| “ | Shoots huge icicle spikes that do huge damage to MOAB-Class Bloons and freezes them. | ” |
| ~ In-game description |
Icicle Impale is the fifth and final upgrade of Path 3 for the Ice Monkey in Bloons TD 6. The Ice Monkey's snowballs can now freeze MOAB-class bloons, and deal 50 damage to blimps instead of 10. Frozen MOABs, BFBs, and DDTs move at the base speed of a ZOMG, and frozen ZOMGs are slowed to 50%; BADs and Boss Bloons can be damaged but will not be frozen or slowed down. This unique slowdown versus non-ZOMG blimps becomes far more apparent on higher rounds.
Icicle Impale also allows the snowballs to directly pop White and Zebra Bloons. Additionally, the Ice Monkey now attacks 33% faster (or 0.75x attack cooldown reduction), increasing its default firing rate from per 1.0s to per 0.75s. Crosspathing with Permafrost also applies a permanent 25% slowdown to the outer layer of any affected MOAB-class bloons.
This upgrade costs $25,500 on Easy, $30,000 on Medium, $32,400 on Hard, and $36,000 on Impoppable.
Description[]
Overview[]
Icicle Impale
This upgrade greatly increases the length of the projectile launcher, adds a protruding triangular spike from the end, and the Ice Monkey now holds the launcher like a shoulder-fired missile. Feather-like protrusions of ice stick out of the top of the helmet. The upgrade portrait shows the launcher held over the left shoulder, while the in-game model holds it over the right shoulder. Similarly to Icicles, the Ice Monkey's right arm in the upgrade portrait, is completely iced, but the in-game model's arm is not; only its left hand is blue.
Icicle Impale gains +33% attack speed and can freeze blimps each hit. Each shot deals significantly increased damage to blimps. Blimp freezing greatly slows down most blimps down to ZOMG speed and ZOMGs slow down by 50%, but cannot freeze to any BAD or Bosses. Each snowball attack changes to Shatter damage type, allowing the popping of White and Zebra Bloons.
Targeting Priorities[]
Icicles targets bloons using the standard targeting priorities. It shoots a straight movement projectile.
- First: Targets the first bloon visible within its range.
- Last: Targets the last bloon visible within its range.
- Close: Targets the closest bloon visible within its range.
- Strong: Targets the strongest bloon visible within its range.
Adding Cold Snap (which detects camo) adds Camo Prioritization.
Full Popology[]
Statistics[]
- Updated as of Version 44.0
- Base stats
- Snowball:
- Projectile, glacier type, detects centerpoint hitbox, 43 range, 0.75s attack cooldown, 2 damage, 50 MOAB-class damage (+48 MOAB-class damage), 40 pierce, freezes bloons and blimps for 1.5s. Blast radius of 20. Adds Icicles Planted status effect on bloons for the same amount of time as freeze duration, producing Icicles. Can target MOAB-class bloons.
- Icicles:
- Burst, sharp type, 2 damage, 3 pierce, 5 projectile size
- Crosspathing interactions
- 1-0-5:
- Snowball applies Permafrost status effect to bloons, slowing them down by 50%, or by 25% to MOAB-class.
- 2-0-5:
- Snowball damage type changed from shatter to normal, and gains camo detection. Can freeze Leads and DDTs.
- Icicles damage type changed from sharp to normal, and detects camo.
- 0-1-5:
- Snowball attack cooldown reduced from 0.75s to 0.5625s, freeze duration increased from 1.2s to 1.4s.
- 0-2-5:
- Snowball freeze duration increased from 1.4s to 1.76s, pierce increased from 40 to 45.
- Monkey Knowledge interactions
Icy Chill: Freeze radius slightly increased. Increases by +3.- Big Cryo Blast: Cryo Cannon gets increase blast radius. Blast radius increased by +5.
- Monkey Education: All Monkeys XP earn rate increased by 8%.
- Better Sell Deals: All Monkeys sell for 5% more. Increases sell potency from 70% to 75%.
- Veteran Monkey Training: All Monkeys reload time reduced by 3%.
Attack Interactions[]
- See also: Attack Interactions/Bloons TD 6/Primary
- Updated as of Version 36.0
- Base attack(s)
- Snowball:
- Shatter
- Single Projectile
- Straight Attack
- Area of Effect
- Extra Damage (2)
- Extra Damage to Blimps (+48)
- Freeze (1.2s)
- Freeze Blimps (1.2s)
- Icicle Planted
- Icicles:
- Sharp
- Spike
- Cannot Target Frozen
- Extra Damage (2)
Costs[]
- Updated as of Version 44.0. Listed prices exclude external buffs, any sacrifices, and Monkey Knowledge.
