enchantment
Sweeping Edge in Minecraft | MinecraftBible
Sweeping Edge is a level 1-3 sword enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4. Java only. Sweep attacks deal 50% of main damage at level I, 67% at II, 75% at III to nearby mobs.
What does Sweeping Edge do?
Sweeping Edge is a Minecraft enchantment in the Sword category with a Rare rarity. It scales up to level 3. It is available from the enchanting table with sufficient bookshelves. Villager librarians can trade enchanted books of this enchantment.
Effect: Java only. Sweep attacks deal 50% of main damage at level I, 67% at II, 75% at III to nearby mobs.
Priority: A-tier for horde clearing (raids, mob farms). Removed on Bedrock.
How to get Sweeping Edge
- 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 Sweeping Edge book appears. Expected price: 15–62 emeralds at profession level 3+.
XP cost by level for Sweeping Edge
| Level | Min cost | Max cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 20 |
| 2 | 14 | 29 |
| 3 | 23 | 38 |
Items you can enchant with Sweeping Edge
You can apply Sweeping Edge at an enchanting table or anvil to any of these items:
Synergy enchantments with Sweeping Edge
These enchantments stack productively on the same item:
Enchantment properties
- Category: Sword
- Rarity: Rare
- Max level: 3
- Weight: 2
- Min cost formula: 9 × level + -4
- Max cost formula: 9 × level + 11
- Anvil item cost / level: 4×
- Anvil book cost / level: 2×
- Treasure only: No
- Tradeable: Yes
- Discoverable via enchanting table: Yes
- Curse: No
Overview
Sweeping Edge is an enchantment in Minecraft 1.21.4 with a maximum level of 3, usable on 6+ real item types. Java only. Sweep attacks deal 50% of main damage at level I, 67% at II, 75% at III to nearby mobs.
Prerequisites and materials
- Obtainable from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests.
- Level 3 enchanting-table cost lands between 23 and 38 XP — budget your levels before committing.
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Effect: Java only. Sweep attacks deal 50% of main damage at level I, 67% at II, 75% at III to nearby mobs.
- Apply to compatible gear such as Wooden Sword, Stone Sword, Golden Sword. 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 15-62 emeralds at profession level 3+.
Pro tips
- Priority: A-tier for horde clearing (raids, mob farms). Removed on Bedrock.
- 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: Easy
- Estimated time per run: 5-20 min
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sweeping Edge do in Minecraft?
Java only. Sweep attacks deal 50% of main damage at level I, 67% at II, 75% at III to nearby mobs. Max level is 3.
What is the max level of Sweeping Edge?
Sweeping Edge caps at level 3. At max level the enchanting-table cost formula lands between 23 and 38 XP.
How do I get Sweeping Edge?
Sweeping Edge can be obtained from: Enchanting table; Librarian villager trades; Dungeon chests. A librarian villager at profession level 3+ can sell an enchanted book of it for 15-62 emeralds.
Can I trade for Sweeping Edge 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 Sweeping Edge book. Expected price is 15-62 emeralds and requires villager level 3+.
Does Sweeping Edge conflict with other enchantments?
Sweeping Edge has no incompatible enchantments and can be freely combined with others.
What is the anvil cost for Sweeping Edge?
Applying Sweeping Edge to a target from an enchanted book costs 2× per level in anvil work units, or 4× 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 Sweeping Edge on?
Sweeping Edge belongs to the "Sword" enchantment category, covering items like Wooden Sword, Stone Sword, Golden Sword, Iron Sword, Diamond Sword, Netherite Sword.