In Minecraft, hostile mobs are constantly attacking you from all sides. You can easily get overwhelmed if you aren’t properly equipped, especially in the dreaded Hardcore mode. Going into battle requires preparation, and knowing what enemy you’re facing will help you decide what weapons to bring with you. We’ve covered the best weapons in Minecraft, ranking them by their overall utility in the late-game. This includes all the enchantments and resources you’ll need to make the best build available.
Let’s get started!
Best Weapons in Minecraft
Let’s get straight into our ranking of the best weapons in Minecraft!
6/6
TNT
While TNT is technically a weapon, it really serves better as a utility item. You can use it to blast open tunnels, build complicated contraptions, or add some damage to your traps. Desert temples are a great example of TNT’s potential — step on a pressure plate in a treasure chamber, and you and all the loot will explode!
You can also use arrows or lit candles to ignite it from a distance as a security measure. Placing TNT around a village and lighting it with a Flame-enchanted bow is a great defense against a Pillager raid.
5/6
Crossbow
The crossbow is the mechanized, easier-to-use, and slower version of the bow. There are definite pros and cons to using it. You can pre-load crossbows for easy quickdraw and fire, but the time between shots takes longer. Its maximum damage potential is also lower than the bow, since it can’t hold as many enchantments, but it has a higher base damage of 5.5 hearts per shot.
It really starts to contend with the bow when you load it with enchanted arrows or (better yet) explosive fireworks. A crossbow with the Multishot enchantment will fire multiple projectiles, duplicating whatever is loaded into it. Combine it with the Quick Charging enchantment, and your crossbow can blow apart hordes of enemies. In PVP situations, this can be a game-changer, wrecking your opponent’s positions and possibly their cover itself.
You can make a crossbow by combining three sticks, a piece of iron, a tripwire, and two strings. Or, you can pick them up off dead Pillagers. Sometimes the looted crossbows will have enchantments already applied, giving you access to enchantments without needing an enchanting table.
4/6
Bow
The classic bow is a versatile weapon, with numerous enchantments and magical arrows you can use to change its effects. A bow with Flame and a high-level Power enchantment applied does some of the highest single-target damage in the game. It’s invaluable for fighting the ghast mobs in the nether, or other players in PVP. A basic bow with no enchantments does three hearts of damage when fully charged, but can crit for 5.5 hearts.
You should never leave your safehouse without a bow on hand. It’s arguably the best weapon to have while exploring dungeons, as you can safely dispatch enemies from a distance. Endermen can dodge arrows, but can also be lit on fire with a Flame-enchanted bow.
You can get a good bow early on by looting skeletons, who may even drop a heavily-damaged enchanted bow. You can merge these using an anvil, and even upgrade the bows as you go. If you’re crafting one from scratch, you’ll need some supplies on hand. Chicken farms are an important part of bow-centric play, as this will give you enough feathers to keep making arrows. You’ll also want to carry a shovel for digging up gravel, since it has a small chance of dropping flint.
3/6
Sword
Swords are an easy go-to weapon in Minecraft. They do more damage than almost any other weapon or tool, with a netherite sword snuffing out 4 hearts per swing. They’re also quick, with a cooldown period that ranges from instant (in Bedrock) to 1.6 seconds (in Java). Java also allows for a sweep attack that can clear out hordes of smaller mobs!
You can often find enchanted swords in chests, or with weaponsmith Villagers that spawn in villages with grindstones. You’ll eventually get the two diamonds needed to make a diamond sword, and enough netherite to upgrade from there. We do recommend touching up your armor before getting netherite weapons, though — a full suit of netherite armor makes you immune to lava damage.
2/6
Trident
The Trident is the only weapon in Minecraft that you can use in both melee and ranged combat. It’s also the only weapon that cannot be crafted, only looted. The only way to get ahold of a trident is to find a naturally-occurring Drowned mob that is holding one. Only a small number of drowned spawn with a trident, and an even smaller number will drop one.
Any dropped tridents will be heavily damaged, so you’ll need multiple drops and a grindstone to combine them if you want to actually use one in combat. And you will want to use one in combat — tridents do quite a bit of damage, striking for 4.5 hearts up close and 4 when thrown from a distance.
Another great thing about the trident is the unique and unusual enchantments it supports. Riptide only works underwater or out in the rain, and activates when you throw your enchanted trident. It propels you in the direction it is thrown, allowing very rapid transit when underwater. Using Riptide on a hostile mob will deal heavy damage and position you right in their wet face.
Another strange enchantment is the Channeling enchantment, which only functions when a thunderstorm is actively happening around you. Throwing this at other players, mobs, or lightning rods will strike them with lightning, doing heavy damage and lighting them on fire. A creeper struck by lightning will cause a massive explosion, potentially helping you start a mine. While its effectiveness is dependent on your situation, the trident can easily be the best weapon in Minecraft under the right conditions.
1/6
Axe
The axe is a great weapon in Minecraft, but its effectiveness depends on the edition of the game you’re in. If you’re playing Bedrock edition, it does slightly less damage than a sword, but significantly more damage to armor and shields than any other weapon in the game. It also automatically disables enemy shields. This may be the undisputed victor in PVP, allowing you to cut right through defenses.
In the Java edition, the axe still has these benefits, and also deals slightly more damage than a sword. The cost is that it has a higher cooldown until it can be used to maximum effectiveness again.
Beyond its combat capabilities, the axe is more versatile than the sword. You can use swords to cut bamboo or cobwebs effectively, but these items are much rarer and have more niche uses than the wood you’ll be dealing with constantly in the game. With its unique advantages and utility usage, we consider this the best melee weapon in Minecraft.
Join the High Ground
With an axe and a bow, nothing will be able to stop you out there in the wide world of Minecraft. Differences between Minecraft editions may ultimately color you final decision about which weapon to wield, but you’re sure to be a formidable force regardless.
We hope you found our guide on the best weapons in Minecraft useful! If there’s anything else you think we should include or cover, let us know and subscribe to the High Ground for more news, articles, and guides on the latest gaming trends.
Happy gaming!
Minecraft Navigation
- Best Shield Enchantments in Minecraft, Ranked
- 7 Best Axe Enchantments in Minecraft, Ranked (2024)
- 5 Best Pickaxe Enchantments in Minecraft, Ranked
- 5 Best Leggings Enchantments in Minecraft, Ranked
- Best Fishing Rod Enchantments in Minecraft
- 6 Best Chestplate Enchantments in Minecraft, Ranked (2024)
- The Best Shovel Enchantments in Minecraft (2024)
- 10 Best Weapon Enchantments in Minecraft, Ranked
- The 9 Best Arrow Types in Minecraft, Ranked
- 6 Best Bow Enchantments in Minecraft (2024)
- 7 Best Boot Enchantments in Minecraft
- 9 Best Helmet Enchantments In Minecraft
- The 6 Best Crossbow Enchantments in Minecraft
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