Minecraft armor toughness explained

Minecraft armor toughness is one of the most important gameplay mechanics for players who wish to endure harsh worlds. Be it adventure mode or survival, this important metric can be the difference between defeating enemies or being turned into bonemeal. Choosing the right armor and knowing how much it can endure is a great way to stay protected from damage in-game.

Here's everything you need to know about Minecraft armor toughness.

---

Minecraft armor toughness mechanics explained

Currently, only Diamond and Netherite have Minecraft armor toughness. (Image via Mojang Studios)

Minecraft armor toughness is essentially an attribute that reduces the damage you take from attacks. It determines the resistance your armor gives against different kinds of attacks.

The total number of Minecraft armor toughness the player has is the total of the armor toughness of the individual pieces of armor worn. All those pieces add up to provide the total armor toughness.

As of the latest update, only Diamond and Netherite sets have armor toughness. Additionally, the maximum armor toughness is capped at 20. Unlike armor points, health, or hunger, armor toughness does not have a visual indicator or a marker.

Here's a breakdown of the armor toughness offered by all types of armor in Minecraft

Armor type	Combined toughness	Helmet	Chestplate	Leggings	Boots
Turtle Shell	0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A
Leather	0	0	0	0	0
Golden	0	0	0	0	0
Chainmail	0	0	0	0	0
Iron	0	0	0	0	0
Diamond	8 (2+2+2+2)	2	2	2	2
Netherite	12 (3+3+3+3)	3	3	3	3

---

How does armor toughness affect your gameplay in Minecraft?

Minecraft armor toughness can be a great hidden buff during gameplay. (Image via Mojang Studios)

Armor toughness essentially calculates the amount of damage required to penetrate each armor point. In Minecraft, penetration is calculated by (total armor toughness/4+2). Essentially, this protects your armor from weaker damage, but when the value is greater than the armor toughness, you receive damage.

Armor toughness is an important metric in-game since it gives you an added layer of protection, especially during harder battles with boss mobs such as the Wither. It is a crucial buffer that helps you take damage for longer periods.

Additionally, toughness comes in handy when attacked by weapons that deal devastating damage in one hit, such as an axe or a mace. The toughness value of your armor will essentially subtract the damage dealt by a weapon, with the remaining value impacting your armor.

Thus, Netherite and Diamond will provide armor toughness according to their respective values — if you mix items from the set you will get the combined value of each item in the set. It is generally recommended to complete each set to get the maximum value possible.

---

Check out our other latest Minecraft articles:

• 4 things right with Minecraft The Garden Awakens update
• 6 best Minecraft structures for finding armor trims
• How to get pale oak wood
• How to get an X-ray pack for Minecraft 1.21.4