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BTD6

For other uses of "MOAB Assassin", see MOAB Assassin (disambiguation).
Assassinate MOAB Ability: Special missile flies out and does massive damage to MOAB class Bloons. Regular attack range and MOAB-class damage also increased.
~ In-game description

MOAB Assassin (sometimes shortened to Assassin) is the fourth upgrade of Path 2 for the Bomb Shooter in Bloons TD 6. It grants a new ability that fires a missile dealing 750 blimp-penetrating damage to the targeted visible MOAB-class bloon on screen and creates a 3 damage explosion with 100 pierce when the missile explodes, with a cooldown of 30 seconds. Alongside its new ability, its missiles now deal 31 damage to MOAB-class bloons (instead of 16) and 5 damage to Ceramics, while still dealing 1 damage to all other bloons. Additionally, MOAB Assassin adds +5 range on top of the MOAB Mauler upgrade, which in itself has extra range on top of Missile Launcher; its base range increases from 49 to 54.

This upgrade costs $2,845 on Easy, $3,350 on Medium, $3,620 on Hard, and $4,020 on Impoppable.

Description[]

Overview[]

Moab assassin targeting

MOAB Assassin ability targeting a ZOMG

This upgrade retains the same missile base as the preceding upgrades, only this time with a black missile bearing a red stripe around the fins.

Like all Tier 4 Bomb Shooters, crosspathing changes the appearance of the Bomb Shooter with the MOAB Assassin upgrade. Path 1 crosspathing visibly fattens the missile's nose and adds a red stripe around the eyes. Path 2 crosspathing adds either a red target or explosion symbol on the forehead of the missile.

MOAB Assassin gains the Assassinate MOAB ability, dealing 750 damage to the targetted MOAB-class bloon on screen, and can penetrate blimp layers, with a cooldown of 30 seconds. The missile also generates splash damage after detonation on the targeted blimp, dealing 3 damage across a moderate-sized radius onto up to 100 bloons.

Additionally, it gains +12 MOAB damage, for 31 total, as well as +4 Ceramic damage, for a total of 5. It also further enhances range by 5, for a total of 54.

Activated Abilities[]

See also: Activated Abilities (BTD6)#MOAB Assassin
MoabAssassinUpgradeIcon

MOAB Assassin Ability

MOAB Assassin gains the MOAB Assassin Ability, which shoots at a targeted visible blimp on screen; this follows the main tower's target priority (but ignores regular bloons), inflicting 750 blimp-penetrating damage to it, plus a 3 damage splash to up to 100 bloons around it. As an instant use ability that targets MOAB-class bloons only, it does not rely on duration to keep targeting blimps. Cooldown of 30 seconds, with a 10 second initial cooldown once upgraded.

The MOAB Assassin Ability can gain reduced cooldowns from GlobalAbilityCooldownsIcon Global Ability Cooldowns (Monkey Knowledge), Abilitized (Relic Knowledge), Primary Mentoring and Primary Expertise's buffs, and the global Energizer buff. Its ability can be reset with Striker Jones's Artillery Command, as well as Geraldo's Rejuv Potion.

Targeting Priorities[]

MOAB Assassin targets bloons using the standard targeting priorities. Its main attack shoots straight movement projectiles.

  • 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.

MOAB Assassin's ability missile follows standard targeting priorities and only targets MOAB-class bloons. It also possesses Lock-On Behavior, causing it to ignore other bloons in its path until it hits its designated target or until the target disappears.

