What does Piercing do in Minecraft? Well, it turns your crossbow into a deadly line of destruction, letting arrows rip through multiple mobs or players in a single shot. Let’s break down how this Minecraft enchantment works, how to snag it, and why it might just be the game-changer your crossbow needs.

What is the Piercing enchantment in Minecraft?

The Piercing enchantment in Minecraft is a special enchantment for crossbows that allows arrows to pass through multiple entities. This means a single shot can hit multiple mobs or players lined up in a straight line.

What does Piercing do in Minecraft?

When applied to a crossbow, the Piercing enchantment allows arrows to pass through a number of entities equal to the enchantment level +1. This means:

What does Piercing 1 do in Minecraft?

Piercing I → Arrow pierces through two entities

What does Piercing 2 do in Minecraft?

Piercing II → Arrow pierces through three entities

What does Piercing 3 do in Minecraft?

Piercing III → Arrow pierces through four entities

What does Piercing 4 do in Minecraft?

Piercing IV → Arrow pierces through five entities

Is Piercing 4 max? 

Yes, Piercing IV is the maximum level for the Piercing enchantment in Minecraft.

How does Piercing work in Minecraft?

• Passes through multiple entities: The number of entities pierced is equal to the enchantment level +1.
• Retrieves arrows after hitting mobs: You can reuse arrows, including tipped and spectral arrows.
• Ignores shields: Piercing arrows bypass shields, making it useful in PvP.
• Does not affect firework rockets: Only works with regular arrows.

Does Piercing increase damage in Minecraft?

Does Piercing in Minecraft do more damage? No, the Piercing enchantment in Minecraft does not increase the damage of a crossbow. Instead, it allows arrows to pass through multiple entities, hitting several targets in a straight line.

How to increase crossbow damage instead

If you want to increase damage, you should use:

• Using Fireworks as ammunition (Explodes on impact for high damage)
• Critical Hits (Jump before shooting for extra damage)

While Piercing is great for efficiency, it does not boost the attack power of a crossbow. If you’re looking for raw damage output, other options are better.

How to get Piercing in Minecraft: 5 easy ways

You can get Piercing by:

1. Enchanting Table
   • Place a crossbow in the enchanting table
   • Use lapis lazuli and experience levels
   • Randomly get Piercing I-IV (higher levels require more XP)
2. Anvil + Enchanted Book
   • Find or trade for a Piercing Enchanted Book
   • Use an anvil to combine it with a crossbow
3. Villager Trading
   • Librarian villagers (with lecterns) can sell Piercing Enchanted Books
   • Higher-level Librarians (Journeyman or above) offer better enchantments
4. Chest Loot: Bastions, Pillager Outposts, End Cities, and Dungeons may contain Piercing books
5. Commands (Cheats Enabled): Use the command:
   • /enchant @p piercing 4

How to get crossbow in Minecraft

Getting a crossbow in Minecraft is pretty straightforward! Here’s how you can get one:

Crafting a Crossbow: Place the sticks, string, tripwire hook, and iron ingot in a crafting table to create a crossbow. Here are the ingredients for the Minecraft crossbow recipe:

• 3 Sticks
• 2 String
• 1 Tripwire Hook
• 1 Iron Ingot

• Loot: You can find crossbows as loot in Pillager Outposts or Bastions. Pillagers (the mob) can also drop crossbows when defeated.
• Trading: You can trade with Armorer villagers to get a crossbow, though this might require leveling them up and offering emeralds.

Once you've got your crossbow, you can enchant it and get ready for some serious firepower!

Is Piercing only for crossbow?

Yes, the Piercing enchantment in Minecraft is exclusive to crossbows. It cannot be applied to bows, tridents, or any other weapons.

Other crossbow enchantments

If you're using a crossbow, you can also consider these enchantments:

• Multishot: Fires three arrows instead of one (mutually exclusive with Piercing).
• Quick Charge: Reduces reload time for faster shooting.
• Unbreaking & Mending: Increases durability and repairs the crossbow over time.

Piercing vs. multishot: Incompatibility

Piercing is mutually exclusive with the Multishot enchantment, meaning that you cannot have both on the same crossbow under normal circumstances.

However, if commands are used to bypass this limitation, both enchantments will function normally together.

When to use Piercing in Minecraft?

• Hitting multiple enemies in a line
• Saving special arrows by reusing them
• Bypassing shields in PvP combat

It’s a great choice for crossbows if you prefer precision and efficiency over spreading damage across multiple enemies.