glass cannon
Deadly but brittle
A glass cannon is something or someone with tremendous offensive power but extreme vulnerability—devastating in attack, fragile in defense.
The term comes from gaming, where it describes characters or builds that deal massive damage but can be killed quickly.
The metaphor extends beyond games: Their startup was a glass cannon—brilliant product, zero cash reserves.
Soft and easily compressed
- nukerSlang for microwave
- DPSAttack rate measure
- assassinPaid murderer of targets
- magePractitioner of sorcery
ADC · oneshot · cooldowns · crit · poke · burst · carry · artillery
Advantage with inherent dangers
- paper tigerSeeming strength, actual weakness
- house of cardsStructure prone to collapse
- ticking time bombLooming inevitable disaster
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
Easily broken or damaged
- brittleLiable to shatter
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- defenselessWithout means to resist
- exposedOut in open
unprotected · susceptible · weak · frail · flimsy · paper-thin · squishy · targetable
Substantial chance of loss
- all-inFully committed, nothing held back
- feast or famineMarked by wild extremes
- boom or bustCycles of prosperity and collapse
- volatileLiable to sudden change
precarious · unstable · risky · dangerous · dicey · treacherous · double-edged · gamble
Create a structure
- offenseViolation or umbrage
- damageHarm or impairment
- powerhouseSource of great energy
- min-maxOptimal play against adversity
optimization · itemization · runes · talents · spec · loadout · draft · peel
squishy
Soft and easily compressed
mage · ADC · oneshot · cooldowns · crit · poke · burst · carry · artillery · siege
double-edged sword
Advantage with inherent dangers
- paper tigerSeeming strength, actual weakness
- house of cardsStructure prone to collapse
- ticking time bombLooming inevitable disaster
liability · wildcard · explosive · devastating · shock and awe
fragile
Easily broken or damaged
- brittleLiable to shatter
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- defenselessWithout means to resist
exposed · unprotected · susceptible · weak · frail · flimsy · paper-thin · squishy · targetable · focused
high risk
Substantial chance of loss
- all-inFully committed, nothing held back
- feast or famineMarked by wild extremes
- boom or bustCycles of prosperity and collapse
volatile · precarious · unstable · risky · dangerous · dicey · treacherous · double-edged · gamble · calculated risk
build
Create a structure
- offenseViolation or umbrage
- damageHarm or impairment
- powerhouseSource of great energy
min-max · optimization · itemization · runes · talents · spec · loadout · draft · peel · frontline
- gameplaypower-up, level cap, save point, game over, tutorial level
- game roleshealer, tank, DPS, mage, warrior
- playstylesaggressive, defensive, passive, casual, competitive
- damage dealersdamage dealer, carry, ADC, nuke, assassin
- RPG buildsberserker, battlemage, spellsword, summoner, necromancer
- RPG classesarcher, assassin, barbarian, bard, cleric
glass cannontank
Large storage vessel
meat shield · bullet sponge · stone wall · brick wall · juggernaut
glass, cannon, glasses, glassy, glassware, glasslike, cannons, cannonade, cannonball