Keeping up with the dozens of Enchantments inย Minecraftย can be a chore, despite how much benefit they can provide to your gameplay. Some possess names that are quite easy to understand, such as Feather Falling or Fire Protection. Conversely, many players, myself included, still struggle to remember what vague Enchantment names like Riptide or Loyalty mean. Smite is one such Enchantment in Minecraft that sounds like it deals with combat, but how so? We’ll answer this question for you and propose the best use of this spell buff.
How To Use Smite in Minecraft
Just like a paladin’s holy light in a random RPG, the Smiteย Minecraftย Enchantment causes your attacks to be highly effective against undead mobs. More specifically, your strikes with an axe or sword will deal x1.25 the damage to skeletons, zombies, or drowned. If it’s dead, it’s going down faster with a sword or axe. Unfortunately, you can’t apply this Enchantment to bows or tridents.
For instance, let’s say you give Wither Skeleton a good swipe with a diamond sword for 7 points of damage. If yourย Minecraftย blade is enchanted with Smite I, you’ll deal 9.5 instead. The Enchantment can go up to Smite V, potentially dealing around 20-ish points of damage. Do note that you can’t combine Smite with Bane of Arthropods, Sharpness, or Cleaving.
Thanks to Smite’s effectiveness against undead mobs, taking a sword or axe enchanted with this spell buff will be ideal when taking on Wither Skeletons or a Wither. Wear Blast Protection armor and summon the Wither in an enclosed space (like an underground cave) to ensure it doesn’t fly about too high to escape your melee strikes. Of course, this is easier said than done, but it sure beats shooting a Wither with arrows for over half an hour as it levels the Overworld up top.
