Tutorials TNT cannons

Info

General

Note: these (as the whole article) talk mostly about the classical TNT cannons that work by shooting TNT by using other TNT blocks as charge. As of 1.8 it is also possible to build a TNT cannon that works with pistons and slime blocks.

Videos

Main components

• Body, or housing
• Wiring
  • Charge wiring
    • Condensing charge wiring
  • Shot wiring
  • Other wiring
• Explosives
  • Charge
  • Condensing charge
  • Shot
• Explosion housing
• Mounting block

Basic concepts

• TNT cannons operate on the principle that when TNT explodes in water it will not destroy blocks, but will still launch entities, including TNT that was already ignited, which is usually done with redstone (the charge is usually ignited immediately, then after a delay the shot is released).
• The shot is the ammunition; it can be a player, a mob, a piece of TNT, arrows, sand/gravel or anvils.
• If raiding, make sure (unless you are using a hybrid TNT cannon) that the shot does not land in water.
• The charge is an amount of TNT used to propel the shot.
• The charge (if you are just playing or testing) should land (TNT will fall when activated) and explode in water, otherwise the explosion will destroy nearby scenery and damage nearby mobs.
• To properly fire an active shot (and avoid destroying your cannon), you need to be sure that your charge activates before the shot is activated. Since the charge is housed in water it will not destroy your cannon, but the shot is not housed in water when activated, so it will destroy nearby blocks and injure nearby mobs.
• Redstone is used to activate every charge TNT simultaneously with the exception of compressor charges, which are discussed in the appropriate section.
• For maximum range, you want there to be an about 30 degree trajectory but with the least possible amount of matter (blocks) in between the charge and the shot, that way more of the charge`s explosion reaches the shot.
• So it`s best for TNT cannons to be elevated off the ground depending on the wanted range of the cannon.
• For shooting arrows, sand/gravel, anvils, or mobs, a piston might be needed to drop the said ammunition.

Here is a video tutorial showing a basic TNT cannon:

Naming standards

There are 2 types of cannon names: The "common name" gives a picture of what the cannon can do and how easy it is to build. The "technical name" gives the specifics of the cannon, like how much delay the redstone repeaters have.

Common names

The common name of a TNT cannon is a short numerical description followed by the cannon`s nickname. It is useful for comparison of two cannons and gives the reader an idea of what the cannon can do at a glance.

The common name of a cannon consists of five parts: the damage value (DV), the ergonomic value (EV), the TNT amount (TA), the maximum range (MR), and the nickname. They appear in this order:

.:.

Example: 40.86:8.104 Basic.

Damage value

Damage values show how "good" a cannon is, the higher the value, the better it is. It is calculated as the average of three values: accuracy, power and speed.

The accuracy value is calculated from the accuracy input, which is the average of the distances from the explosions generated from the shots to the average of their positions.

In the image to the right, the accuracy input is the average of the lengths of the blue lines. The red dot is the average of the positions of the explosions, and an endpoint of each of the blue lines, the others being the explosions. The accuracy value equation is (45-A)*2, where "A" is the accuracy input.

The power value is the number of TNT in the shot times ten.

The speed input is the distance between the front of the cannon to the average position of the centers of the explosions. The speed value equation is S/5, where "S" is the speed input.

The damage value is calculated using this equation: (((45 - A)*2) + (P*10) + (S/5)) / 3.

Ergonomic value

Ergonomic value tells how hard a cannon is to build, higher values signifying easier build. It is the average of the construction, redstone, and TNT values.

The construction input is an estimate of the number of blocks in the cannon, excluding fire, water, air, and TNT. The construction value is (1000 - B)/10, assuming "B" is the construction input.

The redstone value is ten minus an estimate from one to ten of the complexity of the redstone, times ten; (10-R)*10, where "R" is the estimate.

The TNT value is (50 - T) * 2, and "T" is the number of TNT needed to operate the cannon at maximum capacity.

The whole equation to calculate the EV is ((1000 - B)/10 + ((10 - R)*10) + ((50 - T)*2)) / 3.

