Dig Enchantment Tome Guide: How It Works

This guide explains the Dig enchantment tome in Minecraft: what it does, how to get it, and how to use it effectively. You’ll learn the exact mechanics, the best ways to apply it, and common mistakes to avoid.

Background: What Is the Dig Enchantment?

The Dig enchantment is a treasure enchantment added by the Apotheosis mod, not by vanilla Minecraft. It increases the speed at which you break blocks, similar to the vanilla Efficiency enchantment, but it works differently. While Efficiency directly adds a mining speed bonus to your tool, Dig multiplies your overall digging speed by a percentage, making it especially powerful when combined with other speed boosts.

Apotheosis is a popular mod that overhauls the enchanting system, adding new enchantments, gems, and affixes. Dig is one of its many unique enchantments, and it can be applied to pickaxes, shovels, axes, and hoes.

How the Dig Enchantment Works

The Dig enchantment has five levels (I to V). At each level, it increases your digging speed by a flat multiplier. The formula is:

Digging speed increase = 20% × level

So at level I, you dig 20% faster; at level V, you dig 100% faster (double speed). This multiplier applies after other speed modifiers, so it stacks multiplicatively with Efficiency, Haste, and the player’s base mining speed.

Unlike Efficiency, which is limited by the tool’s material, Dig has no such cap. This makes it extremely effective on diamond and netherite tools, where Efficiency would normally max out.

How to Get the Dig Enchantment

Dig is a treasure enchantment, meaning you cannot get it from the standard enchanting table. You have to obtain it through other means:

• Fishing: Treasure enchantments can appear on enchanted books caught while fishing, but the chance is low.
• Loot chests: Dungeon, temple, and stronghold chests may contain enchanted books with Dig.
• Trading: Librarian villagers can sell enchanted books, but Dig is rare and may require multiple trades.
• Apotheosis’s enchanting system: With Apotheosis, you can use an enchanting table with high levels (above 30) and certain modifiers to increase the chance of getting treasure enchantments like Dig.

Once you have an enchanted book, you can apply it to a tool using an anvil. The cost depends on the level and the tool’s prior work penalty.

Choosing the Right Tool for Dig

Dig works on any mining tool, but the best choice depends on your needs:

• Pickaxe: Ideal for mining stone, ores, and netherite. Dig V on a netherite pickaxe with Efficiency V and Haste II can break stone almost instantly.
• Shovel: Great for digging large areas of dirt, sand, or gravel. Pairs well with Efficiency for fast excavation.
• Axe: Speeds up wood chopping and also works on logs, planks, and other wooden blocks.
• Hoe: Useful for clearing large farms or breaking leaves, but less common.

When choosing a tool, consider the material. Diamond and netherite tools have higher base mining speed, so Dig’s multiplier has a larger effect. For example, a diamond pickaxe with Dig V will break stone faster than an iron pickaxe with Dig V.

Combining Dig with Other Enchantments

Dig stacks with other speed-boosting effects, so you can create a powerful mining tool:

• Efficiency: Adds a flat bonus to mining speed. Combine with Dig for a multiplicative boost.
• Haste (beacon effect): Increases mining speed by 10% per level. Works alongside Dig.
• Haste (potion): The Apotheosis mod adds a Haste potion that gives a mining speed boost.
• Player base speed: Your base mining speed is affected by whether you are in water, on the ground, etc.

For example, with a netherite pickaxe (base speed 9), Efficiency V (+30), Haste II (+20), and Dig V (+100%), your effective mining speed becomes (9 + 30) × (1 + 0.2 + 1.0) = 39 × 2.2 = 85.8, which is enough to instantly break most stone blocks.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

Many players confuse Dig with Efficiency, but they are different. Efficiency is a vanilla enchantment that adds a flat speed bonus, while Dig is a multiplier. This means Dig is more powerful at higher levels, but it’s also rarer.

Another common issue is that Dig does not work on shears, swords, or other non-mining tools. It only applies to tools that are designed to break blocks (pickaxe, shovel, axe, hoe).

Some players think Dig increases the drop rate of blocks, but it doesn’t. It only affects the speed at which you break blocks, not what they drop.

Costs and Anvil Mechanics

Applying Dig to a tool via anvil costs experience levels. The cost depends on the level of the enchantment and the tool’s prior work penalty. Here’s a rough guide:

• Dig I: 1-3 levels
• Dig II: 4-6 levels
• Dig III: 7-9 levels
• Dig IV: 10-12 levels
• Dig V: 13-15 levels

These are base costs; the final cost also includes the prior work penalty (anvil uses) and any other enchantments being applied. To minimize cost, combine the book with the tool first, then add other enchantments.

Alternatives to Dig

If you don’t have Apotheosis or can’t find Dig, you can still achieve fast mining with vanilla methods:

• Efficiency V: The highest vanilla speed enchantment, available on diamond tools.
• Haste II beacon: Gives a 20% mining speed boost.
• Instant mining: With Efficiency V and Haste II, you can instantly break stone and many other blocks.

Dig is essentially a way to push beyond vanilla limits, but it’s not required for most mining tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dig work on all blocks?

Yes, Dig works on any block that your tool can break. For example, a pickaxe with Dig will break stone, ores, and obsidian (at the tool’s normal speed), but it won’t affect blocks that require a different tool, like wood or dirt.

Can I get Dig from an enchanting table?

No, Dig is a treasure enchantment, so it cannot be obtained from a standard enchanting table. You need to find it in loot, fishing, or trading, or use Apotheosis’s advanced enchanting system.

Does Dig stack with Efficiency?

Yes, Dig and Efficiency stack. Efficiency adds a flat bonus, while Dig multiplies the total speed. This combination is very powerful, especially on high-tier tools.

Is Dig better than Efficiency?

It depends. Efficiency gives a flat bonus that is better at low levels, but Dig’s multiplier becomes stronger at higher levels. At Dig V, it doubles your speed, which is equivalent to Efficiency X. However, Dig is harder to obtain.

Can I put Dig on a sword?

No, Dig only applies to mining tools (pickaxe, shovel, axe, hoe). Swords have their own enchantments like Sharpness and Smite.

Does Dig affect mining speed in creative mode?

In creative mode, you already break blocks instantly, so Dig has no visible effect. It only matters in survival mode.

Related

• Music Unblocked at School: How It Works
• Office 365 vs Office: What’s the Difference?
• How Self-Destructing Circuits Work in Mission: Impossible