Full Popology[]

Statistics[]

Updated as of Version 44.0
Base stats
  • Missile:
    • Projectile, explosion type, 54 range, 0.875s attack cooldown, 1 damage, 31 MOAB-class damage (+30 MOAB-class damage), 5 Ceramic damage (+4 Ceramic damage), 14 pierce. Blast radius of 12.
Ability stats
  • Assassin:
    • Projectile, explosion type, targets only MOAB-class bloons, infinite range, 1 impact pierce, 750 blimp-penetrating damage.
    • Upon collision, produces Assassin Explosion, dealing 3 damage across 30 blast radius, 100 pierce, normal type, can hit all visible targets including the collided bloon.
Crosspathing interactions
  • 1-4-0:
    • Missile pierce increased from 14 to 20 and blast radius from 12 to 18.
  • 2-4-0:
    • Missile pierce increased from 20 to 30 and base damage increased to 2.
  • 0-4-1:
    • Gains +7 range (54 → 66)
  • 0-4-2:
    • Gains +2 range (54 → 66 → 71)
    • Upon collision, release Frags that cannot affect the collided bloon (if hitting a bloon).
Monkey Knowledge interactions

Attack Interactions[]

See also: Attack Interactions/Bloons TD 6/Primary
Updated as of Version 37.3
Base attack(s)
  • Bomb:
    • Explosion Type (pops White, Purple, Lead, Frozen) Explosion
    • Single Projectile Single Projectile
    • Straight Attack Straight Attack
    • Area of Effect Area of Effect
    • Extra damage versus MOAB-class Bloons (+30) Extra Damage to Blimps (+30)
    • Extra damage versus Ceramics (+4) Extra Damage to Ceramics (+4)
Ability
  • Missile Hit:
    • Explosion Type (pops White, Purple, Lead, Frozen) explosion
    • Impact Impact
    • Full Map Range (unspecified description of how the tower can attack beyond basic range) Beyond Range
    • Target Blimp(s) (Targets single strongest blimp) Target Blimps
    • Lock-on Behavior (Ignores other targets until it hits initial target or it disappears) Lock-on
    • Extra damage to all bloon types (750) Extra Damage (750)
    • Penetrates Blimp (can penetrate through MOAB-class bloons) Penetrates Blimp
  • Missile Explosion:
    • Normal Type (pops Black, White, Purple, Lead, Frozen) Normal
    • Burst (bursts from MOAB Assassin missile) Burst
    • Area of Effect Area of Effect
    • Extra damage to all bloon types (3) Extra Damage (3)

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-4-X) $2,845 $3,350 $3,620 $4,020 -
Total (0-4-0) $4,650 $5,475 $5,915 $6,570 $3,255 $3,833 $4,141 $4,599
Crosspath (1-4-0) $4,860 $5,725 $6,185 $6,870 $3,402 $4,008 $4,330 $4,809
Crosspath (2-4-0) $5,410 $6,375 $6,885 $7,650 $3,787 $4,463 $4,820 $5,355
Crosspath (0-4-1) $4,820 $5,675 $6,130 $6,810 $3,374 $3,973 $4,291 $4,767
Crosspath (0-4-2) $5,075 $5,975 $6,455 $7,170 $3,553 $4,183 $4,519 $5,019

This upgrade's prices (or included crosspath's prices) are affected by the following MK: ComeOnEverybodyIcon Come On Everybody!, BetterSellDealsIcon Better Sell Deals

Strategy[]

Summary[]

MOAB Assassin's main power comes from its single-target damage through its ability. In standard gameplay, MOAB Assassin is most commonly seen used in tandem with Striker Jones against rounds with spaced and isolated MOABs, especially Round 100, or sometimes against early isolated MOABs such as the Round 40 MOAB or the Round 40 Fortified MOAB in ABR. Pair with Striker Jones for the opportunity to reset cooldowns for the MOAB Assassin abilities and double damage on the second activation at level 20. With Striker Jones' Artillery Command, MOAB Assassin is very efficient DPS ignoring grouped damage.

MOAB Assassins are typically paired with MOAB Mauler spam for increased single-target damage, though MOAB Assassin spam can still be a viable choice when placed in focused regions of the map. Compared to MOAB Mauler spam, MOAB Assassin spam has slightly better cleanup in the late-game thanks to its higher MOAB damage and increased Ceramic damage, but still very ineffective against Super Ceramics. MOAB Assassins aren't as synergetic with the discount portions of Primary Mentoring or Primary Expertise but benefit much from the reduced ability cooldowns given by these Village buffs.

