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

_Published October 16, 2026_

Power adds 25% × (level+1) bonus arrow damage with no exclusions — exactly why it belongs on every bow build at max level.

Power is a flat damage multiplier for a bow — more damage per arrow, every arrow, with no exclusions and no situational tradeoff to weigh.

## What Power actually does

Power increases arrow damage by 25% × (level + 1), rounded up to the nearest half-heart. A fully-charged, non-critical arrow normally deals 2.0 damage; Power scales that up to:

- **Power I:** +50% → 3.0 damage
- **Power II:** +75% → 3.5 damage
- **Power III:** +100% → 4.0 damage
- **Power IV:** +125% → 4.5 damage
- **Power V:** +150% → 5.0 damage

That's a 2.5× multiplier over an unenchanted bow at max level — a critical hit (a fully-drawn shot that lands while falling) multiplies the result further on top of this.

## How to use it

There's no decision to make here the way there is with Infinity vs. Mending or Multishot vs. Piercing — Power never conflicts with anything else a bow can take, so it belongs on every bow build at the highest level you can reach.

## Well-known builds that use it

Power V is one pick in the bow build the community calls the **"God Bow"** — see [The Ideal Bow Enchantments](/guides/god-bow) for the full build, including the real Infinity-vs-Mending fork (they're mutually exclusive, unlike a "God Bow" list that claims both) and where Punch/Flame fit in.

**Bow:** Power V, Infinity I, Unbreaking III

[Build a Power V bow in the calculator →](https://anvilcalc.com/#eyJpIjoiYm93IiwiZSI6W10sInAiOjAsIm4iOiIiLCJ0IjpbWyJwb3dlciIsNV0sWyJpbmZpbml0eSIsMV0sWyJ1bmJyZWFraW5nIiwzXV19)

## Frequently asked questions

**How much extra damage does Power V add to a bow?**

Power adds 25% damage per level above the base, plus 25% more (25% × (level + 1)). At level V that's +150% — a fully-charged arrow's base 2.0 damage becomes 5.0 damage, before any critical-hit bonus.

**Does Power conflict with any other bow enchantment?**

No. Power has no exclusions at all — it stacks freely with Punch, Flame, Unbreaking, and whichever of Infinity or Mending you pick.

**Is Power worth using on a crossbow?**

Power doesn't apply to crossbows at all — crossbows have their own separate enchantment pool (Quick Charge, Multishot, Piercing, plus Unbreaking/Mending). Power is bow-only.