What Lunge does
| Level | Effect | Book cost |
|---|---|---|
| I | a dash of strength 0.46 that costs 1 durability and 4 exhaustion | 1 |
| II | a dash of strength 0.92 that costs 1 durability and 8 exhaustion | 2 |
| III | a dash of strength 1.37 that costs 1 durability and 12 exhaustion | 3 |
Book cost is the anvil cost of putting that book on a fresh item. However, already-used items add their prior work penalty: work it out in the calculator.
What Lunge does
Lunge activates with the Jab attack, not the Charge attack. Higher levels propel you farther.
The dash is not free. Every lunge costs the spear 1 durability and burns some hunger. Hunger works in exhaustion points: every 4 exhaustion uses up 1 point of saturation or hunger. Lunge I costs 4 exhaustion per dash, about one hunger point. Lunge III costs 12, about three points, which is a drumstick and a half once your saturation is gone.
When Lunge is worth it
Lunge closes the distance to a target in one move. That helps against mobs that back away or keep their distance, and against players who try to outrun you. It also lets you strike first instead of walking into a hit.
It is less useful when you fight in tight caves or near ledges and lava. The dash moves you whether the ground ahead is safe or not, so look before you lunge.
In Java 26.3, survival players need at least 7 hunger points to lunge. Lunge does not activate while riding, in water or during elytra flight.
Picking a level
Level III gives the strongest dash, but it burns three times the hunger of level I. If you fight long battles far from food, a lower level can be the easier one to live with. With good food, such as golden carrots or steak, level III is the usual choice.
Lunge in a spear build
Lunge conflicts with nothing. So a spear can carry it next to a damage enchantment, Looting, Fire Aspect, Knockback, Unbreaking and Mending. For damage, the spear takes Sharpness, Smite or Bane of Arthropods, but only one of the three.
Mending matters more on a Lunge spear than on most weapons, because every dash costs durability on top of normal hits. See Mending on a spear, Sharpness on a spear and Looting on a spear.
The best spear enchantments page shows the full build, and the spear enchant order lists the cheapest steps.
Lunge on the anvil
Lunge is a cheap enchantment to add. It has a ×1 book multiplier, so Lunge III costs only 3 levels on a fresh spear. That makes it a good book for the last anvil step, when the spear already carries a big prior work penalty.
Which spear to enchant
Spears come in seven materials, and each one has a different durability. Since every lunge costs 1 durability, that matters more for Lunge than for most enchantments.
- A netherite spear has 2031 durability, and a diamond one 1561.
- An iron spear has 250, and a copper one 190.
- A wooden spear has only 59, and a golden one just 32.
So put Lunge on a netherite or diamond spear for real use. A golden spear rolls strong enchantments at the table thanks to its high enchantability, but it wears out after a few dozen lunges.
Lunge and Unbreaking
Unbreaking III makes the spear last longer between repairs, and Mending repairs it with XP. With both, the durability cost of Lunge stops being a worry.
Lunge or a sword?
A sword swings fast and carries Sweeping Edge in Java. A spear trades some of that speed for reach and, with Lunge, a dash to close the gap. Many players carry both: the sword for crowds and the spear for single targets that try to run. Both can share most of the same books, such as Sharpness, Looting and Fire Aspect.
Lunge and food
Since every dash costs hunger, food with high saturation goes a long way. Golden carrots and cooked steak or porkchops keep you full through long fights. Keep a stack in your hotbar whenever you carry a Lunge spear.
Lunge from the table
Because Lunge has a low power window, even a cheap enchant can roll it. So a spear from the table often carries Lunge already. Then you only need to add the damage book and Mending.
Lunge in PvP
Against players, Lunge helps you strike first. However, a good opponent can see the dash coming and step aside. So use it to close a gap, not as your only attack.
Common mistakes
- Lunging on an empty stomach. Keep food in your hotbar, because each dash drains hunger.
- Lunging along cliffs or over lava. The dash carries you forward, so a miss can end badly.
- Looking for Lunge on a sword or trident. It only goes on spears.
Which items take Lunge
Lunge goes on 1 kind of gear in the calculator: spear. An enchanting table can roll it on the spear.
