What does the Efficiency enchantment do in Minecraft, and how to get it?

For when your mining needs a speed boost.

Image via Mojang

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Minecraft enchantments are always valuable effects to add to your items when you can. Even if it is a lower level, you will likely want to consider enchanting your items to get the most out of them. The Efficiency enchantment will probably be one you see more commonly on enchanted items, but with that in mind, what does it do? Here is how you can get the Efficiency enchantment, what you can put it on, and what else you should know about it.

Related: What does the Smite enchantment do in Minecraft?

What does the Efficiency enchantment do in Minecraft?

Efficiency is an enchantment that can be added to a Pickaxe, Axe, Hoe, Shovel, or Shears. When added, it will allow that tool to work through the specific block types it is designed for faster. For example, Pickaxes will dig through Stone faster, Shovels through Dirt, and Axes through Wood. Using that tool on the wrong block will break as fast as it would normally break with your fists punching, so be sure to use it on what it is intended for.

There are five levels of Efficiency, with each one being faster than the last. Additionally in Bedrock Edition, an Axe with Efficiency has a 25-45% chance of disabling a Shield an enemy is holding depending on its enchantment level.

How to get the Efficiency enchantment in Minecraft?

To get the Efficiency enchantment, you can use an Enchantment Table, but this will only offer up to level four on Stone and Diamond tools. You can combine two tools with the level IV enchantment to level it up to V at an Anvil. Additionally, level five Efficiency diamond tools can be found in End Cities or Bastion Remnant chests. Our personal favorite way to get a bunch of enchantments is to go fishing with a rod that has Luck of the Sea on it. This makes it more likely to pull treasure when fishing, though it doesn’t guarantee which Enchantment Books you pull in.