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As Minecraft constantly gets updated more and more new blocks and items are added to the game. It's gotten to the point where it's difficult to remember what they all are or what they all do. It's especially intimidating for newcomers as they're tasked with learning about them all at once. So it's best to find out about them individually, particularly the more unusual ones like the blaze rod.
The yellow sticks are not among the rarest items in the game. However, they're also not something you're likely to come across naturally on your travels. Inexperienced players who do find them aren't going to instinctively know what to do with them. So here is all of the information you need to find and use blaze rods.
Updated May 26, 2023, by Sean Murray: Blaze rods remain an important item in Minecraft, so we've updated this guide with some better formatting for greater readability.
How To Get Blaze Rods
The only way you can get your hands on the desired items is by killing blazes. Unfortunately, this flying enemy only hangs out in the nether.
So, before you can acquire blaze rods, you need to build a nether portal. This requires at least ten pieces of obsidian as well as a flint and steel. When you enter the strange dimension, the first thing you'll want to do is look for a nether fortress as that's where blazes live. Then you can find their spawners on platforms around the structure.
Once you've found where they're hiding, you can begin slaying them. Luckily, the drop rate for blaze rods is quite high at around 50 percent, meaning it shouldn't take long to get a bunch.
Blazes will possibly drop one rod when slain, but it's possible to increase the amount of loot gained through the Looting enchantment. The number of rods given will increase by one for each level of Looting a player has, meaning a maximum of four rods can possibly drop from a blaze if the player has the strongest enchantment possible.
It's important to note that blazes only have a possibility to drop rods if they're slain by the player. The drop rate for blaze rods will drop to 0 percent if killed by any other source.
Use As Fuel
Every Minecraft player occasionally needs fuel to survive. It's possible to place blaze rods in the bottom part of your furnace to help cook or smelt something.
They are not the worst option for such a job, but some other items work better. Plus, it's also a waste of the blaze rods that you hopped dimensions and fought fiery enemies to acquire.
Create A Brewing Stand
There are several things you need to know about making potions. One of the basic ones is that a brewing stand is essential. To make one, you can put a blaze rod in the center of your crafting grid and put three pieces of cobblestone or blackstone underneath it.
With this creation, you're able to make all sorts of cool potions. These can be particularly useful when going up against Minecraft's mightiest adversaries.
Create an End Rod
Nobody likes to play Minecraft in the darkness; you need a decent light source. Thankfully, the game gives you multiple options to illuminate your surroundings. If you're not into torches and feel lanterns aren't quite fancy enough, you can opt to make an end rod.
This is where blaze rods come in handy. Simply put one of them in the middle of the crafting grid and place a popped chorus fruit below it to create four end rods. They not only look nice, but they provide ample light.
Uses For Blaze Powder
Another thing that can come from blaze rods is blaze powder. This is also a crafting item that can be used in several recipes. All you need to do to obtain some is put a rod in your crafting grid. Here is what the powder can be used for:
Potions
Brewing stands don't just work by magic; they need fuel to power them. And the only fuel that works is blaze powder. So, it's needed whenever you brew potions.
On top of that, it can also act as an ingredient. For instance, if you mix the powder with an awkward potion, you create a potion of strength.
Magma Cream
Other things you can craft using blaze powder are magma creams. To do so, simply combine the powder with a slimeball. While the result isn't the most vital item in the game, it has its uses.
For one, it's included in a few potion recipes, such as the mundane potion and the potion of fire resistance. Also, if you get enough magma creams, you're able to create a magma block.
Eye of Ender
One of the most exciting things to do in Minecraft is travel to the end and fight the Ender Dragon. Although you can't accomplish that straight away, you need to do multiple things first, including making several eyes of ender.
These magical items help you find strongholds and activate the end portal that lies within them. To craft the eyes, you need to combine an ender pearl with some blaze powder.
Fire Charge
Fire charges aren't an item newcomers will immediately create, but they have a few interesting uses. Firstly, they can serve as a replacement for flint and steel as you're able to physically light things up with them. Or perhaps you prefer the less hands-on approach? In that case, you can place them in dispensers to fire at your enemies.
However, fire charges are not the only tools for destruction. You can also use them to craft firework stars, which determine what color a firework will be.
Blaze Rods Trigger An Advancement Achievement
Having a blaze rod in the player's inventory will unlock the "Into Fire" advancement. There is also an achievement on the Bedrock version of Minecraft called "Into Fire" that will trigger as soon as a player picks up a blaze rod from the ground.