Carrier Flagship

[Source]

Carrier Flagship is the fifth upgrade of Path 1 for the Monkey Buccaneer in Bloons TD 6. It upgrades its mini planes to deal much more damage, and its twin-firing homing frontal darts gain more pierce and can fire from any direction. In addition, all water-based towers (Monkey Buccaneers, Monkey Subs, Admiral Brickell, water-placed Pat Fusty, water-placed Sun Temple and its upgrades, and water-placed Mermonkeys) and Monkey Aces attack ~18% faster. Two new small platforms are located on the upper decks of the Carrier Flagship, extending the height of other towers to partially ignore Line of Sight limits for monkeys placed on them. The right platform increases height more than the left.

Mini planes deal much greater damage overall compared to its previous upgrade. Its homing anti-MOAB missiles become even stronger (every 1.5s, 4 pierce, 30 damage) and can damage visible DDTs. The front-firing darts of each plane are twin-firing and have increased pierce (+4 per dart, 7 pierce per dart overall), extra damage (2 per forward dart, +3 on top against Ceramics), and will aim at bloons from any direction rather than only firing forward. Radial darts deal 4 damage and +3 versus Ceramics. Due to a bug, 5-0-2 Carrier Flagship's forward darts gain +9 pierce instead of +2.

Like Aircraft Carrier, the Grape Shot crosspath modifies the mini planes to shoot 90-degree sprays of 6 projectiles forward. However, these modified grapes have the sharp damage type, deal the same damage as Carrier Flagship's radial darts, and Hot Shot changing damage type to fire and applying napalm that deals 9 damage per 1.5s for 3.0s.

This upgrade costs $20,825 on Easy, $24,500 on Medium, $26,460 on Hard, and $29,400 on Impoppable.

Description

Overview

The Carrier Flagship becomes a darker blue-grey compared to Aircraft Carrier. The Monkey disappears, as well as the blue flag at the top of the island. The visual size of the ship is much longer, and gains a second island on top of the hanger covering the runway. Both islands have an "m" in a circle at the top, similar to a helipad, and can support up to a medium-sized tower each. The flags are on the upgrade and insta icon, but are not present in-game.

The accompanying biplanes' color scheme change from green, blue, yellow to black, red, yellow. The top wing gains two additional red fins.

As implied by its name, Carrier Flagship gains powerful aircraft planes that fly around the screen shooting darts. These Carrier Flagship Planes shoot homing darts and pack lots of extra damage, plus more burning damage if given the Hot Shot crosspath. Anti-MOAB missiles also gain more damage to a greater number of MOAB-class bloons and attack quicker. It also gives a supporting buff to all water-based towers and Monkey Aces, fittingly enough for its role. The additional two platforms add room for land towers to be placed upon, one platform fitting up to a medium-sized tower each.

Targeting Priorities

Aircraft Carrier targets bloons using the standard target priorities. It shoots darts that are shot in a straight movement. It can also utilize multiple targeting to shoot projectiles from both ends of the boat if it detects bloons on its opposite side.

The Aircraft Carrier inherits its Destroyer and Grape/Hot Shot attacks which will fire according to the set target priority. The Planes fly in a roundabout manner, similar to the Wingmonkey pattern, strafing Bloons according to the set target priority. The missiles seek out Bloons automatically only targeting MOAB-class bloons, and are controlled by targeting priority.

• 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.

If given the Crow's Nest upgrade, all its attacks can prioritize Camo Bloons over other types, which is provided by the Camo Prioritization targeting.

