Paintball Gun
Overview
The Paintball Gun is a DLC-exclusive, craftable ranged weapon introduced with the Artist Pack in RUST. First seen during development around the Naval Update, it is a functional firearm that blends novelty, utility, and experimentation in combat and creativity.
While visually inspired by the Custom SMG, the Paintball Gun is mechanically distinct. It fires Paintballs rather than conventional ammunition and interacts uniquely with the Paintball Overalls, allowing it to function as either a low-damage novelty weapon or a more lethal tool depending on equipment interactions.
How to Acquire the Paintball Gun
- Crafting: Once the DLC is unlocked, it can be crafted when standing near workbenches.
- Loot Sources: Does not appear in loot tables.
- Research: Cannot be learned via Research Tables.
- Purchase: Cannot be bought in-game from NPC vendors or player shops.
- Console Access: Spawnable via F1 console on servers with appropriate permissions.
Crafting Details
- Workbench Requirement: Level 1
- Crafting Cost: 15 High Quality Metal, 1 SMG Body, 2 Metal Spring
- Blueprint: Automatically unlocked with DLC
- Stack Size: 30
Usage & Functionality
Weapon Behavior
- Fire Type: Automatic
- Ammo Type: Paintballs (color-selectable)
- Firing Weapon: Press the Left Mouse Button
- Using the Sight: Press the Right Mouse Button
- Reload: Press the R Key.
- Switch Paintball Color: Press and Hold the R Key.
The Paintball Gun can behave as either less-lethal or lethal, depending on the target equipment:
- Against players NOT wearing Paintball Overalls:
- Deals minimal damage (~0.25 per hit), making it largely non-lethal.
- Against players wearing Paintball Overalls:
- Deals significantly higher damage (≈9 per hit), allowing for viable PvP scenarios.
This inversion makes the Paintball Gun intentionally situational and experimental rather than conventionally balanced. It’s important to note that the Paintballs do aggro and damage NPCs in either scenario.
Paint & Color System
In addition to dealing damage, the Paintball Gun applies paint to whatever it hits:
- Paintable Targets:
- Players
- Deployables
- World surfaces
- Available Colors:
- Blue
- Yellow
- Orange
- Green
- Purple
Paintball splatter will remain visible for exactly 60 seconds on world surfaces, other than water. When the Paintballs hit water, they will create a splash that is the same color as the Paintballs used.
When shooting a player wearing Paintball Overalls, the overalls themselves are also recolored to match the selected Paintball color.
Strategic Value
The Paintball Gun occupies a unique niche in RUST’s sandbox:
- Event & Minigame Tool: Ideal for player-run arenas, games, and non-lethal competitions.
- Creative Expression: Allows players to color-code bases, mark areas, or create visual chaos.
- Conditional PvP: Lethality depends on both the shooter and target using Paintball Overalls.
- Psychological & Social Play: Confusion, humor, and intimidation through color and noise.
- Roleplay Servers: Can be used as a policing, tagging, or non-lethal enforcement tool.
