Recently, just a couple of weeks ago in our ongoing “Inventory” series, we discussed the tension dispenser. To protect your base from unwanted visitors, including mobs, it was necessary to place arrows inside. However, things are much more intriguing! Besides regular arrows, you can also utilize fire charges! That’s what we’ll be focusing on today.
The fire charge was introduced in Minecraft with update 1.2.1, alongside jungle biomes, iron golems, and redstone lamps. It is crafted using blaze powder, coal or charcoal, combined with gunpowder in a crafting grid of either 2×2 or 3×3. Currently, this item cannot be found naturally in the game; the only way to obtain it is by gathering the required ingredients and crafting it yourself.
The functionality of the fire charge doesn’t stop there. If you right-click on a surface, a fire will ignite. This works similarly to flint and steel. Isn’t that fantastic? However, I must point out that even flint and steel can’t compare to this remarkable item because you can light fires from a distance! And if you take it and place it in a dispenser… I believe that’s where the ordinary ends and pure magic begins!
A fire charge launched from a dispenser transforms into a true fireball, which shrinks as it approaches its target. When it finally reaches its destination, it ignites immediately. This can be quite useful for lighting up a Nether portal. Also, have you ever dreamed of burning down a wooden structure in Minecraft Pocket Edition without getting too close? Great news—the fireball can help you achieve that! If you shoot it at a mob or player, it inflicts four and a half hearts of damage: two and a half hearts upon impact and the remaining two from the flames.
But what happens if you launch the ball into empty space? For instance, just shooting it straight up? Nothing at all—it will fly indefinitely since worlds created in Minecraft Bedrock have no limits. Just imagine, the projectile you fired will continue soaring through the air, cutting through space and time, traveling to unknown realms until the end of the world arrives and darkness consumes our universe… or until you turn off your computer. Hmm, I wonder which scenario is more likely?
Image provided by: ErpingWu
In the real world, creating something akin to a fire charge is entirely feasible. We would need chemistry, specifically chemical elements found in the periodic table. By utilizing some of these elements, we can create fire, but others are far more dangerous, such as alkali metals. For those who may have forgotten their chemistry, these elements can be found in the far-left column of the table. They are known for reacting much more vigorously with various substances. For example, adding a bit of lithium or potassium to water can cause an explosion. We strongly advise against attempting this, as it could be life-threatening!
The alkali metals located lower in the periodic table, like rubidium and cesium, are so reactive that they are stored under oil for safety reasons. But that’s not the worst part! The last metal on the list, francium, is nearly impossible to find in nature. It is an extremely potent reactant. To put it simply, only about 30 grams of this substance exist in the Earth’s crust, and that’s only until it starts decaying into other elements.
I want to share a very helpful tip for Minecraft. If your Nether portal accidentally closes while you’re stuck there without even having flint and steel, don’t despair or delete your world. Ghasts drop gunpowder, skeletons yield coal, and blazes can provide you with blaze rods, which you’ll need for crafting blaze powder. With everything you need to make a fire charge now available, all that’s left is to reignite the portal.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and you returned home safe and sound. To prevent this from happening again, gather some cobblestone and build a protective structure around the portal. Enjoy your adventures!