Tips[]

  • Similar to First Strike Capability, it is helpful to do some damage to the targeted blimp first before unleashing the ability of MOAB Assassin, so the ability is capable of penetrating more layers of blimps. An example is against the Round 60 BFB.
  • As a damage tower, MOAB Maulers tend to be more efficient in terms of grouped popping power as they are more spammable, especially with Primary Mentoring. However, to optimize mauling of MOABs, the best candidate Maulers to promote are those that are the main line of defense and are influenced by Villages.
  • Most strategies for utilizing MOAB Assassin's main missile attacks can be utilized based on that for the previous tier MOAB Mauler. As such, 1-4-0 tends to be the preferred crosspath for the increased pierce and blast radius, although 0-4-2 may be used for the extra range.
  • Striker Jones and Top Path Villages are great buffs, as they not only buff MOAB Assassin itself, but also synergise with other towers that are great MOAB Assassin partners.
  • Unlike BTD5 or BMC, MOAB Assassin ability can neither target non-MOAB-class nor target non-visible DDTs. As such, be sure to have effective backup against either bloon types.
  • MOAB Assassin gains bonus Ceramic damage, but it is highly cost-inefficient as Ceramic popping power. As with Mauler spam strategies, use alternate defenses for countering Ceramics, especially Super Ceramics. Cryo Cannon and Bloon Impact are among several examples of such.
  • In terms of usage for Boss Bloon Events, MOAB Assassin is helpful for inflicting single-target damage to Tier 1 Bosses in particular.
  • Even though the MOAB Assassin ability is not locked on Strong, there is still merit to setting it on Strong for the purposes of taking down singular targets with ease. Last can be helpful for specifically targeting the backmost strong blimp, as opposed to the frontmost strong blimp if set on Strong; practical usages for this include staggering single-target damage across multiple blimps on rounds like Round 85. First targeting for the ability is helpful for dealing with frontal MOABs. Targeting options other than Strong can also be used to avoid wasting shots on Rock Bloons.

Version History[]

Balance Changes[]

Overall, the MOAB Assassin has been buffed since it was first introduced into the game. Unlike MOAB Maulers, the power of MOAB Assassins has not been amplified to the same extent, but rather it has evolved to become a stronger version of a MOAB Mauler with an activated ability that deals high damage to high-HP single-target blimps. It is not as popular as Maulers, but tags alongside Striker Jones + Mauler spam strategies to utilize Striker Jones' lesser used Artillery Command ability.

