Explosive rounds on the Anvil hand cannon come from the X-Rounds amplification, a fifth-tier upgrade added in the Frozen Trail update. It sits past the normal tier IV ceiling, changes the gun’s model, and bolts an explosive compound onto every shot that chews through ARC armor plating. The trade-off is heavier recoil, slower bullets, and a smaller headshot bonus, and the choice is permanent once you commit.
Quick answer: Level the Anvil to tier IV, amplify it with an Amplification Module Mk. III at the Gunsmith, research Embedded Blast Engineering, then apply the X-Rounds node. It adds +5 base damage and +33% damage versus ARC armor, and locks out Anvil Splitter.
What X-Rounds does to the Anvil
Anvil is a hand cannon with a single-action trigger and a six-round magazine loaded with Heavy Ammo. X-Rounds preserves its one-shot, heavy-hitting style while adding an explosive payload that deals much greater damage to armored machines than to raiders. This blast makes the weapon an ARC-cracker, but its recoil and velocity drawbacks require you to lead moving targets more carefully.
| Modifier | X-Rounds | Anvil Splitter |
|---|---|---|
| Projectiles per shot | 1 | 4 (+3) |
| Base damage | +5 | −70% per projectile |
| Damage vs ARC armor | +33% | — |
| Headshot multiplier | −10% | −40% |
| Recoil | +30% vertical, +50% horizontal | — |
| Bullet velocity | −50% | — |
X-Rounds and Anvil Splitter cannot be combined. Splitter turns each round into a four-projectile spread for close-range coverage, trading away single-target punch and most of its headshot damage. Pick one branch and stick with it, because amplification cannot be undone.
Requirements before you can amplify the Anvil
Amplification is gated behind the Outpost and a maxed Gunsmith. Line these up first, or the amplify option stays locked.
- The Outpost unlocked and expanded to level 4.
- Gunsmith upgraded to level IV (3 Radial Press, 3 Magnetic Accelerators, 1 Emperor Modulator).
- The Anvil leveled to tier IV.
- One Amplification Module Mk. III, which matches the Anvil’s Rare rarity.
- 3 Fossilized Lightning and 5 Rocketeer Drivers for the research project.
- 1,000 Impact Grenade damage dealt to flying ARC for the research objective.
Where to find Amplification Module Mk. III
Amplification Modules are found at the ARC Frigate or inside the fallen Emperor on Pendola Pass. To get a Mk. III, board the ARC Frigate while running The Blue Gate and search the side crates on its hull. Every Mark has the same drop rate, so take whichever one you find and put it in a safe pocket immediately.
How to amplify the Anvil and unlock X-Rounds
The grenade objective tracks a progress bar that blocks the unlock until the damage is actually dealt, even if every material is already in your stash.
X-Rounds research is shared with the Bettina and Kettle, so that progress is available if you amplify either weapon later. The upgrade is confirmed when the Anvil icon turns blue, its model changes, and the tree shows X-Rounds applied with the explosive compound active.
Amplified Anvil reference stats
These are the figures for the Amplified Anvil with X-Rounds as it sits once the branch is applied. Keep them handy while you decide whether the explosive path fits your loadout.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Hand Cannon (Amplified) |
| Ammo type |  Heavy Ammo |
| Magazine size | 6 |
| Firing mode | Single-Action |
| ARC Armor penetration | Very Strong |
| Critical hit multiplier | 2.5x |
| Increased fire rate | 75% |
| Reduced dispersion recovery | 18.75% |
| Bullet speed | 175 m/s |
| Max durability | 200 |
| Weight | 5 kg |
| Sell value | 20,800 Coins |
| Required module |  Amplification Module Mk. III |
Repairing the Amplified Anvil
Amplified weapons have 200 durability, which they use up quickly, and require Amplified Fragments for repairs instead of the Anvil’s standard gun parts. 21 Amplified Fragments pay for one standard repair, restoring 50% of the durability bar.
Recycling Amplification Modules provides Amplified Fragments. Each Mark, from Mk. I through Mk. V, yields seven, making unusable spare modules useful for repairs. Recycling the amplified gun yields 11 fragments, while salvaging it yields 8.
How X-Rounds performs against ARC
In a raid, explosive rounds take down armored flyers and heavy units much faster than a regular Anvil. Their lower velocity makes leading moving targets a skill to practice, but the 33% armor bonus is especially effective against heavily plated machines.
- It takes roughly five to seven direct hits to break a Rocketier’s thruster, and around 14 to 15 shots to defeat the entire unit.
- One accurately placed shot can destroy a Firefly’s frontal armor and thruster at the same time. Fireflies and Hornets usually go down in two shots.
- A Vaporizer thruster takes about six direct shots, and the full machine falls in roughly nine to eleven.
X-Rounds proves its worth against plated enemies that withstand standard ammunition: the explosive compound gives a dependable medium-range hand cannon a role in breaking ARC armor.
