Punch Enchantment in Minecraft: What It Does and How to Use It

Max level

II

Applies to

Bow

Incompatible with

Nothing

Obtained via

Enchanting table, anvil, villager trade

Punch adds extra horizontal knockback to whatever an enchanted bow's arrow hits — a crowd-control option, not a damage one.

What Punch actually does

An unenchanted arrow already knocks a target back about 1.985 blocks. Punch I adds roughly 3.507 blocks of horizontal knockback on top of that, and Punch II adds a further ~3.3 blocks (for a combined ~8.792 blocks at level II). Vertical knockback barely changes with level — it rises only slightly, from about 0.8125 to 1.25 blocks.

How to use it

Punch is purely situational: it's useful for knocking a hostile mob off a ledge, away from you, or into lava/a hole in a trap build — but it doesn't add damage, and knocking a target away can actually work against you if you're trying to keep something in melee range or line up a follow-up shot. It never conflicts with anything else a bow can take, so there's no cost to including it if you want the effect; it's just not a default pick the way Power is.

Well-known builds that use it

Punch isn't part of the standard "God Bow" build on this site — see The Ideal Bow Enchantments, which notes Punch is free to add on top of Power/Infinity-or-Mending if your playstyle wants the knockback, without excluding anything.

Frequently asked questions

Does Punch increase arrow damage?

No. Punch only adds horizontal knockback to whatever the arrow hits — it doesn't change the arrow's damage at all. For more damage, you want Power instead.

Does Punch stack with Power?

Yes. Punch doesn't conflict with Power, Flame, Infinity, Mending, or Unbreaking — it's a free addition to any bow build if you want the knockback effect.

What's the maximum level of Punch?

Level II. Punch I adds about 3.5 blocks of extra horizontal knockback over an unenchanted arrow; Punch II adds roughly 3.3 more blocks on top of that.