Understand Flame
Useful when…
- Adding fire damage to bow hits
- Igniting TNT with a flaming arrow
Arrow effect
Flame is a single-level enchantment for bows. Arrows are set alight when fired, ignite mobs they hit, and deal 5 HP of fire damage over five seconds, with the first second of fire damage ignored. This fire damage follows the initial arrow damage. Flaming arrows can also ignite TNT.
Practical limits
Water or rain turns flaming arrows into normal arrows. They ignite players, mobs, TNT, campfires, and candles, but do not set other blocks alight and do not produce light. Fire-immune Nether mobs other than piglins, piglin brutes, and hoglins are unaffected; the ender dragon, wither, and warden are immune as well.
Experience and investment
A creature killed by fire does not drop experience unless the player dealt it non-fire damage within the previous five seconds. If experience matters, land a non-fire hit within that window before a fire-only kill. The listed anvil multipliers are 2 for a book and 4 for an item; they concern anvil cost scaling, not Flame’s damage or duration.
Limitations and tradeoffs
- Adds fire damage and TNT ignition, but weather and water can cancel the arrow’s fire.
- Fire-only kills can forfeit experience unless preceded by recent non-fire damage.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Expecting arrows to remain flaming through water or rain.
- Expecting the arrow to ignite arbitrary blocks or light an area.
- Relying on fire alone for experience-bearing kills.