How does the Minecraft anvil work?
The anvil system combines items and enchanted books. Each combination has a level cost based on the enchantment, level, item and previous anvil uses.
Anvil & XP Planner
Calculate anvil costs, XP levels and a cheaper order for your Minecraft enchantments.
This Minecraft enchantment calculator helps you plan enchanted books, items and XP costs directly in your browser. Choose an item, add the matching enchantments and get a cheaper order for the anvil.
The anvil system combines items and enchanted books. Each combination has a level cost based on the enchantment, level, item and previous anvil uses.
The order can make a big difference. The calculator compares possible paths and looks for a cheap anvil order so you can combine books, tools, weapons and armor efficiently.
Each anvil use increases repair costs and penalties from previous combinations. The calculator therefore shows both step-by-step level costs and the total XP impact of your selected enchantments.
Some enchantments cannot be used together, such as different protection types or certain weapon enchantments. The calculator detects these conflicts and shows which combinations are not possible.
Planning helps especially with expensive items such as swords, pickaxes, bows, tridents, elytra or netherite armor. You can spot earlier whether a step would hit the 40-level limit.