5 things players might not know about dispensers in Minecraft

Dispensers are fairly straightforward Minecraft blocks, but that doesn't mean they don't have a few nuances to be aware of.

Ordinarily, dispensers in Minecraft are used to supply items to players. After receiving a Redstone pulse, dispensers activate and expel the contents of their inventory piece by piece. This has led to their use in many different forms of Redstone machinery, such as automatic farms and vending machines.

Truly, there are tons of uses for dispensers regarding Redstone creations. However, a few facts about dispensers may not be readily apparent to players, even those who have worked with the block extensively.

---

Minecraft: Interesting info about dispensers that players may have missed

5) They generate in jungle temples

Jungle temples utilize dispensers for traps (Image via Mojang)

Although dispensers are largely player-made in Minecraft, they occasionally pop up naturally. For example, dispensers can be found within jungle temple structures. In this context, dispensers are used as part of the construction of traps along with tripwire hooks and pressure plates.

When an unsuspecting player triggers the necessary trap components, dispensers will fire arrows at the player from slightly obscured parts of the temple walls. By the rules of structure generation, players can expect to find two dispenser arrow traps in each jungle temple.

---

4) They can equip armor onto entities

An automatic equipment machine (Image via Cubfan135/Youtube)

Though it isn't always apparent, dispensers are capable of equipping Minecraft entities with weapons and armor. Entities include the player and mobs capable of equipping armor as well.

For example, dispensers can place armor onto mobs such as villagers, though the armor won't be visible on the villager by default.

All the same, the villager will take reduced damage from attacks and hazards as if it was wearing the armor. For Minecraft players, it's possible to place entire sets of weapons and armor into dispensers and immediately make them equippable at a moment's notice.

---

3) They can place carpets on tamed Llamas

Llama saddle designs can be changed with the addition of carpet blocks (Image via u/CopherSans/Reddit)

In Minecraft: Java Edition, it's possible to change the pattern of a tamed llama's saddle via a dispenser. Llamas possess a slot for a carpet block in their inventory that can be altered to change the llama's saddle design.

Normally, players could use the carpet on the llama directly, but this can be done automatically with a dispenser.

With a dispenser facing the tamed llama, all Minecraft players need to do is place an appropriate carpet block into the dispenser and activate it. Similar to equipping items to mobs, the change should initiate automatically without any direct player input.

---

2) It clicks in two different pitches

The difference in dispenser sounds is subtle, but noticeable (Image via Mojang)

Oddly enough, Mojang decided that the dispenser should utilize two different sound effects depending on the contents of its inventory in Minecraft.

When a dispenser pops an item out (except for an arrow or spawn egg), it makes a soft clicking sound to signify its activation.

However, when the dispenser's inventory is empty, it makes a higher pitch clicking sound to signify that there's nothing inside. It's a very subtle difference that players may not notice, but an interesting design choice that gives the dispenser a little more depth as a block.

---

1) It can collect water and lava

Dispensing water isn't the only function dispensers can serve with running fluid blocks (Image via Minecraft Forum)

While many players use dispensers to release water and lava, the reverse is possible too. If a dispenser has an empty bucket in its inventory and is activated adjacent to a water or lava source block, it can collect the fluid into its bucket and stop the flow of the liquid.

This makes dispensers excellent for creating flood and lava traps or clearing certain areas. For example, players can set up a dispenser while exploring underground to drain lava out of a particular cavern to inspect the blocks underneath for ores.