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In Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11, craft a spear by placing two sticks diagonally in a crafting table and one material in the top-right slot. The center stick goes in the center slot, the second stick in the bottom-left slot, and the material can be a plank, a stone-tier block, Copper Ingot, Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, or Diamond. A Diamond Spear can then be upgraded to Netherite in a Smithing Table.
The spear has two attacks. Jab is a quick, lower-damage attack that can hit multiple enemies. Charge is a held-and-released attack whose damage and knockback depend on the spear material, your view angle, and the velocities of you and your target. Its reach is longer than ordinary melee range, but an enemy that is too close is inside the spear’s minimum range and takes no damage.
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What the Minecraft spear is and where it is available
The spear is a tiered weapon added in Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.11. The normal tiers are Wood, Stone, Copper, Iron, Gold, and Diamond. Netherite is an upgrade of the Diamond tier rather than a separately crafted base item.
Each spear supports the same two attack styles, but material changes the weapon’s attack timing and affects Charge performance. Mojang’s release notes specify that Wooden Spears have the fastest cooldown and Netherite Spears the slowest. The notes do not publish a complete numerical cooldown or damage table for every tier, so a single universal “spear damage” value would be misleading.
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How to craft every base spear
Required items
- One crafting table.
- Two sticks.
- One material: a plank for a Wooden Spear, a stone-tier block for a Stone Spear, or a Copper Ingot, Iron Ingot, Gold Ingot, or Diamond for the corresponding metal or gem tier.
Exact crafting-table layout
- Open a crafting table’s 3×3 grid.
- Place one stick in the center slot.
- Place the second stick in the bottom-left slot.
- Place the chosen material in the top-right slot.
- Move the resulting spear to your inventory.
The two sticks must form a diagonal from the top-right material toward the bottom-left corner, with the other stick in the center. Do not put the sticks vertically. A vertical arrangement produces a shovel instead of a spear.
| Top-right slot | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plank | Wooden Spear | Fastest cooldown among the listed materials. |
| Stone-tier block | Stone Spear | Uses the stone-tier recipe ingredient. |
| Copper Ingot | Copper Spear | Material affects timing and Charge behavior. |
| Iron Ingot | Iron Spear | Material affects timing and Charge behavior. |
| Gold Ingot | Gold Spear | Material affects timing and Charge behavior. |
| Diamond | Diamond Spear | Required base item for a Netherite upgrade. |
How to make a Netherite Spear
Netherite is not made directly in the crafting grid. Put a Diamond Spear, a Netherite Upgrade Smithing Template, and a Netherite Ingot into a Smithing Table. The upgrade primarily improves durability and the dropped item’s resistance to fire and lava. The cited Java notes do not describe a separate melee-damage increase for the upgraded spear, so treat Netherite as a durability and survivability upgrade rather than a new damage class.
How Jab and Charge work
Jab: the quick attack
Press the primary attack button to Jab. On the default Java mouse layout this is the left mouse button, although controls can be remapped. Mojang describes Jab as a low-damage attack with knockback, a material-dependent cooldown, and the ability to hit multiple enemies. It does not destroy blocks.
Because Jab is the spear’s ordinary, repeatable attack, wait for its cooldown before relying on the next hit. A Wooden Spear recovers fastest, while a Netherite Spear has the slowest cooldown. The attack is useful when enemies are clustered or when you need a quick hit without setting up movement.
Charge: the movement-sensitive attack
Face the target, hold the secondary-use button, and release to Charge. On default Java mouse controls, secondary use is the right mouse button. The release is important: merely holding the button does not complete the attack.
Charge damage is not fixed. Mojang states that it is based on “Spear material, the player’s view angle, and the velocity of both the player and the target.” In practical terms, your movement, the enemy’s movement, and where your camera is pointed all affect the result. This is why two Charges with the same spear can produce different outcomes.
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The three Charge stages
Charge has Engaged, Tired, and Disengaged stages. The stage reflects the spear’s current movement relationship with the target and determines the additional effects available at release.
