I first just want to thank you for checking out my guide. This is my first one, so I thought I could make it on my favorite class in Formicide.

We'll be covering a few things in this guide:

• Basic Stats
  
• Weapons & Ultimates
  
• Strategies / Tactics

So once again, thanks for checking this out, and I hope this helps you learn about Cannoneer!

So to start off...

Cannoneer is a longer range class that provides support to a tankier class. And by tankier, I mean something durable like a Biomite or a Soldier, or even a Shocktrooper. However, don't think Cannoneer can't play alone! I personally have used Cannoneer to take down a strong pair of Biomites whom I had to face alone.

Cannoneer has 200 health, making it a weaker class in durability. It makes up for this in the firepower it dishes out to enemies. It's weapons have a charge time, meaning you can adjust the power to fit what distance you need. This charge maxes out in about 1.1 seconds and automatically fires. It moves somewhat slower than a Fire Ant, but faster than a Biomite. Cannoneer isn't too glamorous in these departments, but it shines when it comes to weapons.

Now for the fun stuff!

Cannoneer has a grenade launcher that holds 4 rounds. These can be used to deal splash damage, or increased damage (a critical hit) if they make direct contact with a player, Mystery Box, seeker, etc. These rounds have a gravity drop and you need to adjust your aim for this, all the time. It's crucial to playing Cannoneer well that you learn the drop on the grenades.

Cannoneer also has a drill bit attachment for the grenade launcher. Unlike Shocktrooper or similar classes, this secondary attack is separate from your normal ammo. Sorry Shocktrooper... Anyhow, this drill will instantly kill anything it manages to hit, except the Mystery Box. Also, note that the Multi-Shield makes the player unkillable by the drill until it wares off. This drill bit is your most powerful attack because of this incredible damage. (Hint: It's also how I managed to beat the Biomite pair I mentioned earlier!) The drill is affected by the gravity as the regular grenade is. Another note, the drill bit can be used to dig holes into the terrain and can go through walls. Nasty stuff, eh?

Cannoneer's last weapon is a repulse blast that can be used for a lot of stuff. I will go over more of this ability's uses, but in a general statement, it is used for making space between you and an enemy.

As far as Ultimates (Ults) are concerned, the Cannoneer has two, like every class in the game. My personal reccomendation is the Splash Grenade because of it's versatility in lots of situations. What this does is creates a special grenade that breaks into lots of smaller grenades that explode a second time from the first projectile shot. They are all affected by gravity so please take this into account when aiming.

The second ult that cannoneer has is a Mortar. It builds a little dome with a cannon that you can aim to shoot mortar strikes. The way to aim is to hold down your ult activation key and move your mouse so that the blue / red lines cover the area you wish to hit. These rounds can damage you, so be wary where you place it. It does a good amount of damage, but I find it difficult to use. I use it to hit areas from the sky, and seeing as Formicides maps are small, there aren't too many maps I see it being viable on. But to each their own.

The meat and potatoes are finished, so let's get to dessert!

Cannoneer has some pretty tricky attacks that you can use to outsmart and outgun your opponents.

As always, your drill is good for clearing out tough and dug in opponents. But did you know it can kill a Biomite Ult in it's tracks? This is something I always try to do to avoid the opponent from being able to get too much out of their ultimate. The drill also continues on after destroying it, so you can wreak absolute havoc on a base. To continue with drill tactics, if you're in the situation where your last beacon is being stolen by the enemy and you keep dying, try using your drill against them from the floor. That is, you shoot it at them at the maximum charge power and eliminate whoever is sitting on your point. If you get good at aiming too, you actually have the capability to shoot into the middle beacon from your spawn point and score a hit. Imagine your opponent's surprise when they get killed from miles away through walls. Priceless!

The best way to make use of your standard grenade is to do one of two things. First, always aim for critical hits. This ensures the maximum amount of damage is dealt to your target. Or you can use them to keep opponents away while you secure a point. Other than that, your grenades can't do too much. To reitterate an earlier point, always make sure you account for the projectile drop. This helps you aim your shots, and make the most of your ammo.

Lastly, the repulse blast has a lot of cool uses that vary in what you might need. Aim it backwards for a boost while you're in midair to help push you where you need to go a little faster. Use it to create some space between you and a Hunter that's trying to slice you open with their knife. Perhaps the most interesting and infuriating way to use this is to finish off a limping opponent. If you can see blood droplets coming off of your opponent, and they're trying to get close to you, hit them with a quick repulse and finish them off without wasting 1 of your 4 ammos.