How to make a rocket launcher in minecraft

"Firework" redirects here. For other uses, see Firework (disambiguation).

A firework rocket is an item (and entity) used for creating decorative explosions, boosting when flying with elytra, and loading into a crossbow as ammunition.

Obtaining[]

Fireworks can be obtained by crafting. In Java Edition, a firework with no explosion effect is available on the Creative inventory and can be crafted as shown below. In Bedrock Edition, fireworks with the different base colors or no explosion are available in the Creative inventory.

Crafting[]

Ingredients Crafting recipe Description

Paper + Gunpowder		When crafted this way (without a firework star), the rocket does not have explosion effects. The value of gunpowder affects the flight duration.
Any Firework Star + Paper + Gunpowder		Adding more gunpowder increases the duration of the rocket. Up to three gunpowder can be used. Up to five firework stars can also be used with three gunpowder. Up to seven firework stars can be used by using firework stars instead of additional gunpowder. All firework stars explode almost simultaneously when the rocket detonates.

Usage[]

Launching fireworks[]

To launch a firework rocket, use its item on a block. They can also be launched from dispensers and crossbows. If shot from a Multishot crossbow, then 3 rockets fire with the same effects.

Elytra[]

Using a firework rocket while flying with elytra propels the player in the direction they are facing. The duration of the speed boost depends on the flight duration of the rocket. If the rocket is equipped with a firework star of any kind, the player takes damage when it explodes.

Crossbow[]

A firework rocket can be used as ammunition for crossbows, although it deals damage only if it has an explosion effect. A higher flight duration gives the firework rocket a longer range, and more damage is added per firework star. The Piercing enchantment has no effect on firework rockets shot from a crossbow.

In Java Edition, if a firework rocket shot from a crossbow hits an entity, the rocket instantly explodes, no matter the flight duration. Attempting to do this in Bedrock Edition, however, results in the firework passing through the entity,[1] so the player must plan where to aim.

Behavior[]

See also: Firework Star § Effects

Once launched, fireworks fly out vertically, with random horizontal offset up to 5 blocks. In Bedrock and Java editions, fireworks can fly in any of the 6 directions a dispenser can point. After some time, the firework explodes into a colorful explosion based on the effects of the firework stars added upon crafting, or no explosion if no firework star was used. If multiple firework stars were added to the rocket upon crafting, they all explode simultaneously.

The explosion of a firework rocket deals damage to mobs and players that are within 5 blocks and not obstructed by solid blocks. The maximum damage of a rocket with one firework star is 7, with the damage decreasing with distance. Each additional firework star on the rocket adds 2 points of damage, for a maximum damage of 19 × 9.5 with 7 stars. Using commands to add additional firework stars results in more damage. The damage dealt is unaffected by any other ingredients used. The explosion does not destroy end crystals nor damage the Ender dragon, but does destroy armor stands.

There is a delay between the detonation and the player hearing the sound, emulating real fireworks, but this sound travels much more slowly than in the real world.[2][3] In Java Edition, the explosion of a firework can be seen 64 blocks away, regardless of its height. In Bedrock Edition, the explosion can be seen from your render distance.

If the explosion exceeds the (unmodded) particle limit of 16,384, the oldest particles are removed before displaying new ones, resulting in severely diminished firework quality / duration. At most a firework should have 3 trail stars, more than that could waste diamonds, firework stars, and other fireworks. Particle counts per star are:

Ball Type Plain Trail

Small	98	~1300
Large	387	4000+
Star	122	~1600
Creeper	266	~3500
Burst	72	~930

Twinkle effect adds 2 particles to the count.

Like most other entities, they can be moved by water and explosions, and teleported via portals. They also cannot move through solid surfaced blocks, upon hitting one, they either move to a side or explode based on the duration. If a firework explodes under a block, its explosion is flattened.

Duration and direction[]

Fireworks travel different heights based on the amount of gunpowder added. The number is displayed as a tag on the item's tooltip with the description of "Flight Duration".

The height it rises is between 8 and 20 blocks with 1 gunpowder, 18 to 34 blocks with 2 gunpowder, and 32 to 52 blocks with 3 gunpowder. (Note: Using command blocks, firework rockets with higher durations go higher and keep accelerating with virtually no terminal velocity. If the duration is long enough, the firework rocket could reach heights of over 1,000,000 blocks and speeds of over 10,000 m/s in a matter of minutes. Such fireworks with significant X and Z motions speed up sideways exponentially and reach outside the world boundary in a matter of seconds.‌[Java Edition only])

When spawned, fireworks have a vertical speed of .05 and a random small X and Z speed (random value near zero with a standard deviation of .001). Each firework also determines its lifetime in ticks by 10 × (number of gunpowder + 1) + random value from 0 to 5 + random value from 0 to 6, after which it explodes. Each tick, the firework accelerates horizontally by multiplying its X and Z velocities by 1.15, and vertically by adding a constant factor of .04.

