Fire Tick
Use the brief hurt window after fire or poison damage as a possible chance to hold ground.
How the damage window works.
At normal server speed, burning ticks every 1 second, Poison I every 1.25 seconds, and Poison II every 0.60 seconds. Direct fire or lava contact is separate.
A fresh accepted hit opens a half-second window. Inside it, compare new incoming damage with the strongest incoming damage already accepted in that window:
- Equal or weaker: ignore the new damage.
- Stronger: apply only the difference: new damage − previous strongest damage.
Neither case restarts the timer. After it ends, a fresh hit can deal full damage again.
The order changes the damage.
Compare a 1 HP tick and a 7 HP sword hit inside the same half-second window. Example without armor.
Click here to use keys · Space: play / pause · → or .: step
Same attacks, different order.
Sword 7 → fire 1: the sword deals 7 HP. Fire is weaker, so that tick adds 0 HP, causes no armor wear, and starts no new window.
Fire 1 → sword 7: fire deals 1 HP, then the sword adds 7 − 1 = 6 HP. Total: 7 HP. These examples assume no armor; the comparison uses incoming damage before armor reduces health loss.
The stronger follow-up skips fresh base knockback, but sprint or enchanted knockback can still push you. Poison stops at half a heart.
If already burning near an edge, a tick may help you hold ground. Keep steering; treat it as backup insurance.
TRY THIS IN GAME: Compare both damage orders with a friend on the same server.
Mechanics & sources
Take this into your next fight.
Try the technique in-game, then come back when you’re ready.