Initial release (compared to BTD5)
  • NERF MOAB Assassin ability can no longer attack camo bloons without camo detection.
  • Change MOAB Assassin ability can no longer be activated when no MOAB-Class bloons are on screen. While this is technically a decrease in power, it can actually be advantageous. This is because it prevents the ability from being accidentally wasted.
4.0
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin missile now deals more damage to MOAB-class bloons (11 → 16)
12.0
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin now has increased attack speed from the Missile Launcher upgrade (every 1.2s → 1.02s)
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin main attack now deals +5 damage to Ceramics
15.0
  • BUFF Base MOAB Assassin range increased from 44 to 54
16.0
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin main attack deals more damage to MOAB-class (16 → 19)
18.0
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin inherits increased attack speed from the Missile Launcher upgrade (1.02s → 0.825s)
20.0
We're really excited about the recent rise in Bomb fame, and we want to encourage this by buffing some of the detracting parts of Bomb Shooters. But larger groups of basic T3 Maulers are now performing far too well against everything when they are intended to be more of a MOAB Specialist. This change means little in the early game, but should pull these groups back a little in more higher round gameplay.
~ Ninja Kiwi
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin deals more MOAB-class damage (+18 → +25)
  • NERF MOAB Assassin deals less Ceramic damage (+5 → +4)
22.0
Some low tier Bomb pierce has been shifted further up into the 2xx Heavy Bombs upgrade to effectively nerf 130 Mauler meta in price, but the price of these upgrades and MOAB Damage of T4 Maulers have both been buffed to benefit other variations of bomb better. [...]
~ Ninja Kiwi
  • NERF Base MOAB Assassin pierce reduced from 18 to 14 and benefits less from the Bigger Bombs crosspath (28 → 20)
  • BUFF 2-4-0 MOAB Assassin deals more pierce (28 → 30)
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin deals more damage versus MOAB-class (+25 → +30)
23.0
Small nerf to the regular-Bloon power of MOAB Mauler's domination.
~ Ninja Kiwi, referring to MOAB Mauler
  • Change Indirect buff due to a nerf in MOAB Mauler ceramic bonus damage being reduced from +4 to +3 not applying to MOAB Assassin.
25.0
In some cases the effort to make upgrades feel powerful eclipsed the need for monkey tower weaknesses to be supported by path or other tower synergies. [...] MOAB Maulers have been a very strong meta spam for a while now, so we are chipping off most of its ceramic bonus at T3.
~ Ninja Kiwi, referring to MOAB Mauler
  • Change Indirect buff due to a nerf in MOAB Mauler ceramic bonus damage being reduced from +3 to +1 not applying to MOAB Assassin, retaining +4 Ceramic damage.
30.0
Has strong meta usage, Mauler as a moab focus upgrade no longer needs the bonus to ceramic crutch
~ Ninja Kiwi, referring to MOAB Mauler
  • Change Indirect buff due to a nerf in MOAB Mauler ceramic bonus damage being removed.
32.0
  • Change Indirect buff due to a nerf in MOAB Mauler MOAB-class damage bonus being reduced.
37.0
MOAB Assassin fills a useful role of a pure long cooldown ‘single target assassination’ in the game, but when compared to something like First Strike it feels a little lacking that it is unable to carry damage through MOAB Layers.
~ Ninja Kiwi
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin ability now penetrates through MOAB-class layers
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin ability explosion now centers around the impact target
41.0
Just a little cost coming off the Bloon Impact upgrade, with some cost also moving up from Assassin to Eliminator to move this usage.
~ Ninja Kiwi
  • BUFF MOAB Assassin price reduced from $3200 to $3100
42.0
In efforts to bring more player control the MOAB Assassin ability will now follow tower target priority to determine its targets, although note it will still never target non-moabs. [...]
~ Ninja Kiwi
  • Change MOAB Assassin ability follows target priority instead of Strong
43.0
  • NERF [undocumented] MOAB Assassin's ability missile damage type changed from Normal to Explosion.
44.0
Base bomb price is now also lowering to allow more starting combinations to utilize it, this reduced price is moving up only into MOAB Assassin. [...]
~ Ninja Kiwi
  • NERF MOAB Assassin cost increased from $3100 to $3350
    • Total price adjustment is +$100, due to base Bomb (-$150).

Bug Fixes and General Changes[]

24.0
  • Change Description changed from "Assassinate MOAB ability: Special missile flies out and does massive damage to MOAB-Class Bloons." to "Assassinate MOAB Ability: Special missile flies out and does massive damage to MOAB class Bloons. Regular attack range and MOAB-class damage also increased."

Extra Notes (Version History)[]

Sounds[]

When activated Assassinate MOAB Ability:

Gallery[]

Official artwork[]

Trivia[]

  • MOAB Assassin's ability missile uses the same exact model as the normal MOAB Assassin attack missile. The same applies to MOAB Eliminator.
  • A 0-4-0 MOAB Assassin is the cheapest tower to be able to be affected by Striker Jones' Artillery Command ability before he reaches Level 20. In the opposite side of the spectrum, a 2-0-5 Bomb Blitz is the most expensive tower under the same conditions, the second being 2-5-0 Pop and Awe, regardless of crosspath choice.
  • According to Ninja Kiwi's 12th July 2024 blog, MOAB Assassins learned to target blimp based on their own targeting priorities because of improvements to MOAB Mauling technology, opening up special targeting other than just the strongest blimps as the MOAB Assassins previously always did.


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