Dispenser

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The Engineer with a fully upgraded Dispenser.
Need a dispenser here!
The Scout

The Dispenser also known as the Dispense-O-Matic 9000 Provisions Dispenser, is a building that can be constructed by an Engineer using the Build Tool. The team-colored device is a sort of gas station pump with various supplies inside and a CRT screen with a gauge.

While operational, a Dispenser provides an endless source of health and ammo to all nearby players on the owner's team, in addition to generating and supplying a limited but infinite supply of metal to any friendly Engineers. A single Dispenser can heal multiple players at once, lowering the burden of friendly Medics, especially if many teammates are on fire or there are more important classes to heal. Dispensers are also more effective at keeping weapons restocked than any ammo pickup, which reduces teammates' dependencies on them, resulting in Engineers having more metal to build and upgrade their buildings. However, Dispensers themselves are defenseless and take considerable effort to build up to full power. If a team can defend their Dispensers adequately, they form an anchor to the team's hold on an area.

Contents

Functionality

Dispensers can prove to be very valuable in supporting a team when used effectively. Teammates that have been ignited can put themselves out by simply standing near the Dispenser. In addition to being an alternative health source, Dispensers act as a portable ammo source as well. They can provide additional metal for other Engineers to use. Dispensers will also attract many teammates to one area which can help to better forward an attack, particularly if the team is scattered and ungrouped. However, it can also make the group an easy target for rocket splash damage or incoming grenades. A Dispenser will not hand over new weapons if the player modified their load out; a Resupply locker is required to do so.

The Dispenser costs 100 Metal to place, 200 Metal to upgrade to Level 2, and a further 200 to upgrade to Level 3. Each upgrade increases the Dispenser's health, as well as its outputs of ammo, metal, and health. While being constructed, a Dispenser's health will increase until reaching 150 upon completion. A newly built Dispenser contains 25 Metal and thereafter generates 40 Metal every 5 seconds unless upgraded. It can hold up to 400 Metal, as represented by a gauge on the front of the Dispenser. A Dispenser can be manually rotated to face a different direction before one builds it. When the blueprint is shown, using the alternate attack button (default key: MOUSE2) will rotate the blueprints 90 degrees counterclockwise per mouse click. A destroyed Dispenser (regardless of level) leaves behind 50 Metal (5 parts, 10 Metal each) that can be picked up as Metal or Ammo by all players, regardless of team affiliation.

Demonstration

Learn more about the Weapon Demonstration project.

Levels

TF2DISLVL1.png
TF2DISLVL2.png
TF2DISLVL3.png
Level Health Cost Generation
Health Ammo Metal Cloak
1

Lvl1dispenser.png

150 100 Metal 10/sec 20%/sec 40/5 sec 5%/sec (slower drain if cloaked)
2

Lvl2dispenser.png

180 300 Metal 15/sec 30%/sec 50/5 sec 10%/sec (no drain if cloaked)
3

Lvl3dispenser.png

216 500 Metal 20/sec 40%/sec 60/5 sec 15%/sec (slow regeneration if cloaked)

Related achievements

Leaderboard class demoman.png Demoman

The Argyle Sap
The Argyle Sap
Blow up an Engineer, his sentry gun, and his dispenser with a single Sticky bomb detonation.

Leaderboard class heavy.png Heavy

Factory Worker
Factory Worker
Kill 20 enemies while being recharged by a dispenser.

Leaderboard class engineer.png Engineer

(Not So) Lonely Are the Brave
(Not So) Lonely Are the Brave
Keep a Heavy healed with your dispenser while he gains five kills.


The Extinguished Gentleman
The Extinguished Gentleman
Have dispensers you built extinguish 20 burning players.
Drugstore Cowboy
Drugstore Cowboy
Have dispensers you created dispense a combined amount of 100,000 health over your career.


Doc Holiday
Doc Holiday
Have a dispenser heal three teammates at the same time.

Strategy

Main article: Engineer strategy

Update history

February 28, 2008 Patch
  • Changed Engineer buildings to detonate when a player disconnects instead of blinking out
  • Fixed Engineer being able to detonate buildings that are being sapped
  • Fixed potential client crash for players being healed by a Medic or Dispenser

April 2, 2008 Patch (Xbox)

  • Dispenser heal rate returned to normal.

April 29, 2008 Patch (Gold Rush Update)

  • Mapmakers can now place Engineer buildings directly into a map, with an option for them to be invulnerable

July 1, 2008 Patch

  • Fixed buffed health not decaying properly after being healed by a Dispenser.

December 11, 2008 Patch

  • The Engineer's Dispensers can now be upgraded to level three. It will give out metal and heal faster as it is upgraded.

December 7, 2009 Patch

  • Fixed Dispenser not healing players at the correct rate if it's upgraded while the players are already touching the Dispenser.

December 18, 2009 Patch

  • Fixed Spies being able to build Dispensers.

January 6, 2010 Patch

  • Fixed a rare server crash related to Dispensers.

August 3, 2011 Patch

  • Fixed a case where health overheal wasn't being applied when multiple healers were involved.

April 17, 2012 Patch

  • Fixed being able to place buildings in nobuild zones.
  • [Undocumented] Dispensers no longer maintain player overheal.
Dispenser Information.png

Bugs

Trivia


Look Max, free health, ammo, cupcakes, clues, and enlightenment! Oh wait, it's empty.
Sam on Curious Dispensers

Merchandise

Main article: Merchandise
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