More Anvils: Enhancing Your Minecraft Smithing Experience
Anvils are the unsung heroes of any seasoned Minecraft player's toolkit. They mend your enchanted gear, combine enchantments, and even rename your prized possessions. But the vanilla iron anvil has its limits: it breaks after roughly 25 uses on average, and it caps the experience level cost at 39, which can feel restrictive when you're trying to perfect that god-tier sword. If you've ever wished for a more durable anvil or one that could handle higher-level enchantments without breaking the bank, the More Anvils mod is exactly what you need. It introduces new anvil tiers that scale with your progression, giving you robust options that last longer and lift those frustrating level caps.
Expanding the Anvil Arsenal
More Anvils doesn't just toss in a couple of reskinned blocks. It thoughtfully expands the crafting system by adding two new vanilla-friendly anvils: the Diamond Anvil and the Gold Anvil. Each one is designed with a clear purpose, and their stats are carefully balanced against the properties of the corresponding armor materials. The logic is simple: if iron armor offers a certain level of protection and durability, and the iron anvil follows that pattern, then diamond and gold should too. This makes the mod feel like a natural extension of Minecraft's core mechanics rather than a random power creep.
Diamond and Gold Anvils: Durability and Level Caps
Let's break down what these new anvils bring to your smithing table.
Diamond Anvil
Crafted with diamond blocks instead of iron, the Diamond Anvil is the pinnacle of durability. It can withstand far more uses before finally crumbling into a damaged state. More importantly, it significantly raises the level cost cap, allowing you to perform enchantment combinations that would simply be impossible on a vanilla anvil. If you've ever been frustrated by the "Too Expensive!" message when trying to add Mending to your already stacked pickaxe, this anvil is your new best friend. Its durability and cap are scaled up from the iron anvil in the same way diamond armor outclasses iron armor—making it a late-game essential.
Gold Anvil
The Gold Anvil takes a different approach. Gold armor is known for its high enchantability but low durability, and the Gold Anvil mirrors that trade-off. It won't last as long as its iron counterpart, but it offers an even higher level cap than the diamond variant. This makes it perfect for those risky, high-cost enchantment merges where you need to push the limits. You'll want to use it sparingly and strategically, perhaps for that one crucial combination before it breaks. It's a high-risk, high-reward tool that adds a layer of decision-making to your enchanting process.
Mod Compatibility: A Truly Universal Anvil
One of the standout features of More Anvils is its seamless integration with other popular mods. When you load it alongside IndustrialCraft 2, Railcraft, Base Metals, or Modern Metals, the mod automatically detects the new materials and adds corresponding anvils. This means you could have bronze anvils, steel anvils, lead anvils, and more, each with stats derived from the armor values of those materials. The screenshot above shows just how many variants are possible, turning your smithing area into a colorful display of metallurgical prowess. It's a fantastic touch for modpack creators and players who enjoy deep, interconnected systems.
Installation and Getting Started
Getting More Anvils up and running is straightforward. You'll need to have Minecraft Forge installed for your game version, then simply place the mod's .jar file into your mods folder. If you're using a custom launcher, the process is even smoother. For instance, the foxygame.net launcher lets you browse and install mods directly from its menu, so you can add More Anvils with a single click without ever leaving the interface. This kind of convenience is a game-changer for players who like to experiment with multiple mods quickly.
Once installed, the new anvils will appear in your creative inventory and can be crafted using the standard anvil recipe but with blocks of diamond or gold instead of iron. The mod is entirely server-side friendly, so you can add it to a server without requiring every player to install it client-side—though they'll need it to see the custom textures. The developer has also made the mod open to community contributions, and if you encounter any bugs, you can reach out via the issue tracker on the project's page. For those interested in taking over development, the creator welcomes contact through Discord or Twitter.
A Deeper Look at the Developer's Ecosystem
While More Anvils shines on its own, it's worth noting that the mod author has a rich portfolio of other creations that complement this one. From server-side utilities like Clans and Grand Exchange to client-side enhancements like Time HUD, there's a clear focus on quality-of-life improvements. If you enjoy More Anvils, you might also appreciate mods like Fire's Survival Tweaks or the quirky Raining Cats and Dogs, which add subtle but meaningful changes to your world. This interconnected design philosophy ensures that the mod feels right at home in both vanilla+ and heavily modded environments.
Conclusion
More Anvils addresses a long-standing gap in Minecraft's enchanting system with elegance and balance. By introducing Diamond and Gold Anvils that scale logically from the iron original, it gives players meaningful choices without breaking immersion. The added compatibility with major tech and metal mods turns it into a must-have for modded playthroughs, while the straightforward installation makes it accessible even for newcomers. Whether you're a server admin looking to enrich your community's experience or a solo player tired of constantly replacing broken anvils, this mod delivers a satisfying upgrade to your crafting arsenal. So fire up your launcher, grab the mod, and start forging with confidence.