Efficiency V is the holy grail of mining enchantments in Minecraft. It dramatically increases your mining speed, allowing you to tear through stone, deepslate, and ores in record time. With an Efficiency V Netherite pickaxe and a Beacon with Haste II, you can even achieve instant-mining on stone – a game-changer for any large-scale excavation project.

However, getting Efficiency V isn’t as simple as rolling a level 30 enchantment. The game caps what you can get directly from an Enchanting Table, so you’ll need to use some clever tricks. This guide covers every method to obtain Efficiency V, from the most reliable to the luck-based approaches.

What Does Efficiency Do?

Efficiency is an enchantment that increases the mining speed of your tools. It can be applied to pickaxes, axes, shovels, hoes, and shears. The speed boost increases with each level:

  • Efficiency I – 5% speed increase
  • Efficiency II – 10% speed increase
  • Efficiency III – 15% speed increase
  • Efficiency IV – 20% speed increase
  • Efficiency V – 25% speed increase (maximum level)

While 25% might not sound like much, this percentage is applied to the base mining speed of the tool, and with Haste from a Beacon, the effect becomes exponential. An Efficiency V Netherite pickaxe with Haste II will instantly break stone, making mining tunnels and clearing areas unbelievably fast.

Method 1: The Enchanting Table (The Foundation)

The Enchanting Table is where most players start their journey. However, there’s a catch: you cannot directly enchant a Diamond or Netherite pickaxe to Efficiency V using an Enchanting Table. The maximum level you can get directly is Efficiency IV for Diamond and Netherite tools.

That said, the Enchanting Table is still your best friend for obtaining Efficiency IV pickaxes or books, which you will later combine to reach Efficiency V.

Step-by-Step:

  1. Craft an Enchanting Table – You’ll need 1 Book, 2 Diamonds, and 4 Obsidian.
  2. Build a bookshelf setup – Place at least 15 Bookshelves around the Enchanting Table (with one block of air between them) to unlock level 30 enchantments.
  3. Gather XP and Lapis Lazuli – You’ll need experience levels and Lapis to enchant. Level 30 enchantments cost 3 Lapis and 30 XP levels.
  4. Enchant a Diamond or Netherite pickaxe – Keep enchanting until you get Efficiency IV. It might take several attempts due to the random nature of the table.
  5. Alternatively, enchant books – You can also enchant books to get Efficiency IV, which you can later apply to a pickaxe using an Anvil.

Pro Tip: If you’re not getting Efficiency IV, try enchanting at different times or use a different pickaxe. The table’s offerings are random, so patience is key.

Method 2: The Anvil Combine (The Most Reliable Way)

This is the most common and reliable method to obtain Efficiency V. The principle is simple: combine two Efficiency IV items on an Anvil to get one Efficiency V item.

You can combine:

  • Two Efficiency IV pickaxes
  • Two Efficiency IV books
  • One Efficiency IV pickaxe and one Efficiency IV book

Step-by-Step:

  1. Obtain two Efficiency IV items – Use the Enchanting Table method above to get two pickaxes or books with Efficiency IV.
  2. Craft an Anvil – You’ll need 3 Blocks of Iron and 4 Iron Ingots.
  3. Place the Anvil – Put it down in a safe location.
  4. Combine the items – Open the Anvil GUI, place one Efficiency IV item in the first slot and the other in the second slot. The result will be an item with Efficiency V.
  5. Collect your prize – Take the newly created Efficiency V item from the output slot.

Cost Warning: Combining two Efficiency IV items costs experience levels. The cost depends on prior work penalties. If you’re combining two freshly enchanted items with no prior anvil use, the cost is usually around 19-20 levels. If you’ve used the items on an Anvil before, the cost increases.

If you’re starting from scratch with Efficiency I books, you can combine them progressively:

  • 2x Efficiency I → 1x Efficiency II (costs 2 levels each)
  • 2x Efficiency II → 1x Efficiency III (costs 5 levels each)
  • 2x Efficiency III → 1x Efficiency IV (costs 10 levels each)
  • 2x Efficiency IV → 1x Efficiency V (costs 19 levels)

This method costs a total of 95 levels if you combine all at once, but it’s better to combine books as you go to avoid the high upfront cost.

Method 3: Villager Trading (The Grind-Proof Way)

Villager trading is arguably the best long-term strategy for obtaining Efficiency V. Librarian villagers can sell enchanted books, including Efficiency V, in exchange for Emeralds.

