enchantment
Projectile Protection in Minecraft | MinecraftBible
Projectile Protection is a level 1-4 armor enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4. Reduces arrow, trident, and shulker projectile damage by 8% per level (max 32% at IV).
What does Projectile Protection do?
Projectile Protection is a Minecraft enchantment in the Armor category with a Uncommon 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: Reduces arrow, trident, and shulker projectile damage by 8% per level (max 32% at IV).
Priority: Situational — one piece is useful for skeleton-heavy caves and raids.
How to get Projectile Protection
- Enchanting table
- Librarian villager trades
- Dungeon chests
- Pillager outpost 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 Projectile Protection book appears. Expected price: 8–32 emeralds at profession level 2+.
XP cost by level for Projectile Protection
| Level | Min cost | Max cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 2 | 9 | 15 |
| 3 | 15 | 21 |
| 4 | 21 | 27 |
Items you can enchant with Projectile Protection
You can apply Projectile Protection at an enchanting table or anvil to any of these items:
- Turtle Shell
- Leather Cap
- Leather Tunic
- Leather Pants
- Leather Boots
- Chainmail Helmet
- Chainmail Chestplate
- Chainmail Leggings
- Chainmail Boots
- Iron Helmet
- Iron Chestplate
- Iron Leggings
- Iron Boots
- Diamond Helmet
- Diamond Chestplate
- Diamond Leggings
- Diamond Boots
- Golden Helmet
- Golden Chestplate
- Golden Leggings
- Golden Boots
- Netherite Helmet
- Netherite Chestplate
- Netherite Leggings
Synergy enchantments with Projectile Protection
These enchantments stack productively on the same item:
Conflicts with
Enchantment properties
- Category: Armor
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Max level: 4
- Weight: 5
- Min cost formula: 6 × level + -3
- Max cost formula: 6 × level + 3
- Anvil item cost / level: 2×
- Anvil book cost / level: 1×
- Treasure only: No
- Tradeable: Yes
- Discoverable via enchanting table: Yes
- Curse: No
Overview
Projectile Protection is an enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4 with a maximum level of 4, usable on 24+ real item types. Reduces arrow, trident, and shulker projectile damage by 8% per level (max 32% at IV).
Prerequisites and materials
- Obtainable from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests; Pillager outpost chests.
- Level 4 enchanting-table cost lands between 21 and 27 XP — budget your levels before committing.
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Effect: Reduces arrow, trident, and shulker projectile damage by 8% per level (max 32% at IV).
- Apply to compatible gear such as Turtle Shell, Leather Cap, Leather Tunic. 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 8-32 emeralds at profession level 2+.
Pro tips
- Priority: Situational — one piece is useful for skeleton-heavy caves and raids.
- 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 Projectile Protection do in Minecraft?
Reduces arrow, trident, and shulker projectile damage by 8% per level (max 32% at IV). Max level is 4.
What is the max level of Projectile Protection?
Projectile Protection caps at level 4. At max level the enchanting-table cost formula lands between 21 and 27 XP.
How do I get Projectile Protection?
Projectile Protection can be obtained from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests; Pillager outpost chests. A librarian villager at profession level 2+ can sell an enchanted book of it for 8-32 emeralds.
Can I trade for Projectile Protection 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 Projectile Protection book. Expected price is 8-32 emeralds and requires villager level 2+.
What enchantments conflict with Projectile Protection?
Projectile Protection cannot be combined with: Blast Protection, Fire Protection, Protection.
What is the anvil cost for Projectile Protection?
Applying Projectile Protection to a target from an enchanted book costs 1× per level in anvil work units, or 2× 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 Projectile Protection on?
Projectile Protection belongs to the "Armor" enchantment category, covering items like Turtle Shell, Leather Cap, Leather Tunic, Leather Pants, Leather Boots, Chainmail Helmet, and 18 more.