Other

TNT amount, maximum range, and nickname are pretty self-explanatory, but to clarify, the TA is the same as the TNT value of the EV, and the MR is the distance from the front of the cannon to the farthest explosion.

The nickname is whatever you name it, assuming it`s not profane, and nobody else has already named a similar cannon.

This is how the 40.86:8.104 Basic cannon was named.

Damage value = (((45 - 0)*2) + (1*10) + (104/5)) / 3 = 40 Ergonomic value = ((1000 - 50)/10 + ((10 - 2)*10) + ((50 - 8)*2)) / 3 = 86 40.80:8.104 Basic 

Technical names

A cannon`s technical name should give its readers a complete picture of its function, use, and method of operation. While it is impossible to anticipate every innovation in TNT cannon technologies, most cannons will benefit from using these standards in their technical names.

• The first number in a technical TNT cannon name designates how many vertical rows of TNT it has for the charge. The example cannon has 1.
• The next number is the amount of shot TNT. Again, the example cannon has 1.
• Next, the number designates how many charge blocks of TNT the cannon has.
• If there is a TNT condensation system, after you wrote the charge number, write a decimal point, then the amount of condensation charge TNT. If there is no such TNT, write 0 instead.
• After that, you list how many repeaters there are, and how much they are set to. E.g. If you have 10 repeaters set to 4 (which is the maximum setting), you would list R4.10. If there are no repeaters, you would write an M for manual.
• The mounting block is designated by a code: 0 or 1 for no block, 2 for full block, 3 for slab, 4 for ladder, glass pane, or iron bar, 5 for trapdoor, 6 for fence post and pressure plate, 7 for piston.
• If the cannon does something special, like shoot vertically, or does a spread shot, write that after the mounting block code.
• Then, of course, the nickname of the cannon goes here.

The featured TNT cannon above would be named 114.0R4.4M2.

Survival mode

As discussed in basic concepts, there are many parts of a TNT cannon. This section will show you what you need to build them.

1. Body

• Consider using a common material, such as cobblestone.
  • In SMP, when firing against another cannon, try to use materials with higher blast resistance. (For more on TNT cannon defenses, look below)
• Another factor is visibility, which is one commonly overlooked. When making a cannon out of obsidian, it is hard to see redstone, and that can lead to fatal errors. On the other end, when setting up an ambush in the jungle, it is best not to make your cannon out of orange wool or lapis.

2. Wiring

• There are two main sets of wiring in a cannon, the charge wiring which activates the charge, and the shot wiring that activates the shot.
  • Without any repeaters, which can be hard to get, a cannon is designated as manual, with 2 redstone power sources/blocks, such as buttons. For a manual cannon, the materials are simple, just a redstone wire that connects the charge to a redstone emitting item, and a wire that connects the shot to a redstone power source. Be that as it may, this requires skill so as not to misfire, you must know when to activate each button.
  • With repeaters it is a different story. The maximum amount of time between the charge activating and the shot activating is ten repeaters set to 4. That will also bring you maximum range, will only require one redstone power source, and will require no skill to fire correctly.

3. Mounting block

• Mounting blocks (described below) are only certain special blocks.

4. Explosion housing

• Unless it`s a dry cannon, this must be water For lava (in the latter case, only source blocks). The liquid prevents the cannon and any other surrounding blocks from being destroyed.

Creative mode

In creative mode, there is no reason to build a TNT cannon for warfare, but is the optimal mode for testing and developing cannons.

Factions

In factions raiding with TNT cannons is the most common way of getting into a base. There are two main methods. The first(on servers where enabled) is to airburst. This only works on obsidian with water outside. The cannon shot must have a delay so the explosion reaches the obsidian but the primed TNT must not be in the water. These cannons will not work on other walls. The other method is with hybrid cannons which are explained below. The basic hybrid is one of the most commonly used raiding cannons.

