RLCraft is one of the most challenging modpacks in Minecraft, created for players who want to experience a true survival adventure. There’s no room here for the calm, predictable beginnings typical of vanilla Minecraft. From the very start, the world is harsh and unforgiving — hunger, thirst, and extreme temperatures can end your life at any moment. To survive, you’ll need patience, awareness, and a bit of clever thinking.
One of the first surprises for new players is discovering that you can’t just punch a tree with your bare hands. Instead, you must go through a much more realistic process — starting by obtaining Flint Shards. This seemingly insignificant item is the foundation of all early progression in RLCraft. Without it, you can’t craft your first knife or even gather the wood needed to build a crafting table.
In RLCraft, the path to survival begins with a single shard of flint — a small step that marks the beginning of your struggle against one of Minecraft’s toughest worlds.
1. Find Some Gravel to Get Flint
The first step is to find Gravel — a grayish, silver block that can usually be found along the edges of rivers and lakes, on beaches, or inside caves. Approach the gravel and break it with your bare hands. Sometimes it will drop itself as a gravel block, but every few tries, you’ll get a piece of Flint instead.
If you have a lot of gravel blocks, you can place them back on the ground and break them again to increase your chances of getting flint. This simple but important step marks the true beginning of your survival in RLCraft.
2. Break the Flint to Get Flint Shards
The next step is to obtain Flint Shards, small fragments that you’ll use to craft your very first tools. You can’t create this item directly in your inventory — instead, you need to realistically break the flint against a hard surface.
Hold a piece of flint in your hand and find a solid block made of stone, cobblestone, or another hard material. Stand above that block and right-click on its top surface while holding the flint. You’ll hear a distinct cracking sound, and one or two Flint Shards will drop onto the ground.
Items You Can Craft Now
Flint Knife
This is the first and most important tool you’ll craft — the key to your early progression. It’s mainly used to cut tall grass, which drops plant fiber. Combine three pieces of fiber to make plant string, an essential material for other crafting recipes.
The knife deals very little damage, but it can serve as a makeshift weapon when you don’t have anything better to defend yourself with.
Crafting recipe:
- 1x Flint Shard
- 1x Stick
Flint Shovel
The shovel is a useful tool that allows you to dig through dirt, sand, and gravel. With it, you can clear land for building much faster or dig yourself a shelter when night falls.
Crafting recipe:
- 3x Flint Shard
- 1x Stick
- 1x String
Flint Hoe
The hoe is the foundation of farming in RLCraft, allowing you to prepare soil for crops. In this modpack, food is a major challenge — hunger can kill you just as easily as monsters. Creating your own farm makes survival much easier. Starting crop cultivation, planting seeds, and maintaining a stable food supply are all key steps to long-term success.
Crafting recipe:
- 2x Flint Shard
- 2x Stick
- 1x String
Flint Hatchet
The hatchet is your first real tool for chopping down trees. Without it, you won’t be able to gather wood, and without wood, you can’t build a crafting table or even a simple shelter.
Crafting recipe:
- 1x Flint Shard
- 1x Stick
- 1x String
Flint Pickaxe
The pickaxe is the first tool that allows you to mine stone and minerals. With it, you can collect ores and other essential resources that were previously out of your reach.
Crafting recipe:
- 4x Flint Shard
- 2x Stick
- 1x String
