TL;DR

The best bow enchantments are Power V, Unbreaking III, Flame, and Punch II.
Infinity and Mending are mutually exclusive — you can only pick one per bow.
Infinity is better for mid to late game when arrows are easy to farm. Mending is better early game or when using tipped arrows.
Power V at full draw can one-shot most common mobs in the game.
Flame sets targets on fire and deals 5 hearts of burn damage on top of arrow damage.
Punch II pushes enemies back 6 blocks — great for keeping Creepers at a safe distance.
The optimal anvil order costs just 29 levels total if done correctly.

Best Enchantments for Bow in Minecraft turn one of the most underrated weapons in the game into an absolute powerhouse. Most players rely on their sword for everything, but a well-enchanted bow lets you deal massive damage from range, set enemies on fire, and push dangerous mobs away before they can even reach you. The bow has seven possible enchantments — this guide ranks all of them, explains every trade-off, and gives you the best build for both survival and PvP.

Table of Contents

How to Enchant a Bow in Minecraft

You enchant a bow the same way as any other item — through the enchanting table or via an anvil with enchanted books.

Enchanting table — place your bow and lapis lazuli in the table and choose from three random options. Surround with 15 bookshelves for level 30 enchantments. You can get Power, Flame, Punch, and Unbreaking this way. Good for early game.
Anvil with enchanted books — the better method for a specific setup. Apply books in the right order to get exactly what you want without wasting XP. Essential for Infinity and Mending, which can be rare from the table.

For full enchanting setup instructions, see our enchanting table guide. Get rare books faster by trading with librarian villagers — see our villager trading tiers guide.

All Bow Enchantments Ranked

1. Power V — Maximum arrow damage

Power is the most important offensive enchantment for a bow. It increases the damage dealt by every arrow you fire. At level V, it adds 150% extra damage on top of your bow’s base damage. A fully drawn Power V arrow can one-shot most common mobs in the game — skeletons, zombies, spiders, and others go down in a single hit at close to medium range.

In terms of raw damage increase, nothing else on a bow comes close to Power V. It is always the first enchantment to prioritise on any bow build.

Maximum level: V
Works with: All other bow enchantments

2. Unbreaking III — Makes your bow last far longer

Every arrow fired costs your bow one point of durability. Without Unbreaking, a plain bow lasts 385 uses. With Unbreaking III, it effectively lasts around 1,540 uses on average — nearly four times longer. This is a huge difference in survival mode where crafting new bows eats string and sticks constantly.

Unbreaking III is essential on any long-term bow. Pair it with either Infinity or Mending for a bow that almost never needs replacing.

Maximum level: III
Works with: All other bow enchantments

3. Flame — Sets targets on fire

Flame causes every arrow to ignite the target on impact. The fire deals 5 hearts of burn damage over 5 seconds in addition to the arrow’s normal damage. This is effectively free bonus damage on every single shot at no extra cost to you.

Flame has several extra uses beyond raw damage:

Animals killed while burning drop cooked meat automatically — no furnace needed
Flaming arrows can ignite TNT from a distance — useful for traps and demolition
They can light campfires remotely
They melt powder snow on contact

The only situation where Flame is a drawback is when fighting Endermen — they teleport away when set on fire, making them harder to track. Otherwise, Flame is a near-mandatory enchantment for any serious bow build.

Maximum level: I
Works with: All other bow enchantments

4. Punch II — Knockback on every arrow

Punch adds knockback to arrows. At level II, each arrow pushes the target back an additional 6 blocks on top of the base knockback. This has real practical value in survival:

Keeps Creepers at a safe distance before they can trigger their explosion
Pushes Piglin Brutes and Vindicators away before they close the gap
Creates breathing room when you are mobbed by multiple enemies
Useful for knocking enemies off ledges or into hazards

Punch does not increase damage at all — purely knockback. In PvP, it can be a double-edged enchantment since pushing a player away makes follow-up shots harder. In survival PvE though, it is excellent for crowd control. Punch I is a reasonable compromise if you want some spacing without losing tracking on targets.

Maximum level: II
Works with: All other bow enchantments

5. Infinity — Never run out of arrows

Infinity lets you shoot unlimited arrows as long as you have at least one regular arrow in your inventory. You never consume it. This removes the need to farm arrows, carry stacks of them, or craft more during long fights or exploration trips.

There are two important limitations:

Infinity does not work with tipped arrows or spectral arrows — those still get consumed normally
Infinity cannot be combined with Mending — they are mutually exclusive

For most mid to late-game survival players, Infinity is the better choice. Arrow farming takes time and inventory space. With Infinity, one arrow in your hotbar is all you ever need.

Maximum level: I
Conflicts with: Mending

6. Mending — Self-repairing bow

Mending repairs your bow using XP orbs you collect. As long as you are actively gaining experience — killing mobs, mining ores, smelting — your bow repairs itself passively. With Unbreaking III alongside it, the bow becomes essentially permanent.

