Can you put Multishot and Piercing on a crossbow?

Why not

Multishot and Piercing can each go on a crossbow, just not together. Here is what a crossbow can take instead: Curse of Vanishing, Piercing, Multishot, Quick Charge, Unbreaking, Mending.

What that means in practice

Both change how a crossbow's shot spreads damage. Multishot fires three projectiles at once. Piercing sends one arrow through several mobs and keeps it collectable. Quick Charge fits with either one.

Which one to pick

Multishot for groups and fireworks, Piercing for lines of mobs and recoverable arrows.

• Raids. Multishot. Pillagers and vindicators arrive in groups, and three arrows per shot hit several at once.
• Firework crossbow. Multishot. Three firework rockets per shot is the strongest crossbow attack in the game.
• Mob trenches and corridors. Piercing IV. One arrow can hit five mobs standing in a line.

The Multishot vs Piercing comparison goes through every situation, with the numbers for both.

Why the game says no

Both enchantments can go on a crossbow on their own. Each one lists the other as incompatible, though, and that is enough to block the pair. If you try with a single conflicting book, the anvil shows no result at all. Also, the enchanting table never offers both in one roll.

Java reads these rules from each enchantment's data file, which lists the enchantments it can't share an item with. The full list of clashes is on the incompatible enchantments page.

The max build with each

With Multishot, a max crossbow has Multishot, Quick Charge III, Unbreaking III and Mending. In the cheapest order it costs 17 levels over 4 anvil steps, and no step goes above 6. Open it in the calculator.

With Piercing, a max crossbow has Piercing IV, Quick Charge III, Unbreaking III and Mending. In the cheapest order it costs 19 levels over 4 anvil steps, and no step goes above 7. Open it in the calculator.

The best crossbow enchantments page explains every book, and the crossbow enchant order shows each anvil step.

Where Multishot and Piercing go

• Multishot goes on crossbow. The enchanting table can offer it there directly.
• Piercing goes on crossbow. The enchanting table can offer it there directly.

Commands and creative mode

The /enchant command refuses the second enchantment, because the pair is incompatible. Only /give with the enchantments component can create an item with both. That is a command-only item, and survival can never make it. The command generator writes the right syntax for your edition.

Java and Bedrock

As far as the item list goes, the answer is also the same in Java and Bedrock. The anvil differs, though: Java charges the full new level of every book. This page follows Java 26.3.

About Multishot

Multishot makes a crossbow fire three arrows at once for the cost of one. The extra arrows can't be picked up.

Multishot has a max level of I. If you need a book, you can get it from the enchanting table, librarian villagers, ominous vaults (trial chambers) and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. A librarian sells a Multishot book for 5 to 19 emeralds. Before you buy, read everything about Multishot, including what each level does.

About Piercing

Piercing lets crossbow arrows pass through mobs and hit the ones behind. Each level adds one more target.

Piercing has a max level of IV. If you need a book, you can get it from the enchanting table, librarian villagers and enchanted loot from fishing and chests. A librarian sells a Piercing IV book for 14 to 58 emeralds. Before you buy, read everything about Piercing, including what each level does.

What else a crossbow can take

Besides Multishot and Piercing, a crossbow can take Quick Charge, Unbreaking and Mending. Then the best crossbow enchantments page ranks them and gives the max build.

Related questions: Mending on crossbow, Infinity on crossbow.

Related

• Best crossbow enchantments
• Multishot
• Piercing
• Mending on crossbow
• Infinity on crossbow