Use the side Cannon for the burst and Cannon Tower to pressure a strong nearby enemy while you set up the angle. Dash occupies the back slot as an escape option. This loadout rewards clean firing windows more than driving directly at the target.
Build notes Cannon is the side-slot broadside module. FrontCannon and Cannon Tower are separate modules with separate upgrade trees; a named Cannon upgrade does not automatically upgrade all three.
Wanderburg build list: compare all 9 loadouts →Complete loadout and each piece’s job
Keep the core pieces first. Add support only when your vehicle offers the matching slot; crew and captain are separate selections.
CannonCore · sideIts active fires the broadside. Present your side to the target before using it.
Upgrade tree →
Cannon TowerSupport · topIts automatic attack targets the strongest nearby enemy while you position the side weapon.
Upgrade tree →
DashOptional escape · backLets you leave after firing if the forward path is clear. Keep the enemy outside that path.
Upgrade tree →Captain and crew
- Damage captain: Patchy The Pirate. Boosts your cannons but makes enemy cannons more dangerous. Avoid exchanging volleys at close range.
- Safer learning option: Norbert The Normal. Use while practising the broadside angle and reading enemy cannon fire.
- Damage crew: Canoneer Crew. Adds close-target cannon fire. Change to Carpenters if surviving repeated encounters is the limiting factor.
What to unlock first
Open Cannon Tower in the equipment screen and complete the requirement shown on its purchase option. Start with the side Cannon while the tower is locked. Top Mortar is a top-slot alternative; its active lands behind you, so use a retreating attack sequence instead of treating it like a forward-facing tower.
Key upgrades: what to pick and why
Use this as the direction for your draft. The alternatives below are choices to compare, not extra cards that must all fit into the same branch. Open a card for its exact target and tier details.
| Pick priority | Why it matters | When to choose the alternative |
|---|---|---|
| First special: Bonus Volley | Adds a volley to the active broadside. Choose it when you can keep targets inside the firing angle. | Star Spread Auto is the alternative for an automatic-fire plan and scattered enemies. |
| Control choice: Ice | Slowing active hits helps manage a target after the broadside. | Fire is the damage-over-time alternative. Choose one according to the role you need. |
| Finishing branch: After Explosion | Adds a delayed explosion to active projectiles. Works best when the enemy stays near the impact. | Bouncing Shot adds another shot on explosion and is the alternative coverage direction. |
Artifacts that make this build work better
The module core works before the full artifact package appears. Take a useful replacement when the named artifact is missing.
Sides Hourglass
Broadside uptimeSupports side-module cooldowns, matching the core weapon instead of unrelated slots.
Magma Core
Ground-impact follow-upCannonballs leave a fire crater when hitting the ground. Its value depends on where impacts land and whether enemies remain there.
Cluster Core
Kill-triggered wave clearDestroying an enemy vehicle with a cannonball creates a bullet-star explosion. This is a wave-clear reward, not an always-on boss damage effect.
Build order: opening, middle and finishing picks
- Opening: invest in Cannon and practise driving alongside targets. Confirm automatic shots connect before spending on more burst.
- Middle: select Bonus Volley for the active plan, then develop active damage and cooldown. Add Cannon Tower if unlocked; avoid dividing every pick equally between weapons.
- Finishing: select Ice or Fire according to the run, then a legendary explosion branch. Add cannon damage artifacts and enough movement to leave after the volley.
The combat rotation
- Approach on a wide line that places the enemy alongside your castle.
- Let it commit to its route, then fire the broadside through its position.
- Maintain the angle briefly if it is safe; keep moving through the follow-up impact window.
- Turn out of return fire and reset at range. Use Dash only after checking the path ahead.
How to play the boss fight
Use a flank and keep the boss in the side firing arc through Bonus Volley. Avoid circling so tightly that you collide or absorb a return volley. With Patchy, hostile cannon shots are especially costly. When the boss moves out of the delayed explosion, change the next firing window instead of assuming another damage upgrade fixes the miss.
If a key piece is missing
No Cannon Tower: use Top Mortar in the top slot and fire its rear volley after the broadside pass. No Golden Bullet: Iron Bullet or a side-module damage artifact supports the core. No Dash: maintain a wider turning lane and reserve boost.
Do not break the build this way
Cannon and Side Ballista share the side slot. Do not take arrow-only artifacts for the cannon engine. Do not mistake a kill-triggered Cluster Core explosion for guaranteed extra damage during a boss duel.
Patchy cannon variant: Front Cannon, Cannon Tower and rerolls
Choose Patchy The Pirate and Canoneer Crew, then use the side Cannon as the first damage engine. Add Front Cannon in the front slot and Cannon Tower at the top as the run develops. Choose a vehicle with those slots: Spiderburg has no side slot, so it cannot carry this broadside loadout.
Patchy gives your cannons 30% extra damage, but enemy cannons deal 25% extra damage in 0.9.10 and later. Cross an enemy firing line quickly and turn onto its flank; exchanging volleys head-on wastes the captain advantage. Keep a route away from the target before adding another weapon.
Upgrade Dice supplies three module-upgrade rerolls. Use them when a choice helps the cannon you are developing; it does not guarantee an all-cannon menu. Start with useful side Cannon cooldown and damage picks, then develop the tower automatic attack after adding it. Front Cannon remains a separate weapon with its own aiming and upgrades.
For the side Cannon active, After Explosion adds a delayed explosion; Bouncing Shot is the alternative branch. Cannon Tower Auto Attack Star Explosion belongs to the tower automatic attack, so it is a different selection rather than another effect of the side Cannon card. Match the upgrade name to the module before spending the pick.
Magma Core leaves fire craters at cannonball ground impacts, while Cluster Core needs an enemy vehicle destroyed by a cannonball to create its bullet-star explosion. Place shots where targets will remain and keep moving through the follow-up window. Against an isolated boss, rely on the actual cannon hits and ready abilities rather than waiting for a kill-triggered chain.