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Potion of Swiftness: Sugar Recipe and 20% Speed per Level

Add sugar to an Awkward Potion for Swiftness: 20% more speed per level. Level I lasts 3 minutes (8 with redstone), level II 1:30. When to run with it.

By minecraft.bd Editorial Team·Updated

A Potion of Swiftness makes you 20% faster per level. Brew it by adding sugar to an Awkward Potion. Level I lasts 3 minutes (8 with redstone), and level II lasts 1:30.

Version Duration Speed bonus
Swiftness I 3:00 +20%
Swiftness I + redstone 8:00 +20%
Swiftness II 1:30 +40%

Cheapest potion in the game

Sugar comes from sugar cane, which grows next to water and spreads itself. One sugar cane is one sugar. That’s it. If you have a sugar cane farm for paper, you have unlimited Swiftness.

The brewing order is the usual: nether wart into water bottles, then sugar. Then glowstone or redstone, not both.

Which version to brew

For travel, brew the redstone version: 8 minutes at +20% is a lot of ground. For a fight or a chase, brew Swiftness II, because 40% is the difference between escaping and not.

The speed boost also widens your field of view, which some players find disorienting. You can turn that off in Accessibility settings with the “FOV Effects” slider on Java.

Good uses

  • Long overland trips before you have an elytra or a fast horse. A horse is still faster on open ground, but horses can’t climb, and you can.
  • Crossing rough terrain with Leaping. The two together turn hills into nothing.
  • PvP and raids, where kiting mobs while you heal is the whole game.
  • Escaping a fight that went wrong.

It doesn’t affect mounts. Splash Swiftness thrown on a horse works, though, since splash potions affect any mob in range.

The flip side

Add a fermented spider eye to Swiftness I and you get a Potion of Slowness. Splash Slowness on a mob you’re chasing is surprisingly useful. Combine Swiftness with Strength for a fast, hard-hitting melee setup, and see our brewing guide for the full stand workflow.

Common questions

What ingredient makes a Potion of Swiftness?

Sugar, added to an Awkward Potion. Sugar is crafted from sugar cane, so this is one of the cheapest potions to brew.

How much faster does Swiftness make you?

Each level adds 20% to your movement speed. Swiftness II gives you 40% more speed for 1 minute 30 seconds.

What does a fermented spider eye do to Swiftness?

It turns it into a Potion of Slowness. Swiftness II can't be corrupted.

Sources & verification

Facts on this page are checked against these references and in-game behavior for the stated edition(s). how we verify.

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