Breach

{
    "title": "Breach",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "IV",
            "label": "Maximum level"
        },
        {
            "field": "<span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"\">(link to File:ItemSprite mace.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Mace|alt=ItemSprite mace.png: Sprite image for mace in Minecraft linking to Mace|class=pixel-image|)</span>",
            "label": "<span  class=\"explain \" title=\"Items that can receive the enchantment from an enchanting table\">Primary items</span>"
        },
        {
            "field": "''None''",
            "label": "<span  class=\"explain \" title=\"Items that cannot receive the enchantment from an enchanting table but can receive it from an enchanted book on an anvil.\">Secondary items</span>"
        },
        {
            "field": "2",
            "label": "<span  class=\"explain \" title=\"Relative chance of the enchantment being offered.\">Enchantment weight</span>"
        },
        {
            "field": "\n* (link to Sharpness article, displayed as Sharpness)\n* (link to Smite article, displayed as Smite)\n* (link to Bane of Arthropods article, displayed as Bane of Arthropods)\n* (link to Density article, displayed as Density)",
            "label": "Incompatible with"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [],
    "images": []
}

Breach is an enchantment exclusively for the mace that reduces the effectiveness of the armor of attacked entities. It affects armor worn by entities, as well as the natural armor points that certain entities have innately. It reduces effectiveness more as the level of the enchantment increases, at a maximum of four levels.

Obtaining[edit | edit source]

Breach can be obtained through an enchanting table by enchanting a mace or a book, or by trading with a librarian of any level, or from fishing. Its enchanted book form can also be found from ominous vaults, as well as any other structures that generate enchanted books.

Usage[edit | edit source]

Breach reduces the effectiveness of the target's armor by 15% per level. Specifically, Breach deals damage as though the enemy's damage reduction from armor was 15 percentage points lower per level. For example, if the enemy's armor reduces damage by 50%, and they are hit with a mace with Breach I, their armor reduces the damage by 50% - 15% = 35%. However, this reduces the effectiveness of only the armor itself, which does not include damage reduction from enchantments such as Protection or the Resistance effect.

Breach works according to this formula:

${\displaystyle \mathsf{d}\mathsf{a}\mathsf{m}\mathsf{a}\mathsf{g}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{t}\mathsf{a}\mathsf{k}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{n}=\mathsf{w}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{a}\mathsf{p}\mathsf{o}\mathsf{n}\mathsf{d}\mathsf{a}\mathsf{m}\mathsf{a}\mathsf{g}\mathsf{e}\times (1-\max (0\%,\mathsf{a}\mathsf{r}\mathsf{m}\mathsf{o}\mathsf{r}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{f}\mathsf{f}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{c}\mathsf{t}\mathsf{i}\mathsf{v}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{n}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{s}\mathsf{s}-\mathsf{l}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{v}\mathsf{e}\mathsf{l}\times 15\%))}$

The strength of -60% armor effectiveness at level 4 Breach is significant enough to make full Protection IV netherite armor and full Protection IV leather armor protect a similar amount. It takes 4 critical hits with a Breach IV mace and Strength 2 to defeat a player wearing either armor set, while without Strength 2, it takes 7 critical hits to defeat a player wearing the leather set and 8 to defeat a player wearing the netherite set.

In Bedrock Edition, a Breach IV mace has higher DPS than a Sharpness V netherite sword against targets wearing diamond armor or better. This is due to the absence of the attack cooldown, and it leads to maces outclassing netherite swords for PvP in Bedrock Edition that features diamond or netherite armor.

Damage comparisons[edit | edit source]

The amount of hits needed to defeat a player wearing full Protection IV netherite armor from full health are the following:

• Breach I mace with Strength 2: 7 critical hits.
• Sharpness V netherite sword with Strength 2: 6 critical hits.
• Sharpness V netherite axe with Strength 2: 5 critical hits.
• Breach II mace with Strength 2: 5 critical hits.
• Breach III mace with Strength 2: 4 critical hits.
• Breach IV mace with Strength 2: 4 critical hits.

The amount of hits needed to defeat a player wearing full Protection IV iron armor from full health are the following:

• Breach I mace with Strength 2: 4 critical hits.
• Breach II mace with Strength 2: 4 critical hits.
• Breach III mace with Strength 2: 4 critical hits.
• Breach IV mace with Strength 2: 4 critical hits.
• Sharpness V netherite sword with Strength 2: 3 critical hits.
• Sharpness V netherite axe with Strength 2: 3 critical hits.

Usecases in singleplayer[edit | edit source]

The Breach enchantment is far more suited for a PvP environment than it is for singleplayer survival. This is because the only mobs other than piglins that can naturally wear armor are undead mobs like zombies and skeletons, causing a Smite mace to largely outclass a Breach mace for singleplayer survival. Additionally, because Breach has no effect against the Protection enchantment, it also increases damage less than Smite would against the mobs in ominous events within trial chambers that wear enchanted armor. In terms of effect against natural mob armor points, shulkers that have their shells closed are the most noticably impacted by the Breach enchantment.

Incompatibilities[edit | edit source]

Breach is incompatible with Density, Sharpness, Smite, and Bane of Arthropods. If two or more of these enchantments are applied using commands, their effects work normally.

Data values[edit | edit source]

ID[edit | edit source]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Translation key
Breach	breach	enchantment.minecraft.breach

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Translation key
Breach	breach	40	enchantment.heavy_weapon.breach

History[edit | edit source]

Java Edition
1.20.5 Experiment Update 1.21			24w13a				Added the Breach enchantment.
1.21			24w18a				Breach is now available without using the "Update 1.21" experimental data pack.
							Breach is now incompatible with Smite and Bane of Arthropods.
			24w19a				Breach is now incompatible with Density.
Bedrock Edition
1.21.0 Experiment Update 1.21			Preview 1.21.0.21				Added the Breach enchantment.
1.21.0			Preview 1.21.0.22				Breach is now available without using the "Update 1.21" experimental toggle.
			Preview 1.21.0.24				Breach is now incompatible with Density, Smite, and Bane of Arthropods.

Issues[edit | edit source]

Issues relating to "Breach" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Navigation[edit | edit source]

v t e Enchantments
Durability	Mending Unbreaking
Armor	Blast Protection Fire Protection Projectile Protection Protection Thorns Helmet Aqua Affinity Respiration Leggings Swift Sneak Boots Depth Strider Feather Falling Frost Walker Soul Speed
Melee weapons	Bane of Arthropods Fire Aspect Sharpness Smite Sword Knockback Looting Sweeping Edge‌[Java Edition only] Axe Cleaving​[upcoming JE Combat Tests] Mace Breach Density Wind Burst
Trident	Channeling Impaling Loyalty Riptide
Ranged weapons	Bow Flame Infinity Power Punch Crossbow Multishot Piercing Quick Charge
Mining tools	Efficiency Fortune Silk Touch
Fishing Rod	Luck of the Sea Lure
Curses	Curse of Binding Curse of Vanishing
Joke enchantments	Potatofication