Limitations, and ways to possibly get around them

The five big, main limits to TNT cannon engineering are:

1. That no matter what you do, a TNT will explode approximately 4 seconds or 8 flashes after being primed. The way to sidestep this is to make the TNT fly faster, but that leads us to limit 2.
2. Minecraft can only take so much, and entities A player standing in front of a large group of entities The hitboxes of several entities. Note the blue line which points to the direction the entity is "facing." Entities encompass all dynamic, moving objects flying at escape velocity around your Minecraft world can cause it to crash. Another thing that can cause crashes of your Minecraft is large amounts of impulse charges detonating in unison. With the allotted 1.5 GBGigaByte of RAM, the max TNT is about 500. The way to possibly sidestep is to increase the RAMRandom access memory allowed for Minecraft, although that is not recommended for lower end computers.
3. TNT has a 7 block detonation radius, so just making a large cannon is a waste of time. Beyond 9 charges, the TNT is wasted. Be that as it may, this can be sidestepped by either adding more vertical rows of charge to your cannon, adding a charge condensing system to your cannon, or a combination of them both.
4. TNT flows with the water while in it. This can be good or bad, depending on the situation. The way to sidestep this is to use water source blocks, and don`t place any TNT inside it.
5. If you make a vertical cannon too powerful, it will fly up too fast and high meaning it will crash your game. This can be sidestepped by decreasing the power of said cannon, or making it semi-vertical. That way you can go up and sideways.

Cannon sizes and special features

An example of a super large cannon

The default definition of cannon size is how many TNT are in the shot or how far it fires. If you are talking about compact cannons, you might be talking about literally the size of the cannon (e.g. how much space it takes up) or if you are talking about cannons meant for mass destruction, you might be talking about the size of the shot. But usually, people mean charge mass.

A small cannon, such as a 112.0MM3 cannon, only has a very small range, and is meant for stopping large amounts of rushing players or mobs.

A medium cannon, such as the 116.0R4.6M2 is meant for setting up as a first line sieger, to be set up and aimed at a target such as supplies or a wall while one has arrow cover, or to be set up as an anti-archer cannon.

A large cannon, such as the 119.0R4.10M3 is for attacking from a distance, a borderline long range mortar, an anti-cannon defense, a second line sieger, and many other uses.

A sniper cannon, such as the 119.3R4.10M6 is for a tent line sieger, setting up to shell opponents camp when they can`t even see the cannon shelling them, and other out-of-sight range tasks such as that.

And of course, mass demo cannons, such as the 187.0MM6 spread-shot, which is used to completely mutilate any defenses whatsoever.

Players also like to add featuresSpecial attraction to their cannons including:

• Multiple shots 1
• Semi-automatic/fully-automatic firing and reloading 2 3
• Condenser charge (another set of TNT that explodes, pushing the charge towards the front of the cannon to increase the propulsion force.)
• Safety features, such as a blast shield to protect players/mobs from damage caused by the charge exploding
• Adjustable shot delay
• Alternative ammo, such as arrows, sand/gravel, or anvils 4
• Dry cannon: building a cannon from explosion-resistant material to simplify design, maintenance, and potentially improve firing distance (dry cannons fire farther than their wet counterparts, all other factors being the same). See below for construction details.
• Cannons that fire in a special direction, such as up or diagonally
• Adjustable range and trajectory
• Aimable cannons
• Spread shot/mass destruction cannons
• Shotgun-like charges

TNT-based condensing

An example cannon with a Condenser Charge.

A comparison of the shot distance of two different cannons, 1 shot with and 1 shot without a condenser charge each.

Because the pushing force of an explosion decreases as it gets farther from the source, TNT placed more than 7 blocks from the projectile would be have little to no effect. To remedy this problem a condenser charge may be used.

Condenser charges work by exploding slightly before the main charge, pushing the other primed TNTs towards the projectile. Since the charge is closer to the shot, it will be launched with more force.

Piston-based condensing

Using pistons to push the main charge closer to the shot also does the same thing as a condenser charge, more complicated to build but more controllable. To work, the main charge must be primed, turning the solid TNT blocks into entities. Once they are entities, a series of pistons can push and concentrated all charges into a single block space behind the shot. In this system, you get far more efficient power from a given size of charge.5

Care must be taken so that the pistons do not displace the water blocks protecting the cannon from TNT damage. To do this, one usually has to apply water a block above the area where the pistons would go into. It is also advised that the pistons should retract back into normal position before the main charge explodes, or your cannon might be destroyed. When the pistons extend, they create air spaces in the water no matter what, hence compromising the water`s protection.

