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Minecraft Efficiency Enchantment — Levels & Mining Speed

Efficiency increases how fast a tool breaks blocks — it is the mining-speed enchantment and one of the most impactful early upgrades. It has five levels, applies to tools rather than weapons, and stacks with the Haste effect from beacons and conduits.

The five levels

Efficiency I adds a small speed bonus and each level adds more, up to Efficiency V, which roughly doubles a tool's base mining speed again on top of the material tier. On a netherite pickaxe with Efficiency V and Haste II, common blocks break almost instantly.

Which tools use it

  • Pickaxe — stone, ores and most blocks
  • Shovel — dirt, sand and gravel
  • Axe — logs and wood
  • Shears — wool, leaves and cobwebs
  • Hoe — leaves and crops

Efficiency and Haste

The Haste status effect (from a beacon or a conduit) multiplies mining speed further and is independent of Efficiency, so the two stack. A beacon with Haste II plus an Efficiency V pickaxe is the standard setup for large mining projects and for breaking obsidian quickly.

FAQ

What is the max Efficiency level?
Efficiency V. Beyond that, some players combine books above level V using commands, but in vanilla survival the table and librarians cap at V.
Does Efficiency make tools break faster?
It breaks blocks faster, but it does not consume extra durability per block — the same durability is spent per block regardless of speed, so the tool lasts about as long (Unbreaking helps both).
Does Efficiency work underwater?
Yes, but mining underwater is slower without Aqua Affinity, so pair Efficiency with Aqua Affinity on a helmet for underwater work.
Does Efficiency apply to swords?
No — Efficiency is for tools that break blocks (pickaxe, shovel, axe, shears, hoe). On a sword it has no effect.
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