Protection vs Blast Protection

The difference

Blast Protection gives twice the protection of Protection against explosions, 8% per level and piece. Against everything else it does nothing. Protection still covers explosions, just at 4% per level, plus every other damage type.

Like every armor enchantment, both count toward the same 20-point cap. So a mixed set often gives the best of both.

Level by level

Full sets compared

The cap is why one Blast Protection piece is often enough. Three Protection IV pieces plus one Blast Protection IV already reach 80% against explosions. Everything above that is wasted, while the rest of the time you drop from 64% to 48%.

Which to pick, situation by situation

• Everyday play. Protection on all four pieces, because creepers are only one of many threats.
• Creeper farms. If you stand near the kill chamber, one Blast Protection piece helps a lot.
• The wither. Blast Protection on one or two pieces, because the wither's skulls explode and its spawn blast is huge.
• Crystal and anchor PvP. Blast Protection on several pieces. End crystals and respawn anchors deal explosion damage.
• Bed bombing. Beds explode in the Nether and the End, so Blast Protection makes bed-based dragon kills safer.
• Mace and wind charge fights. Protection is the safer default here.

Max build with each

Here is what a full chestplate costs with each option, books combined in the cheapest order on a fresh chestplate:

Open the Protection build or the Blast Protection build in the calculator. The chestplate enchant order walks through every anvil step. The best chestplate enchantments page explains each book in the build.

Which items take each

• Protection goes on helmet, chestplate, leggings and boots. The enchanting table can offer it on all of them. Related questions: Protection on elytra, Protection on shield.
• Blast Protection goes on helmet, chestplate, leggings and boots. The enchanting table can offer it on all of them.

What each one does

Protection

Protection cuts almost every kind of damage: mobs, falls, fire, explosions and projectiles. Each level gives 1 protection point per armor piece, and every point removes 4% of the damage, up to the 80% cap. It is the one armor enchantment almost every build uses.

• Four pieces of Protection IV give 16 points, which is 64% less damage on top of the armor itself.
• Protection does not stack with the special types on one piece: choose Protection, Fire, Blast or Projectile Protection per piece.
• All enchantments together stop at 20 points (80%), so Feather Falling on boots still helps against falls.

Blast Protection

Blast Protection reduces explosion damage and the knockback explosions cause. Each level gives 2 protection points against explosions and 15% explosion knockback resistance.

• Great for creeper farms, the wither fight and crystal PvP, where explosions are the main threat.
• The knockback resistance is handy with the mace and wind charges, which use explosion knockback.

Where to get them and what they cost

• Protection: max level IV, from the enchanting table, librarian villagers, gear worn by trial chamber mobs and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. Once you have one, a max book costs 4 levels on a fresh item.
• Blast Protection: max level IV, from the enchanting table, librarian villagers and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. Once you have one, a max book costs 8 levels on a fresh item.

They are incompatible, so you choose one per item. Both can go on the helmet, chestplate, leggings and boots. Whichever you pick, combine the books in the cheapest order with the enchantment calculator or follow the helmet enchant order.

Good to know

Protection is not useless against explosions. A full Protection IV set gives 64% less explosion damage, so a creeper hit already hurts far less. Blast Protection only lifts that number to the cap.

Keep one Blast Protection piece in an ender chest, then swap it in before the wither or a crystal fight.

Common mistakes

• Wearing Blast Protection everywhere. Explosions are rare in normal play. Away from creepers and crystals, Blast Protection does nothing.
• Ignoring the cap. Three Protection IV pieces plus one Blast Protection IV already hit 80% against explosions. So more Blast pieces add nothing there.
• Swapping an expensive piece. Any piece works for Blast Protection. So use the cheapest piece to replace, often the helmet or boots.

Switching from one to the other

An anvil never swaps Protection for Blast Protection. If the book only holds the conflicting enchantment, the anvil has nothing to add. So the only way to switch on the same item is a grindstone. It strips every enchantment except curses, then you enchant the item again from scratch.

Keep a Blast Protection chestplate in an ender chest for the wither and swap it in. That is far cheaper than regrinding a set.

Java and Bedrock differences

In Bedrock 26.60, Protection and Blast Protection are incompatible. The anvil differs between the editions. Bedrock only charges for the levels a book adds and nothing for a conflicting enchantment it skips. Commands work differently too: Bedrock's /give can't add enchantments, so you hold the item and run /enchant once per enchantment. This page shows the Bedrock 26.60 numbers.

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