Minecraft lightning rod guide: What you need to know

Minecraft lightning rod - a lightning rod on top of a house — (Image credit: Mojang)

Want to know how to craft a Minecraft lightning rod? The Minecraft Caves & Cliffs update is set to overhaul the underground world of Mojang's blocky sandbox later this year, and the first part of that update has added many new materials. One of those is Minecraft copper, which is pretty handy, as that's exactly what you'll need to craft a lightning rod.

But you might be wondering what the Minecraft lightning rod does and if it's worth you making one. Don't worry, I'm here to help: Here's what you need to know about the Minecraft lightning rod, including what they do and how to craft one.

Minecraft lightning rod - copper ore deep in an abandoned mine shaft — (Image credit: Mojang Studios)

How to make a Minecraft lightning rod

Thankfully, it's simple. The trickiest part is locating the copper, though you should be able to find it easily enough: Look for stone or deepslate blocks underground with green and orange flecks, as per the image above.

Once you've collected the copper, smelt it into ingots using a furnace—a Minecraft blast furnace will do it even faster. Now, take three copper ingots and place them in a vertical line in the middle of your crafting table and you're all set.

What does a lightning rod do in Minecraft?

Lighting rods can be placed on top of flammable structures to absorb any direct lightning strikes that may otherwise do damage to your base. And while it's unlikely your entire house would burn down because of a lightning strike (the accompanying rain usually puts out any fires that might start), it's better to be safe. But the lightning rod has another, much more interesting function.

A Minecraft lightning rod will emit a redstone signal when hit by lightning. This can also be triggered by a trident enchanted with Channeling during a thunderstorm. So if you're into making automated mechanisms in your blocky world, the Minecraft lightning rod is a handy tool.

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.