9 Kings: Gold-Scaling Autocannon Deck Build Guide

To build a gold-scaling Autocannon in 9 Kings, draft cards that generate frequent gold ticks during active combat and place your turrets directly behind durable defensive blockers. The Autocannon scales its projectile volume and attack power each time gold is earned, transforming steady income into a high-volume artillery barrage capable of suppressing enemy lanes.

How Autocannon Gold Scaling Operates

The Autocannon functions as a rapid-fire ballistic emplacement that translates economic gains into combat power. Unlike standard fixed-stat defenses that rely purely on level upgrades, the Autocannon receives offensive boosts whenever gold enters your treasury during a round.

Frequency matters more than the total size of your payout:

• Small, rapid gains: Multiple small gold gains during combat trigger repeated attack buffs, continuously ramping up turret fire rate and projectile output as enemies approach.
• Lump-sum payouts: Large end-of-round windfalls fund drafting and base upgrades, but they do not provide in-combat attack boosts while waves are crossing the board.

If your deck relies solely on delayed payouts, the Autocannon retains its low base damage and struggles against armored enemies. Sustained mid-fight cash flow is required to keep damage scaling ahead of enemy health increases.

Economy Engines for Turret Scaling

To feed the turret's scaling mechanic, draft cards that trigger gold generation during active combat rather than waiting for end-of-year bonuses.

Prioritize mines and per-kill bounty triggers early in a run. These sources trigger while hostile units are in the Autocannon's firing arc, accelerating your damage output when combat density is highest.

Frontline Positioning and Turret Placement

Autocannon structures have low durability and no escape tools, making them vulnerable to direct melee assault. Placing them on the frontline results in quick destruction before their scaling ramps up.

1. Establish a forward blocking line: Deploy durable units—such as Iron Soldiers, barricades, or summon walls—on the front row to halt the enemy advance.
2. Position turrets two to three tiles back: Place Autocannons directly behind the frontline wall. This distance keeps melee enemies clustered at the barrier while keeping the turrets in their optimal firing arcs.
3. Guard against flankers: If opposing waves include jumping or flanking units, place a secondary guard unit directly adjacent to your Autocannons to intercept infiltrators before they engage the turrets.

Drafting Hierarchy and Deck Thinning

To consistently draw your core turrets and economic engines, keep your deck focused. Bloating the deck with unrelated spells or expensive standalone creatures delays your turret setup.

Follow this priority order when drafting cards:

• Core turrets: Secure Autocannon cards and direct projectile multipliers early to establish multiple firing points.
• Combat gold generators: Pick low-cost income structures and bounty perks that trigger on combat ticks.
• Defensive blockers: Draft high-health infantry and barricades to stall enemy waves in the turret kill zone.
• Deck removals: Purge unaligned starter cards, high-cost non-synergy units, and situational spells at every opportunity.

A lean deck ensures that income generators and Autocannons appear together in your opening hands, initiating the scaling loop immediately.

Countering Armored Targets and Enemy Artillery

Late-game campaign years introduce high-armor monarch units and long-range siege artillery that can disrupt this setup.

• Against armored bosses: Add crowd-control effects—such as slows, stuns, or armor shred—to your secondary draft picks. Halting heavily armored units in the kill zone gives your income engines extra time to trigger additional gold ticks, boosting turret damage high enough to penetrate heavy defense.
• Against enemy artillery: Draft targeted direct-damage spells or quick disruption units. Ranged enemy siege weapons can target unprotected Autocannons from outside standard engagement range, making backline disruption necessary to protect your turrets.