# Piercing Enchantment in Minecraft: What It Does and How to Use It

_Published October 16, 2026_

Piercing lets one crossbow arrow pass through up to 4 extra lined-up targets — the precision half of the crossbow's central fork.

Piercing lets a single crossbow bolt pass through multiple targets lined up in its path, instead of stopping at the first one hit.

## What Piercing actually does

Each level of Piercing lets the arrow pass through that many *extra* entities beyond the first one it hits — so the total number of entities damaged is level + 1:

- **Piercing I:** hits 2 entities total
- **Piercing II:** hits 3 entities total
- **Piercing III:** hits 4 entities total
- **Piercing IV:** hits 5 entities total

This only matters when targets are actually lined up in the arrow's path — against a single target, Piercing behaves the same as an unenchanted shot.

## How to use it

Piercing is built for precision and conservation: lined-up single targets, sniping down a corridor, or situations where you want to make fewer arrows go further rather than spreading damage across a wide arc. It directly trades off against Multishot (a 3-way spread from one consumed arrow); you can only ever have one of the two on a given crossbow.

## Well-known builds that use it

Piercing is one half of the central fork in [The Ideal Crossbow Enchantments](/guides/ideal-crossbow) — the "Piercing Crossbow," paired with Quick Charge III and Unbreaking III + Mending, versus the alternative Multishot build.

**Crossbow:** Quick Charge III, Piercing IV, Unbreaking III, Mending I

[Build the Piercing Crossbow →](https://anvilcalc.com/#eyJpIjoiY3Jvc3Nib3ciLCJlIjpbXSwicCI6MCwibiI6IiIsInQiOltbInF1aWNrX2NoYXJnZSIsM10sWyJwaWVyY2luZyIsNF0sWyJ1bmJyZWFraW5nIiwzXSxbIm1lbmRpbmciLDFdXX0)

## Frequently asked questions

**How many targets can a Piercing IV arrow hit?**

Up to 5 entities total — the original target plus 4 more it passes through afterward, as long as they're lined up in the arrow's path.

**Can Piercing and Multishot go on the same crossbow?**

No, they're mutually exclusive — the game treats them as directly conflicting enchantments, so you have to pick one.

**Does Piercing help if I'm only ever fighting one target at a time?**

Not really — against a single target, a Piercing arrow behaves the same as an unenchanted one. Its value comes specifically from targets lined up in the arrow's path.