Nothing conflicts with Lunge, so it fits next to every other enchantment its items can take.
Lunge from the enchanting table
The level you can roll depends on the item's enchantability. A material with a higher value reaches higher levels from the same level 30 enchant. This table shows the best Lunge each spear can get from a level 30 enchant with 15 bookshelves.
| Item | Enchantability | Best from the table |
|---|---|---|
| Netherite Spear | 15 | III |
| Diamond Spear | 10 | III |
| Iron Spear | 14 | III |
| Golden Spear | 22 | III |
Anything higher has to come from a book instead. Then the enchanting table calculator shows the exact chance for every level.
Anvil cost of Lunge
Lunge has an anvil multiplier of 2 from another item and 1 from a book. So a Lunge III book costs 3 levels on a fresh item, and each lower level costs 1 less. Two fresh Lunge II books merge into Lunge III for 3 levels. Building it from scratch takes 4 level I books and 3 merges, 9 levels in all. That is as cheap as books get, so it rarely decides the order.
Java charges the full resulting level every time, even when the item already has a lower level of it. Every step also adds the prior work penalty of both items. The enchantment calculator finds the cheapest order for your whole set of books.
Builds, questions and guides
Lunge is part of the max build for 1 item: best spear enchantments. To put it on in the cheapest order, see the spear enchant order.
More reading: Getting books from librarians, How to enchant in Minecraft, Every max enchantment level. You can make a Lunge book with the command generator. The librarian price list shows what villagers charge for it.
How to get Lunge
- Enchanting table It can appear when you enchant a supported item at an enchanting table. However, higher levels need more bookshelves and a level 30 enchant.
- Librarian villagers Librarians can sell it as an enchanted book. Level I costs 5–19 emeralds plus a book.
- Random enchanted books It is also in the pool for the random enchanted books and gear in many chests and in fishing loot.
Lunge is an uncommon roll at the enchanting table, and it can appear on spears of every material. Its power window is low, so even a modest enchant can roll Lunge III. Librarians can sell it as well, and random enchanted books in loot chests can carry it.
Enchanting power and librarian prices
| Level | Enchanting power | Librarian price |
|---|---|---|
| I | 5–25 | 5–19 emeralds |
| II | 13–33 | 8–32 emeralds |
| III | 21–41 | 11–45 emeralds |
The power column is the hidden enchanting value each level needs. A level 30 enchant on a netherite spear reaches power 43 at most. That already includes the enchantability bonus and the random spread. The price column shows what a librarian can ask for each book. Curing a zombie villager or the Hero of the Village effect lowers it.
Tips
- Pair it with Mending to repair the durability each dash costs.
- Eat well before a fight: higher levels burn noticeably more hunger.
Commands
Give yourself a Lunge book or enchant the item in your hand. These work in Java 26.3 once cheats are on.
/give @p enchanted_book[stored_enchantments={lunge:3}]
/enchant @s lunge 3
/give @p netherite_spear[enchantments={lunge:3}]Versions
Lunge is in Java 1.21.11 and later.
Its costs, levels and items have not changed in that time.
Also see the update log for every change, and how this data is checked. Bedrock player? See Lunge on Bedrock.
Questions
Can you put Lunge and Mending on a spear?
Yes. They do not conflict, and Mending is the usual partner for Lunge.
Can Lunge go on a sword?
No. Lunge only goes on spears.
Does Lunge use hunger?
Yes. Every dash costs some hunger, and higher levels cost more. Each dash also costs the spear 1 durability.
What is the max level of Lunge?
Lunge III. Each level makes the dash stronger, and level III is the highest you can get in survival.
Is Lunge worth it?
Yes on a spear you fight with often. It helps you close the gap on fleeing mobs and players. Bring food, since every dash costs hunger.
Does Lunge conflict with anything?
No. Lunge fits next to every other spear enchantment, including Sharpness, Looting and Mending.
Can you get Lunge from villagers?
Yes. Librarians can sell Lunge books, and the enchanting table can roll it on any spear.
Does Lunge cost durability?
Yes. Every lunge costs the spear 1 durability, so Unbreaking and Mending are good partners.
Which spear is best for Lunge?
Netherite or diamond. They have the most durability, and every lunge costs 1 durability.