Efficiency V first, always
Efficiency V is the no-brainer: mining speed skyrockets, and with haste II from a beacon you break stone near-instantly. It is also the cheapest max-level enchant to buy from a librarian. Every pickaxe — mining, farming, caving — takes Efficiency first.
The fork: Fortune or Silk Touch
Fortune III multiplies drops on coal, diamond, emerald, redstone, lapis and nether quartz — the mining-for-profit pickaxe. Silk Touch collects the block itself: ore blocks for later (mine now, Fortune later after a beacon), glass without breaking, budding amethyst... (never — see the geode guide), ender chests and bee nests. The standard play: own both — a Fortune pick for resource runs and a Silk Touch for specialty collection.
Unbreaking and Mending close the set
Unbreaking III + Mending makes any pickaxe immortal, and both pair with either fork. A Fortune III + Efficiency V + Unbreaking III + Mending pickaxe is the single most valuable tool in survival — the librarian reroll grind is worth it for this one item alone.
Sources and standards
Where these figures come from
Every formula on this page is implemented from the published reference material below. Where a value depends on a regional code, the calculator lets you override it rather than assuming one jurisdiction.
- Minecraft — official site — the game of record for mechanics, versions and release notes.
- Mojang Studios — the developer, and the authority on balance changes between versions.
Figures, formulas and reference tables last verified: 19 September 2026.