- Engaged: At sufficient speed, the Charge can damage and knock back a target and can dismount a mounted enemy.
- Tired: The attack can still damage and knock back, but it no longer has the full Engaged behavior.
- Disengaged: The spear deals damage without knockback or dismounting.
The release notes do not provide universal speed thresholds for switching between these stages. Watch the result of your movement and angle rather than assuming a particular block-per-second value.
Reach, minimum range, and positioning
A practical guide describes spear reach as about 4.5 blocks, longer than ordinary melee range. The official behavior also imposes a minimum range: a target standing too close to you is inside the spear’s dead zone and takes no damage. The spear therefore rewards spacing rather than point-blank trading.
- Back away or sidestep when a hostile mob closes inside the minimum range.
- Start a Charge while you have room to move toward the target, rather than pinning yourself against a wall.
- Use Jab when several enemies are at workable distance; use Charge when movement and spacing can be controlled.
- Do not interpret a failed hit at point-blank distance as a broken weapon. Check your separation first.
How much damage does a spear do?
There is no single authoritative damage number that applies to every spear hit. Charge damage varies with three explicitly named factors: the spear’s material, the player’s view angle, and the velocity of both the player and the target. Jab is separately described as a low-damage attack, with its timing depending on material.
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Reading a surprising hit
- Low or zero result at close range: You may be inside the minimum range.
- Different Charge results while moving: Relative velocity and view angle changed.
- No knockback: The attack may have released in the Disengaged stage.
- No attack immediately after Jab: The material-dependent cooldown may still be active.
Material tiers compared
The useful comparison is not a fabricated damage ranking. Consider attack timing, durability, and how the material participates in movement-based Charge behavior.
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| Tier | Attack timing | Durability information established by the notes | Charge considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Fastest cooldown of the listed tiers | Exact durability not stated | Charge damage still depends on material, angle, and both velocities. |
| Stone | Material-dependent; exact value not stated | Exact durability not stated | Same movement and angle rules as every tier. |
| Copper | Material-dependent; exact value not stated | Exact durability not stated | Same movement and angle rules as every tier. |
| Iron | Material-dependent; exact value not stated | Exact durability not stated | Same movement and angle rules as every tier. |
| Gold | Material-dependent; exact value not stated | Exact durability not stated | Same movement and angle rules as every tier. |
| Diamond | Material-dependent; exact value not stated | Exact durability not stated; base for Netherite upgrade | Same movement and angle rules as every tier. |
| Netherite | Slowest cooldown of the listed tiers | Smithing upgrade primarily improves durability and fire/lava item resistance | Upgrade does not otherwise change melee performance in the cited reference. |
Choose a tier based on the behavior you want. Wood favors faster repeated Jabs; Netherite favors the durability and environmental protection supplied by the smithing upgrade. For Charge, practice and spacing matter as much as the material because movement and camera angle remain part of the calculation.
Where spears can appear as loot
You do not have to craft every spear. The official Java notes list these chest locations:
| Structure or location | Spear loot listed |
|---|---|
| Buried Treasure | Iron Spears |
| Village Weaponsmith chests | Copper Spears and Iron Spears |
| Ocean Ruin chests | Stone Spears |
| Bastion Remnants | Diamond Spears |
| End Cities | Diamond Spears |
Loot availability does not replace the crafting recipe: if you want a particular base material that is not listed for a structure, craft it using the diagonal pattern. A Netherite Spear still requires the Smithing Table upgrade even when the Diamond Spear was found in a chest.
Which enchantments can go on a spear?
Spears accept enchantments that can be used on swords, with one explicit exception: Sweeping Edge cannot be applied. They also accept the spear-exclusive Lunge enchantment. This lets you use familiar damage, durability, and utility choices while adding a mobility option designed for Jab.
General sword-compatible choices
Use the sword-enchantment pool for the role you want the spear to fill. Damage-oriented sword enchantments improve ordinary attacks against their eligible targets; durability and repair enchantments make a frequently used spear last longer; utility effects can support exploration or specific combat situations. Check the enchantment’s normal eligibility before applying it.
