Sometimes Things Break (i.e., Durability)

Consumable items are those used only once before they’re depleted. You eat a piece of Bread and it’s gone. You blow up your TNT, and that’s that. Certain items are reusable but can’t be used forever. This is usually the case for tools, such as Axes, Shovels, armor, and so on. Items that rely on durability break when they’ve been used too many times. Armor loses durability when you take hits, and tools lose durability when they finish either dealing damage to a target or harvesting a block. You don’t lose anything for swinging tools in midair or just carrying them around.

Watch the bars that appear underneath items after you use them. Those bars reflect the items’ remaining durability. Once they get really low, you know that the item in question will soon break (and be completely destroyed). Before that happens, you have the option of repairing the object with an Anvil or simply preparing a substitute tool, so you still have something to work with when your primary one breaks.

We strongly advise that you carry multiple tools of your favorite types. In the early game, this is a lifesaver because Wood and Stone tools break very quickly. You need to have two or even three Pickaxes and Shovels so your digging isn’t disrupted for long.

Tools that get less use aren’t as big of a deal. You certainly don’t need three Hoes every time you head out; one is more than enough. Or you could even leave the Hoe at home and grab it only when you’re in the mood to farm.

Number of Uses for Tools, by Material

General Guideline for Tools

If you know you’re about to focus on a specific activity, like chopping more Wood, then adjust your tool count accordingly. Go ahead and make a few extra Axes before you go to harvest Wood. The same is true for Shears if you’re chopping through heavy forest.

Each time you leave your base of operations, think about the activities you have planned. Take what you need the most, and do what you can to maximize your free inventory space so your character isn’t loaded down with crud you won’t even use. The more free space you have, the more treasure you’ll return with!

Anvils and Enchanting

When you get further into the game, it’s sometimes useful to save tools that are especially valuable. Enchanting lets you turn your character’s levels into special properties for weapons, armor, and tools. Imagine a Pickaxe that can harvest multiple minerals per block and mines faster and lasts longer. You’ll get one of those at some point! If it’s a Diamond Pickaxe with those traits, you’ll be so happy every time you use it. This means you won’t ever want it to break.

Repairing items is possible, though it’s costly. Don’t repair standard tools that aren’t enchanted. It’s not that important, because you can make replacements quickly and without much cost anyway. Save repair jobs for things you love.

To start a repair, make an Anvil. These expensive items take a pile of Iron to complete, but you won’t need to make many of them. Keep an Anvil in your primary base, and leave it at that. Your smaller bases and mining stations won’t require something this impressive.

Once you have an Anvil, interact with it to bring up the repair interface. Use the item’s base material to restore its durability. Thus, Diamond tools require Diamonds to repair (ouch).

Items cost more to repair if they have extremely high durability (e.g., Diamond tools). They also cost more to repair if they’re enchanted, and if you’ve already worked on them previously. At some point, you have to give up on even the best items, because they cost way too much to repair.

Don’t Rely on Damaged Tools

Tools that are almost out of durability should be treated as trash. Bring an extra tool of that type when you leave base to account for the imminent destruction of your current tool. Or simply throw the badly damaged item into your garbage bin and stop worrying about it.

Do not keep damaged tools in Chests for the rest of your game. It’s annoying to have a backlog of useless, damaged tools that you’re never going to mess with again. Use them until they’re destroyed or throw them away.