The mace, added in the Tricky Trials update in 2024, is Minecraft’s most dramatic weapon: its damage grows the farther you fall before you hit. It also has three enchantments of its own: Density, Breach and Wind Burst. Players often ask what Density does and what Breach does, because both boost damage in very different ways and you cannot have them together. This guide explains each mace enchantment, its levels, how to get it, and which combination is best for PvE and PvP.
Quick answer
- Density (max V): adds extra damage for every block you fall before a smash attack. Best for big falls and wind charge combos.
- Breach (max IV): makes your attacks ignore part of the target’s armor. Best against heavily armored mobs and players.
- Wind Burst (max III): launches you back into the air after a successful smash attack, letting you chain hits.
- Density and Breach are mutually exclusive, and both also exclude Smite and Bane of Arthropods on the mace.
How the mace works
A mace deals a normal melee hit when you are on the ground. When you fall at least 1.5 blocks and hit a mob, you perform a smash attack. Its damage increases for every block fallen, it cancels your fall damage when you land the hit, and it knocks back nearby mobs. Players use wind charges, ender pearls, elytra dives and high pillars to gain height before a smash. The mace is crafted from a heavy core and a breeze rod; see how to get a mace and heavy core.
What does Density do in Minecraft?
Density increases the extra damage of a smash attack based on how far you fell. Each level adds roughly half a heart of damage per block fallen, so Density V roughly doubles or triples the damage of a long drop compared with an unenchanted mace. A short hop barely benefits, but a fall from 20 or 30 blocks becomes enough to defeat most mobs in a single hit, including tough ones. Density shines when you can reliably gain height, such as on a tower above a mob farm, in caves with tall drops, or using wind charges to launch yourself upward before striking.
What is Density best for?
- Killing strong mobs such as wardens, ravagers or the Wither with dives from height.
- Elytra dive attacks from high in the sky.
- Wind charge combos where you launch yourself and smash repeatedly.
What does Breach do in Minecraft?
Breach reduces the effectiveness of the target’s armor. Each level makes armor about 15 percent less effective against your hits, up to 60 percent at Breach IV. Unlike Density, Breach helps every hit, not just smash attacks, but its effect depends on the target having armor. It is weak against unarmored mobs like most animals and creepers, but very strong against armored zombies, piglin brutes, vindicators in armor and, above all, other players in netherite.
What is Breach best for?
- PvP against players in diamond or netherite armor.
- Fighting armored mobs in trial chambers, bastions and raids.
- Situations where you cannot gain much height for Density to matter.
What does Wind Burst do?
Wind Burst launches you upward after a successful smash attack, like a wind charge, with higher levels throwing you higher. That lets you land another smash immediately, creating chains of hits without needing a tower. It also prevents fall damage because each hit cushions you. Wind Burst is a treasure enchantment found only in ominous vault loot, so it is rarer than Density and Breach.
Density vs Breach: which is better?
For most players fighting mobs, Density is better, because smash attacks are the mace’s whole point and Density multiplies them. For PvP, many players prefer Breach, because armored opponents shrug off Density damage less effectively and Breach works even on short drops. A popular setup is a Density V mace for mob fighting and a separate Breach IV mace for players. Whichever you choose, add Wind Burst, Unbreaking III, Mending and Fire Aspect where possible. See how to get Mending.
How to get Density and Breach
- Enchanting table: both can appear when you enchant a mace.
- Enchanted books: found in trial chamber vaults and ominous vaults, and combined with a mace at an anvil.
- Villager trading: librarian villagers can sell some enchanted books, depending on edition and trade rebalancing settings.
- Wind Burst: only from ominous vaults in trial chambers, opened with ominous trial keys.
To combine books with your mace, use an anvil; see how to make an anvil.
Tips for using the mace
- Carry wind charges, which breezes drop in trial chambers, to launch yourself for smash attacks anywhere.
- Aim to land the smash: missing means you take fall damage.
- Use Slow Falling potions to control long drops before striking.
- Keep a sword for fast regular combat; the mace is slow on the ground.
FAQ
What does Density do in Minecraft?
It increases smash attack damage for every block fallen before the hit.
What is Breach in Minecraft?
An enchantment that reduces how well the target’s armor protects them.
Can you have Density and Breach together?
No. They are mutually exclusive.
What is the max level of Density?
Density V. Breach goes to IV and Wind Burst to III.
Is Density better than Smite on a mace?
For smash attacks, usually yes, because it scales with fall height. Smite only helps against undead mobs.
How much damage can a Density mace do?
Smash attacks scale with the distance you fall. The base mace adds a set amount of damage for the first few blocks and smaller amounts for each block after that, and Density adds even more on top for every block. In practice, a Density V mace dropped from around 20 blocks can defeat most Overworld mobs in a single hit, and a long elytra dive can take huge chunks from bosses. Armor, Protection enchantments and resistance effects reduce that damage, which is where Breach becomes useful. Because damage is based on distance fallen, the highest damage numbers come from players who climb very high or fly with elytra before diving.
Mace enchantments in PvP
Mace PvP has become popular on servers because a well-timed smash can end a fight instantly. Players use wind charges to launch themselves above opponents, then strike with Density or Breach. Defending against maces means watching the sky, moving unpredictably, using shields at the right moment, and wearing Feather Falling and Protection IV armor. Many servers limit maces or enchantment levels because of how strong they are, so check server rules before building a PvP mace.
Repairing and maintaining your mace
Maces lose durability with every hit, and smash attacks against many mobs wear them down quickly. Mending is the best way to keep a mace working forever: it repairs the mace with experience orbs. You can also repair it at an anvil with breeze rods. Unbreaking III makes durability last much longer. If you put Density or Breach on a mace, consider it a long-term investment and protect it with Mending as soon as you can.
Related guides
Learn more about what Smite does, the best sword enchantments and how to find trial chambers, where the mace’s ingredients and books are found.
Pick the enchantment that matches how you fight, and your mace will become the strongest weapon in your inventory.