Full Popology

Statistics

Updated as of Version 45.0

Base stats

• Dart:
  • Projectile, sharp type, 60 range, 0.15s attack cooldown, straight spray of 2, 1 damage, 7 pierce. Can shoot a second copy of Dart at 180° from first Dart if bloons are detected behind.
• Aircraft:
  • Flies in a direction that attempts to fly towards targets according to targeting priority. Flight speed of 60 (?). Can produce Aircraft Radial Dart and Aircraft Forward Dart attacks.
• Aircraft Radial Dart:
  • Projectile, sharp type, passively attacks, spray of 8 in a 360-degree direction, 1.2s attack cooldown, 2 damage, +3 Ceramic damage (5), 7 pierce.
• Aircraft Forward Dart:
  • Projectile, sharp type, aims at targets in frontal direction of plane, spray of 2, 0.18s attack cooldown, 4 damage, +3 Ceramic damage (7), 7 pierce.
• Anti-MOAB Missile:
  • Projectile, normal type, infinite range, targets only MOAB-class bloons, 1.5s attack cooldown, 30 damage, 3 pierce, 30 blast radius. Moderately homes at targets.
• Platform:
  • Fits up to a single a medium size tower (7 footprint), raising levels by a few vertical units.

Crosspathing interactions

• 5-1-0: Shoots spray of 6 projectiles of Grape, which have sharp type, 60 range, 1 damage, 1 pierce total spread unchanged at 100° with equal 16.67° angular distance. Attack cooldown of Grape reduced from 0.975s to 0.195s. Adjusts Aircraft Radial Dart to fire 6 projectiles in a 90° angle instead of 8 projectiles in a 360° angle, attack cooldown reduced from 1.2s to 1.0s.
• 5-2-0: Grape damage type changed from sharp to fire, applies Burn that deals 9 damage per 1.5s for 3.0s. Aircraft Radial Dart damage type changed from sharp to fire, and applies Burn equivalent to the Grape.
• 5-0-1: Range increased from 60 to 71, projectile speed of Dart increased by 25%, pierce of Dart increased from 4 to 6, pierce of Aircraft Radial Dart and Aircraft Forward Dart increased from 7 to 9.
• 5-0-2: Gains camo detection.

Monkey Knowledge interactions

• Naval Upgrades: All Monkey Buccaneers get +1 pierce.
• Elite Military Training: All Military Monkeys get a one-off +1000 XP and earn XP in-game 5% faster permanently.
• Flanking Maneuvers: Attacks 10% faster when set targeting priority to "Last".
• Military Conscription: First military tower costs only ⅔ of the original cost.
  • Monkey Buccaneer base cost from $425, $500, $540, and $600 → $285, $335, $360, and $400 on Easy, Medium, Hard, and Impoppable, respectively.
• Advanced Logistics: All Military Monkeys base costs reduced by 5%.
  • Monkey Buccaneer base cost reduced from $425, $500, $540, and $600 → $405, $475, $515, and $570 on Easy, Medium, Hard, and Impoppable, respectively.
    • If Military Conscription is also enabled, the base cost will be $265, $310, $335, and $370.
• 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/Military

Updated as of Version 40.2

Base attack(s)

• Dart:
  • Sharp
  • Straight Spray (2)
  • Straight Attack
  • Multi-Target (two simultaneous attacks, can attack from 180° from front if there are bloons on the opposite side)
• Aircraft:
  • Passive
  • Flying
  • Self-Mobility
• Aircraft Forward Dart:
  • Normal
  • Straight Spray (2)
  • Straight Attack
  • Flying
  • Extra Damage (2)
  • Extra Damage to Ceramics (+3)
• Aircraft Radial Dart:
  • Normal
  • Orbital Spray (8)
  • Straight Attack
  • Flying
  • Extra Damage (4)
  • Extra Damage to Ceramics (+3)
• Anti-MOAB Missile:
  • Normal
  • Target Blimp
  • Moderate Seeking
  • Area of Effect
  • Extra Damage (30)
• Platforms:
  • Passive
  • Tall

Costs

Updated as of Version 46.0. Listed prices exclude external buffs, any sacrifices, and Monkey Knowledge.

This upgrade's prices (or included crosspath's prices) are affected by the following MK: Military Conscription, Advanced Logistics, Better Sell Deals

Platform Accommodations

Carrier Flagship can fit up to two land towers of medium-sized footprint or smaller on its platforms.