Guide blocks

When a TNT charge is primed, it will usually shift slightly to one side. This can make a previously great cannon inaccurate. This is true with many cannons; but the solution is simple. If you add a guide block to the cannon, so that there is a wall on either side of the TNT when it is primed, it will not shift left or right, making an otherwise straight shot diagonal. If your design does not allow for this, you could just make the guide blocks one block higher, instead of being on either side of the TNT. This works because TNT will jump up, then go sideways in midair. Note that in most basic cannons, guide blocks should be transparent if the TNT cannon automatically primes the shot-else, the redstone that ignites the charge will power the block next to the shot, and igniting the shot as well. If this explanation is unclear, look at this diagram:

In dry cannons, a guide block is almost a necessity because dry cannons tend to be inaccurate. Be that as it may, dry cannon`s guides are for directing the shot to be shot accurately, not to be primed accurately. Be that as it may, guides can also decrease range if they are too long.

Shot mounting blocks

The shot mounting block for a cannon should be chosen according to how fast, far, and high you want the cannon to fire. Of course, these variables depend greatly on the position and amount of the charge and the timing of the shot, but the mounting block also can make a difference. For instance, with a cannon with a charge of 5 and a delay of R4.3, the shot will take a mortar trajectory with a ladder more than with a fence post and pressure plate.

A few things:

• Even though the shot mounting blocks ladder and full block are both the same height and fire a shot at the same trajectory, the ladder will consistently fire farther than the full block because the ladder has less matter in between the shot and the charge than the full block. This situation is the same for all mounting blocks, the slab and fence post with pressure plate also follow the same rule.
• There is a trade off: although the fence post and pressure plate fire the farthest, they are also expensive, while the slab is cheap and easy to get, as well as coming in many forms.
• The maximum range for any cannon can be achieved by altering the mounting block. A TNT shot will be fired farthest if it leaves the cannon at a 30 degree angle. So, if you want to just have your cannon go the farthest it can, use the slab, fence and pressure plate, or trapdoor mounting blocks. Be that as it may, when faced with fortifications or terrain obstacles, the best idea would be to have a mounting block like piston, ladder, or single block that makes the TNT arc over the said obstacle. But, then again, it is fun to blast your way through things...
• The following shot mounting blocks are tested and deemed safe. Feel free to experiment with mounting blocks, but keep in mind that some blocks, such as a lone pressure plate, will cause a mis fire of your cannon, and of course make it self-destruct.

A rewrite for most of these mounting blocks is coming soon.

Note: The pictures were taken with a resource pack.

No mounting block

No Mounting Block

Pros: Highest velocity, simple, scalable

Cons: poor range in smaller cannons, downward trajectory, line-of-sight only

When no mounting block is used, the shot is launched from the same level as the TNT. It will fire out completely horizontal, or 0⃂₰. Gravity will quickly pull the shot to the ground, giving a very flat, downwards trajectory.

With small TNT charges, the range can be extremely limited. To increase the range, ever larger charges are needed or the cannon must be built higher above the ground. A larger charge means a higher velocity to the shot, pushing it farther away before it drops to the ground.

Players have been known to use up to 70 TNT charges and beyond. But economically, a cannon without a mounting block will take more TNT and longer to load for a certain range.

Single block

Single solid mounting block

Pros: Higher firing angle, can lob shots

Cons: Low velocity, reduced power and poor range for smaller cannons, and it won`t go as far.

A single full size block such as cobblestone or obsidian is placed under the Shot. This has the effect of elevating the Shot above the water trough, so the blast force from the Charge is applied not just forward, but upwards. The shot is fired out at a high angle and trajectory. This is useful for hitting an elevated target, or one behind terrain or obstruction.

