Don’t forget that Cannon Cart is one of the most underrated cards in Clash Royale…
Why You Should Use Cannon Cart
Cart is the biggest range damage dealer
A single shot from the cart does more damage than any single shot from a ranged unit. It’s like a mini pekka had a baby with an archer. A Miparcher. Okay, I left out Sparky, sparky is…special.
It’s medium health
Unlike the Wizard or the Dart Goblin, it has health that rings in around the Musketeer. NO WAIT IT HAS A SHIELD Losing the shield immobilizes it, but it keeps kicking, making it a great defensive unit.
It (sometimes) counts as a defense
It’s annoying to deal with the transition, because it’s difficult to manage. But that said, sometimes it distracts a hog, or a giant, or a golem at really clutch moments.
It cannot be ignored
Leaving one of these alone will cost you 90% of a tower. Don’t do it! In some ways this card really resembles the Elite Barbarians. Fast, high damage, and a really brutal punisher. Not the one with the sleeveless skull T-Shirt, the one with a cannon ….on wheels.
It’s basically a Dart Goblin with a helmet
If a Dart Goblin is an Elite spear goblin, then Cannon Cart is the Elite Dart Goblin. Only with a cooler helmet, because it has wheels.
It’s Spell Proof
Fireball, Lightning, Rocket, no matter what you cast, the Cannon Cart will survive with at least half-health, and get a few good shots in.
It’s a good counter-card
Dart Goblin chips things down and things and goes on to chip the tower. This can counter a knight, or valkyrie, or goblin gang and go one to wreck the tower.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Shield | 696 |
| HP | 696 |
| DPS | 169 |
| DMG Per Shot | 203 |
| Move Speed | Fast |
| Range | 5.5 |
When Do I take The Cannon Cart?
The cart kills things fast. It can act as an expensive chip damage, or a secondary win condition.
The frailness of ranged units can be a real issue, if you want to take the tower out, so it should probably not be the primary way you deal damage.
It should be the thing you use to counter things, but is also medium strong at chipping or wrecking a tower.
Cards That Do the Same Thing
| Card | Differences | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Musketeer | Half the health, costs 1 less, slower, and can target air | If you’re light on air-counters, musketeer is better. If you want to do slow build-up pushes, then pick our purple sharpshooter. Otherwise, the double, spell-proof health, coupled with the higher damage (but not DPS making even higher level goblins and guards 1 shots) makes the cart a better option. This is less true in Challenges/Tournaments, because there’s never a risk of level disadvantage. |
| Dart Goblin | Lower DPS, much lower health, while considerably cheaper, targets air, and outranges defense | Pick the dart goblin if you need more cycle power, or if you need an air defense. But Dartolomew’s abilities are limited by his vulnerability to every spell under the sun. You’ll play the two very similarly on defense though, tucked away in a pocket to avoid damage. Then they go on offense and Cannon cart demands an answer, but is more expensive, while Dart Goblin can be ignored or weakly answered. |
| Archers | Weak, air targeting, cheap, multiple unit that can be split | If you need an answer to Graveyard, the archers are better, if you need an answer to minions, archers are better. If you need an answer to bowler, or even baby dragon, prefer cannon cart. |
The cards Cannon Carts are Best at Killing Canno-A-Cardo
One and 2 elixir cards
I’ma lump them all together, because yes, it’s great at countering them all, except Bats, because it can’t target bats, dummy! You don’t get much of a positive trade, but it is better than playing a card without countering anything!
Absorb a spirit, or blow away goblins, it can do the job, just ask it.
The Knight (-2)
Tucked deep inside your base, the cannon balls will fester deep inside the knights belly until a full blown elixomorph bursts out, killing him dead and then eventually impregnating the whole crew until you break out what looks like some kind of forklift suit.
OR it kills the knight (even over-level ones) and goes to attack the enemy.
Dart Goblin(-2)
Eats a lot of the shield up, but if you play it with enough lead time to wake up, El Darto gets his face blown off an your enemy has to deal with the rest of the cannon.
Tombstone (-2)
This pain in the ass, it’s a good way to park your cart and stall for elixir. The cart moves very fast, and it can be a problem building a force with a cart.
Skeleton Army (-2)
The brittle bonehead brigade can do some real damage. But while not a perfect answer, the cannon cart is a good way to set up a counter push without suffering much damage. Park it back by the king tower, so it can gnaw off a bunch of the skeletons while your tower does the rest. Very little damage, and a cannon cart.
Goblin Gang(-2)
Cannon Carts cannonballs crush craving cowardly Goblins. Tuck back to set up a counter push, each blast will blow away a blaggard and the cart will go on to counter attack!
Goblin Barrel(-2)
Stashed by the tower, the cart can cannibalize …or cannonballize if you prefer, a goblin each shot. So pick the bottom outside (the towers always start on the king-side) and you can basically prevent everything but one stab. It’s a great way to set up a counter play, with a fairly healthy cannon cart.
Bandit(-2)
Not a great play, but it can keep her stabness from dealing any real damage to your tower.
It will leave your cart blocked on your side of the map, which buys you ten to twenty seconds, that’s all you get for your elixir waste!
Archers(-2)
Pinky and the Brain will shoot down the cannon cart’s shield if you use it as a distraction. But played so that they both shoot each other at the same time, you’ll end up with the tiny sliver of health that makes the cannon cart worth it.
He can’t ignore it or the last stand effect kicks on and chews up hundreds of tower-health.
Ice Wizard(-2)
Ichabod the Icicle is a cold bastard, but he really fails in the hurting people department, the cannon wins, and then shoots things, like Ichabod’s buddies.
Guards(-2)
Barry, Other Barry, and Ted really tend to last a while. Not against project Boom Pony. It’s like he was specifically designed to ruin them.
