Have you ever come to a point where you want to defeat mobs in Minecraft but can’t decide which tool to use? If you did, then you came to the right place! You’ll find out everything a gamer should know about the Minecraft axe and sword in this article.
Read on to learn more about axe vs sword in Minecraft bedrock and Java editions and how the two weapons compare in different aspects. We’ll also cover the most powerful weapon in Minecraft. Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
You may also be interested in our comparison of which is better between Smite and Sharpness in Minecraft.
What Can You Do With an Axe in Minecraft?
You can chop wooden items faster and destroy things using an axe in Minecraft. An axe can break a woodblock twice as quickly as a hand. It can also be used when attacking players, iron golems, and villagers. You can also expose an opponent to more damage by disabling their shield during an attack.
You must sprint to do more damage when using an axe as a weapon. Therefore, don’t be afraid to unleash the inner Viking in you.
What Can You Do With a Sword in Minecraft?
You can use a sword in Minecraft to kill mobs, deal damage in melee, or break blocks in creative mode faster than you would by hand. Swords are also ideal for cutting Bamboo, Cobwebs, Hay Bales, Leaves, Melons, Pumpkins, and Cocoa Beans. You can also attack and instantly destroy a boat or minecart with a sword.
A sword is also an excellent choice for destroying things that fists can’t instantly break. However, this will make your sword lose durability by 2.
Axe vs Sword in Minecraft
Let’s look at the most notable Minecraft axe vs. sword differences in durability, speed, cost, and types.
1. Durability
Both axes and swords of the same material have similar durability. For example, a stone sword and a Minecraft stone axe all have a durability of 132.
The difference is when you hit an enemy, a stone sword loses one durability while a stone axe’s durability decreases by 2. Hence, an axe will break much faster. When you use an axe as a weapon, its durability diminishes more quickly than a sword.
2. Speed
When we compare Minecraft axes vs swords in terms of speed, swords have a faster swing. A diamond sword, for instance, has a striking speed of 1.6 seconds in Minecraft Java edition. All the swords take roughly 0.63 seconds to recover, which is faster than all axes’ recovery times.
In Java Edition, a diamond axe attack speed is 1.0 seconds but takes 1 second, equivalent to 20 game sticks, to recover. This makes a sword faster than a Minecraft axe when it comes to speed.
Below is a table showing Minecraft axes recovery speed based on material:
Axe Recovery Speed Table
| Material | Recovery Speed |
| Diamond | 1 second |
| Iron | 1.11 seconds |
| Wooden | 1.25 seconds |
| Stone | 1.25 seconds |
| Gold | 1 second |
| Netherite | 1 second |
3. Crafting Materials (Cost)
Making a sword in Minecraft requires a stick and two planks in a crafting grid, except the netherite sword. The planks could be cobblestone, diamond, iron ingots, or gold ingots. In simple terms, a sword requires two resources and one stick. For instance, you’ll need a stick and two iron ingots to make an iron sword.
Axes are more costly than swords cause they require more crafting materials. To make an axe in Minecraft, you’ll need two sticks and three planks: gold or iron ingots, diamonds, or cobblestone blocks.
Learn more about crafting a sword in Minecraft.
4. Enchantments
When we look at enchantments, swords have better combat enchantments, which can be used to argue it is better to use a sword than an axe.
Below are some combat enchantments players get in a sword:
- Sweeping Edge.
Heightens sweep damage, making an enchanted sword ideal for crowds. - Knockback.
Increases the knockback enemies receive when struck by an enchanted sword. - Fire Aspect.
It adds fire damage to the sword and is compatible with Bane of Arthropods, Sharpness, and Smite. This gives players the power to have two damage enchantments in one sword, something you can’t get with an axe.
The table below highlights enchantments that you can get with an axe or a sword:
| Sword | Axe |
| Sweeping Edge | Sharpness |
| Knockback | Curse of Varnishing |
| Fire Aspect | Bane or Arthropods |
| Bane of Arthropods | Efficiency |
| Looting | Mending |
| Sharpness | Unbreaking |
| Smite | Silk Touch |
| Unbreaking | Fortune |
| Curse of Vanishing | Smite |
| Mending |
5. Types
There are six types of axes and swords in Minecraft. These are wooden, stone, gold, iron, diamond or netherite. Therefore, we’ve got a tie when comparing axes vs. swords in Minecraft Bedrock and Java editions.
The Netherite axe and sword are new editions in the Nether update. These are considered durable weapons capable of lasting longer before being destroyed.
Discover how to get an enchanted Minecraft fortune axe enchantment to make your tool stronger.
Is It Better to Use an Axe or a Sword in Minecraft?
It is better to use a sword in Minecraft PvE (Player vs Environment) and an axe in PvP (Player vs Player). This is because a sword is viable in sweeping attacks, for example, when fighting a swarm of zombies. However, axes have a 25% chance of disabling a shield for 5 seconds, making them a great weapon when fighting other players.
To expound further, swords have two unique moves, each with different properties. First, when using a sword, a horizontal swipe can sweep several targets from you. The second property is the critical jump slash, which can quickly take out a target with precision.
On the other hand, an axe has only one unique attribute: to crash or disable a shield armor.
Does an Axe Deal More Damage Than a Sword in Minecraft?
Yes, an axe deals more damage than a sword in Minecraft. For comparison, a wooden axe does the same damage as a diamond sword. An axe also has a higher DPS (Damage Per Second) than a sword. For example, a wooden axe does three and a half heart damage, while a wood sword has two and a half heart damage.
Here are tables showing Minecraft axe vs. sword damage:
Axe Damage Table
| Material | Wooden | Gold | Stone | Iron | Diamond | Netherite |
| Attack Damage | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Attack Speed | 0.8 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1 | 1 |
| DPS | 5.6 | 7 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 9 | 10 |
| Durability | 59 | 32 | 131 | 250 | 1561 | 2031 |
Sword Damage Table
| Material | Wooden | Gold | Stone | Iron | Diamond | Netherite |
| Attack Damage | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Attack Speed | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| DPS | 6.4 | 6.4 | 8 | 9.6 | 11.2 | 12.8 |
| Durability | 59 | 32 | 131 | 250 | 1561 | 2031 |
What’s the Most Powerful Weapon in Minecraft?
The most powerful weapon in Minecraft is the Netherite axe. One Netherte axe hit has a damage of 10, equivalent to 5 hearts. A blow from this axe can disable shields and is strong enough to kill mobs. However, it has a higher recovery period of 1 second than a Netherite sword, which takes 0.625 seconds to recover.
Another disadvantage is that a Netherite axe can’t do a swipe attack like a sword, losing 2 points of durability in one hit, making it weaker. This means that a netherite axe will wear out faster than a sword despite being more powerful.
Minecraft Axe vs Sword: It Depends on Your Needs
So, when it comes to whether axes are better than swords in Minecraft Bedrock and Java editions, it depends on your preference or your needs. If you’re looking for speed, go for a sword since it has a quick recovery period, translating to quicker attack speed.
However, for damage, an axe is better with a higher DPS. Despite an axe and sword having the same base stats in terms of durability, a sword is more durable and cheaper.
