In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Flint is an essential crafting material used primarily for starting fires. It's a versatile tool for cooking, navigating the environment, and solving puzzles.
The Core Mechanism: Striking for a Spark
To use Flint, you need to strike it with a metallic object to generate a spark. This spark can then ignite flammable materials nearby, creating a long-lasting flame if used near firewood. Each piece of Flint is a portable fire starter that breaks after one use.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use it:
- Identify a Target: Locate a flammable object. This could be a bundle of wood (for a campfire), dry grass, an ice block, or even a bomb.
- Drop the Flint: Open your inventory (by pressing the '+' button), navigate to the materials tab, select a piece of Flint, and choose "Hold." Then, drop it on the ground near your desired target.
- Equip a Metallic Weapon: Switch to a metallic weapon. This includes most swords, spears, and even some bows or shields. You can identify metallic items by their metallic sheen and often by their name (e.g., Soldier's Broadsword, Royal Claymore). Wooden or stone weapons will not work.
- Strike the Flint: While holding your metallic weapon, perform an attack that hits the dropped Flint. A simple swing will suffice.
- Observe the Flame: Upon impact, the Flint will create a spark, instantly igniting any nearby flammable material. The Flint piece will then disappear.
Practical Applications of Flint
Flint's ability to create fire makes it invaluable in various situations across Hyrule.
Lighting Campfires for Cooking and Rest
One of the most common uses for Flint is to light a campfire.
- Cooking: Drop a Wood Bundle, then drop Flint next to it and strike. The resulting campfire allows you to cook ingredients, creating meals and elixirs that restore health, stamina, or provide temporary buffs.
- Passing Time: Interact with a lit campfire to choose between "Morning," "Noon," or "Night," allowing Link to quickly advance time and wait for specific events or weather conditions.
Creating Updrafts and Environmental Effects
Flint can be used to manipulate the environment for exploration and combat.
- Generating Updrafts: When dry grass is ignited, it creates an updraft. Link can use his Paraglider to ride these updrafts, gaining significant height and allowing access to otherwise unreachable areas or simply traversing distances faster.
- Combat Advantage: Setting fire to grass around enemies can inflict continuous damage, create a distraction, or force them to move, giving Link a strategic advantage.
- Warming Up: In cold regions like the Hebra Mountains or Gerudo Highlands, starting a fire can provide warmth, preventing Link from taking cold damage.
Solving Puzzles and Melting Ice
Fire is often a key element in solving environmental puzzles.
- Melting Ice: Many shrines and open-world areas feature large blocks of ice that obstruct paths or hide treasures. Using Flint to light a fire near these ice blocks will cause them to melt, revealing secrets or clearing the way.
Detonating Bombs (Indirectly)
While not its primary use, the spark from Flint can also detonate remote bombs. If you drop a bomb near the Flint before striking it, the ensuing spark will set off the bomb. This can be useful for quickly clearing debris or damaging enemies if you're out of arrows for your bomb arrows.
Where to Find Flint
Flint is a relatively common material found throughout Hyrule.
- Ore Deposits: The most reliable way to acquire Flint is by mining ore deposits, which are grey, sparkly rocks found abundantly in caves, mountains, and along cliffsides. Strike these with a weapon (or use a Remote Bomb) to break them apart, and they will often drop Flint, along with other gems like Amber, Opal, or Ruby.
- Enemy Drops: Occasionally, certain enemies might drop Flint upon defeat.
Why Flint is Essential for Survival
Flint's utility extends beyond mere fire-starting; it's a fundamental tool for survival and progression in Breath of the Wild. It enables crucial activities like cooking for sustenance, provides warmth in harsh climates, aids in environmental navigation, and contributes to puzzle-solving, making it an indispensable item in Link's inventory.
Flint at a Glance
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Crafting Material |
| Primary Use | Starting Fires |
| Durability | Single Use (breaks after one spark) |
| Activation | Strike with a metallic weapon/object |
| Availability | Mined from ore deposits, enemy drops |
Learn more about Flint and other items on the Breath of the Wild Wiki.
