Ability Mastery

Ability Mastery reduces the cooldown of a hero's level 3 ability by 30%, but only once the hero is level 20. It is a third-row Heroes knowledge that needs 3 points in the Heroes tree and Ability Discipline, and it costs one Knowledge Point with no Monkey Money. The reduction used to be 40% and was lowered to 30% in version 22.

How it changes the game

Every hero gets a first ability at level 3: Quincy's Rapid Shot, Striker Jones's Concussive Shell, Admiral Brickell's Naval Tactics, Adora's Long Range Judgement and Benjamin's Biohack, among others. These abilities are short and cheap, and at level 20 a 30% faster recharge means you can use them much more often.

Where it really shines:

• Admiral Brickell. Naval Tactics boosts nearby water towers. With Ability Mastery (and an Energizer for even more cooldown reduction) she can keep it up almost all the time, which turns her into something close to a permanent attack speed buff for a whole navy.
• Striker Jones. Concussive Shell stuns blimps; at level 20 with Ability Mastery he can fire it often enough to keep big blimps stunned much more of the time.
• Benjamin. Biohack gives a burst of extra damage to the towers near him, so more frequent use means more of those bursts in long fights.

The catch is the level requirement. Ability Mastery does nothing until level 20, which in a normal game only happens in the later rounds, and even later on Beginner maps where heroes earn less XP. It is a late-game and Boss Events knowledge.

Is it worth it?

Priority: good. For heroes built around their level 3 ability, it is a big late-game boost, and it leads to Big Bloon Blueprints and then Weak Point, both of which add hero damage.

Compared with the other third-row knowledge, Self Taught Heroes is better for the early and mid game and Quick Hands is a smaller but constant buff. If you main Brickell or Striker Jones, or you play long games, take Ability Mastery early. Everyone else can buy it after Hero Favors.

Where it works

Ability Mastery works in all modes with Monkey Knowledge enabled and heroes allowed, including Impoppable and Boss Events. It is off in CHIMPS, so level 3 ability timings there are the base ones. Challenges with MK disabled and Rogue Legends also ignore it.

Frequently asked questions

What does Ability Mastery do?

At level 20, the hero's level 3 ability recharges 30% faster.

Does Ability Mastery work before level 20?

No. It only activates once the hero reaches level 20.

Which hero benefits most from Ability Mastery?

Admiral Brickell, because near-constant Naval Tactics is a huge buff to water towers. Striker Jones and Benjamin also gain a lot.

Was Ability Mastery nerfed?

Yes. It used to reduce the cooldown by 40% and now reduces it by 30%.