What does impaling do in Minecraft?

Impaling is an extremely useful Minecraft enchantment that increases the damage a trident does. Read this post to learn more!

Specifics

Impaling can only be applied to a trident and, since the trident is a “water-weapon” only does extra damage to entities in water. In Java Edition, Impaling only works against underwater animals while in Bedrock Edition, Impaling works against any mob in water (e.g. a pig in rain).

The Impaling enchantment has five different levels (each level increasing the damage done) which can be applied to a trident using an enchantment book and an anvil or an enchantment table.

Compatibility

Impaling on a trident can be paired with both the loyalty and channeling enchantment (link other blog post here). However, the riptide enchantment can not be paired with impaling, making an interesting decision for a player.

Other trident enchantments

In addition to Impaling, tridents in Minecraft can be enchanted with several other beneficial enchantments that enhance their utility and effectiveness in combat and exploration.

Channeling is a unique enchantment for tridents that harnesses the power of thunderstorms. When a player strikes a mob with a Channeling-enchanted trident during a thunderstorm, it summons a lightning bolt to strike the target. This enchantment adds a strategic element to combat, especially against mobs like creepers, which can be transformed into charged creepers, providing a potent offensive advantage in certain situations.

Riptide is an enchantment that allows players to use tridents as a means of rapid transportation in water and during rainy weather. When activated while underwater or during rain, Riptide propels the player forward with significant speed, making it invaluable for quick escapes or navigating through expansive ocean biomes. This enchantment synergizes well with Depth Strider boots, enhancing mobility across both water and land.

Loyalty is a practical enchantment for tridents that ensures the weapon returns to the player after being thrown. Once thrown, a Loyalty-enchanted trident will automatically return to the player's hand after hitting a target or reaching its maximum range. This feature makes the trident a reliable weapon in combat scenarios where retrieving thrown weapons quickly is essential, particularly in underwater battles or when engaging distant enemies.

Unbreaking is a durability-enhancing enchantment available for tridents (and other items). When applied, Unbreaking reduces the likelihood of the trident taking durability damage with each use, effectively prolonging its lifespan. This enchantment is particularly valuable for tridents due to their utility in various situations, including combat, exploration, and transportation across water bodies. By increasing durability, Unbreaking ensures that tridents remain effective tools over extended periods, reducing the need for frequent repairs or replacements.

Fun Fact

While tridents are usually used as a ranged weapon, they function pretty well as a melee weapon as well.

If you liked learning about impaling in Minecraft, learn how to make grass grow faster in Minecraft!

If you are interested in more Minecraft content, checkout our Minecraft glossary, what horses eat in Minecraft, how to get scutes,how to get a barrier block, making pumpkin pie, villagers opening doors, getting Acacia wood, and our blogpost on how to kill mobs in Minecraft. You might also like our blogpost on Minecraft Player-vs-Player mode of gameplay. Also checkout and participate in Kodeclik's Minecraft Settlement Creation contest. Also learn about Minecraft MLG.

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