Overview
A Piercing bolt does not stop at the first thing it hits. It carries on through, hitting each entity in its path up to the level's limit, and at the maximum level a single arrow can strike five targets in a line. That makes the enchantment enormously efficient in exactly the situation where ranged combat gets hard: a corridor of mobs, a raid wave walking at you in single file, or a mob farm queue. Its second property is the one that decides PvP fights. Piercing bolts go straight through shields, so a defender who raises a shield against a Piercing crossbow is not protected at all — which is why it is the standard enchantment on a server crossbow and why Multishot, its rival, is the choice for players fighting mobs instead. Arrows fired with Piercing can be picked back up, unlike Multishot's extra bolts, so ammunition costs are unchanged. Its weight of 10 makes it one of the commonest enchantments a table will offer, so most crossbows end up with it by default rather than by decision — which is fine, since it is the better pick for most survival play.
Lines of mobs and shielded opponents — raid waves in a corridor, farm queues, and PvP where the target expects a raised shield to stop the bolt.
Lets bolts pass through multiple mobs and shields, and the arrows can still be recovered. Excellent against raids and mob corridors.
IV is as high as Piercing goes. It is a standard enchantment, which means the enchanting table can roll it for you.
Its weight of 10 is about 45% of what an enchanting table can roll for an item that accepts it, which is roughly how often a level-30 table will put it in front of you.
How to get it
Enchant a Crossbow at a table with 15 bookshelves, or apply books; 2 level III books make level IV. Weight 10 makes it one of the commonest offers in the game, and level IV pierces up to 5 entities.
Tips
- It goes through shields, which is the reason server players pick it over Multishot.
- Arrows are recoverable, so the ammunition cost is the same as an unenchanted crossbow.
- Line the mobs up: the value is entirely in the second, third and fourth target behind the first.
- It cannot share a crossbow with Multishot, so decide by whether you fight crowds or lines.
What each level does
What each level actually gives you. The jump from I to IV is where most of the value sits, and an anvil can combine two III books into one IV.
Piercing IV pierces up to five entities.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | arrows pass through 1 extra entity, or through a raised shield |
| II | arrows pass through 2 extra entities, or through a raised shield |
| III | arrows pass through 3 extra entities, or through a raised shield |
| IV | arrows pass through 4 extra entities, or through a raised shield |
Properties
A table offers it as it stands, and a librarian's book is usually the cheaper route, with a lectern reroll to get the offer.
- Weight
- 10 (45%)
- Incompatible enchantments
- Multishot
What it can be applied to
Piercing can be applied to Crossbow.
- Crossbow
Gear it goes on
Incompatible enchantments
Piercing cannot share an item with Multishot.
The anvil does not warn you. It leaves the conflicting enchantment off, keeps the cost, and hands the item back, so plan the order before you spend the book.
How to get it
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
At a table with fifteen bookshelves the level-30 slot is where it appears; below level 30 the offer pool is smaller and the levels lower, which is why the bookshelf ring is worth building before you enchant anything you care about.
Command
With cheats on, the first command applies Piercing IV to whatever you are holding; the second hands you an item that already has it. Since 1.20.5 the item form uses the "enchantments" component rather than the old NBT tag.
Apply it
/enchant @s minecraft:piercing 4Give an enchanted item
/give @s crossbow[enchantments={levels:{"minecraft:piercing":4}}]Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum level of Piercing?
Piercing goes up to level 4. Piercing IV pierces up to five entities.
How do you get Piercing in Minecraft?
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
What does Piercing conflict with?
Piercing cannot be combined with Multishot.
What does Piercing IV do?
Piercing IV arrows pass through 4 extra entities, or through a raised shield.
