What Does Smite Do in Minecraft?

Dan Westrop
Dan Westrop
5 Min Read

Minecraft is one of those games that appears simple the first time you play it, but is very complex when you start to get deeper into the game.  This simple but complex feel to the game is why it has such a large loyal fan base and so much re-playability.  If you are overwhelmed by Minecraft, do not be. Some aspects of the game can be confusing at first and that is why we are here to help answer any questions that you have.  One common question is around the enchantments in the game, in particular the smite enchantment.

minecraft enchantment table gif
Glyphs flowing from the bookshelves animation.

If you are new to Minecraft, or just a casual player of the game, you may be asking yourself the question what does smite do in Minecraft?  The answer is simple, but the applications of smite in Minecraft are more complex.  Smite is used as a powerful damage buff. This damage buff allows for increased damage done to undead mobs in Minecraft.

The smite enchantment breaks down into five different levels and can be applied to only swords and axes. The first level of damage buff applies a certain amount of damage buff, with each level after that increasing the damage by 2.5.  This means you get a very large damage buff by upgrading the enchantment to level 5 against undead mobs.

For example, if a diamond sword is the main weapon, it starts at 8 damage.  Smite enchantment level 1 will add 2.5 damage to the weapon, bumping its base damage up to 10.5.  Level 2 enchantment will add an additional 2.5 damage to the weapon making it 13.  Levels 3 and 4 will add damage up to 15.5 and 18.  Finally level 5 smite enchantment will make the weapon do 20.5 damage to undead mobs. 

Keep in mind that this enchantment only applies to undead mobs.  Undead mobs including zombies, skeletons, skeleton horses, etc.

How to Apply Smite in Minecraft

Enchanted Table Minecraft

This smite enchantment is highly useful when clearing out large groups of undead mobs – something you will encounter while playing Minecraft.  This enchantment is considered a must-have by some players of the game and is something you want to work towards in-game.  In order to do this, you must set up an enchantment table to create the smite enchantment.  To do this you will need some materials including: 4 blocks of obsidian, 2 diamonds, and a book.  You should be able to craft this fairly quickly in your play through if you are mining efficiently.  You then must place bookshelves around the table creating a wall around the table.  This not only adds aesthetic appeal, but it increases the enchanting table’s level.  You want to place 15 of these bookshelves around the enchantment table to max out the enchantment table at level 30.  Players will then be allowed to apply XP and levels found from around the world to apply enchantments like the smite enchantment.

Once you have this smite enchantment acquired you want to level it up as quickly as possible and apply it to your weapons.  Enemy undead mobs can appear out of nowhere in Minecraft and the more you mine and the deeper you go, the more undead mobs you are bound to run into.

So, to answer the question, what does smite do in Minecraft? It simply is a damage buff, but obtaining it and leveling it up is more complex.  If you are looking for a great way to go further into the game of Minecraft and kill off more waves of enemy undead mobs, then the smite enchantment is a must-have. 

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Dan Westrop, founder and Executive Editor for GadgetGang. Loves getting hands-on with the latest tech and only writes true, honest, and unbiased reviews.
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