5 best tips for using the mace in Minecraft 1.21

Minecraft 1.21's mace is the latest melee weapon to make its way to Mojang's sandbox title. While it isn't much to be impressed with, its smash attack makes it one of the most powerful weapons in the game. However, mastering the smash attack (and the mace's basic attack cooldown) takes time and practice, but there are ways to make it easier.

With the right tips, Minecraft players can effectively handle the learning curve of the mace in the Tricky Trials update and beyond. While different tips can help different players, here are some common tips for learning and using the weapon.

Note: This list is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer

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5 of the best tips and recommendations for using the mace in Minecraft 1.21

1) Enchant your boots with Feather Falling

Feather Falling can be a lifesaver while learning the mace's smash attack in Minecraft (Image via Mojang)

Arguably the greatest danger of using the mace in Minecraft 1.21 is the fact that its smash attack requires players to be in freefall. If the smash attack is missed, players can take a sizable (or even fatal) amount of fall damage. This is exactly why the Feather Falling enchantment is so useful for practicing the weapon's smash attack.

Since Feather Falling reduces incoming fall damage, it can be the difference between surviving a missed smash attack or being forced to respawn.

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2) Pick your targets

Not every Minecraft mob needs to be defeated with the mace (Image via Mojang)

Although the mace has incredible stopping power in Minecraft 1.21, it isn't always the best possible weapon for every opponent. Particularly agile opponents like the breeze, vexes, etc. are difficult to hit with a smash attack. The substantial cooldown of the standard mace attack makes defeating mobile or small enemies significantly more difficult.

Players are free to attack any opponent with a mace, but for the sake of getting used to the weapon, it may not be a bad idea to battle larger, slower targets at first.

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3) Start with small jumps for the smash attack

Practicing with the mace in Minecraft should start slowly where the smash attack is concerned (Image via Mojang)

When it comes to the Minecraft mace's smash attack, it's important to note that the attack gains damage output the further players fall. While it can be tempting to immediately jump off of a massive tower in an attempt to land an overwhelming and devastating smash attack, it's best to start small and work one's way up.

It only takes 1.5 blocks of fall distance to begin accumulating damage for a smash attack. This means it's not a bad idea to practice with shorter fall distances to avoid any potential fall damage repercussions from missing the attack, at least until players are more acclimated to the mace and its mechanics.

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4) Seek out the Density enchantment

Density makes landing powerful smash attacks an easier task (Image via Mojang)

Obtainable from enchanting tables, trading with librarian villagers, and looting generated structures that contain enchanted books, the Density enchantment can make the mace more powerful in Minecraft 1.21 while also making smash attacks easier.

Put plainly, the enchantment increases the damage accumulation of a smash attack per block fallen. It still requires players to land their smash attack to benefit from the damage boost. However, the increased damage means that players won't have to fall as far to deal great damage and destroy targets, especially at higher ranks of the enchantment.

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5) Keep breeze rods handy

Breeze rods can be used to repair maces (Image via Mojang)

Although the mace has pretty significant durability in the 1.21 update (500 points in Java Edition and 501 in Bedrock), the weapon will inevitably need to be repaired. While enchantments like Mending and Unbreaking can go a long way in keeping a mace intact, players sometimes simply need the resources necessary to repair the weapon and keep it in working order.

In that light, it isn't a bad idea to head to a trial chamber and defeat some breeze mobs to collect their breeze rods, as they can be collected fairly easily and can be used to repair maces effectively.