Understand Netherite Shovel
Useful when…
- Dig dirt and other shovel-effective materials efficiently.
- Use the shovel to create dirt paths or extinguish campfires.
- Upgrade an often-used diamond shovel for improved mining efficiency and durability.
Digging and utility
The tool component lists speed 9 for shovel-mineable blocks and marks other blocks as incorrect for netherite-tool drops. Breaking ordinary blocks costs one durability, while blocks that break instantly cost none. Using the shovel on a supported block creates a dirt path and consumes one durability; it can also extinguish a campfire. Maximum durability is 2,031.
Upgrade and enchantment priorities
Upgrade a diamond shovel with one netherite ingot and one Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template. Netherite improves durability and mining efficiency. Efficiency increases mining speed; Fortune increases block drops, while Silk Touch makes blocks drop themselves. Fortune and Silk Touch are mutually exclusive. Unbreaking and Mending are useful durability options when you rely on the shovel often, and smithing preserves the diamond shovel's existing item data.
Repair and combat limitations
An anvil repair with a netherite ingot restores 25% of maximum durability, rounded down, and preserves enchantments. Anvil combining also preserves enchantments; crafting-grid or grindstone combining adds a 5% durability bonus but does not preserve them. In Java, the shovel deals 6.5 HP per attack and has an attack-speed modifier of −3, with a one-second recovery. Attacking consumes two durability, making it costly to use as a weapon.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- The upgrade spends a netherite ingot and template for added durability and mining efficiency.
- Using it as a weapon consumes two durability per attack and has a one-second recovery in Java.
- Fortune and Silk Touch are mutually exclusive.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming every block is shovel-effective or yields correct drops with it.
- Ignoring durability costs when using it to make paths or attack.
- Combining enchanted shovels outside an anvil and expecting enchantments to remain.