Stormshot Rifle

Quickstart

1. Craft the Stormshot Rifle using the recipe below.
2. Hold it in your hand and use the "attack/use" action (right-click or the equivalent trigger action) while aiming at a target.
3. Watch as three lightning bolts fan out in a tight spread toward whatever you're aiming at.
4. Wait out the short recharge before firing again — the item will let you know when it's still recharging.

Overview

The Stormshot Rifle is a rare, single-handed ranged weapon that channels storm energy into deadly bolts of lightning. Instead of a single arrow or bullet, each pull of the trigger unleashes a three-bolt volley, giving you a wider chance to hit and punish your target with damage, a stunning jolt, and a knockback.

It behaves like a bow: aim, hold, and release to fire, with a brief windup before the shot goes out and a recharge period after.

What It Adds

• Stormshot Rifle — a rare ranged weapon with 250 durability, glowing enchant-like glint, and bow-style aiming and firing.

How To Use

• Equip the Stormshot Rifle in your hand.
• Aim using your normal look controls, then use the item's fire action (holding it briefly charges the shot, similar to drawing a bow).
• Releasing fires three lightning bolts at once in a tight horizontal spread — the center bolt flies true to your aim, while the two side bolts fan out slightly.
• Each bolt that connects with a target:
  • Deals heavy bonus damage on impact.
  • Applies a brief slowing "stun" effect, making the target sluggish for a moment.
  • Delivers a knockback jolt, pushing the target back and up slightly.
  • Triggers a lightning strike effect at the impact point (with matching thunder sound and electric spark visuals), unless the target is a creeper — creepers are protected from turning into charged creepers and from terrain-altering strikes, so they'll just feel the thunder and take the hit without a true bolt strike.
• After firing, the rifle needs a short recharge (about 1.5 seconds) before it can be used again. If you try to fire too soon, an on-screen message will let you know the rifle is still recharging.
• The rifle uses a cooldown category, so trying to spam it repeatedly won't work — pace your shots for the best effect against fast or dangerous enemies.

Crafting And Obtaining

The Stormshot Rifle is crafted at a crafting table using copper ingots, a diamond, iron ingots, and a stick.

Abilities And Mechanics

• Multishot Volley: Every use fires three lightning bolts simultaneously in a fan pattern, increasing your chance to land a hit and letting you tag multiple close-together enemies at once.
• Snipe Damage: Bolts carry a heavy bonus damage payload on top of any lightning strike damage.
• Stun: Successful hits inflict a short slowness effect on the target, buying you time to reposition or follow up.
• Knockback: Hits shove enemies backward and slightly upward, helping create distance or interrupt an attack.
• Durability and Repair: The rifle has 250 max durability and has a chance to lose durability with each shot. Repair it using iron ingots (strong repair) or amethyst shards (moderate repair).
• Enchanting: The rifle can be enchanted like a bow, so you can boost it further with compatible enchantments.

Progression And Strategy

• Treat the Stormshot Rifle as a mid-to-late-game ranged option: it requires a diamond and several metal ingots to craft, and rewards careful, spaced-out shots rather than spam-fire.
• Use the multishot spread to your advantage against groups of weaker enemies or when precision aiming is difficult, since the side bolts can still connect even if your aim drifts slightly.
• Because the rifle spares creepers from true lightning strikes, it's a safer choice than vanilla lightning-based methods when creepers are nearby — you won't accidentally create a charged creeper.
• Keep iron ingots or amethyst shards on hand to repair the rifle between fights, since its durability depletes gradually with use.