Overview
Flame turns every arrow you loose into a burning one, and it changes the bow from a damage tool into a damage-over-time tool. The burn continues after the hit, so a mob that survives the arrow keeps taking damage while you nock the next one — which against a group is worth more than a flat damage bonus, because several mobs burn simultaneously. It also has a set of uses that have nothing to do with fighting. A Flame bow lights TNT from a safe distance, lights campfires and candles across a room, sets a wooden structure alight, and detonates a creeper trap from outside the blast radius. Builders use it for lighting a run of campfires along a wall without walking the length of it. The limits are worth knowing: it does nothing to mobs already immune to fire, so blazes, magma cubes, ghasts and anything in the Nether that lives in lava shrug it off, and water extinguishes it instantly. It pairs happily with Power and Punch on the same bow, so there is no reason not to take it once the important enchantments are on.
Sustained damage against a group of mobs that all burn at once, and remote ignition — lighting TNT, a line of campfires or a creeper trap from a distance you would rather not walk.
Sets arrows on fire, adding burn damage on top of the impact. It also lights TNT and campfires from a distance.
The highest level of Flame is I, and it is the only one. It is standard, so it sits in the enchanting table's own offer pool.
It carries a weight of 2, which is roughly 10% of everything a table can roll for gear that takes it — so that is about how often you should expect to see it.
How to get it
Enchant a Bow at a table with 15 bookshelves, or apply a book; there is only 1 level. Weight 2 makes it a less common offer than Power at 10, so a librarian book is often the quicker route.
Tips
- Blazes, ghasts and magma cubes are fire-immune, so it contributes nothing to a Nether fortress fight.
- Use it to light a line of campfires or a TNT charge from outside the blast radius.
- It stacks with Power and Punch; there is no conflict on a bow.
- Burning mobs cook their own drops, which costs you leather and raw meat at a mob farm.
What each level does
Flame has a single level. Once it is on the item, more books of it change nothing.
Flame I burns the target for 5 seconds.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| I | arrows set the target on fire for 5 seconds |
Properties
An enchanting table can offer it directly, and a librarian villager will sell it as a book — rerolling a librarian's trade by breaking and replacing their lectern is the cheapest route to it.
- Maximum level
- I
- Type
- Standard
- From enchanting table
- Yes
- Villager trading
- Yes
- Weight
- 2 (10%)
What it can be applied to
Flame can be applied to Bow.
- Bow
Gear it goes on
How to get it
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
The level-30 slot at a fifteen-bookshelf table is where to look; a smaller ring means lower levels and a thinner offer pool.
Command
With cheats on, the first command applies Flame I to whatever you are holding; the second hands you an item that already has it. Since 1.20.5 the item form uses the "enchantments" component rather than the old NBT tag.
Apply it
/enchant @s minecraft:flame 1Give an enchanted item
/give @s bow[enchantments={levels:{"minecraft:flame":1}}]Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum level of Flame?
Flame I burns the target for 5 seconds.
How do you get Flame in Minecraft?
Enchanting table or an enchanted book.
What does Flame I do?
Flame I arrows set the target on fire for 5 seconds.