The trade-off is that without Infinity, you need to keep a supply of arrows. Mending is the better choice in two specific situations:

Early game — before you have a solid enchanting setup and plenty of iron for anvils
When using tipped arrows — Infinity does not work with tipped arrows, so if you use Arrow of Slowness, Poison, or others regularly, Mending is the better pick

For a standard survival bow focused on normal arrows, most experienced players choose Infinity over Mending. But if you have an XP farm running and use tipped arrows, Mending is the right call. See our XP mob farm guide to keep Mending always active.

Maximum level: I
Conflicts with: Infinity
How to get: Librarian trades, fishing, loot chests — not from enchanting table

7. Curse of Vanishing — Never use this

Curse of Vanishing makes your bow disappear permanently when you die. In survival mode this is purely harmful. The only use case is on dedicated PvP servers where you do not want other players looting your bow after they kill you. Never apply it in standard survival.

Maximum level: I
Recommended: No — avoid entirely in survival

The Best Bow Build for Survival

This is the go-to god bow setup for general survival play:

Power V — maximum damage per arrow
Unbreaking III — extended durability
Flame — free burn damage and cooked drops
Punch II — crowd control and mob spacing
Infinity — unlimited arrows from a single arrow in inventory

This five-enchantment setup covers everything — damage, durability, utility, crowd control, and infinite ammo. It is the standard god bow that most survival players aim for.

The Best Bow Build for Tipped Arrows

If you use tipped arrows regularly — for example, Arrows of Slowness from a stray farm, or Arrows of Poison — swap Infinity for Mending since Infinity does not work with tipped arrows:

Power V
Unbreaking III
Flame
Punch II
Mending

You will need to keep a supply of arrows in your inventory, but with Unbreaking III and Mending together, your bow never wears out. See our potion brewing guide — tipped arrows use the same effects as potions and are made by filling a cauldron with a potion and dipping arrows into it.

The Infinity vs Mending Debate — Which Should You Choose

This is the most common bow enchantment question. Here is the clear breakdown:

Choose Infinity if:

You are in mid to late game with a solid XP setup
You use regular arrows only
You do not want to manage arrow supplies
You have plenty of iron for anvils to repair occasionally if needed

Choose Mending if:

You are in early game without a strong enchanting setup yet
You use tipped arrows regularly
You have a good XP farm keeping Mending always active
You want your bow to be completely self-sustaining with no repair cost ever

Both are valid. Infinity wins for most standard survival setups. Mending wins for tipped arrow users and early game players.

Optimal Anvil Order for the God Bow

Using the wrong order at the anvil drives up the cost fast. The Minecraft Wiki confirms the optimal enchantment order costs just 29 levels total:

Apply Power V book to your bow (5 levels)
Combine Infinity + Unbreaking III books together (3 levels)
Apply the combined Infinity/Unbreaking book to the bow (9 levels)
Combine Punch II + Flame books together (2 levels)
Apply the combined Punch/Flame book to the bow (10 levels)

Total: 5 + 3 + 2 + 9 + 10 = 29 levels. Following this order keeps each step below the anvil cost ceiling and avoids the “Too Expensive” error entirely.

If you are using Mending instead of Infinity, swap Infinity for Mending in step 2. If you make a mistake and need to start over, see our grindstone guide to strip enchantments off a bow and begin fresh.

Tips for Using an Enchanted Bow Effectively

Always fully charge your shot — a fully drawn Power V arrow deals significantly more damage than a quick shot. Hold the bow until the arrow stops wobbling on screen before releasing.
Aim slightly above distant targets — arrows arc over distance. Adjust your aim upward at longer range to compensate for drop.
Use Flame against the Ender Dragon with caution — flaming arrows have no special effect on the dragon itself, but they can destroy end crystals at range, which is very useful for the fight. See our Ender Dragon guide.
Keep one arrow in your inventory at all times with an Infinity bow — without it, Infinity will not activate.
Use Punch II to knock Creepers away before they start their countdown — this is one of the most useful applications of Punch in survival mode.
Combine with good armour — range combat is powerful but you still need protection when enemies close in. Check our best armour enchantments guide to complete your setup.

Quick Reference — All Bow Enchantments

Power — Max level V. Increases arrow damage. Works with all others.
Unbreaking — Max level III. Reduces durability loss. Works with all others.
Flame — Max level I. Sets targets on fire. Works with all others.
Punch — Max level II. Increases arrow knockback. Works with all others.
Infinity — Max level I. Unlimited arrows from one. Conflicts with Mending.
Mending — Max level I. Self-repairs using XP. Conflicts with Infinity.
Curse of Vanishing — Max level I. Bow disappears on death. Avoid in survival.

Wrapping Up

The best bow build in Minecraft is Power V, Unbreaking III, Flame, Punch II, and Infinity — five enchantments that cover every situation. Power V is non-negotiable. Flame is free damage. Punch keeps dangerous mobs at range. Infinity means you never run out of ammo. Unbreaking III makes the whole setup last.

Get Power V from the enchanting table first since it is the most likely high-level enchantment to appear there. Then source Infinity, Flame, and Punch through books and apply them at the anvil in the correct order. The whole setup costs just 29 levels if done right — one of the cheapest god-tier weapon builds in the game.

For your complete combat toolkit, also check our guides on best sword enchantments, best armour enchantments, and best pickaxe enchantments. Download Minecraft or get it on Android and start building your god bow today.