ECEnchantCalcCalculator

Best Shovel Enchantments & Optimal Anvil Order

The shovel is the simplest tool to enchant: it has no combat enchantments, just digging speed, drops and durability. That makes a god-shovel cheap to build - Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending and Fortune or Silk Touch is only four books, so the anvil order rarely gets expensive. Use the calculator above with Shovel pre-selected.

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Books are assumed to be max level, with zero prior work. Solver runs locally in your browser.

Recommended Shovel Enchantments

Efficiency V

Instamines dirt, sand, gravel and snow at high levels - the main reason to enchant a shovel.

Unbreaking III

Triples durability on a tool that gets spammed.

Mending I

Repairs the shovel with the XP you earn while mining.

Fortune III

More flint from gravel - the classic Fortune shovel use. Choose Fortune OR Silk Touch.

Silk Touch I

Collect grass blocks, snow layers and other blocks intact. Mutually exclusive with Fortune.

FAQ

What are the best shovel enchantments in Minecraft?
Efficiency V, Unbreaking III, Mending, plus Fortune III (more flint from gravel) or Silk Touch (intact grass and snow blocks). All four stack on one shovel.
Does Fortune work on gravel?
Yes - Fortune III on a shovel gives flint from almost every gravel block, which is the fastest way to stock up for arrows or Trail Ruins.
Can a shovel get Sharpness?
No. Shovels have no combat enchantments in Java Edition - only Efficiency, Fortune, Silk Touch, Unbreaking, Mending and Curse of Vanishing.
Is a god-shovel expensive to make?
No. With only four to five books and no combat pool, the optimal anvil order usually stays well under 20 levels - one of the cheapest god tools in the game.

More enchantment guides

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