nocwarenocware › Minecraft tools › Enchant Order Calculator
Minecraft Enchantment Order Calculator
To avoid Too Expensive on the anvil, merge the cheapest books first. This calculator finds the cheapest order.
Combining books in the wrong order makes the anvil cost explode until it says Too Expensive. This calculator works out the cheapest order to merge your books onto any item, step by step, with the level cost of each step.
Updated October 2026
Enchant Order Calculator
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How to use the Enchant Order Calculator
- Pick the item you want to enchant.
- Select the books you have, or press God roll for the best set.
- Press Work it out.
- Follow the steps. The left item goes in the first anvil slot.
FAQ
Why does Minecraft say Too Expensive?
Each anvil use adds a prior work penalty. If one step costs 40 levels or more in Survival, the anvil refuses. Combining in the right order keeps every step under 40.
Should I combine books first or put them on the item one by one?
Usually books first, in pairs. Merging books together keeps the item's work penalty low. The calculator finds the best mix.
Which enchants can't go together?
Protection types clash with each other, as do Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods, Silk Touch and Fortune, Infinity and Mending, and Depth Strider and Frost Walker.
What does Too Expensive mean on an anvil?
In Survival the anvil refuses any combine that would cost 40 levels or more. Merging books in the right order keeps the cost down.
Does the order of enchanted books matter?
Yes. Every combine adds to an item's prior work penalty, which doubles the cost each time. Merge smaller books together first and add the item last.
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Made by nocware, a Hardcore Minecraft streamer. I use these in my one-life world, live Mon, Wed and Fri at 6pm UK.