Lightning Rod

For the artifact in Minecraft Dungeons, see MCD:Lightning Rod.

Lightning Rod

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	6
Hardness	3
Luminant	No
Transparent	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

A lightning rod is a block used to divert lightning strikes.

Obtaining

Breaking

A lightning rod must be mined with a stone pickaxe or better, or else it drops nothing.

Block	Lightning Rod
Hardness	3
Tool
Breaking time
Default	15
Wooden	7.5
Stone	1.15
Iron	0.75
Diamond	0.6
Netherite	0.5
Golden	1.25

Crafting

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Copper Ingot

Usage

Lightning rods can be oriented in different directions. Lightning rods redirect lightning strikes within a spherical volume having a radius of 128 blocks in Java Edition and 64 blocks in Bedrock Edition. The block emits particles during thunderstorms as an indicator. Lightning rods do not divert the lightning created by a trident enchanted with Channeling thrown at an entity during a thunderstorm, or the lightning summoned by commands.

Unlike in real life, a lightning rod doesn't require a direct connection to ground in order to work.

Diverted lightning strikes cannot summon skeleton trap horses.

A lightning rod emits a redstone signal for 8 game ticks when struck by lightning. A trident with Channeling can be thrown at a lightning rod to create lightning, which also emits a redstone signal. It is recommended to enchant your trident with Loyalty first, because if not, you will not get your trident back.

Lightning diverted by a lightning rod can still start fires on flammable blocks and inflict lightning damage on mobs within a 5×5 horizontal area centred on the lightning rod. The lightning rod must be mounted on a flammable block for adjacent blocks to ignite.

Sounds

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.copper.break	subtitles.block.generic.break	?	?	?
	None	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.copper.fall	None	?	?	?
	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.copper.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit	?	?	?
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.copper.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	?	?	?
	Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	block.copper.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	?	?	?

Bedrock Edition:^{[more information needed]}

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Lightning Rod	lightning_rod	Block & Item	block.minecraft.lightning_rod

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID	Translation key
Lightning Rod	lightning_rod	567	Block & Giveable Item	Identical	tile.lightning_rod.name

Block states

See also: Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
facing	up	up down north south east west	The direction that the lightning rod is facing, determined by its anchoring.
powered	false	false true	Whether or not the lightning rod is powered.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
facing_direction	Not Supported	0	0 1 2 3 4 5	Unsupported	The direction the lightning rod faces. 0: Down 1: Up 2: North 3: South 4: West 5: East

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Parent	Actual requirements (if different)	Resource location
	Surge Protector	Protect a villager from an undesired shock without starting a fire	Adventure	Be within 30 blocks of a lightning strike that doesn't set any blocks on fire, while an unharmed villager is within or up to six blocks above a 30×30×30 volume centered on the lightning strike.	adventure/lightning_rod_with_villager_no_fire

History

October 3, 2020					Lightning rods are revealed at Minecraft Live 2020.
					Inventory model was different.
October 20, 2020					LadyAgnes shows a lightning rod can be placed in different positions, and can emit a redstone signal.
Java Edition
1.17		20w45a			Added lightning rods.
		20w46a			The texture of lightning rods has been changed to match copper blocks.
					The range of lightning rods has been increased from 16 blocks to 32 blocks.
		21w05a			Lightning rods are now shaded properly.
		21w10a			Changelog states they can now be waterlogged, though this is not the case.
		21w11a			When lightning strikes, the lightning rod turns white due to its new blockstate, powered.
					Lightning rods can now be waterlogged.
					Lightning emits particles during thunderstorms as an indicator.
		21w13a			The model of the lightning rod has been changed that the underside texture is corrected.
Bedrock Edition
Caves & Cliffs (experimental)		beta 1.16.210.57			Added lightning rods under the Caves and Cliffs experimental gameplay toggle.
					It also has a broken texture in the inventory.
		beta 1.16.220.52			Lightning rods can now be waterlogged.
					Now emits particles when in contact with rain.
1.17.0		beta 1.17.0.50			Blocks connected to a Lightning Rod now correctly conduct redstone signal when the rod is hit by lightning.
		beta 1.17.0.52			Lightning Rods are no longer available only through Experimental Gameplay.

Gallery

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  Range testing in Java 1.17.1. Glowstone marks where lightning struck.

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  Range testing in Bedrock 1.17.34, simulation distance 12. Sea lanterns mark lightning strikes.

Issues

Issues relating to "Lightning Rod" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

• According to Minecraft Live 2020, Ulraf had the idea of lightning rods when a lightning strike burned down his wooden house.
• In Minecraft Dungeons, there are lightning rod blocks as well. These generate on the roof of the Woodland Mansion Ancient Hunt to charge creepers.
• If /item replace is used to place a lightning rod on a player's head, the item appears upside-down and to the right of their head, somewhat resembling a robot's antenna.‌^{[Java Edition only]}

References

Redstone

View at: Template:Redstone/content [edit]