness,lvl:255}]} before pressing the Enter key. The item should be placed in your hotbar or in your inventory if you have no space available in your hotbar.
13. How does Sharpness work in Bedrock Edition?
In Bedrock Edition, each level of Sharpness adds 1.25 extra damage. This is slightly different from Java Edition, where the increase scales differently.
14. What if I can only get a low level of Smite or Sharpness?
In this case, consider what you are preparing for. Even a low level of Smite can be valuable if fighting undead, while any level of Sharpness will provide a general damage increase.
15. Where can I learn more about game design and the educational aspects of gaming?
Consider exploring the resources offered by organizations like the Games Learning Society. You can visit their website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ for more information. The Games Learning Society promotes research and understanding of how games can be used effectively for learning and education. Understanding game mechanics provides a stronger understanding of how games can be used to teach things.