- Damage focus: Select an eligible sword damage enchantment for the enemies you fight.
- Longevity focus: Favor durability or repair effects when the spear is your primary weapon.
- Control focus: A compatible knockback or fire effect can change how ordinary hits behave, subject to that enchantment’s normal rules.
Do not add Sweeping Edge: it is the sword enchantment specifically excluded from spears. Enchantments restricted to tridents are not automatically valid either.
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Lunge: the spear-only mobility enchantment
Lunge works only with Jab. When it triggers, it propels the player horizontally in the direction of the camera, turning a Jab into a short forward movement as well as an attack.
| Lunge level | Hunger consumed per use |
|---|---|
| Lunge I | 1 hunger point |
| Lunge II | 2 hunger points |
| Lunge III | 3 hunger points |
Lunge requires at least six hunger points to activate. It does not work in water or while flying with an Elytra, and the official Java notes state that each use costs one durability. Because hunger and durability are real costs, Lunge is a movement choice rather than a free damage multiplier.
Practical enchantment builds
- Everyday melee: Combine suitable sword-compatible damage and durability effects, then skip Lunge if hunger management is more important than mobility.
- Mobile Jab: Add Lunge when you deliberately want to close gaps or reposition through repeated Jabs. Keep your hunger above six and carry food.
- Long expeditions: Prioritize durability and repair effects; Lunge’s extra durability cost may be counterproductive unless you actively use its movement.
Combat tactics that match the spear’s mechanics
Use spacing instead of face-tanking
Stand far enough away to avoid the minimum-range dead zone, then adjust your position as the enemy approaches. The extra reach gives you more room than a standard melee weapon, but it is not a reason to let enemies occupy the space directly in front of you.
Pick Jab or Charge deliberately
Jab is the dependable choice for a fast hit, a group of nearby enemies, or a situation where you cannot build movement. Charge is the better choice when you can face the target, maintain distance, and move relative to it. Release from the Engaged stage when knockback or a mounted-enemy dismount matters; accept Tired or Disengaged behavior when damage is more important than those effects.
Control your camera during Charge
Because view angle is part of Charge damage, keep the crosshair on the intended target while you hold secondary use. Turning away or releasing while looking past the target changes the attack conditions. Practice on a safe target so you can coordinate movement, camera direction, and release timing.
Plan hunger before using Lunge
Lunge can move you into danger as easily as out of it. Keep at least six hunger points before attempting it, remember that higher levels consume more hunger, and avoid relying on it in water or during Elytra flight. If the spear is close to breaking, the one-durability cost per use is a reason to switch tactics.
Troubleshooting common spear problems
The recipe gives me a shovel
Recheck the two stick positions. The sticks belong in the center and bottom-left slots, while the material belongs in the top-right slot. A vertical stick arrangement is the shovel pattern, not the spear pattern.
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My spear will not damage a nearby mob
Move backward or sideways and try again. The spear has a minimum range, so a target inside that distance takes no damage. Also verify that you are using the intended attack: Charge requires holding and releasing secondary use, while Jab requires the primary attack button.
My Charge damage changes from hit to hit
That is expected. Material, view angle, your velocity, and the target’s velocity all contribute. Recreate the same spacing, movement, and camera direction if you want more consistent results.
Lunge does nothing
Confirm that the spear has Lunge, that you are using Jab rather than Charge, and that your hunger is at least six points. Lunge is disabled in water and during Elytra flight.
The spear breaks sooner than expected
Jab and Charge both consume durability through normal use, and Lunge adds one durability cost per use. Repair or replace the spear, and consider a durability-focused enchantment if you use it continuously.
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For a quick, repeatable attack, select the material whose cooldown behavior suits your rhythm; Wood is the fastest according to Mojang’s notes. For a long-term weapon, the Diamond-to-Netherite upgrade provides the documented durability and fire/lava item-resistance advantages, while its melee performance otherwise remains unchanged in the cited reference. For movement combat, prioritize practice with spacing, camera control, and release timing because Charge does not have one fixed damage value.
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