Plan Your Enchanting So Anvil Costs Stay Low
Balanced Anvils keeps normal anvil costs for enchanting, but it removes costs from repairs and renames. Knowing which actions count as which helps you build top-tier gear without hitting high level costs.
What Still Costs XP
The usual XP cost and work penalty still apply whenever you add or upgrade enchantments:
- Upgrading a level: Combining two Golden Axes with Efficiency III to make Efficiency IV costs XP.
- Adding a new enchantment: Putting a Mending book on a Fishing Rod with Unbreaking III costs XP.
Each of these also increases the item's anvil work penalty, just like in vanilla.
What Is Always Free
- Repairing with raw materials
- Combining matching items when no enchantment improves
- Renaming
None of these raise the work penalty.
A Cost-Saving Approach
1. Spend your anvil uses on enchantments only. Every upgrade raises the penalty, so plan which enchantments you want before you start combining.
2. Repair freely between upgrades. Patching up gear with materials or spare copies no longer counts against the item. You never need to choose between repairing and enchanting later.
3. Name items whenever you like. Renaming early no longer makes later upgrades pricier.
4. Check the result slot before taking the item. If a cost appears, something in the second slot is adding or upgrading an enchantment. Swap it out if you only meant to repair.