---
title: "How Much Stronger Is a Cannon Battery Than One Cannon? · Xiangqi Master"
description: "Considerably more than double, because a battery removes the single-screen dependency: the front cannon supplies the rear one's screen automatically, every move."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-much-stronger-is-a-cannon-battery-than-one-cannon
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# How much stronger is a cannon battery than a single cannon?

These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.

> Direct answer
>
> More than double the single cannon's contribution, because a battery removes the piece's biggest limitation. One cannon's threat depends on a screen it does not control and that can vanish; a stacked pair supplies its own screen from within the formation, so the rear cannon's threat is reliable in a way a lone cannon's rarely is.

## What actually changes with two

A lone cannon's threat can be switched off by removing whatever piece happens to be its screen. In a battery, the front cannon *is* the screen, and removing it means capturing a defended piece, which is a far higher price than simply moving a pawn out of the way. That reliability is most of the extra strength.

## Where the formation tops out

Against the enemy general specifically, a defended battery on the general's own file is close to unstoppable, the same principle behind [馬後炮](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-is-ma-hou-pao) using a horse as the screen instead of a second cannon. Away from the general it is simply a strong, hard-to-dislodge attacking unit rather than an automatic win.

## Related questions

Is a battery always better than two cannons on separate files?

Not always; see [splitting cannons across files](https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/how-do-two-cannons-attack-on-different-files) for when the alternative is stronger.

How many moves does a battery typically take to build?

Usually three or four, since the second cannon has to travel to the right file, giving the defender that many moves to prepare.

## Related xiangqi resources

The double cannon mate

重炮 — two cannons on one file

Cannon tactics

Screens, batteries and discoveries

The Central Cannon

The most played first move in the game

## Try it on a real board

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