Cannonball

Tier List

Hero, Global, Mutant, Protector, X-Men, New Mutant

Arena	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alliance War Offense	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Alliance War Defense	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cosmic Crucible Offense	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Cosmic Crucible Defense	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Raid	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Dark Dimension	★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Battleworld	★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Iso-8

Cannonball hits multiple enemies with all of his attacks, making Raider the obvious Iso-8 class choice for him. With the New Mutant team’s mechanics enabling near-constant Critical hits, Raider maximizes his damage output and ensures the whole team benefits from frequent crit effects. Since Cannonball is also the team’s tank—often having Taunt active to protect his allies—you might also consider the Fortifier Iso-8 class to further boost his mitigation and survivability. While Fortifier is not a bad option, Raider synergizes best with the team’s crit-focused playstyle.

T4 Priority

P – Passive ability

U – Ultimate ability

S – Special ability

B – Basic ability

Passive – Cannonball gains two powerful effects specifically for Crucible. If he has 3 New Mutant allies:

• Support and Protector enemies cannot spawn with Immunity – This makes it much easier to control and debuff key enemy characters right from the start of the battle, bypassing one of the most common defensive mechanics.
• If Cannonball or any New Mutant ally does not have Defense Up or Minor Defense Up, that character gains +25% Damage Reduction and +25% Resistance. This ensures that, even when the team lacks traditional defense buffs, they remain highly resilient and much harder to take down.

Both upgrades greatly improve the New Mutants’ ability to survive and control the flow of battle in Crucible, making them even more formidable.

Ultimate – Deals increased damage and gains the ability to apply Stun to the primary target. This is an excellent upgrade, as it allows you to lock down one of the enemies and prevent him from playing.

Special – Deals increased damage and, in Crucible, if Cannonball has 3 New Mutant allies, applies Immunity to himself and all New Mutant allies. Immunity is a crucial buff that prevents enemies from applying debuffs to your team, making this upgrade very valuable.

Infographics

About Character

Cannonball, whose real name is Sam Guthrie, is a classic mutant hero from Marvel’s New Mutants. Hailing from Kentucky, Sam grew up in a large, hardworking family and discovered his mutant powers as a teenager while working in a coal mine. His ability allows him to generate and channel explosive thermo-chemical energy, propelling himself through the air like a human rocket. While “blasting,” Cannonball is nearly invulnerable, protected by a powerful energy field that shields him from harm and enables him to smash through obstacles or enemies with devastating force.

As a core member of the New Mutants, Cannonball is known for his loyalty, courage, and natural leadership. Despite his humble and sometimes awkward demeanor, Sam often steps up to guide his friends through difficult situations, earning the respect of his teammates. His powers make him a formidable force on the battlefield—he can launch himself at high speed, deal heavy damage, and withstand attacks that would take down almost anyone else.

Cannonball’s story is one of growth and resilience. Over the years, he has evolved from a hesitant newcomer to a confident hero, serving not just with the New Mutants but also alongside teams like X-Force and even the X-Men. His strong sense of responsibility and unwavering support for his friends make him the backbone of any team he’s on. With his blend of raw power, tactical potential, and heartfelt loyalty, Cannonball remains an enduring and beloved figure in the Marvel mutant universe.

Cannonball is a Protector who enters battle with Taunt and Deflect, stepping up immediately to shield his team from enemy attacks. Every time he or any New Mutant ally lands a Critical Hit, Cannonball gains +1 Deflect, up to a maximum of 10. For each Deflect he has, he receives +5% Crit Chance and +10% Armor, allowing him to quickly stack his defenses and offensive potential—reaching full power.

He excels at controlling opponents, able to apply Stun, Offense Down, and Slow to disrupt their actions. However, his most powerful form of control comes in Crucible, where he can apply Blind and Trauma to all enemies, shutting down their ability to retaliate and synergizing perfectly with the rest of the New Mutant team.

Cannonball can also buff his own team with Immunity and remove positive effects and Barrier from enemies, stripping away their defenses. In Crucible, he is able to control both Mythic and non-Mythic protectors, and gains Taunt passively whenever he or a New Mutant ally takes a turn, as long as he is above 50% Health.

All in all, Cannonball is an exceptionally fast and resilient Protector, capable of rapidly boosting his own stats, providing powerful mitigation, and maintaining excellent control over the battlefield.

You can find detailed information about Cannonball on the New Mutant team page HERE.

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