The Ideal Mace Enchantments

The mace is built around one move, the smash attack, and every good mace enchantment either amplifies that move or keeps you alive to repeat it. The mace's three exclusive enchantments are Density, Breach, and Wind Burst, and the build comes down to one fork between the first two.

The smash attack in one paragraph

A mace deals a smash attack when you hit something after falling at least 1.5 blocks while not on the ground. The extra damage scales with the fall: +4 per block for the first 3 blocks, +2 per block for the next 5, and +1 per block after that, usually as a critical hit. Slow Falling prevents smash attacks, and on Java Edition elytra flight does too (unequip the elytra first). A successful smash cancels your accumulated fall damage.

Density vs. Breach, pick one

Density adds bonus smash damage for every block you fell, so it rewards height. Breach reduces the target's armor effectiveness by 15% per level (60% at level IV), so it rewards fighting armored opponents. They are mutually exclusive on both editions, and the same exclusion group also covers Smite and Bane of Arthropods. Because Density and Breach cannot share a mace, most players keep two maces, or pick the one that matches what they usually fight. Against lightly armored or unarmored targets Density does more; against full diamond or netherite, Breach is the specialist.

Wind Burst, Unbreaking, and Mending

Wind Burst launches you upward after a smash attack (roughly 8 blocks per level), which sets up the next fall without climbing back up. It has no conflicts with Density or Breach, so it belongs on both builds. Unbreaking III and Mending are the standard durability pair and are compatible with every mace build.

The Density Mace

• Density V
• Wind Burst III
• Unbreaking III
• Mending I

Build the Density Mace →

/give @s minecraft:mace[enchantments={"minecraft:density":5,"minecraft:mending":1,"minecraft:unbreaking":3,"minecraft:wind_burst":3}]

/give @s mace
/enchant @s density 5
/enchant @s mending 1
/enchant @s unbreaking 3
/enchant @s wind_burst 3

The Breach Mace

• Breach IV
• Wind Burst III
• Unbreaking III
• Mending I

Build the Breach Mace →

/give @s minecraft:mace[enchantments={"minecraft:breach":4,"minecraft:mending":1,"minecraft:unbreaking":3,"minecraft:wind_burst":3}]

/give @s mace
/enchant @s breach 4
/enchant @s mending 1
/enchant @s unbreaking 3
/enchant @s wind_burst 3

Java vs. Bedrock

Both builds above work on Java and Bedrock Edition. On both editions the mace can also take Fire Aspect, Smite, and Bane of Arthropods through the anvil (on Bedrock they can also come from the enchanting table; on Java they cannot). Smite and Bane of Arthropods sit in the same exclusion group as Density and Breach, so they replace that slot rather than add to it, while Fire Aspect fits alongside any build. Other differences from the wiki: Bedrock's mace has 501 durability against Java's 500, and Java's mace has an attack cooldown (attack speed 0.6) while Bedrock's has none. See Java vs. Bedrock Anvil Cost for how the anvil itself differs, and Enchanting Strategy for the order to combine these books in.

See also Best Enchantments in Minecraft, which lists the best enchantments for every item with the one decision that matters for each.

For the full mace overview, including the recipe, how to get a heavy core and how the smash attack works, see Minecraft Mace: Recipe, Smash Attack & Enchantments.

To see where this build sits among all your gear, see Minecraft Enchanting Order.