Williams• 1987• System 11B• 4 players

Big Guns

Load the cannons, launch into 3-ball Multiball, become INVINCIBLE, and smash the castle guards to rescue the Queen. Big Guns is a fast, theatrical System 11 game built around physical ball-launching cannons, four flippers, and one of the strangest backboxes Williams ever made.

System 11 Medieval Sci-Fi 3-Ball Multiball Ball Cannons King's Chamber

Players

4 flippers · 2 cannon locks

Multiball

3-ball

Load left, right, then center cannon

Production

5,550

Pinside production figure

Estimated value

$2,400–$2,800

Current Pinside estimate

The game at a glance

Load the cannons. Become invincible. Save the Queen.

Big Guns is built around three cannon loads. Put balls into the left and right cannon locks, then load the center cannon to begin 3-ball Multiball. During Multiball, shoot the currently lit cannon to begin INVINCIBLE / Queen's Rescue, then knock down the six lit castle guards before time expires.

Why it works

The main strategy is extremely readable: learn the three cannon shots and you can reach Multiball repeatedly. The challenge comes from controlling a very fast four-flipper playfield and converting Multiball into Queen's Rescues.

Signature personality

Two physical cannons fire balls across the playfield, while the oversized backbox contains the King's Chamber — a five-slot bagatelle game that can eventually light Extra Ball.

Main objective Load the left and right cannons, load the center cannon to begin Multiball, then hit the traveling lit cannon and clear all six guards during INVINCIBLE to rescue the Queen.

New player guide

How to play in five steps

Try the skill shot.
Plunge through the raised horseshoe path for Tower Bonus. A clean shot can also feed the right cannon load area.

Load the left and right cannons.
Shoot the lit left and right cannon-load saucers. Each successful load holds a ball and serves another to the plunger.

Load the center cannon.
Once the side cannons are loaded, the center cannon becomes the Multiball start. Make that shot to launch 3-ball Multiball.

Hit the traveling lit cannon.
During Multiball, one cannon is lit. Load that cannon to begin the timed INVINCIBLE / Queen's Rescue sequence.

Clear the six guards.
During INVINCIBLE, hit all six lit center guard targets before the timer expires to score Queen's Rescue. Repeat the process for additional rescues.

Rules & scoring

What actually matters

Full rulesheet ↗

Cannons & Multiball

Side locks: load the left and right cannons first.
Center cannon: becomes the third lock / Multiball start after the side cannons are loaded.
First Multiball: both side cannon locks begin available; later Multiballs qualify them sequentially.
Multiball scoring: most normal scoring is doubled during Multiball.
INVINCIBLE: load the currently lit traveling cannon during Multiball to begin Queen's Rescue.

Queen's Rescue & King's Chamber

Queen's Rescue: clear all six lit guards before INVINCIBLE expires.
Safety features: the kickback, right-side gate, and center post remain active during INVINCIBLE.
Repeatable: after a rescue, reload the newly lit cannon to start another rescue attempt during the same Multiball.
King's Chamber: every center-cannon load fires a mini-ball into the five-slot backbox game.
Five shields: light all five shield positions, then another King's Chamber shot lights Extra Ball at the inlanes.
Flipper steering: the lit shield position can be shifted with the flipper buttons before the mini-ball lands.

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Tower Bonus is easy repeatable value The skill-shot horseshoe builds Tower Bonus by 100K on successive successful shots on the same ball. Because Multiball repeatedly serves balls to the shooter lane, strong players can collect the Tower Bonus several times without ending the ball.

Competitive play

Tournament tips

Master the cannon loads

Backhand the side saucers. The left and right cannon loads can often be made from their same-side lower flippers.
Multiball is relatively accessible. You do not need to complete a separate lock qualification spellout before every lock.
Center cannon is the key shot. Learn it from both lower flippers because it starts Multiball and fires the King's Chamber.

Turn Multiball into points

Do not just survive Multiball. Immediately locate the traveling lit cannon and start INVINCIBLE.
Attack all six guards aggressively during INVINCIBLE. The game's safety devices are active, so the risk of shooting is reduced.
Restart Queen's Rescue when possible. Multiple rescues can be scored in one Multiball.
Watch older machines carefully. Weak cannon locks and burned-out guard lamps are common condition issues and can materially change strategy.

★

Simple tournament plan Hit the skill shot, load both side cannons, start Multiball at the center cannon, then repeatedly use the traveling lit cannon to start INVINCIBLE and clear the six guards for Queen's Rescue.

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