Smart Spikes

Smart Spikes
General Information
Game	BTD6
Tower	Spike Factory
Unlocked at	550 XP
Cost	$340 (Easy) $400 (Medium) $430 (Hard) $480 (Impoppable)
Activated Ability	N/A
Targeting Options	First, Last, Close, Strong
Camo Detection	Yes
Popology
Statistics
Damage	1 (spike)
Pierce	5 (spike pile, e.a.u.)
Attack Speed	Slow (every 2.2s, e.a.u., spike piles last for 1 round or 70s)
Range	42 (BTD6)
Status Effects	N/A
Tower Boosts	N/A
Income/Life Boosts	N/A
Path Upgrades
Current	[[File:|48x48px|center|link=]] Smart Spikes
Current	[[File:|48x48px|center|link=]] Smart Spikes
Path Info
Path	3
Path	3
Upgrade Tier	2
Upgrade Tier	2
[Source]

Directed Spikes is the second upgrade of the third path for the Spike Factory, it allows the Spike Factory to have target priorities. The target priority is initially set to Normal, its normal target priority, but it can be changed to a unique target setting to make best use of this upgrade.

It costs $340 on Easy, $400 on Medium, $430 on Hard, and $480 on Impoppable.

Priorities

• Normal: Places spikes like a normal Spike Factory.
• Close: Places spikes at the track part nearest to the Spike Factory.
• Far: Places the spikes on the track part the least close to the Spike Factory
• Smart: Attacks bloons in the most "optimal" position possible by dispersing spikes directed at the bloon that the Spike Factory considers "optimizes" its power. By default, it places spikes as close to the applicable entrance(s) as possible. Also allows it to chase down approaching bloons easier. Otherwise, it places the spikes as most close to the entrance as possible if no bloons are detected within its radius.

Tips

• This upgrade is useful for specifically placing spikes along specified points, particularly so for targeting onto intersection points.

Gallery

Spike Factory artwork with "Smart" setting enabled.

"Normal" setting

"Close" setting

"Far" setting

"Smart" setting (prep mode)

"Smart" setting (attack mode)

Trivia

• This upgrade is the only target-granting upgrade in BTD6 that will not automatically set one of the new target settings.
• The "Smart" target setting is disputed in how "intelligent" the setting is. Some players even say that some of the functions in the "Smart" target setting send spikes at the worst position if the factory is already in a bad position.
• The "Smart" target setting can detect incoming camos, as indicated by the fact that it will still stockpile spikes on the path of anticipating camo bloons, as if the camo bloons were normal bloons. This is in spite of the Spike Factory not yet counting as camo detection range for the Monkey Sub's Advanced Intel upgrade.