Fireworks can be made to travel different directions by being dispensed or launched under flowing water. The firework's direction combines with the flow of the water to go diagonally.

Village Raids[]

After successfully defending a village from a Raid the villagers may celebrate by setting off firework rockets.

Boosting Elytra[]

Fireworks can be used to boost elytra when in flight. Normally, elytra can glide for a short distance, but with the use of fireworks, the player can fly a long distance, gain speed, and take off from the ground.

Simply using the firework rocket with elytra spread boosts the player in the direction the player faces. It can leave behind a trail sometimes.

Although fireworks with firework stars can be used, the player takes blast damage if they use it in flight.

There are four types of rockets, with three types of flight duration. Higher flight durations mean longer boosts. In Bedrock Edition, the fireworks obtained from the Creative menu have a flight duration of one, while in Java Edition, the rockets obtained in the creative menu do not have a flight duration.

Sounds[]

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

ItemIdentifierFormTranslation key

Firework Rocket	firework_rocket	Item	item.minecraft.firework_rocket

EntityIdentifierTranslation key

Firework Rocket	firework_rocket	entity.minecraft.firework_rocket

Bedrock Edition:

ItemIdentifierAlias ID Numeric ID FormTranslation key

Firework Rocket	firework_rocket	fireworks	519	Item	item.fireworks.name

EntityIdentifierNumeric ID Translation key

Firework Rocket	fireworks_rocket	72	entity.fireworks_rocket.name

Item data[]

Java Edition:

Main article: Player.dat format

• •  Fireworks: One of these may appear on a firework rocket.
    •  Explosions: List of compounds representing each explosion this firework causes.
      • : A firework explosion.
        • Tags common to all firework explosion effects
    •  Flight: Indicates the flight duration of the firework (equals the amount of gunpowder used in crafting the rocket). Can be anything from -128 to 127.

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Item format.

Entity data[]

Java Edition:

Main article: Entity format

• Entity data
  • Tags common to all entities
  • Tags common to all projectiles
  •  FireworksItem: The crafted firework rocket.
    •  Count: The item count, typically 1.
    •  id: The id of the item, should be minecraft:firework_rocket.
    •  tag: The tag tag.
      •  Fireworks: One of these may appear on a firework rocket.
        •  Explosions: List of compounds representing each explosion this firework causes.
          • : A firework explosion.
            • Tags common to all firework explosion effects
        •  Flight: Indicates the flight duration of the firework (equals the amount of gunpowder used in crafting the rocket). Can be anything from -128 to 127.
  •  Life: The number of ticks this fireworks rocket has been flying for.
  •  LifeTime: The number of ticks before this fireworks rocket explodes. This value is randomized when the firework is launched: ((Flight + 1) * 10 + random(0 to 5) + random(0 to 6))
  •  ShotAtAngle: 1 or 0 (true/false) - true if this firework was shot from a crossbow or dispenser.

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Entity format.

Advancements[]

Icon Advancement In-game description Parent Actual requirements (if different) Resource location

	Ol' Betsy	Shoot a crossbow	Adventure	—	adventure/ol_betsy
	Bullseye	Hit the bullseye of a Target block from at least 30 meters away	Take Aim	Be at least 30 blocks away horizontally when the center of a target is shot with a projectile by the player.	adventure/bullseye

History[]

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Firework Rocket" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

• Launching a rocket by hand on a wooden pressure plate activates it. The same doesn't hold for stone pressure plates, or for a dispenser placing a rocket onto a wooden pressure plate.
• New Years 2012 is what inspired Jeb to add fireworks.[4]
• If the player shoots a firework into a Nether portal, it explodes in the Nether.
• There are around 2×10136 distinct fireworks.

Gallery[]

• Jeb's first image of Fireworks, also showing that they can be shot from dispensers.

• An example of a flattened firework explosion.

• Creeper face shaped firework.

References[]

1. ↑ MCPE-52675
2. ↑ "However, no sound effects for fireworks yet... but everything's implemented, so they can be added without doing a new snapshot" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on Twitter, December 7, 2012
3. ↑ "Haha, @igblan , the speed of sound is 40 m/s, because the realistic speed of ~340 m/s didn't work well in Minecraft scale" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on Twitter, December 7, 2012
4. ↑ "@SPvs_TheWorld New Year's Eve" – @jeb_ (Jens Bergensten) on Twitter, December 7, 2012

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