Overview
Actuators are mechanism items used to toggle the state of blocks when activated. Indeed, some blocks have two states, like the Stone Block (the Active Stone Blocks and the Inactive Stone Blocks).
Like Wires, Actuators are initially invisible. You can see them when you hold a mechanic item in your hand or if you own items like the Grand Design in your inventory.
You have many ways to interact with Actuators:
- You can remove them with a Wire Cutter or The Grand Design.
- You can toggle them without using wires using an Actuation Rod.
- The Presserator is an item allowing you to automatically place Actuators when you place blocks and have this accessory equipped in your inventory.
How to get Actuators
You can buy Actuators from the Mechanic for 10 Silver Coins a piece.
To get Actuators, you have to first defeat Skeletron to get access to the Dungeon, and then you can explore the Dungeon to find the Mechanic. Initially, she is attached. You just have to talk to her to untie her so that she can sell you her things and move into a home.
How to wire Actuators
To wire Actuators, you just have to place them on blocks and link them to any item like a Switch or a Lever to toggle their state.
You can also use them without wires if you use an Actuation Rod. You can craft an Actuation Rod using 50 Actuators, 10 Iron or Lead Bars, and 10 Wires. You craft it at an Anvil.
Best Actuator uses
The first thing you can use Actuators for is to avoid enemies coming into your structures while keeping great accessibility for you. For example, if you’ve made an AFK farm, instead of using a Door for the entrance which may be broken by enemies, you can use Actuators and Levers. Enemies can’t toggle Levers.
Then you can use them to build secret passages. You just have to place Actuators on blocks forming a passage, then you can place a Lever or a Switch at the entry of the passage to toggle their state.
You can also use them with blocks such as Teleporters or traps because they keep functioning even if they are inactive. It allows you for example to line up multiple inactive Dart Traps while preventing them from disturbing each other. It will make them shoot a line of darts which can be deadly if timed correctly.
Finally, you can use them to build monster farms. Indeed, enemies can spawn on active blocks. Then you just have to toggle the state of blocks to make enemies fall in lava for example, or any other kind of trap.
Other things to know
- As you can actuate any blocks, you can also actuate biome blocks such as Ebonite or Crimtane. Even actuated, they will still count for biome blocks. So if you want to reproduce biomes but prevent enemies from spawning, you can use Actuators to disable the blocks.
- Lihzahrd Bricks around the Jungle Temple can’t be actuated before defeating Plantera, preventing you from coming into the Jungle Temple pre-Plantera by deactivating blocks around.
- NPCs can spawn on inactive blocks, and then fall through. If you want to build an NPC trap, use inactive blocks!
- Actuated walls don’t count to make a house valid. Avoid using them on walls if you want to house NPCs.
For more guides or tutorials, be sure to see our other articles as DART TRAP: A GOOD TRAP TO DEFEND YOUR BASE IN TERRARIA or THE BEST TRAPS TO DESTROY YOUR ENEMIES.