Step-by-Step:

  1. Find a village – Locate a village with a Librarian villager (the one with a lectern).
  2. Check the trades – Right-click the Librarian to see their trades. They may offer Efficiency books at various levels, including Efficiency V.
  3. If they don’t have Efficiency V – Break the lectern and place it again to reset the villager’s profession and trades. Repeat until you get a Librarian that sells Efficiency V.
  4. Trade for Emeralds – You’ll need Emeralds to buy the book. You can get Emeralds by trading other items (like paper, books, or rotten flesh) with villagers, or by mining them.
  5. Buy the Efficiency V book – Once you have the Emeralds, purchase the book.
  6. Apply the book – Use an Anvil to apply the Efficiency V book to your desired pickaxe.

Pro Tip: Once you find a Librarian selling Efficiency V, lock in the trade by trading with them at least once. This prevents the trade from changing. You can then keep buying Efficiency V books indefinitely.

This method is highly recommended for long-term players because it gives you a renewable source of Efficiency V books. You can also use this method to get other top-tier enchantments like Mending, Unbreaking III, and Fortune III.

Method 4: Looting (The Lucky Way)

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can find Efficiency V diamond tools as loot in chests. Specifically:

  • End City chests – Found in the End dimension, these chests can contain diamond tools with high-level enchantments, including Efficiency V.
  • Bastion Remnant chests – Found in the Nether, these chests can also contain Efficiency V diamond tools.

This method is entirely luck-based, but if you’re already exploring these structures, it’s worth checking every chest you find.

Method 5: Fishing (The Relaxing Way)

You can also fish up enchanted books, including Efficiency books, while fishing. To increase your chances:

  • Use a Fishing Rod with Luck of the Sea enchantment – this increases the chance of catching treasure items.
  • Fish in open water (at least 5x5x5 blocks of water) for the best results.

While this method is slow and unreliable, it’s a passive way to potentially get Efficiency books while doing other things.

Building the Ultimate Pickaxe

Once you have your Efficiency V pickaxe, you’ll want to combine it with other enchantments to create the ultimate mining tool. The community consensus for the best pickaxe enchantments is:

  • Efficiency V – Maximum mining speed
  • Fortune III – Increases ore drops (or Silk Touch if you prefer collecting blocks) – note that Fortune and Silk Touch are incompatible
  • Unbreaking III – Increases durability
  • Mending – Repairs the pickaxe using XP orbs

To add these, use an Anvil to combine your Efficiency V pickaxe with the respective enchanted books.

Warning: Be mindful of the prior work penalty on Anvils. Each time you use an item on an Anvil, the cost for subsequent uses increases. Plan your enchantment order to minimize costs – typically, you want to combine the most expensive enchantments first.

Tips and Tricks from the Community

  • Use a Grindstone – If you get a bad enchantment, you can use a Grindstone to remove it and try again, though you’ll lose the enchantment entirely.
  • Build an XP Farm – To sustain the high XP costs of enchanting and combining, consider building an XP farm (like a mob farm, ender ender, or kelp farm).
  • Set up a Trading Hall – Multiple Librarians can provide all the top enchantments you need, making it a one-stop shop for your gear.
  • Combine books first – If you’re using the anvil combine method, it’s often cheaper to combine books together first, then apply the final book to your pickaxe, rather than combining pickaxes directly.
  • Netherite upgrade – If you’re using a Diamond pickaxe, consider upgrading it to Netherite using a Smithing Table. Netherite tools have higher durability and mining speed, making Efficiency V even more effective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I get Efficiency V directly from an Enchanting Table?
A: No. Diamond and Netherite tools are capped at Efficiency IV from the Enchanting Table. You must use an Anvil to combine two Efficiency IV items to get Efficiency V.

Q: Does Efficiency V work on all blocks?
A: Yes, Efficiency increases the mining speed for all blocks that the tool is effective against. For pickaxes, this includes stone, ores, deepslate, and more.

Q: What’s the fastest way to get Efficiency V?
A: The fastest method is villager trading if you can find a Librarian selling it. Otherwise, the anvil combine method is the most reliable and doesn’t depend on luck.

Q: Can I combine an Efficiency IV pickaxe with an Efficiency IV book?
A: Yes, combining any two Efficiency IV items on an Anvil will produce an Efficiency V item.

Q: Does Efficiency V stack with Haste?
A: Yes! Efficiency V combined with Haste II from a Beacon allows you to instantly mine stone and many other blocks.

Conclusion

Getting an Efficiency V pickaxe in Minecraft requires a bit of effort, but the reward is well worth it. Whether you choose the reliable anvil combine method, the grind-proof villager trading route, or the luck-based looting approach, you now have all the knowledge you need to obtain the fastest mining tool in the game.

Remember: Efficiency V is just the beginning. Combine it with Fortune III, Unbreaking III, and Mending to create a pickaxe that will serve you for thousands of blocks. Happy mining!

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