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Converts the Dart Monkey into a Spike-o-pult, a powerful tower that hurls a large spiked ball instead of darts. Good range, but slower attack speed. Each ball can pop 18 bloons.
~ Flash series description

Spike-o-pult (formatted as Spike-O-Pult in the Mobile series) is the third upgrade on Path 1 for the Dart Monkey in Bloons TD 5, Bloons TD 5 Deluxe, Bloons TD Battles, and Bloons Monkey City. It replaces the Dart Monkey's darts with a catapult that launches spiked balls, which can pop up to 18 Bloons (40 Bloons in BTD Battles Mobile) and can travel much further, but with a significantly slower attack speed.

In Bloons TD 5, it is unlocked at 1890 Dart Monkey XP. It costs $425 on Easy, $500 on Medium, $540 on Hard, and $600 on Impoppable.

In Bloons TD Battles, it is unlocked by default in the Flash version, while it can be purchased for Medallion Icon30 starting at Battle Score Icon70 in the Mobile version. It costs $500.

In Bloons Monkey City, it can be researched in the Monkey Academy at City Level 10 for City Cash6000 and (in the Flash version only) BloonstoneIcon20. It takes 24 hours to research and earns 350 XP. It costs $500 normally, or $540 on Hardcore Mode.

Description[]

Appearance[]

The Spike-o-pult is a catapult (specifically an onager, a type of catapult that hurls objects from a bowl bucket at the end of its throwing arm) with a wooden base, wheels, throwing arm, and axles, with a metal hinge and a stone bowl bucket tied to the arm with some rope. The projectiles it fires are black-coloured metallic balls covered in spikes, depicted as sharpened in some artwork and rounded in others. The Spike-o-pult is operated by a monkey that triggers its firing mechanism and reloads its spiked balls each time it attacks. Unlike its previous upgrade, the monkey does not wear a headband.

The Spike-o-pult does not change its appearance when upgraded on Path 2.

Mechanics[]

The Spike-o-pult launches singular spiked balls that travel straight, popping up to 18 Bloons (40 Bloons in BTDB Mobile). It cannot pop Lead Bloons, Frozen Bloons, or (in BMC) DDTs, but it can detect Camo Bloons.

Compared to its previous upgrade, the Spike-o-pult's projectiles have much more pierce and can travel much further, but at a slower velocity. It also fires at a much slower rate, reloading every 1.54 seconds instead of 0.9 seconds.

In BTD5 Flash and BTD5 Deluxe, with Splodey Darts, the Spike-o-pult's projectiles will produce a small explosion upon expiring, which deals 1 damage, has 10 pierce, and cannot pop Black Bloons or Zebra Bloons. However, due to its high pierce and travel distance, the explosion usually occurs away from the action, only rarely having a meaningful impact. Splodey Darts' BTD5 Mobile counterpart, the tier 4 Dart Training Facility, has no effect on this upgrade.

Targeting Priorities[]

The Spike-o-pult uses the standard Targeting Priorities: First, Last, Close, Strong.

  • 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.

Differences between the Flash series and Mobile series[]

  • Change Spike-o-pult is capitalized as "Spike-O-Pult".
  • Change Super Monkey Fan Club can transform Spike-O-Pults (without using glitches). While transformed, they will launch spiked balls at their usual rate of fire in addition to throwing darts at high speeds. (This does not apply to the Mobile version of Bloons TD Battles as of version 3.2.)

Version history (Bloons TD Battles Mobile)[]

3.2
  • Change Super Monkey Fan Club no longer affects Spike-O-Pults.
4.3
At the same price as Triple Darts, the Spike-O-Pult was simply a much less powerful upgrade than its opposite number. We've increased its pierce by over 100% which should bring the two third tiers more on par with each other.
~ "BTD Battles 4.3 Update Balance Changes"
  • BUFF Spike-O-Pult pierce increased from 18 → 40.

Strategy[]

Summary[]

The Spike-o-pult has very high pierce relative to its cost. To maximize its potential, it should be placed near straight lines on the path such that its projectiles travel over as much of the path as possible.

Tips[]

  • While upgrading to Sharp Shots or Razor Sharp Shots does increase its pierce further, it is not recommended to do so, as the added pierce relative to its base pierce is unsubstantial, especially for the added cost.

Bugs[]

Flash series[]

HYPER SPIKEOPULT

"Super Catapult" glitch demonstrated in Bloons TD 5

If a Dart Monkey is upgraded to Spike-o-pult while it is transformed by the Super Monkey Fan Club ability, the effects of the transformation are still applied, causing it to launch its spiked balls with the transformation's increased range and rate of fire until it wears off. This is often referred to as the "Super Catapult" or "Hypersonic Catapult" glitch by players.

Quotes[]

Catapult fires spiked balls that can pop 18 bloons.
~ BTD5 Mobile/BMC Mobile description
Catapult fires spiked balls that can pop 40 bloons.
~ BTDB Mobile description

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Official artwork[]

Other languages[]

Language Name Meaning
English Spike-O-Pult[1]
Arabic منجنيق المسامير الكبيرة
Simplified Chinese 图钉-0-投手
Traditional Chinese 小刺球
Danish Piggede Boldekatapult
Finnish Piikki katapultti
French Catapointes Portmanteau of catapulte (catapult) and pointes (spikes)
German Nagelkatapult
Italian Catapulta
Japanese スパイク・カタプルト
Korean 스파이크 투석기
Norwegian Spik-o-pult
Brazilian Portuguese Catapulta de Espinhos
Russian Шип-о-пульта
Spanish Clavopulta
Swedish Spik-Katapult
Turkish Diken Mancınığı

Trivia[]

  • While the description in the Flash series states that it has "good range", its range is the same as its previous upgrade. Presumably, this is referring to its projectiles being able to travel much further than before, not its actual range.
  • In the Flash series, the upgrade changes the name displayed when the tower is selected to "Spike-o-pult".
  • In real life, most catapults operate by storing tension or torsion through a system of ropes and springs, then releasing the stored energy to propel a payload. The firing mechanism of the Spike-o-pult does not appear to use this.
  1. The English name was only given official translations in the Mobile series. As such, the capitalization of the name in the Mobile series is used as the basis for comparison here.
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