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.
Lazy Chunk Cannons and Chunk Phasing
A lazy chunk is a loaded chunk where blocks work but entities do not move or tick. Projectiles parked in a lazy chunk do not count down their fuse, yet they keep collecting push from propellants exploding next door. That lets a cannon charge far past TNT's normal 4 seconds while only a few hundred TNT exist at once.
What is a lazy chunk?
Minecraft loads chunks at different levels. minecraft.wiki's chunk page describes one level where all game aspects are available except that entities are not processed and do not naturally spawn, and random chunk ticks do not happen. These are the chunks people call lazy chunks.
The same page notes two edge rules cannoners rely on: an entity that tries to move into such a chunk from an active one is suspended as soon as it leaves the active chunk, and TNT exploding in an entity-ticking chunk can still damage or destroy blocks in a neighbouring chunk that is not entity-ticking.
What is lazy acceleration?
minecraft.wiki's cannon guide explains it: because lazy chunks only tick blocks and not entities, projectiles sitting inside one can keep adding up the push from propellants that explode just outside it. The guide says this allows cannons to be charged far longer than four seconds.
The payoff is lag and size: only a few hundred TNT need to exist at a time, apart from the handful of ticks when the cannon fires, and the cannon can be more compact.
What can go wrong?
minecraft.wiki's warning is short: chunk loading will break lazy cannons unless they have safety mechanisms. Build and test them where you control which chunks are loaded.
What are lazy cannons used for?
- Nukes: unconstricted scatter shots that form rings of damage; see scatter and nuke cannons.
- Stab shots: downward tunnelers where projectiles and injectors are carried above the target together; see tunneler cannons.
- Player cannons: some accelerate pigs instead of players to take advantage of lazy acceleration.
What is chunk phasing?
A related trick: TNT can pass through unloaded chunks if it crosses them within a single game tick. Long-range cannons need this when the chunks between cannon and target cannot be kept loaded. minecraft.wiki also mentions using zero-tick pulses so propellants move only for an instant, for example to phase through unloaded chunks. More: cannon trajectories and cannon redstone.
Chunk loading basics are on chunks and ticks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a lazy chunk in Minecraft?
A loaded chunk where blocks work but entities are not processed and random ticks do not happen.
Why do cannoners use lazy chunks?
Projectiles in a lazy chunk keep collecting push from propellants exploding outside it, so a shot can be charged far longer than 4 seconds.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.