enchantment

Piercing in Minecraft | MinecraftBible

Piercing is a level 1-4 crossbow enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4. Crossbow only. Arrows pierce +1 entity per level (max 4 at IV), damaging every entity in line.

What does Piercing do?

Piercing is a Minecraft enchantment in the Crossbow category with a Common rarity. It scales up to level 4. It is available from the enchanting table with sufficient bookshelves. Villager librarians can trade enchanted books of this enchantment.

Effect: Crossbow only. Arrows pierce +1 entity per level (max 4 at IV), damaging every entity in line.

Priority: S-tier for lined-up raid mobs. Incompatible with Multishot.

How to get Piercing

Enchanting table
Librarian villager trades
Dungeon chests

Librarian trade: Cure or trap a villager, place a lectern to convert them to a librarian, then break and re-place the lectern to reroll trades until a Piercing book appears. Expected price: 5–19 emeralds at profession level 1+.

XP cost by level for Piercing

Level	Min cost	Max cost
1	1	50
2	11	50
3	21	50
4	31	50

Items you can enchant with Piercing

You can apply Piercing at an enchanting table or anvil to any of these items:

Crossbow

Synergy enchantments with Piercing

These enchantments stack productively on the same item:

Conflicts with

Multishot

Enchantment properties

Category: Crossbow
Rarity: Common
Max level: 4
Weight: 10
Min cost formula: 10 × level + -9
Max cost formula: 0 × level + 50
Anvil item cost / level: 1×
Anvil book cost / level: 1×
Treasure only: No
Tradeable: Yes
Discoverable via enchanting table: Yes
Curse: No

Overview

Piercing is an enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4 with a maximum level of 4, usable on 1+ real item types. Crossbow only. Arrows pierce +1 entity per level (max 4 at IV), damaging every entity in line.

Prerequisites and materials

Obtainable from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests.
Level 4 enchanting-table cost lands between 31 and 50 XP — budget your levels before committing.

Step-by-step walkthrough

Effect: Crossbow only. Arrows pierce +1 entity per level (max 4 at IV), damaging every entity in line.
Apply to compatible gear such as Crossbow. See the Primary Items section for the full list.
Librarian route: cure or trap a villager, place a lectern, and reroll trades by breaking + replacing the lectern until you see the book. Expect 5-19 emeralds at profession level 1+.

Pro tips

Priority: S-tier for lined-up raid mobs. Incompatible with Multishot.
Use a grindstone to safely strip this enchantment and reclaim a small XP refund.
Before an anvil merge, confirm the two enchantments aren't in each other's exclusive list — conflicts turn the merge red and waste XP.

Difficulty and time commitment

Difficulty: Medium
Estimated time per run: 5-20 min

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Piercing do in Minecraft?

Crossbow only. Arrows pierce +1 entity per level (max 4 at IV), damaging every entity in line. Max level is 4.

What is the max level of Piercing?

Piercing caps at level 4. At max level the enchanting-table cost formula lands between 31 and 50 XP.

How do I get Piercing?

Piercing can be obtained from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests. A librarian villager at profession level 1+ can sell an enchanted book of it for 5-19 emeralds.

Can I trade for Piercing with a villager?

Yes — cure a zombie villager or trap a fresh villager, place a lectern to convert them to a librarian, then break and replace the lectern until they roll a Piercing book. Expected price is 5-19 emeralds and requires villager level 1+.

What enchantments conflict with Piercing?

Piercing cannot be combined with: Multishot.

What is the anvil cost for Piercing?

Applying Piercing to a target from an enchanted book costs 1× per level in anvil work units, or 1× per level when combining from another enchanted item. Every anvil use also doubles the prior-work penalty on the target.

What items can I put Piercing on?

Piercing belongs to the "Crossbow" enchantment category, covering items like Crossbow.