Minecraft is a sandbox game with an extremely high degree of freedom, allowing players to explore and create freely within a vast blocky world. Although there are hundreds of blocks with different functions in the game, do you know which one is the smartest? I believe many veteran players already know—that’s right, it’s the Dispenser. What exactly makes this block, known as the smartest in the blocky world, so intelligent? Let’s take a look together.
Obtaining
The Dispenser is a smart block that can be activated by a redstone signal. From the front, it looks like a human face with a wide-open mouth, quite cute.
We can craft it on a Crafting Table using Cobblestone, a Bow, and Redstone Dust. Additionally, Dispensers can also be found in rare Jungle Temples.
Function
A Dispenser can be activated by a redstone signal, then randomly ejects one of the items inside. Why is the Dispenser considered the smartest item in the game? That’s because its effect depends on the item inside it, and different items produce different effects when dispensed.
If the items inside the Dispenser are Armor, Shields, or Elytra, and there are players, villagers, Armor Stands, zombies, or other mobs in the direction the Dispenser is facing, the Dispenser will equip them with the items. So, when you see a zombie in full diamond armor, don’t get too excited right away—it might be man-made.
If the item inside the Dispenser is an Empty Bucket, and there is water or lava in front of it, the Dispenser will eject the bucket, collect the liquid, and then return the filled bucket to the Dispenser—very smart. But if there is no water or lava in front, the Dispenser will simply eject an empty bucket.
If the items inside the Dispenser are Snowballs, Bottles o’ Enchanting, Throwable Potions, etc., then the distance they are dispensed matches the distance a player would throw them. It can also increase the throw distance for Lingering Potions and Splash Potions. Using it to duel with a witch would be pretty satisfying, wouldn’t it?
The Dispenser can also help us shear sheep. If the Dispenser contains Shears, it will eject the Shears to shear wool from a sheep in front of it, and then retrieve the Shears afterward. In version 1.14, the Dispenser became even smarter: if there is no shearable creature in front of it, it won’t eject the Shears. We can use this mechanic to build a fully automatic sheep shearing machine, which is very convenient.
