Frost Walker Enchantment: Walk on Water and Ignore Magma

Frost Walker turns water under and around your feet into frosted ice as you walk, so you can stroll across lakes and oceans. It also makes you immune to damage from magma blocks and campfires. It’s a treasure enchantment for boots with two levels, and it conflicts with Depth Strider.

How the ice works

Frost Walker freezes still source water at the same height as the block you’re standing on, within a radius of 2 + level:

Level	Freeze radius
I	3 blocks
II	4 blocks

On Java the frozen area is a circle; on Bedrock it’s a square. The water needs air above it, so it won’t freeze water covered by lily pads or blocks, and it won’t work while you’re swimming. The ice melts back into water within a few seconds once you walk away, a bit slower at night, so keep moving.

Getting Frost Walker

The enchanting table never rolls it. Your options:

• Librarians of any level, at double the normal book price because it’s treasure. With the experimental Villager Trade Rebalance on, only snowy librarians sell it.
• Fishing. See how to start fishing.
• Loot chests in jungle temples and strongholds.
• Raid drops, Bedrock only.

Apply it with an anvil; our guide to using enchanted books covers the costs.

Is it worth a pair of boots?

Not on your main boots, for most people. Depth Strider is more useful day to day, and you can only have one. The case for Frost Walker:

• Crossing oceans and rivers on foot while exploring, without stopping to place blocks or a boat.
• Walking on magma blocks in the Nether and in ocean ravines without taking damage.

A spare pair of Frost Walker II boots with Mending is cheap to keep in an ender chest and swap in when you need to cross water.