Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Giant Cannon is a Builder Base defense, unlocked at Builder Hall 7, that fires a huge rolling cannonball every 5 seconds. The ball plows through every ground troop in its path, damaging each one and knocking it back, from 205 damage per hit at level 1 to 480 at level 10. It locks on to targets 9.5 tiles away and cannot hit air troops. You get one.
How the Giant Cannon works
The Giant Cannon picks a ground target within 9.5 tiles and fires. The ball does not stop at that first troop: it keeps rolling in a straight line, hitting each ground troop it passes through and shoving them backward. It slows down as it travels, but it can keep going for up to 48 tiles, which is far enough to roll right off the edge of the Builder Base.
- Range: 9.5 tiles to pick a target (raised from 9 tiles in May 2023).
- Attack speed: one shot every 5 seconds.
- Targets: ground only, any troop type.
- Size: 3×3. One per base.
A troop that would die from a single ball is not just killed: it gets launched off the battlefield, much like a Spring Trap victim. The knockback on surviving troops costs them time as they walk back to their target, which matters most near the Builder Hall.
Giant Cannon levels and stats
| Level | Builder Hall needed | Damage per shot | DPS | Hitpoints | Cost (Builder Gold) | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 205 | 41 | 700 | 2,000,000 | 1d |
| 2 | 7 | 225 | 45 | 800 | 2,100,000 | 2d |
| 3 | 7 | 245 | 49 | 950 | 2,200,000 | 3d |
| 4 | 7 | 270 | 54 | 1,100 | 2,300,000 | 4d |
| 5 | 7 | 300 | 60 | 1,300 | 2,400,000 | 5d |
| 6 | 7 | 330 | 66 | 1,500 | 2,500,000 | 6d |
| 7 | 7 | 360 | 72 | 1,700 | 2,700,000 | 8d |
| 8 | 8 | 395 | 79 | 1,900 | 3,800,000 | 10d |
| 9 | 9 | 435 | 87 | 2,150 | 4,700,000 | 11d |
| 10 | 10 | 480 | 96 | 2,400 | 5,700,000 | 12d |
The DPS number looks low because the cannon fires only once every 5 seconds and the figure counts one target. A ball that rolls through five troops in a line does five times that damage.
All of levels 1 to 7 open up at Builder Hall 7, so a new Builder Hall 7 can sink a lot of builder time into it before moving on.
Where to place the Giant Cannon
- Behind other buildings, so it fires down the lanes troops use to reach them. Troops that walk in single file toward your core all get hit by the same ball. This is especially strong against Raged Barbarian swarms that funnel toward the center.
- Near the Builder Hall, so the knockback keeps pushing troops away from the building that gives the first star.
- Covering areas you do not want sniped by a Cannon Cart. Its 9.5-tile reach outranges a Cannon Cart in Mortar Mode.
- Next to a Crusher, which punishes troops that rush the cannon between its slow shots.
From Builder Hall 7 you have two stages to choose from. See the Builder Base guide for how defenses are split.
How to beat the Giant Cannon
- Spread your troops so they do not line up with the cannon. One ball hitting a whole line is its best case.
- Bring a tank. The Boxer Giant, Battle Machine and Power P.E.K.K.A all have the hitpoints to take several balls.
- Use the reload. If you have no tank, let a few troops draw one shot, then rush in with the rest before the next one 5 seconds later. Skip this if a Crusher guards the cannon.
- Go air. Baby Dragons, Beta Minions, Drop Ships and the Battle Copter are never targeted.
Giant Cannon changes
- September 2017: added with Builder Hall 7. Levels 8 and 9 came with Builder Hall 8 and 9.
- May 15, 2023 (Builder Base 2.0): level 10 added, and range raised from 9 to 9.5 tiles, while many other Builder Base defenses lost range for the smaller map.
- February 2024: fixed the Giant Cannon’s pushback being too strong.
Giant Cannon FAQ
Can the Giant Cannon hit air troops?
No. It only fires at ground troops.
What Builder Hall unlocks the Giant Cannon?
Builder Hall 7. Max level is 10, at Builder Hall 10.
How far does the Giant Cannon shoot?
It targets troops up to 9.5 tiles away, and the ball can roll up to 48 tiles.
Sources: Supercell release notes (Builder Base 2.0 full patch notes (Supercell, May 15, 2023)) and in-game data.