And they were just finally happy to see some play, after Pekka got popular.
Hog(-1)
This will cost you 1 or two hits on the tower. Bacon Bits will die a lot faster, and there aren’t many good ways to counter the cart for cheap.
This ends up being a positive trade.
Mini Pekka(-1)
If the mini is out front, tuck safely away to kill off the pekka before it hits the tower. If there’s more interesting things in play, use as a distraction and start adding things as needed.
Furnace(-1)
Kills, and does some chip damage. Wait until one of the burny balls is coming at you, or your cart will take advantage of the tower to face-dive one of the fire spirits.
Why you ask? Be….becuase okay?
Lumberjerk(-1)
Tuck deep.
Electro Wizard(-1)
Used as a distraction, the cart will win out, and then deal some chip damage (or at least force your opponent to spend more).
It’s not a huge win, but ALL HAIL OJ
Dark Prince(-1)
One of those leaky damage defenses, he’ll damage the tower, but you get a serious counter offensive.
Valkyrie(-1)
Basically a redheaded knight, but you win even better!
Baby Dragon(-1)
Wait until li’l Tim Tim walks into tower range, and use the PROJECT REDACTED as a distraction.
The cart can take a few hits, walk into shooting range and deal some real damage while the tower shoots the dragon to death.
Barbarians(=)
Tuck deep, and just let the tower do its work. It’ll keep you from suffering much at the burly blondie barbies.
Wizard(=)
Kills fast, and returns an attack, or at least defends for a few seconds longer.
Giant(=)
It won’t keep your tower damage free, but the Gargantuan Goon does a dozen less damage if injury is inserted into the insufferable ignoramus.
Executioner(=)
It’s a fairly even trade. Well placed you’ll get a sliver of health to kill his tower with.
Goblin Hut(=)
Killing goblins in 1 hit certainly has its advantages, but there’s not really a lot of call to kill Goblin Huts right now. Still, if it ever comes back you’ll know who to call. Ghost Busters!…. No? Anybody?
Bowler(=)
Wait till the tower locks on, then bombard the belligerent blue bumbus with ball after booming ball. Then, and only then, will splashyard learn its place.
Sparky(+1)
Sparky loves to go boom. But you see, sparky hates shields. Use the shield, and there’s not really any Sparky left.
Royal Giant(+1)
You’ll suffer some damage, but the DPS power of your cannon cohort will conserve a lot of HP and create a counter.
Giant Skeleton(+1)
Superlarry is pretty high on nitro, so he doesn’t notice when you lure him to the core of your base and two towers, a cannon and whatever else eat his face? That’s pretty freakin’ high. Don’t do drugs kids. You’ll end up a skeleton with a bomb.
Barbarian Hut(+2)
Cannons kill barbs pretty good. Cannons on wheels kill like, a bagrillion barbs. Don’t barb it. Don’t Barb it, man!
Pekka(+2)
Pekka doesn’t die fast, and the cannon cart will not get you there. BUT a cannon cart will get you there with a distraction. Even something like Skeletons, will be enough.
Mega Knight(+2)
Hey… see the gif below
Golem(+3)
It won’t kill a golem, but it shortens the life considerably, and can do a lot on the support troops.
Sometimes this is a “you’ll take one tower, but not get 3 crowns” type play. Better than losing!
Archetypes
Beatdown
Place the slow tank first. Project Pony Moves fast. Cannon Cart should be a defensive play, or the last step in your beatdown push.
Control
Let It Rip Cannon Cart is an excellent defensive play, that allows you a lot of powerful counter-attacks. This fits control decks who have room for pressure plays.
Don’t try to add it to my slow-moving Too Many Legendary Deck because the only card in that deck that plays nicely is the miner. The fast move speed is a drawback on defense. You want to use it in ways that can counter-attack quickly.
Tempo!
Known by its haters as the Bridge Spam playstyle, fast move-cards scream Tempo.
If it has more than Goblin’s health, it gets pretty deadly.
Just look at Elite Barbs. Cannon Cart can be spambused at the bridge. It will deal a thousand damage unless they defend well.
BOOM PONY is the perfect blend of control and Tempo playstyle. Powerful defense, must-answer counter-attack.
Siege
The heavy plink damage, and moderate tankiness make it a good card to either block for, or counter-and-return a lot of the things that might be used to kill your siege unit.
Synergies
Zap, Arrows, Log
urround attacks can shorten your projectile privilege. And a cheap spell can purge the plebeian pack.
Swarms
Heavy hitting counters like the Mini Pekka, Inferno Dragon, and Prince are deadly powerful monsters. “HEY LOOK OVER THERE” by wasting a serious attack, again and again, against skeletons and goblins, you can deal hundreds of extra damage to the Red King’s Tower.
Fireball and Lightning
All of the medium tanky units like the bowler are fairly good counters to the Cannon Cart. A musketeer that cannot target the cannon cart is a good way to drastically reduce the damage. A fireball, or lightning that strikes the tower can help salvage a cannon cart, or at least allow it to kill the unit in question and get some good chip damage.
Tanks
The cannon cart is best dealt with by breaking the shield and leaving it alone to die. A tank helps keep that from happening. Even a Knight or Ice Golem is sufficient.
Tempo Cards
Other fast-moving cards that help keep the pressure high can give you a pure-breed tempo deck, and if your opponent can never make a heavy play without suffering your wrath, it really cripples beatdown players.
Mortar
While it’s not easy to use with the X-Bow (their combination is 11 elixir) it is much easier to siege with the Mortar, and its ability to kill medium things makes it an excellent pairing.
Decks Utilizing Cannon Cart
Spazegamer777’s 20 Win Challenge Deck
My own Tempo Deck
And my own monstrosity
Minewolf20’s Tempo Deck
