What this calculator gets right
- JE damage order: (base + Strength − Weakness) × crit + Sharpness/Smite/Bane
- Correct weapon stats (e.g. netherite sword 8 @ 1.6, netherite axe 10 @ 1.0, mace 6 @ 0.6)
- Attack cooldown multipliers for charged vs early swings
- Armor + toughness + Protection EPF (matches wiki netherite Prot IV examples)
- 1.8 mode with CPS presets, click tester, and vanilla i-frame capped DPS
Quick PvP takeaways
- Always wait for full charge on 1.9+ — early clicks trash your DPS.
- Crits need ≥84.8% charge and a falling attack (not sprint-kb at the same time).
- Vs players: Sharpness. Smite/Bane only help their mob types.
- Axe = burst + shield disable; sword = higher sustained DPS.
- 1.8: measure your CPS, then use effective DPS (~2 hits/sec) — not raw clicks × damage.
FAQ
How is melee damage calculated in Java 1.9+?
Start with weapon attack damage, add Strength (+3/level) or subtract Weakness (−4/level), multiply by 1.5 if critical, then add Sharpness/Smite/Bane. Incomplete attack charge reduces the base (squared curve) and enchant bonus (linear).
Is Sharpness applied before or after crits?
In Java Edition, critical hits multiply damage after Strength but before enchantments. Example: Netherite sword (8) + Strength II (+6) = 14 → crit 21 → Sharpness V (+3) = 24 raw damage.
Why doesn’t higher CPS always mean more DPS in 1.8?
Vanilla entities have 0.5s invulnerability after each hit (~2 damaging hits per second). Extra CPS still helps hit registration and combos, but raw damage/sec is capped unless the server changes i-frames. Use the CPS tester, then compare effective vs theoretical DPS.
Sword or axe for PvP?
Axes hit harder per swing and can disable shields; swords swing faster (1.6 vs ~1.0) so they usually win sustained DPS. Use the compare toggle against your target’s armor.
Does this work for Bedrock?
No — Bedrock applies critical hits differently (enchantments are included before the 1.5×). This tool is Java Edition only.
Why isn’t my in-game number exact?
Servers add hitreg, custom knockback, and shield blocking. This calculator models vanilla damage math only.