Be that as it may, part of the blast force is absorbed by a solid mounting block, so the cannon will suffer similar problems of needing large charge sizes. Also, since some of the energy is expelled in the upwards direction, forward shot velocity is reduced greatly.

A better alternative to the single mounting block is using a ladder Ladder Transparency Yes Luminance No Blast resistance 2 Tool Renewable Yes Stackable Yes (64) Flammable No Drops Itself Data value dec: 65 hex: 41 bin: 1000001 Name ladder “ Sometimes the fans are right, too. Like ladders. I instead.

Slab

Stone slab used as a half block mounting

Pros: Smooth trajectory (not too high, not too low), average velocity, more efficient for small and medium cannons

Cons: Slightly reduced power, not best for either straight or lob shots, fuse range limit*

A slab is the compromise between a single block and no mounting, and generally more efficient than either. More of a cannon`s blast force is directed forward, but there is still an upward vector that raises the angle of fire to roughly 30⃂₰. As with a single block, some of the blast energy is absorbed by the block, but much less. From the same TNT load, the half block has greater range than a single block or no block.

When the TNT shot is initially placed over a half block, it will hang over it as if it was a full size block. Once the TNT has been "primed", it will fall down and sit on the true height of the slab.

The firing angle produced by a half block is good for extending the range of a cannon and hitting elevated targets, but its too low for effective lobbing over high walls and obstacles. For straight direct firing, shots fired with a half block mounting generally land level on the ground within a certain range. Be that as it may, due to the limited fuse time of TNT in the game, scaling up the TNT charges up to a point will result in the shot flying too high and exploding in the air before it lands or reach the cannon`s maximum range. This will be refer to as the "fuse range limit". All cannons are limited by the fuse range limit, but cannons firing at higher angles are especially prone to the fuse limit, as the shot velocity is lower and shots reach higher altitudes.

Trapdoor

Trapdoor used as a mounting block

Pros: (closed) Optimized for flat trajectory, velocity almost the same as no-block, have a very large range meaning it can destroy far targets, (opened) can be used in open position for higher firing angle, good scaling, can destroy higher targets

Cons: Be sure that priming circuit doesn`t activate the trapdoor by accident. Very high speeds and oversized accurate shots could mean that if the primed TNT hits a nearby wall in the air, it will fall down and miss the shot. It cannot aim at medium or high elevated targets

If the firing angle of the half block is too high for your purpose, a closed trapdoor Trapdoor Transparency Yes Luminance No Blast resistance 15 (Wooden) 25 (Iron) Tools Renewable Yes Stackable Yes (64) Flammable Iron: No Wooden: No, but catches fire from lava Drops Itself Data values See Data values Name can be used instead. Like the half block, it provides some upward force to the shot by elevating it above the trough. A trapdoor`s height, be that as it may, is ³⃢₁₄₁₆th of a full block. Firing angle is roughly 15-20⃂₰, making it extremely effective for straight shots at very long range (180+ blocks).

Little forward velocity is lost when firing, and shot typically fly out at very high speeds. This combine with the low firing angle means cannons firing larger loads can extend their range without encountering too much fuse range problems as with the half block or ladder mounting.

Ladder / iron bars / glass pane

Ladder mounting block

Shot mounting with two ladders

Pros: Efficient with small and medium cannons, high firing angle, parabolic trajectory, good for lobbing shots and high altitude

Cons: Low horizontal speed, poor scaling, limited range at ₱120 blocks

A ladder placed on the side can serve as a very effective mounting block for firing at high angles and lobbing shots. A primed shot will be supported by the edge thickness of the ladder, preventing it from falling into the trough. Because a ladder is not a full size block, none of the energy from the blast is absorbed, and the shot is propelled out at full force. By adding ladders above each other, different firing angles can be achieved. Typically, a single ladder will give an angle just higher than a half block, roughly 40₰-45₰. Two ladders will give an extremely parabolic flight, shots fly out at about 50₰-60₰.

A good portion of the blast energy is directed upwards on the block, so horizontal speeds are generally much slower than a no-mount or half block mount cannon. In return, the cannon has no problem lobbing shots over terrain and walls. At larger charge loads, shots can reach very high altitudes.

