Arrow Cart
Stats
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Supply cost | 30 |
| Range | 2,500 units |
| Targets per volley | Up to 25 |
| Damage type | Physical (multi-arrow) |
| Effective vs | Players, Dolyaks |
| Ineffective vs | Walls, Gates, Siege |
What it does
The Arrow Cart is the defender's go-to anti-zerg weapon. It fires a volley of arrows over a wide AoE that can hit up to 25 targets per shot. Stacked enemies — i.e. zergs — take catastrophic damage if they linger inside the volley area.
Where most siege caps damage at 5 targets (the standard PvE AoE cap), the arrow cart breaks that rule with its 25-target cap. That single property is why the AC defines defensive WvW.
Skills
- Skill 1 — Volley: standard rapid-fire volley. Spam this to maintain damage on a stacked group.
- Skill 2 — Crippling Volley: applies cripple to every target hit. Great for slowing a push toward the gate.
- Skill 3 — Burning Volley (Superior only): adds burning condition for sustained damage even after the volley ends.
- Skill 4 — Bleeding Volley (Superior only): adds heavy bleeding stacks. Pairs with cripple for extreme zerg-grind damage.
Placement
- On wall corners — gives the AC the widest field of fire and the most cover from enemy ballistas.
- Inside the inner ring of a Keep — once the outer falls, retreating defenders fire down on stacked attackers.
- Behind merlons (the bumps on top of a wall) — the merlon blocks enemy ballista shots while still allowing your AC to fire down at the lord-room push.
- NEVER outside a defended structure — open-field arrow carts are catapult food.
- Spread them out — if you stack 4 ACs in one corner, a single Superior Mortar shot wipes all of them.
Counters
- Catapult or Trebuchet from outside the wall — both out-range the AC's 2,500.
- Ballista snipe — direct line-of-sight from a higher position will one-shot an unguarded AC.
- Stack Stability and Aegis on the push — most arrow cart damage is mitigated by aegis bursts and stability for the brief window crossing the kill-zone.
- Move through, don't stop — never stand still inside an arrow cart's AoE.
When to build one
Build an Arrow Cart when:
- You're defending a Keep or Tower and an organised zerg is approaching.
- The objective has tier-2+ walls (otherwise the wall falls before you matter).
- You have a clear line of sight onto the gate or a known approach corridor.
Don't build one when:
- You're outside a structure with no allied protection.
- The enemy already has 2+ catapults set up — your AC will die in seconds.
- You're solo defending — operating siege requires you to stand still, which makes you a target.