| “ | A devastating missile strike on the largest bloon on screen. Destroys up to a ZOMG bloon in one go, or many lesser bloons. | ” |
| ~ Official description |
First Strike Capability is the final Path 2 upgrade for the Monkey Sub in BTD5. In BTD5, it costs $17000 on Easy, $20000 on Medium, and $21600 on Hard and $24000 on Impoppable. In BTD5, it is the only ability that is capable of taking out a whole Z.O.M.G. in one strike. The player must be rank 49 to use this upgrade, while on flash version this upgrade has been already unlocked, even before the Monkey Sub is unlocked. When activated, the submarine fires a missile at the strongest bloon on screen.
In BTD6, this upgrade returns as the fourth Path 2 upgrade for the Monkey Sub. The ability now deals up to 10000 damage to the strongest bloon on screen, capable of fully annihilating any bloon up to ZOMG (and DDTs), then spreading the rest of the damage to any other nearby bloons, along with a large explosion that deals 350 damage. There is a cooldown of 60 seconds after using the First Strike Capability ability. It costs $13,000 on Medium.
Tips
- First Strike Capability is very useful to counter the Round 100 BAD (along with Round 99 BAD in ABR) during the BAD's final stages.
- A single First Strike activation can be either used to cripple the BAD or to cleanly kill the BAD.
- To kill the BAD without any children, you have to wait until the BAD is weakened slightly after the last stage.
- A double First Strike activation does the same thing as above, although it is easier to time and works with more strategies.
- On longer maps, this can be done with one First Strike, but buying either: another First Strike, Bloontonium Reactor or Energizer this strategy can be carried over to shorter maps.
- A single First Strike activation can be either used to cripple the BAD or to cleanly kill the BAD.
- First Strike Capability costs $16820 ($350 + $485 + $325 + $1620 + $14040) on Hard Difficulty, so be sure to have around at least $16820 left over before Round 100 starts in CHIMPS Mode.
Version History (BTD6)
- 8.0
No longer freezes the game when the ability hits a Black Bloon.
- 8.1
First Strike Capability ability now can instakill all Bloons in explosion radius up to ZOMGs instead of just stripping them into children layers (specifically MOAB-class Bloons, BFBs and ZOMGs used to become MOABs upon ability impact). Also does an additional 350 damage to all bloons in its explosion radius.
- 9.0
No longer crashes the game when the ability destroys a BAD.
- 12.0
First Strike Capability ability missile deals less damage (16700 --> 10000)
Gallery
First Strike Capability Missile aiming at the ZOMG
Official artwork of the First Strike Capability on BTD5 Mobile
BTDB Mobile artwork
Artwork on BTD5 Flash
BMC Artwork
First Strike Capability Missile aiming at the ZOMG, in BTD5 Mobile
First Strike Capability Missile behind a normal Ballistic Missile explosion
First Strike Ability onto a Camo Ceramic
First Strike Ability explosion
BTD6 Artwork
BTD6 Crosspathing (top path 1, bottom path 3)
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First Strike missile behind a normal ballistic missile.
Trivia
- When it comes to Z.O.M.G. destruction, this tower can destroy a single ZOMG even faster than a max Temple of the Monkey God due to the ability. Against groups of ZOMGs, though, the max Temple is far superior because unlike the First Strike Capability, it can deal enough damage per second to quickly take down even groups of ZOMGs without activated abilities.
- Also worth noting is the ability can only take down 1 ZOMG at a time. Any ZOMGs that are hit with the splash damage of the missile will be reduced to 4 BFBs.
- This ability will prioritize its targets by strength but will spread its fire to the second after the first is destroyed and so on.
- During the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union were preparing for nuclear war against each other, the nation that fired its missiles first was said to have dealt the "first strike" and would be much readier to receive missiles from the other side, giving their population a huge advantage. Additionally, both the US and the USSR deployed nuclear submarines, which the BTD submarine resembles when carrying this ability; some of these submarines could carry nuclear missiles which would have an impact in the greater nuclear exchange.
- It resembles a U-boat, a German submarine used in World War II
- Because of the Monkey's headgear, it is most likely that it was meant to be the Typhoon-Class Red October.
- The monkey piloting the submarine resembles Sean Connery acting as Marko Ramius in "The Hunt for Red October". Like the actor, the monkey wears a black ushanka and has a white beard.
- Fittingly enough, Red October was a nuclear-capable submarine.
- First Strike Capability can destroy 1 ZOMG, 5 BFBs, or 26 MOABs in one go.
- In BTD5 Flash, it can destroy 1 ZOMG, 6 BFBs, or 28 MOABs.
- In BTD6, it can destroy 1 ZOMG, 1 DDT, 1 BFB, or infinite MOABs. (The ability appears to do 700 splash damage, though DDTs appear to sometimes take less; in late freeplay Rounds, it can only destroy (or damage) one MOAB Class Bloon and infinite normal bloons)
- In BTD5 Flash, it can destroy 1 ZOMG, 6 BFBs, or 28 MOABs.
- The Technological Terror's Bloon Annihilation Ability is more effective at destroying Packed MOABs or Packed BFBs than the First Strike Capability Ability is; however, the First Strike Capability Ability is better at destroying a single ZOMG than a Tech Terror can at destroying on ZOMG plus the ability.
- In the submarine rescue mission in BMC, the submarine situated at the end of the track is a Monkey Sub upgraded with First Strike Capability. The player can repair it for 8000 battle funds.
- The ability in BTD Battles cannot destroy the ZOMG on Round 43 due to MOAB-Class health being upgraded after Round 32. It can destroy a sent ZOMG on Round 31 and below though.
- In fact, a single First Strike cannot even pop the outer layer of the Round 43 ZOMG, as this layer has 23200 HP.
- The ability in BTD6 does exactly 10000 damage to a Big Airship of Doom.
- This is the maximum amount of damage the First Strike missle can do, so on deep freeplay with ramping eventually other blimps will not be instakilled by the ability.
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