Highlights

  • New enchantments for Minecraft's mace weapon enhance its destructive potential with unique abilities like Wind Burst.
  • Exclusive enchantments for new weapons like the mace can add variety and stand out from existing loot, rewarding completionists.
  • While new enchantments can make weapons special, they also contribute to Minecraft's existing loot problem by adding to the pool of options.

Minecraft's long-awaited 1.21 update is here, brimming with goodies for players to plunder. Amid its headline features, though, lies a series of new enchantments that have the chance to bring both good and bad to Minecraft.

These enchantments relate to the Tricky Trials' crown jewel, the mace. Minecraft's new mace weapon is already a phenomenally powerful weapon, and players can deck it out with special enchantments to maximize its destructive potential. Density is simple enough, increasing the damage dealt per block fallen. Breach also relates to dealing damage, though it improves the weapon's armor piercing rather than buffing damage itself. The most unique of the three would be Wind Burst, which acts as a built-in wind charge — propelling the player back upwards after a smash attack is performed.

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Minecraft's Mace Enchantments Indicate A Mixed Future For New Weapons

There's a lot to like about Minecraft's series of mace enchantments, allowing fans to go beyond even the peak of weapon strength in some varied ways. At the same time, they cement a trend that's been going on in the game since 1.13, one where each new weapon gets its own set of enchantments; both the trident and the crossbow got their own list of exclusive upgrades. This is, on the surface, a great way to diversify loot and enhance the unique flavor of each weapon. On the other hand, there are some issues with how new weapon enchantments might interact with some of Minecraft's existing issues.

Exclusive Enchantments Can Really Make New Weapons Special

Minecraft enchantments can be more than stat boosts, with playstyle-changing enchantments around since the system's inception. In regard to new weapons, it's a great sign when an enchantment can help said equipment stand out from its peers. Crossbow enchantments are a great example of this, with options like Piercing and Multishot giving the weapon abilities outside the bow's wheelhouse. Tridents get similar treatment; Riptide and Channeling may compete for space, but they both capture different fantasies relating to an ancient tool recovered from the depths.

Though the mace is already an especially powerful entry in Minecraft's arsenal, enchantments that take its power up a notch are a welcome treat for completionists. What's of real interest here, though, is the Wind Burst enchantment. This option does a great job of leaning into a specific playstyle many fans want from the mace, granting them the ability to dish out a smorgasbord of smash attacks from the air. The trade-off of railroading players into a certain way of using the mace is a mechanically interesting way to balance this powerful effect.

New Weapon Enchantments May Make Minecraft's Loot Problem Worse

However, there are pitfalls to players receiving a barrage of new Minecraft enchantments. Chief among these issues is the bugbear facing Minecraft loot; put simply, there are too many ways to get the same loot. Mojang is constantly adding new structures to the game, but the lack of progression tiers has caused the same pool of iron ingots, saddles, and diamonds to pop up without limit. Enchanted books are part of this problem, even if more enchantments could improve matters. A single book can have multiple conflicting enchantments stamped upon it, causing many to go to waste — an issue exacerbated by the addition of three new exclusive enchantments.

Luckily, the mace's enchantments don't all have the same problems other Minecraft enchantments may face. Density and Breach do share the issue of adding bloat to enchanted books, diminishing their value, but Wind Burst is unique to ominous vaults. Gating this particular tome behind a certain type of treasure repository is a major boon to this enchantment, adding immensely to its desirability.