| [Module | Data] | Purchase | Sell | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costs | Easy | Medium | Hard | Impoppable | Easy | Medium | Hard | Impoppable |
| Upgrade (X-X-5) | $25,500 | $30,000 | $32,400 | $36,000 | - | |||
| Total (0-0-5) | $30,510 | $35,900 | $38,775 | $43,080 | $21,357 | $25,130 | $27,143 | $30,156 |
| Crosspath (1-0-5) | $30,635 | $36,050 | $38,935 | $43,260 | $21,445 | $25,235 | $27,255 | $30,282 |
| Crosspath (2-0-5) | $30,930 | $36,400 | $39,315 | $43,680 | $21,651 | $25,480 | $27,521 | $30,576 |
| Crosspath (0-1-5) | $30,700 | $36,125 | $39,020 | $43,350 | $21,490 | $25,288 | $27,314 | $30,345 |
| Crosspath (0-2-5) | $31,080 | $36,575 | $39,505 | $43,890 | $21,756 | $25,603 | $27,654 | $30,723 |
This upgrade's prices (or included crosspath's prices) are affected by the following MK: 
Come On Everybody!, 
Better Sell Deals
Strategy[]
Summary[]
Icicle Impale holds a unique place as a tower that can solo DDTs and does very good damage to blimps in general. It also clumps up bloons, which may be useful to help certain towers fully utilize their pierce. In combination with a defense that performs heavy DPS, as well as some basic supports, the Icicle Impale is an excellent addition for crowd control and solid MOAB-class damage.
Tips[]
- Since it can greatly slow MOAB-class bloons, it can serve very well against rounds containing large quantities of stronger and fast-moving blimps. For example, it is a great option versus rounds with multiple ZOMGs (such as Round 97), and DDTs (such as Round 95 and Round 99) if given camo detection and lead-popping.
- In terms of heavy ZOMG rounds: Rounds 85, 87, 97, 98, 103, 107, 108, 111, 125, 131, 135, and 137.
- In terms of rounds containing DDTs, assuming camo detection and lead-popping is sorted: Rounds 90, 93, 95, 99, 102, 106, 112, 117, 118, 126, 128, 135, and 138.
- When given camo detection, placed in a good close or straight-line spot, and near a Monkey Intelligence Bureau or influenced by a lead-popping grant (Cold Snap upgrade, Acidic Mixture Dip, or Gwendolin with Heat It Up effect), it makes a good counter to DDTs.
- Note that crosspathing Icicle Impale with Permafrost allows it to permanently apply a 25% slowdown to all affected MOAB-class bloons. However, since Icicle Impale would likely be fast enough to slow them down to a halt anyway, it is usually better off going for a 0-2-5 Icicle Impale. That being said, 2-0-5 allows direct popping of DDTs and does not require Radar Scanner due to that crosspath's innate camo detection.
- MOAB-class Bloons that are slowed by the attacks count as frozen, so they become immune to sharp projectiles. Plan ahead and invest in towers and upgrades that can pop frozen Bloons.
- After the base Ice Monkey pierce nerf in Version 34.0, Deep Freeze is an especially important upgrade to increase pierce.
Version History[]
Balance Changes[]
Icicle Impale's power is relatively unchanged since it was first released, but also gained a few quality-of-life changes that made it slightly better against normal bloons and improve use of the Path 1 crosspath. Even when it was first released, Icicle Impale was considered a very powerful Tier 5 upgrade, and still remains viable on CHIMPS even at present.
- 2.0
- Icicle Impale no longer damages Lead Bloons or DDTs without Metal Freeze.
- Icicle Impale blast radius pierce increased (20 → 30)
- 3.0
- Icicle Impale can now pop and freeze White and Zebra Bloons.
- 17.0
- Crosspathing Icicle Impale with Permafrost allows it to apply the Permafrost effect to all MOAB-class bloons affected by ice blasts, although the Permafrost effect is 25% instead of 50% for MOAB-class.
- 21.0
- Affected by Cryo Cannon and Icicles buffs
- 21.1 (?)
- Now correctly affected by Cryo Cannon blast radius buff
- 25.0
- Icicle Impale no longer can freeze DDTs without Metal Freeze
- [Undocumented] 2-0-5 Icicle Impale shards now pop Lead Bloons.
- 34.0
- Icicle Impale base pierce decreased (30 → 20). Does not affect 0-2-5.
- 36.0
- Icicle Impale base pierce increased (20 → 30). Also carries over to 0-2-5.
- 38.0
| “ | Plenty of attention has been drawn to the high power of Ice, so we’re continuing to work on slowly dialing this back in fair ways. | ” |
| ~ Ninja Kiwi |
- Icicle Impale freeze time reduced 1.5s → 1.2s
- 39.0
- Icicle Impale pierce increased from 30 to 40, due to base Ice Monkey pierce buffs
- 40.0
- Icicle Impale icicle projectile size increased (4 → 5)
Bug Fixes and General Changes[]
 |
This section is incomplete. You can help by expanding it. |
Extra Notes (Version History)[]
- Version 39.0 had undocumentedly improved Cryo's pierce from 30 to 40; previously, Cryo was buffed in 36.0 to no longer have a pierce penalty. This also affects Icicle Impale by extension.
Gallery[]
Official artwork[]
Assets[]
Trivia[]
- Prior to version 2.0, even if Icicle Impale did not have Metal Freeze, it could still freeze and damage DDTs with Camo Bloon detection.
- As of version 2.0, it could still slow down DDTs, but it required Metal Freeze, Acidic Mixture Dip, or a Monkey Intelligence Bureau to deal actual damage to them.
- As of version 25.0, it cannot damage or slow down DDTs without Metal Freeze or external support.
- On certain Daily Challenges that specifically have decreased MOAB-class bloon speed, Icicle Impale can actually speed up MOAB-class bloons (except ZOMG, which will move at 50% speed, and BADs, which cannot be slowed at all), due to the frozen status applying a set speed to such bloon types.
- The upgrade icon for Icicle Impale is a MOAB impaled by a large icicle spike.
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