Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players wanting to understand how to keep their tools and armor repaired automatically using the mending enchantment.
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What is Mending in Minecraft?
Mending is a treasure enchantment that automatically repairs your tools, weapons, and armor using experience orbs (XP). Instead of those XP orbs going toward leveling you up, they get converted into durability points for your enchanted items.
How the Mending Mechanic Works
When you pick up experience orbs while holding or wearing a mended item, the XP gets redirected to repair that item instead of adding to your experience bar. Here’s the breakdown:
- 2 XP = 1 durability point restored
- Only damaged items with mending will consume XP
- If multiple mended items are damaged, one gets chosen randomly
- Excess XP (after full repair) goes to your experience bar normally
Priority System for Multiple Items
Minecraft follows a specific order when deciding which mended item gets repaired first:
- Main hand item
- Off-hand item
- Helmet
- Chestplate
- Leggings
- Boots
If you’re wearing a full set of mended armor and they’re all damaged, the game randomly picks one piece to repair with each XP orb collected.
Getting Mending Enchantment
You can’t get mending from an enchanting table. Instead, you’ll need to:
- Trade with librarian villagers – Lock in a mending trade by curing zombie villagers for better prices
- Fish with Luck of the Sea – Rare chance to catch enchanted books
- Explore structures – Find mending books in dungeon chests, ancient cities, or woodland mansions
- Use an anvil – Combine mending books with your gear
Best XP Sources for Mending
Some activities generate more XP orbs than others, making mending more effective:
| Activity | XP Efficiency |
|---|---|
| Killing mobs | High – especially endermen and blazes |
| Mining ores | Moderate – diamond and emerald give most |
| Smelting | Low but consistent |
| Trading | Moderate – good for passive repair |
Smart Mending Strategies
To maximize mending efficiency, hold your most damaged tool while collecting XP. This ensures it gets priority for repairs. You can also create dedicated XP farms near your base to keep your gear in perfect condition.
Remember that mending works best when combined with Unbreaking, since that enchantment reduces durability loss in the first place. For players looking to master these mechanics and explore more advanced gameplay techniques, diving deeper into Minecraft’s enchantment system opens up countless strategic possibilities.
TL;DR
Mending uses XP orbs to repair damaged items at a 2:1 ratio, prioritizing held items first then armor pieces randomly. Get it through villager trades, fishing, or dungeon loot.
