Tinkers' Construct

Tinkers' Construct is a combat mod created by mDiyo. A tool and weapon crafting mod where players smelt materials, build custom tools from parts, and modify them with traits. As a combat mod it concentrates on weapons, armor, and the way fights play out, and it has been downloaded around 130 million times, which puts it among the options players reach for in this space.

Tinkers' Construct is built for players who want to build, name, and level up their own tools and weapons. Tools are assembled from parts cast in the Smeltery, each material contributing traits, and they gain abilities as they are used rather than being thrown away. It rewards a bit of learning, so expect to spend some time understanding its systems before they click.

The mod is available exclusively for Forge. It currently supports Minecraft 1.18.2, 1.19.2, and 1.20.1, spanning the 1.18.2 to 1.20.1 releases. It runs on both the client and the server, so on a multiplayer server every player who connects needs it installed alongside the server itself.

Tinkers' Construct works particularly well alongside Mantle. It depends on Mantle, so those must be present and on the same loader and version. It targets the Forge side of the ecosystem, so it fits comfortably into Forge and NeoForge packs.

Tinkers' Construct has a modest footprint for what it adds and is widely used in modpacks without notable performance concerns.

If you are comparing options, similar mods include Tetra and Silent Gear. They cover comparable ground, so the right choice usually comes down to your loader, version, and the rest of your pack.