The Exposed Lightning Rod is the second oxidation stage of the Lightning Rod, showing early signs of tarnish with faint green speckles beginning to form across its copper surface. Like its unoxidized counterpart, it serves as both a functional and decorative block, primarily used to redirect lightning strikes during thunderstorms and prevent fires in wooden structures. When struck by lightning, the Exposed Lightning Rod emits a redstone pulse of strength 15 for 0.4 seconds, allowing it to be used in redstone contraptions and weather-based mechanisms.

The Exposed Lightning Rod can be placed facing any direction, connecting to blocks on all sides, and is fully waterloggable. As it oxidizes further, its color deepens, progressing to the weathered and oxidized stages unless preserved with Honeycomb to create a Waxed Exposed Lightning Rod. Applying Honeycomb halts oxidation, while using an axe removes wax or reverts it to an earlier state. Lightning strikes or tridents enchanted with Channeling can also reset its oxidation stage.

With a hardness of 3 and blast resistance of 6, the Exposed Lightning Rod is durable and reliable. It diverts lightning within a 128-block radius in Java Edition (64 in Bedrock Edition), making it a vital tool for protecting structures while adding a visually dynamic element that evolves naturally over time.