glass cannon

English

Etymology

From the fact that they are powerful (similar to a cannon) yet are easily breakable (similar to glass).

Noun

glass cannon (plural glass cannons)

1. (role-playing games, board games, video games) A character or unit with strong offensive power but weak defensive capabilities.
   • 2009 May 23, Eugene Barrett, “Re: DCSS:: need advice”, in rec.games.roguelike.misc, Usenet‎^[1]:

     Deep elves die easier than most other races - glass cannons to an extreme extent.

   • 2011, Roderic Waibel, Altus Adventum 2nd Edition Core Rulebook, Lulu.com (2011), →ISBN, page 183:

     We don't want Bryztak to be a glass cannon, so armor would be prudent.

   • 2012, Lizzie Stark, Leaving Mundania: Inside the Transformative World of Live Action Role-Playing Games, Chicago Review Press (2012), →ISBN, page 238:

     A min-maxer might create a “glass cannon” character—one with lots of awesome offenses but next to no defense.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:glass cannon.

Antonyms

• (gaming): tank