Minecraft is packed with enchantments that can empower your gear, and while some like Fire Aspect are self-explanatory, others such as “Smite” might leave you scratching your head. So, what exactly does Smite do in Minecraft? If you’re puzzled about this enchantment, you’re in the right place.
Understanding the Smite Enchantment in Minecraft
The Smite enchantment in Minecraft is a weapon enhancement that boosts your damage specifically against undead mobs. You can apply Smite to both swords and axes, turning them into highly effective tools for dispatching the game’s various undead creatures. It’s important to note that Smite’s effect is exclusive to undead mobs; against any other type of enemy, your weapon will behave just as it normally would.
Mobs Affected by Smite: The Undead List
Minecraft classifies a specific group of mobs as “undead,” and these are the targets that Smite is effective against. Here’s a comprehensive list of undead mobs in Minecraft that will take extra damage from the Smite enchantment:
- Chicken Jockeys
- Drowned
- Husk
- Phantoms
- Skeletons
- Skeleton Horses
- Skeleton Horsemen
- Spider Jockeys
- Stray
- Wither
- Wither Skeletons
- Zoglin
- Zombies
- Zombie Horses
- Zombie Villagers
- Zombified Piglins
Minecraft enchantment table user interface
Smite Levels and Damage Increase Explained
Each level of the Smite enchantment adds a significant amount of damage to your weapon’s attacks against undead mobs. Specifically, every level of Smite grants an additional 2.5 points of damage per hit. This means at the maximum level, Smite V, you’ll be dealing a substantial 12.5 extra damage with each swing against undead enemies. This damage increase can dramatically reduce the number of hits required to defeat these mobs, making Smite a powerful enchantment in specific situations.
How to Obtain the Smite Enchantment
You can acquire the Smite enchantment through several common Minecraft enchanting methods. It can randomly appear as an option when you use an enchantment table. A reliable strategy to get Smite is to enchant books until Smite becomes available as an option. Once you have a book enchanted with Smite, you can then combine it with your sword or axe at an anvil. This method allows you to apply the Smite enchantment to your weapon of choice effectively.
Smite vs. Sharpness: Choosing the Right Enchantment
While Smite is potent against undead mobs, many players often compare it to Sharpness, another popular weapon enchantment. Sharpness adds extra damage to all types of mobs, not just the undead. Although Sharpness is more versatile because it boosts damage against every enemy, you cannot have both Smite and Sharpness on the same weapon. For general use, Sharpness is often favored. However, if you anticipate facing a lot of undead mobs, such as in specific dungeons or when fighting Withers and their skeletons, Smite can be incredibly effective and even surpass Sharpness in terms of damage output against those particular enemies.
In conclusion, the Smite enchantment in Minecraft is a specialized tool designed to maximize damage against undead mobs. While it might not be as universally applicable as Sharpness, its focused power makes it an excellent choice for players preparing to fight undead hordes or tackle challenges featuring these specific enemy types.
