Minecraft wiki entry for Player_versus_Player, associated text: Tip: Potions and tipped arrows are underrated but very powerful items, especially if the enemy doesn't have maxed enchants. A strength II potion more than triples your damage output on 1.8, allowing you to easily burst your opponent down with a good combo. On 1.9+, A critical hit with even just a stone axe and strength II does 9 to a player with full diamond armor. Enough to kill in just three hits. On the flip side, a splash potion of weakness on the enemy pretty much neutralizes their damage and allows you to easily outheal their damage with decent armor and high saturation food items like steak or golden carrots, unless if they also drink strength. The most useful potions are in the midgame are Strength, Speed, Fire Resistance, Weakness (Splash) Instant Healing (Splash) and Slowness (Splash) Slowness and Instant Harming potions can also be used to make tipped arrows allowing you to chase down a fleeing enemy or slow them down when you escape for the former, and for the latter, do a set amount of armor-piercing damage. Note that because of a bug in the game, if you have a bow with power enchants that cause it to do more than 12 damage, the Instant Harming II effect would not work, and will not pierce armor. To not have this happen, shoot low-charged bow shots or use a crossbow.