Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, community sites named in the text and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Hybrid Cannons and Special-Purpose Cannons
A hybrid cannon is a sand cannon and a TNT cannon in one. Its sand lands in the water protecting a wall and turns into a block, replacing the water, so the TNT right behind it can explode inside solid blocks and break through. It is the main way to get through water armour.
How does a hybrid cannon work?
Water stops TNT from breaking blocks, but falling sand ignores water. A hybrid launches sand entities that become sand blocks where the water was, then hits that spot with TNT. The sand breaks easily and the TNT's blast now reaches the wall. minecraft.wiki lists the hybrid among special-purpose cannons and shows one piercing water armour.
The background is on TNT and water and falling blocks.
What other special-purpose cannons are there?
| Type | Short name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Piercing | - | Gets through enemy shielding or special armour. If it only beats some shielding types, the type goes in front, as in Pergola-Piercing |
| Instant | I | Breaks through in one shot or a quick burst so active armour cannot repair itself in time |
| Anti Tech-KO | At | A small cannon hidden where the enemy may not reach it, used when other cannons are gone or to dodge a 'no living cannons' loss |
| Anti-cannon | !type | A counter to one cannon or tactic, often a shotgun scraping the enemy's side or back |
| Scraper | - | Hits any cannons left in exposed parts of the target, often a scatter or multi-impact |
| Playerkill | - | A mode tuned to kill players or stop them dodging the shot |
| Moving | - | A cannon that moves with a fully movable fighting machine |
| Extender | - | Moves out of the fighting machine and stays there to escape the enemy's area of aim |
Are there hybrid missiles too?
Yes. minecraft.wiki describes a torpedo: a missile that damages structures underwater the same way a hybrid does, by replacing the water first. See TNT missiles.
How do defenders fight hybrids?
By making the sand fail to land: a falling block that cannot settle breaks into an item instead of becoming a block. Factions defenders use slabs and other part-height blocks for this; see sand stacking.
Can you use hybrid cannons on ArtemisPvP?
Raids on ArtemisPvP use normal and custom TNT loaded into cannons; see Custom TNT and the Factions guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hybrid cannon in Minecraft?
A cannon that fires sand and TNT together; the sand replaces the water on a wall so the TNT can break it.
What is an instant cannon?
One that breaks through in a single shot or quick burst so active armour cannot repair the hole in time.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.