The following towers can be placed on Carrier Flagship's platforms: Dart Monkey, Boomerang Monkey, Tack Shooter, Ice Monkey, Glue Gunner, Bomb Shooter, Sniper Monkey, Dartling Gunner, Wizard Monkey, Ninja Monkey, Alchemist, Druid, Engineer Monkey, Beast Handler, Cave Monkey (via Redeploy ability from Support Chinook or Special Poperations), and Heroes (excluding Captain Churchill and Pat Fusty). Monkey Subs and Admiral Brickell can only be placed when near a Lord of the Abyss.

The following towers cannot be placed on Carrier Flagship's platforms: Monkey Buccaneer, Mortar Monkey, Monkey Ace, Heli Pilot, Super Monkey, Mermonkey, Banana Farm, Spike Factory, Monkey Village, Captain Churchill and Pat Fusty

Although Super Monkeys cannot be placed on Carrier Flagship platforms, a Dart Monkey can be placed on a Carrier Flagship platform and transform into a Super Monkey using Geraldo's Worn Hero's Cape, although capped at a T3 Super Monkey.

Strategy

Summary

Combining decent overall damage and its unique utilities, Carrier Flagship is an effective Tier 5 upgrade overall compared to its price. Although its planes do not get affected by the Alchemist buffs, its main sources of benefit are more from two specialties: the global attack speed bonuses to water-based towers and Monkey Aces, and its two platforms where land towers can be placed. It can be used with Arctic Wind to "terraform" water for providing expansion of land space to purchase Monkey Villages or other nearby support towers.

Carrier Flagship, while rarely appearing as a meta CHIMPS tower on most maps, makes a notable appearance on Flooded Valley, particularly when paired with Pat Fusty and The Tack Zone. In particular, The Tack Zone being placed in the middle of the track via the Flagship's platforms optimizes its MOAB-class popping power. However, care should be taken to visualize where the platforms would go prior to upgrading, as otherwise there will be problems with accidental occupation by other towers via strange bugs; there is a bug where Fusty blocks placement for Tack Zone despite him not being actually placed on top of the platforms.

For 2TC, Carrier Flagship can solo much of mid-game when paired with another tower. Carrier Flagship + Wizard Lord Phoenix was one of the first combos with Carrier Flagship.

Tips

• Avoid placing the Flagship too far upward on the screen, or else there is no room for the towers to be placed on.
• Be sure to visualize where the platforms will be placed before upgrading to Carrier Flagship. Too close and there could be strange platform-and-footprint-related bugs, too far and important buffs such as Pat Fusty's Rallying Roar would be too far.
• Since Carrier Flagships cannot be moved by Support Chinooks, it is important to place the Flagship somewhere other towers do not need to be placed.
• The Carrier Flagship can be quite useful on maps with large amounts of water due to its ability to increase attack speed of all water placed towers. However it not as viable for most Advanced or Expert Maps such as Pat's Pond or #Ouch, but it is notable for being powerful on Flooded Valley.
  • Towers that are submersible on Flooded Valley, such as a True Sun God, will not acquire the Carrier Flagship's water-based towers attack speed increase when submerged.
• Snipers can take special advantage of the platforms, as these platforms are entirely unaffected by Line of Sight upon placement on such high ground, and they do not have visible projectiles that may accidentally hit obstacles, which otherwise would destroy the projectiles.
  • For the maps Town Center, Lotus Island, Spillway, and Peninsula, only the upper platform is high enough for a sniper to shoot over all obstacles.
  • For the maps Bazaar and High Finance, both platforms are high enough.
  • Neither platform is high enough to shoot over the mangrove trees on Bloonarius Prime.
• In CHIMPS, Carrier Flagship sees its highest use on Flooded Valley, especially when paired with an Arctic Wind to provide extra space for Monkey Villages and other support.
• The better crosspath for Carrier Flagship is generally not too important, although a few crosspaths will make it considerably better. 5-2-0 has stronger overall DPS because of the fast-attacking grapes from Grape Shot or Hot Shot. 5-0-2 improves the pierce and speed of all projectiles including ace planes, as well as granting camo detection.
• When being crosspathed, upgraded to Grape Shot, Hot Shot, Long Range or Crow's Nest, the planes will reset and appear to come out of the flagship once more. This may be detrimental if the Flagship is a major part of the player's defense.
• Talking about crosspaths, 5-1-0 and 5-2-0 are usually better, basically by the same reasons as Destroyer and Aircraft Carrier: better group popping, and, if needed, extra napalm. However, do not underestimate 5-0-1, as the extra pierce may help with heavy RBE rounds.

