Rotwood – The Ultimate Cannon Guide
I play a lot of Brawlhalla and the only weapon common in both games was the cannon, which I decided to try. Little did I know that I was in for a harrowing experience. Although the cannon is the highest DPS weapon in the game, it’s undoubtedly the toughest one to master. I could no longer dodge in the conventional way, and some attacks caused self-damage, which was quite annoying.
Learning the weapon took some time, and though I don’t consider myself an expert, I have become quite adept at using it.
Basic Attack and Movement Combos:
Weapons and armor get stronger in the later stages. Therefore, it’s mandatory to use the last two weapons on this list to successfully farm Frenzy 2-3 maps. I discovered this the hard way when I used the Keening to clear an F3 map.
The cannon has five attack options. Refer to our Rotwood Control List for Xbox and PC for the complete list of controls. And now here is the list of all the attacks:
Light Attack – Shoots one acorn at a time. The last 3 shots are focused shots (cannon mouth glows blue).
Heavy Attack – Fires like a shotgun, dealing massive damage at close range.
Cannon Attack Combinations – Unlike other weapons, the cannon has three distinct attack combinations. I’ll be using the Xbox controller key bindings for reference.
Start by pressing A to hold the cannon like a mortar. Then based on the next key pressed, the cannon executes a different attack.
A + X = Blast dealing AOE damage in a small area around the character. Doing so with 5-6 acorns in the chamber deals self damage.
A + Y = Fires all remaining shots in an arc, peppering the area with multiple acorns. Firing 5-6 acorns knocks down the character, so it’s best to use this with 4 or fewer acorns in the chamber.
A + B = Rides the cannon like a rocket in the opposite direction. Doing so with 5-6 shots in the chamber deals self damage.
A + A = Reloads the entire clip. Executes quicker if timed correctly.
Skill – Every weapon comes with a unique skill. While some skills heal others make me dive like a rocket dealing massive damage.
Tips:
- Keeping count of ammo may seem like a chore, but it becomes easier in the long run.
- The most challenging thing about using the cannon is getting used to no dodges. Using Y isn’t as effective when using heavy armor and it needs ammo to work. The A+B combo takes too long to execute.
- Simply put, mastering the cannon will take time because it’s vastly different from its counterparts. However, after reaching a certain mastery, the fleshed out combat mechanics of Rotwood make playing with the cannon super fun.
Rotwood Cannon List
Splintered Cannon
Skill – Hit the enemy with the cannon butt to gain one ammo.
Effect – None.
Reliable weapon that introduces one to the ‘ways of the cannon’.
Domino Cannon
Skill – Knock down enemies by sucker punching them. Hold the skill button to deliver a focus hit.
Effect – Knocked down enemies damage others while flying through the air. The knock down distance increases with each upgrade.
I didn’t play with this one much as I bought the Keening first, which is vastly superior. But any weapon that forces me to stand still is bad. The cannon is most effective at close to mid-range and knocking enemies away isn’t beneficial. Moreover, enemies in high frenzy attack more frequently, which makes standing still to charge a punch a very bad idea indeed. Avoid it and head straight for the Keening.
The Keening
Skill – Reloads one ammo.
Effect – Focus shots pierce enemies.
This has been my go-to weapon until I encountered the late game weapons. The focus shots dealt insane damage in lower stages. Yes, though I was knocked way too many times, it’s still the perfect weapon to farm F1 and in some cases F2. The knock down from the mortar shot did get me into trouble once I reached the Molded Grave as there was poison everywhere and falling into a pit cost upwards of 100 HP.
The Beefstick
Skill – Heals 20 HP per charge to the user and nearby allies. Gains one charge per 1000 damage dealt and can hold up to 3 charges.
Effect – Healing more than 10 HP deals damage in a large radius.
Useful in lower stages but not as effective in F3 missions as it’s not possible to outheal the damage. This cannon is also not as effective without the full armor set. I have also played in teams where everyone ran the same gear to maximize the healing. But alas, there are better alternatives in the later stages.
The Bog Blaster
Skill – Creates a vacuum in front of the weapons and pulls in enemies.
Effect – Reduced hit streak decay.
I have never used this weapon. Using the cannon meant I had to maintain enough distance between enemies, especially to avoid surprise attacks. The Blaster may pull enemies, but any that are not crowd controlled ended up hitting me more than once. This is my least favorite cannon in the entire game.
Hail of Glory
Skill – Hits the enemy with the cannon butt to reload one ammo.
Effect – Cluster Shot replaces Mortar shot where the cannon fires a projectile that breaks into multiple ones. There is no knockback to using this even when the clip is full.
Possibly the most underrated cannon weapon in the game. The ability to bypass the knockback mechanic altogether is super useful, especially in the late game where enemies come flying from every direction. One mistake could cost me an entire run. Movement and positioning are key and this weapon combined with the armor is a deadly combination.
Beakon of Hurt
Skill – Leaps into the air and dives down dealing AOE damage in a small area. Holding down the skill button charges the focus shot.
Effect – Gains crit boost while airborne.
This is my favorite weapon in the game. One combination that’s not mentioned anywhere is the Skill + Y. Right after the dive pressing Y fires the shotgun (provided there’s a round in the chamber) and propels me backward. It’s a great way to dodge enemy attacks while dealing massive damage to the closest targets. The attack is spammable in lower levels, except in The Molded Grave because dive bombing into poison hurts. Although this is my go-to weapon for most cases, I am warming up to the Hail of Glory due to its flexibility.
