Overview
Some of the game's hardest fights are decided before anything gets close enough to swing at, and Projectile Protection is the answer to those. Arrows, tridents thrown by drowned, shulker bullets, blaze fireballs, llama spit and the wither's skulls all count, and a full set of it turns a pillager outpost or a woodland mansion from a slow bleed into a manageable approach. It is worth building for two places in particular. An End city is full of shulkers whose bullets are the main threat, and a raid puts several crossbow pillagers behind the melee line. In both, the general Protection enchantment is doing far less work than the specialist would. Against everything else it does nothing, and since it conflicts with Protection, Blast Protection and Fire Protection you are trading away all-round defence to get it. The honest advice for a single armour set is to take Protection and accept a worse time against archers; the specialist earns its place only on a second set built for a specific expedition. If you are mixing, do it deliberately rather than piece by piece, and check the totals rather than assuming they add up neatly.
A dedicated set for ranged threats — End cities full of shulkers, pillager outposts, mansions and raid archers — where arrows and bullets do most of the damage you take.
Reduces damage from arrows, tridents, shulker bullets and blaze fireballs. Worth considering for pillager outposts and woodland mansions, where ranged attackers dominate.
Projectile Protection caps at IV. Being a standard enchantment, an enchanting table can produce it directly.
Weight 5 gives it roughly 14–18% of the pool a table draws from for an item in its slot, and that share is about how often a level-30 table puts it in front of you.
How to get it
Enchant armour at a table with 15 bookshelves, or combine 2 level III books on an anvil for level IV. Weight 5 makes it a common table roll, and each piece at level IV cuts projectile damage by 32%.
Tips
- Build it as a second set; on your everyday armour Protection is the better general answer.
- Shulker bullets count, which makes it the quiet reason End city raids go smoothly or badly.
- It conflicts with Protection, Blast Protection and Fire Protection, so a piece carries exactly one of the four.
- A shield blocks arrows entirely from the front — read armour, shields and damage before over-investing.
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.
Projectile Protection IV reduces projectile damage by 32% per piece.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | 8% less projectile damage from this piece |
| II | 16% less projectile damage from this piece |
| III | 24% less projectile damage from this piece |
| IV | 32% less projectile damage from this piece |
Properties
The enchanting table can roll it, and librarians sell it as a book — breaking and replacing a lectern rerolls the trade until one does.
- Weight
- 5 (14–18%)
- Incompatible enchantments
- Blast Protection, Fire Protection, Protection
What it can be applied to
Projectile Protection can be applied to Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, and Boots.
- Helmet
- Chestplate
- Leggings
- Boots
Gear it goes on
Incompatible enchantments
Projectile Protection cannot share an item with Blast Protection, Fire Protection, and Protection.
Combining them costs levels and still leaves you with only one of the two. Decide which you actually want before the book goes on the anvil.
How to get it
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
The level-30 slot at a fifteen-bookshelf table is where to look; a smaller ring means lower levels and a thinner offer pool.
Command
If cheats are on, use the first line to add Projectile Protection IV to the item you are holding, or the second to be handed one outright — written with the 1.20.5 "enchantments" component.
Apply it
/enchant @s minecraft:projectile_protection 4Give an enchanted item
/give @s turtle_helmet[enchantments={levels:{"minecraft:projectile_protection":4}}]Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum level of Projectile Protection?
Projectile Protection goes up to level 4. Projectile Protection IV reduces projectile damage by 32% per piece.
How do you get Projectile Protection in Minecraft?
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
What does Projectile Protection conflict with?
Projectile Protection cannot be combined with Blast Protection, Fire Protection, and Protection.
What does Projectile Protection IV do?
Projectile Protection IV 32% less projectile damage from this piece.
