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MC Calc

Anvil Order Calculator

Java & Bedrock

Pick your item and the enchanted books you have. The calculator tries every possible combining tree and shows the cheapest order step by step, so you never hit “Too Expensive!” and keep the prior-work penalty as low as possible.

Item

0 for a fresh item

Enchanted books (5/10)

Picking a mutually exclusive enchantment replaces the other one. Each enchantment is one book.

Result

Total cost
31levels
15 fewer than one-by-one
XP points
459pts
if each step starts at its cost
Most expensive step
12levels
limit 39 in survival
Prior work after
3uses
next anvil use +7 levels

Combining order

  1. 1
    Sword+Fire Aspect II
    left slot first · result has 1 prior use
    4 lvl
  2. 2
    Looting III+Mending
    left slot first · result has 1 prior use
    2 lvl
  3. 3
    Sword+1+Looting III + Mending
    left slot first · result has 2 prior uses
    10 lvl
  4. 4
    Sharpness V+Unbreaking III
    left slot first · result has 1 prior use
    3 lvl
  5. 5
    Sword+3+Sharpness V + Unbreaking III
    left slot first · result has 3 prior uses
    12 lvl

How it works

Every time an item or book goes through an anvil, its prior-work penalty doubles (0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31 levels). Adding books to the item one by one makes that penalty explode, which is why most god items fail with “Too Expensive!”.

Combining books with each other first (in pairs, like a tournament bracket) keeps every piece's penalty low. This calculator searches all possible brackets exactly — not a heuristic — and picks the one with the fewest total levels (or XP points), refusing any step that would cost 40 levels or more.

Costs use enchanted-book multipliers (half the item multiplier, rounded up). Renaming and repairing with materials are not included.

Bedrock Edition uses the same prior-work penalty and 40-level limit, but charges each enchantment by the levels it adds rather than its final level (the same thing when every book adds a new enchantment, as here). Impaling is cheaper on Bedrock (book multiplier 1 instead of 2), Sweeping Edge doesn't exist, and Silk Touch can also go on shears.

Formulas

Step cost
cost = Σ(level × book multiplier of sacrifice) + (2^targetUses − 1) + (2^sacrificeUses − 1)
Prior work after a step
uses = max(targetUses, sacrificeUses) + 1
Survival limit
cost ≥ 40 → “Too Expensive!”
Bedrock difference
enchant cost = (final level − level already on target) × multiplier · Impaling: item ×2, book ×1

FAQ

Why does my anvil say “Too Expensive!”?

In survival Java Edition any single anvil step that costs 40 levels or more is refused. The prior-work penalty grows as 2ⁿ − 1 with each anvil use, so adding books one by one to the same item quickly passes 40. Combining books in pairs first avoids it.

Does the order of the books matter?

Yes. The total cost depends on which pieces are merged together and which side is the target. The calculator tries every possible order and shows the cheapest.

Should I put the item on the left?

Yes. The left slot is the target that keeps its identity; the item always goes left, and when merging two books the calculator tells you which one goes left.

Does it work for Bedrock Edition?

Yes — switch the edition to Bedrock. It uses Bedrock's rules from the Minecraft Wiki: Impaling costs half as much, Sweeping Edge is not available and Silk Touch can go on shears. Everything else, including the 40-level limit and the prior-work penalty, is the same as Java.

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