Be that as it may, this also means the fuse range limit is an inherent problem with this mounting. Within a 100 block distance, well built cannons level with the ground can expect to land shots low enough to cause damage. But beyond this shots explode midair way beforehand, even with a shot primed at maximum fuse time with a delay circuit. Hence, one can`t simply add more TNT to increase the range, as it will only make the shot fly higher. A basic solution is to put the cannon below ground, in a pit with a slanted slope to allow the shot to fly out. Since the shot had a lower starting point, it will explode closer to the ground once its fuse time runs out. To reach ranges beyond 150 blocks, this solution becomes impractical.

Fence

Pros: Efficient with small and medium cannons, low firing angle, good for shooting through caves and past overhanging base defenses. High velocity, extremely powerful in spread cannons and long range cannons.

Cons: Expensive materials, fuse range limit to bigger cannons. If used a condenser, then the explosion will send the TNT too high and with no ceiling, the TNT can destroy the cannon.

A fence placed at the end of the cannon tricks Minecraft to think that it is one block high, since it is only one and a half block high for the player`s perspective. Therefore, the charge would be recognized as closer to the shot than it actually is. Since it gains more power and velocity, it appears to fly up a bit, then go down in an attack angle. Be that as it may, the explosion launches the TNT upwards meaning if the cannon has no ceiling, the TNT can well destroy the cannon. This gives it a distinctive style of cannon shooting, and it is considered one of the most useful mounting blocks in Minecraft.

if the cannon needs the water blocked a pressure plate may be used, but slightly decreases the launch velocity.

Piston

A TNT cannon with piston mounting.

Pros: Adjustable, when fully extended it has the same effects of a full block but is more efficient than it and is more versatile, compatible with firing sand or gravel.

Cons: Expensive, the shot has been subject to the fuse range delay limit found in arcing cannons, is used as a mortar MBMegaByte so usage inside caves or buildings is not recommended and will result in short range shots, accidentally placing two TNT blocks (one on top of the other) will destroy the cannon, requires a R4.7 delay.

The three most common ways to use this mounting block are

1. Prime the shot then push it up
2. Push it up and then prime the shot
3. Just use it as a more efficient version of the full block MB.

Flower pot

Pros: Can lob shots

Cons: Fuse range limit, expensive, cannot aim at lower targets

Redstone repeater

Pros: Second highest velocity

Cons: Can only shoot 9 blocks, expensive, make sure the circuit doesn`t activate it by accident

This cannon is only used in an extreme hills biome. It only works if the cannon is on a cliff and the target is below it. It is the second worst cannon.

Daylight sensor

Pros: Good shooting, not too high velocity, can lob shots

Cons: Make sure the sensor doesn`t activate the circuit by accident by daylight, expensive

This is a cannon for ground levels and it is good on any type of cannon (except of super large cannons which has a fuse range limit.)

Bed

Pros: Good shooting, really fast, medium-high angle

Cons: Expensive, bigger cannon

This is good for attacking bigger castles, but has also a big range. One of the best mounting blocks.

Cake

Pros: Good shooting, medium angle, big range

Cons: Expensive, cannot be retrieved

This mounting block is good for attacking far targets if you have resources. It has smaller footprint which means that charge TNT can be closer to the shot than when using slabs, thus increasing the range.

Brewing Stand

Pros: High fire angle (similar to ladder), exceptional range, high velocity

Cons: Expensive, ineffective against level targets

Brewing Stands will shoot TNT slightly slower (and lower) than a ladder, but the difference doesn`t show easily. Also allows you to brew regeneration potions while you shoot to help you recover the recoil damage.

Enchantment Table

Pros: High blast resistance, capable of striking all distances

Cons: Very expensive

Enchantment Tables fire shots a lot like slabs. Do note that the rotating book will not have any effect on the trajectory.

Stairs

Pros: High fire angle

Cons: Low velocity

Note: Inverted stairs are useless; mounting a shot on one has a very high chance of blowing up your cannon and/or blasting the nearby landscape.