Gray Zapinator

**PC/Console/Mobile/tModLoader-Only Content**: This information applies *only* to the **PC**, **Console**, **Mobile**, and **tModLoader** versions of *Terraria*.Gray Zapinator*

Statistics

Projectile created* Zapinator
Sounds

* Internal Item ID: **4347**
* Internal Projectile ID: **876**

This article is about the pre-Hardmode magic weapon. For the Hardmode variant, see Orange Zapinator. For the Nintendo 3DSversion-exclusive magic weapon, see Zapinator.

The **Gray Zapinator** is a pre-Hardmode-only magic weapon purchased from the Traveling Merchant for 17. It is only available once the Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu, Queen Bee, or Skeletron has been defeated. Unlike the Zapinator, the Gray Zapinator does not autofire. Meteor armor's set bonus will reduce the mana cost of the Gray Zapinator (and Orange Zapinator) to 0, although the stated mana cost will not change.

The weapon fires a laser beam which behaves very erratically. Upon striking an enemy, the projectile slows down by 40%, decreases its current damage and knockback by 10%, and can choose from an assortment of special effects as described below. The laser beam will disappear after hitting eight enemies or after 60 seconds.

Its best modifier is **Mythical**.

## Special effects

Upon hitting an enemy, the beam can do any (and perhaps more than one) of the following things:

These effects are applied in the given order. While it is possible for a projectile to trigger all of them at once upon hitting an enemy, it is also possible that none of them are triggered.

## Notes

* The damage increase effect can also apply to critical hits.
* Because the Gray Zapinator gains effects on hit, following hits can give the same beam new effects, which can lead to stacked damage modifiers. This is why some beams can hit over 30000 damage.
* An enemy is only capable of being hit by the front of a fired beam, meaning if an enemy were to collide with the center or tail end of a slow moving beam, it would take no damage.
* The Gray Zapinator cannot be purchased after entering Hardmode, as the Traveling Merchant sells the Orange Zapinator instead.

## Tips

* The player should use caution when using the Gray Zapinator near the post-Golem Dungeon. The erratic nature of the shots may hit a Cultist, unintentionally summoning the Lunatic Cultist.
* The Gray Zapinator is extremely risky for use in the Underground Jungle, as its teleporting shots may break off-screen Larva and spawn the Queen Bee even when not inside a Bee Hive.
* It can be ideal for the Eater of Worlds boss fight because the projectiles do not disappear after hitting an enemy, allowing it to pierce multiple segments.
* The Gray Zapinator can be used together with the Meteor Armor's set bonus to make it require 0 mana per shot.

## Trivia

* The Zapinator's name and sprite resemble the NES Zapper, an electronic light gun accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
	+ The erratic behavior of the projectiles along with the tooltip, *'It might be broken'*, are most likely references to the fact that NES Zappers were inconsistent when used in their respective light gun games on the NES.
	+ Like the Zapper, the Zapinator has both gray and orange variants.
* Despite its low rarity, it can be a very effective weapon throughout pre-Hardmode, given the luck required to benefit from the projectiles' behavior.
* The Zapinator was first introduced on the Desktop-Release to instantly kill enemies for testing purposes, and it was removed with the 1.0.1 version. Later on, the item was added to the Nintendo 3DSversion. The Zapinator was re-introduced to the PC version, Console version, Mobile version, and tModLoader version as Gray Zapinator and Orange Zapinator in 1.4.0.1.

## History

PC version
* Desktop 1.4.0.2: Buy price increased from 15 to 17.

* Desktop 1.4.0.1: Introduced.

Console version
* Console 1.4.0.5.4.1: Introduced with changes up to Desktop 1.4.0.2.

Mobile version
* Mobile 1.4.0.5.0: Introduced with changes up to Desktop 1.4.0.2.

## References

1. ↑ Information taken from the PC 1.4.0.5 source code, method `Damage()` in `Terraria.Projectile.cs`. There may be inaccuracies, as the current  PC version is 1.4.4.9.
2. ↑ A tick is a time unit countable by the software. Most of *Terraria*'s updating logic happens every tick. A tick has the length of 1/60th of a second, hence there are 60 ticks in a second and 3600 ticks in a minute.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The teleportations will not take effect if the new location is within blocks and the projectile is incapable of moving through blocks.