Fire Charge

The Fire Charge is an item which can be used as fireball ammunition for Dispensers, or as an inefficient but renewable substitute for Flint and Steel.

Crafting
The ingredients can be placed in any crafting slots.

Since Gunpowder and Blaze Powder are obtained from mobs and Charcoal from Wood, Fire Charges are a renewable resource.

Use
When used by a player, it instantly places Fire at the clicked location, like a Flint and Steel. Fire created will burn faster than a Flint and Steel fire. You get three from each one crafted as seen in the crafting picture.

When a Fire Charge is dispensed from a Dispenser, it acts like a Blaze fireball, flying in a straight line (though with the usual random aim of a Dispenser). When it hits a block, it will place Fire at that location. These fireballs have no explosive effect. When it hits a player, it does a total of 4 hearts damage in burning.

Fire charge can also be used to light a Nether Portal.

History

 * The Fire Charge was added in snapshot 12w04a, although its texture was used as a Ghast's fireball in 1.1.


 * In snapshot 12w04a it couldn't be crafted with charcoal, only with "regular" coal. This was fixed in the next snapshot.

Trivia

 * The sprite for fire charges are the same as Blaze fireballs and Ghast fireballs.


 * Fire charges set fire on contact to players and flammable blocks.


 * When a dispenser with a fire charge is placed with a block directly in front of it the charge shoots through it and creates a fire on the other side which is useful for making self-lighting fireplaces and traps.


 * Using a fire charge will cause a block update (regardless of whether the block it is used on can actually burn). This makes it a useful tool for triggering BUD switches, and therefore can be used as a short-range wireless redstone transmitter.


 * In Creative mode you can equip the fireball, but wouldn't be able to shoot it, similar to Ender pearls.

Bugs

 * When a mob is shot directly with a Fire Charge and dies it does not drop cooked food as expected.
 * When you right click with the Fire Charge on a block, the fire created may not render properly according to the block, making it seem to be floating fire.
 * If it travels out of the render distance it eventually stops in mid air. If this accumulates it can cause major lag in the surrounding area.
 * As of the 1.2 Preview Release, no sound is played when Fire Charges are shot.