Minecraft is exceptionally rich in content. The number of activities available in the game is overwhelming since the game has arts, crafting, building, survival, farming, combat, and many more.
Among the various choices to make and improve your gameplay, you can explore some combat mechanics and choose an ideal weapon. In Minecraft, the vastness of mineral materials and resources allows for numerous weapons and armors.
For instance, the player can choose between swords with distinct properties concerning damage, visual, and attack speed in short-range combat.
Moreover, there are also different types of weapons, such as crossbows, bows, tridents, and even potions for long-range combat. Therefore, choosing which kind of weapon fits you best can be pretty tricky.
Still, we can make some technical observations concerning every type of weapon available in the game. So, let’s discuss that and find out what’s the best weapon in Minecraft.
Combat in Minecraft
One of the struggles you’ll find in Minecraft is the enemies. Since it’s a survival game you’ll need to either avoid free-roaming hostile mobs or go into combat with them. Either way, you’ll need experience in attacking and defending by using the game’s tools successfully.
Apart from the movements you do during in-game combat, such as hitting a mob mid-jump to strike higher and knock it back, you’ll see that the weapon type also furnishes a vital role in your success.
However, even though the weapon’s materials can follow a ranking, which defines which sword is better than the other, the weapon’s type plays an even more critical function.
For instance, although a diamond sword is among the best weapons, a mere bow might fit specific situations better. In this case, the combat style is different, with one weapon offering short-range attacks and the other long-range strikes.
So, to immerse better in the discussion, let’s break down each combat style and point out the best weapons for a specific category.
Short-ranged Weapons
Short-range weapons in Minecraft typically hit anything within a three block range. Moreover, this type of weapon works well alongside a shield.
Although tools like axes, pickaxes, and others can serve as weapons, the only attack-centered instruments in the game’s short-range category are swords and tridents. Furthermore, Minecraft has six types of swords, which are:
- Wooden
- Stone
- Iron
- Golden
- Diamond
- Netherite
It’s fair to mention that diamond is suitable for every combat encounter and, before netherite came into the game, it was the most powerful sword. In addition, enchantments can make lower-material weapons more potent than standard higher-material alternatives.
Still, when discussing swords, the most mighty type is the netherite; since the material ranks first in mineral quality, being the mix of netherite scraps and gold ingots, it also provides the best armor and tools.
In order of quality, the materials rank:
- Netherite
- Diamond
- Iron
- Stone
- Gold
- Wood
However, considering the game’s opportunity to add enchantments to weapons, an enchanted netherite sword is the best short-ranged weapon in Minecraft. Yet, what enchantment should it have?
The perfect netherite sword should have the following enchantments:
- Sharpness V
- Sweeping Edge III
- Unbreaking III
- Looting III
- Mending
With this combo, the netherite sword will strike a huge deal of extra damage, provide better loot from kills, and have higher durability. Nevertheless, this enchantment combo also makes swords from different materials reach their full potential.
Therefore, a diamond sword containing the enchantments mentioned above would be the best from its category; the same goes for iron, gold, etc.
Since tridents don’t deal too much damage, they aren’t good as short-ranged weapons. However, compared to swords, tridents are more versatile since they can be thrown, resulting in a short and long-ranged alternative.
Long-ranged weapons
Following a different route, long-ranged weapons in Minecraft provide benefits to avoid taking hits from melee enemies. However, they do not enable the player to use a shield simultaneously.
Moreover, we’ll find crossbows, bows, and tridents in the long-range category of weapons. Still, differently from swords, this weapon class does not have varieties in terms of material quality.
Therefore, their differences are primarily strategic and concern attack speed, reliability, the shot’s reach, and versatility. Nevertheless, the game also allows players to explore valuable enchantment options to improve the attributes of their long-ranged weapons.
Bows are exceptionally effective against melee opponents. In addition, one can use the bow to shoot at an enemy’s torso, which slows them down.
Therefore, if your aim is good enough, you can easily slay any typical night mob without suffering damage.
Moreover, whenever bows strike a critical hit, they provide more damage than any sword below the netherite-tier. Still, like any weapon, it has pros and cons. For instance, bows are more difficult to manage since they require an ammo stock, in this case, arrows.
On the other hand, crossbows operate similarly to bows but have a higher range, arrow speed, impact, and damage.
However, they need to be “reloaded” which takes about 1.25 seconds to complete.
As for tridents, they’re the most versatile since you can use them for short and long-ranged attacks. However, they’re not craftable and you can only get one by receiving it as a drop from drowned.
Additionally, they require a charge time if you want to throw them.
Moreover, you’ll only be able to throw lightning with tridents if you’re on the water or if it’s raining in the block you’re currently at.
Yet, crossbows, tridents, and bows can receive valuable enchantments, making them incredibly powerful. Let’s explore the magical upgrades a bow can have to reach its most strong status.
The best enchantments for a bow in Minecraft are:
- Power V
- Punch II
- Flame
- Infinity
With these enchantments, a bow will have the ability to strike more damage, causing more powerful knockback, and have unlimited arrows.
Now, for a crossbow, the best enchantment combination is:
- Piercing IV
- Unbreaking III
- Mending
- Quick Charge III
Additionally, the crossbow is the only long-ranged weapon that can have the multishot enchantment, which fires three arrows at once.
Nevertheless, crossbows get pretty close to being number 1 in this category. So now, let’s see the best enchantment options for tridents.
- Impaling V
- Loyalty III
- Mending
- Unbreaking
- Channeling
Unfortunately, tridents are pretty challenging to score well in long-range combat since they require water to be thrown. Additionally, whenever a player throws this weapon, they need to retrieve it from the floor, unless the trident has the Loyalty enchantment.
Still, they’re pretty mighty with the enchantment mentioned above, making the trident return to the person who threw it. Moreover, the “channeling” magic conjures a lightning strike whenever it’s raining / on the water.
Finally, the best weapon is the bow with the enchantments above in terms of long-ranged weapons.
The reason is the weapon’s high knockback and damage, which is highly handy in combat control.
However, you can achieve even more damage by exploring the various ammo types for crossbows and bows in the game.
The Best Weapon Overall
We’ve seen the best weapon in Minecraft for closed-range combat. Additionally, we’ve also discussed the best one for long-range attacks.
So now, if we were to choose one weapon with superior statistics independently of combat style, which would it be?
The weapon that strikes the most damage and has the best knockback and durability is the netherite sword. Additionally, when using this weapon with its best enchantments, we’ll get the most overpowered weapon in Minecraft.
Consequently, surviving raids, dungeons, and even the nether can be a piece of cake with the enchanted netherite sword.
