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.
TNT Missiles and Flying Machines in Cannon Fights
A TNT missile is a flying machine that carries TNT to the enemy and explodes it there. It can be more TNT-efficient than a cannon, but it is much slower, needs more loaded chunks and is easier to defend. Other flying machines in cannon fights block or crush the enemy's cannons instead of carrying TNT.
What is a flying machine?
minecraft.wiki defines a flying machine as a structure moved by slime blocks, honey blocks, redstone blocks, observers and pistons through air or water without support. Slime and honey blocks stick to blocks around them and carry them along when a piston pushes or pulls; each piston can move up to 12 blocks. Slime bounces entities away while honey drags them along.
Piston basics: pistons, observers and hoppers.
What kinds of missiles are there?
| Missile | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bomber | Drops TNT on the enemy from above; scales better with more TNT than most missiles |
| Torpedo | Damages underwater structures by replacing the water first, like a hybrid cannon |
| Missile magazine | Missiles stacked one behind another to dig deeper; close missiles can chain-explode |
| Return missile | Reusable; in practice a slower but more compact blockstream cannon |
| Netherite buster | Its payload explodes the moment the enemy's netherite is moved, destroying it |
| Tunnel bore | Uses duplication bugs or a wither to clear blocks; often banned |
| Cannon-mounted | A missile carrying a moving cannon |
| Instant win | Pushes huge numbers of weak blocks to the enemy to pump a 'blocks destroyed' score; usually banned |
A bomber can run on Java using TNT duplication, or on Bedrock using an observer with a dispenser. Missiles that can travel both ways help when enemies can attack from both sides.
Which flying machines fight cannons?
| Machine | Job |
|---|---|
| Moses | A big ATOX-like sweeper moving toward the enemy; first used to clear water (hence the name), also blocks barrels and crushes redstone |
| Blanket | A pergola that extends around the enemy to block their shots |
| Anti moses | A small machine that stops a moses by going over its piston push limit |
| Cruncher | Flies over the enemy and keeps pushing pistons into their outer blocks to crush redstone or fill chambers and barrels |
| Player transport | Carries players across so they can enter the enemy's fighting machine |
Missile or cannon?
minecraft.wiki notes quick diminishing returns past a couple of TNT unless a cannon rides on top. Missiles can win on TNT efficiency; the wiki lists their costs as being much slower, using up other blocks, needing more loaded chunks and being easier to defend. Shield types such as ATOX and pergola: armor and shielding.
For factions servers, check the rules: many ban flying machines, duplication or tunnel bores. Cannon basics: TNT cannons explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is a moses in cannoning?
A large flying machine that sweeps toward the enemy; it was first used to clear water, which is where the name comes from.
Are TNT missiles better than cannons?
They can use TNT more efficiently, but they are slower, need more loaded chunks and are easier to defend.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.