Well, there are still ways to diminish the effects of the grapeshot. A detachment of five skirmishing archers in front of your knights will make that grapeshot pretty inefficient against the knights. The Ironblaster still need to roll to hit right?
Also, the Ironblaster can't shoot at both your cannons AND your knights, they have to choose which...
That cannon still is pretty pricey and even though it is good I don't think it seems that overpowered in comparison with other 8th edition army books. Also, we should perhaps compare the great cannon and other artillery in the Empire list when Empire get their new army book. I really don't like to compare 7th edition army books versus 8th edition because the 7th edition are not that well balanced against 8th edition in many areas.
It is pretty pointless to try and argue this or that without putting things into context such as a real battlefield environment where army composition and battlefield terrain play as big a part as anything.