Bugs

Current

• [44.0 discovered?] Carrier Flagship's forward darts gain +9 pierce with 5-0-2 crosspath, instead of +2 as should be intended. Does not affect Aircraft Carrier's 4-0-2 crosspath.

Patched

• [???] In some patches, Carrier Flagship platforms may fail to allow any towers placed on them to bypass Line of Sight restrictions. Though they see over obstacles, it does not allow their projectiles to pass over obstacles, meaning they will collide and not deal any damage. This has been recorded to occur in Version 11.0 and Version 14.0. This also occurs on 17.0, although it works in Version 18.0.
• [???] Due to a bug relating to the intended property that any towers placed on top of the Carrier being able to see over obstacles, any tower placed on top that is then moved off via a Support Chinook is able to see through obstacles even when they are on the ground.
  • [???] At one point, a Chinook and the Carrier made it possible to stack an infinite amount of applicable towers in one space. If the Carrier Flagship is sold before the Support Chinook drops off a tower onto a vacant platform, it will still be placed at the set map coordinates, regardless of validity. Patched in about Version 17.0?

Version History

Balance Changes

Version 41.0's specific Carrier Flagship "no longer" notes could be explored a little more... Surely it's there out there?

Bug Fixes and General Changes

This section is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.

18.0

• Description changed from "Does extra damage. Can place other Monkeys on the upper decks of the ship, increases attack speed of all water based Monkeys." to "Does extra damage. Can place other Monkeys on the upper decks of the ship and increases attack speed of all water based Monkeys and Monkey Aces."

Extra Notes (Version History)

Gallery

Cripple MOAB on Carrier Flagship

Carrier Flagship and its planes

Two Heart of Oak Druids on a Carrier Flagship

Empty Carrier Flagship with one Carrier Flagship Plane

Radial dart attacks from a Carrier Flagship's plane

Carrier Flagship model

Enough XP to unlock Carrier Flagship

Flagship buff on a Sub and the 5-2-0 Flagship Planes

Higher-level Sharpening Stone having no damage bonus to 5-1-0 Carrier aircraft grapes

5-1-0 Grape Shot grapes dealing Carrier Flagship quantities of damage

5-2-0 Hot Shot grapes making no napalm

Carrier Flagship dishing some damage to Ceramics (v41.2 footage)

Flagship not popping Leads since v41.0

Interactions

Sentries on the Carrier Flagship

Pat Fusty buffed by the Carrier Flagship

Pat Fusty on the Carrier Flagship (pre-31.0)

Cave Monkey on the Carrier Flagship

Captain Churchill not able to be placed on Carrier Flagship

Spike Factory not able to be placed on Carrier Flagship...

...including the upper platform

Official artwork

Upgrade portrait

Upgrade icon

Instamonkey icon

Videos

Trivia

• As with Aircraft Carrier, when looked closely the Carrier Flagship also shoots its original Destroyer attack.
  • It also will shoot grapes too if Path 2 upgrades are added, but it is easily noticeable.
• A bug in Version 13.0 made it so if a Version 12.0 save was loaded in 13.0, Carrier Flagship would have 6 planes instead of 3. This allowed a 2 Towers C.H.I.M.P.S. with Blooncineration to be completed. This combo was impossible after the bug fix, but this combo is possible again due to Carrier Flagship and Blooncineration buffs.
• It is possible to win 4-Player Co-Op CHIMPS with 4 Carrier Flagships bought before Round 100.^[1]
• If the Small Monkey Towers Option or Big Monkey Towers Option is enabled, the extra tower placement is no longer tied to the model. Players will have to search around to find the spots.

References