You Can Really Rack up Damage Points in ‘Minecraft’ With Impaling

It's kind of nuts to think that way back in 2011, when Minecraft first debuted, it was basically just a virtual Lego block-building simulator. Now, there are 141 million people playing the game. And there are tons of different game modes, features, and easter eggs to keep fans of the title occupied for what honestly feels like forever.

While playing the game you may have come across the "impaling" enchantment, one of 38 enchantments (as of this writing) present in the title. So what does it do?

The impaling enchantment was first introduced In update 1.13 of the game's Java edition and 1.4.0 in Minecraft's Bedrock edition along with the inclusion of tridents. Legacy Consoles received this update in version TU69.

Adding impaling to a Trident effectively adds extra damage points for every blow dealt while underwater. Think of yourself as a deep sea diver with a spear.

So how much damage does impaling add per hit? A significant amount, actually: 2.5 (the equivalent of 1 1/4 hearts, per Minecraft Fandom.)

While most recent versions of the game had this damage apply to "all mobs and players when in contact with water, underwater, in flowing water, and in rain" this wasn't always the case.

However, in the Java edition, only aquatic mobs would be dealt the extra hurt per blow. This includes any kind of fish creature, axolotls, guardians, elder guardians, squid, turtles, glow squids, and dolphins. If you're playing the Bedrock edition or the Java edition Combat Test 4, then the damage applies to everything as long as the aforementioned conditions are met.

YouTuber @RajCraft posted a useful video about all of the benefits of adding the impaling enchantment to a trident back in August 2019.

First, the enchantment only works with a Trident. You can get one from a Drowned baddie, and according to the YouTuber there's a "6.2 percent" chance that they'll drop one for you to use, but there are ways to up this percentage.

"If you a have a looting three it can go up to about 11.5 percent. So if you want a trident it's a bit hard it's rare, but ... the best idea is to either to have a farm or to go hunting [for] them with [a] looting three sword or weapon," they say.

What's interesting about the impaling enchantment is that you can "stack" it up to five times on a Trident, meaning you can realistically add 12.5 points of damage. So, if you've got a juiced-to-the-gills Trident, you could be dealing 21.5 points of damage per strike against aquatic enemies. Not too shabby.

Enchanting your Trident with impaling works like other enchantments. Find yourself an enchanting table, or you can use an anvil with an impaling enchantment book. If you'd like further information on how to get that done, you can also check out this handy-dandy guide created by @JayDeeMC on YouTube.

There you have it and happy impaling! Have you added this enchantment to your Trident? Have you noticed it's made your underwater skirmishes a bit easier to handle?