How to Use the Mace in Minecraft (Smash Attack Guide)

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Fall at least 1.5 blocks and hit before landing to perform a mace smash. Extra damage is 4 HP per block for the first 3 blocks, 2 HP per block for the next 5, then 1 HP per block after that, before critical and defensive modifiers. A successful smash resets the fall distance accumulated before the hit; further falling can still hurt.

What you need

1 mace (breeze rod + heavy core)
Wind charges (optional, for ground smash setups)
Breeze rods for anvil repairs
Density, Breach or Wind Burst enchanted books

Step by step

Get the mace first: craft it from a breeze rod and a heavy core (trial chambers loot). See our how-to-get-mace guide.
On the ground it is mediocre: 6 damage per hit with the slowest attack speed in Java (0.6). Use it like an axe for panic swings, not as your main DPS.
The real move is the smash attack: fall 1.5+ blocks and attack before landing. Any fall counts - jump off a ledge, pillar up and drop, or bounce in with a wind charge.
Damage scales with the fall: 4 HP per block for the first 3, 2 HP for the next 5 and 1 HP afterward. At 10 blocks, that adds 24 HP to the normal 6 HP base before other modifiers. Armor and protective effects can greatly change the damage received.
A successful smash resets prior fall distance and can knock nearby entities back. If you continue falling afterward, new fall damage accumulates. Neither a smash nor Wind Burst guarantees a safe later landing.
Enchant it: Density adds +0.5 damage per level per block fallen (best for pure smash damage), Breach shreds armored targets, and Wind Burst bounces you back up after a smash so you can chain attacks. Repair with breeze rods in an anvil - one rod restores 25%.

Java vs Bedrock

Bedrock smash attacks are even stronger: there is no attack cooldown, and smash attacks work during elytra flight. In Java you must unequip the elytra before the hit lands, and the slow 0.6 attack speed applies to normal swings. Neither edition can smash with Slow Falling active.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How much damage can a smash attack do?

The fall-distance bonus has no fixed upper cap. A 100-block fall adds 114 HP before critical and defensive modifiers: 12 HP from the first three blocks, 10 from the next five and 92 from the remaining blocks. This does not guarantee a one-hit kill against every target.

Does the smash attack work with elytra?

Descending with an elytra counts as fallen blocks. In Bedrock the smash works mid-flight; in Java you must unequip the elytra before the hit connects.

Density or Breach - which is better?

Density multiplies smash damage and wins for one-hit drops. Breach ignores a big chunk of armor and wins against players or armored mobs in prolonged fights. You cannot put both on one mace.