Martino, anyone here that is using a rod is doing so for the practice, and for fun. I always have a Bic in my kit but for now, I always start a fire with a rod beacuse it's fun. But, in doing so I get practice and I learn what works and what doesn't. My next goal is to consistently get a coal with bow and drill, but I'm not nearly there yet. Which leads me to the my answer to TKM.
I've never had to start a fire in an emergency but I have started a fire in the pouring rain, in snow and in the dark using only a rod. The key is in your materials. Depending on where you are, and the season, learn what materials are readily available to you.
Have everything prepared ready to go before you begin.
If it's wet or cold, always use a base to isolate your tinder from the ground. In the Northeast U.S., for tinder, It's Paper Birch year-round, Cattail heads late summer to winter, Milkweed seedpods in the early summer, winter you can use dry grasses, etc. In the southern U.S. and wherever Mistwalker and Pitdog live
it's fatwood (anywhere rich in pines.) In the desert everything is dry anyway. I try to mix very fine stuff with some course stuff and that generally works for me.
For kindling you have to get to the dry wood which lies in the center of even the wettest (non-rotten) wood. Baton or split down to pencil sized pieces and have some of those down too. That would be stage two and three.
After that use thumb size, wrist size, forearm size, etc. By that time you can throw wet wood on being sure not to smother your fire.
Practice = fun = learning = confidence = more fun
