Getting struck by lightning, even in Minecraft, is incredibly unlikely, but that doesn't mean that players shouldn't be prepared. The first part of the Caves and Cliffs update is here, and with it comes a ton of new content. This includes the new Copper Ore, new mobs to find like the Glow Squid, and even some new craftable items. The Lightning Rod is one such item, and players can use it to protect themselves, their homes, and even friendly Villagers and other players. For those wondering what it does, how exactly it works, and how to craft it, they are in the right place.
The Caves and Cliffs update was split into two parts. The first part that is available now adds all of the new blocks, mobs, and other content into the game. Sometime in 2022, Minecraft will receive a complete overhaul to its world generation, making the titular caves and cliffs more cohesive. It won't stop there, however, as everything should make a bit more sense after this second update.
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To get a lightning rod, players will need to find and harvest some Copper Ore. This is a new resource in Minecraft, and it can be found and smelted in exactly the same way as Iron Ore. After smelting this ore down and receiving Copper Ingots, players need to stack three Copper Ingots on top of one another in a crafting table in order to make a Lightning Rod. Now find somewhere high up and out of the way and place this new item down.
Whenever lightning strikes within range of the Lightning Rod, it will be redirected and hit the rod instead of its intended target. In the Java Edition, this range is 32×4×32 blocks, but it is actually much bigger in the Bedrock version of the game. Any lightning that strikes within a range of 64x64x64 blocks will be redirected to the Lightning Rod in this version. Aside from looking cool, there are a few reasons that players might want to do this. For starters, lightning can strike structures and cause fires for unlucky players, but it also has a chance to hit the player, a villager, or even overcharge a Creeper.
Finally, players may also be interested to know that there is a new achievement associated with the Lightning Rod. To get the Surge Protector achievement, players must "Protect a villager from an undesired shock without starting a fire." In gameplay terms, this simply means redirecting a lightning strike that would have struck close to a villager.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.