Arcane Impale

Arcane Impale is a fourth-row Magic knowledge that gives the basic attack of Arcane Spike and Archmage +1 damage against Ceramic Bloons and +1 damage against MOAB-class bloons. You need 4 Knowledge Points in the Magic tree, Flame Jet and a one-time 250 Monkey Money. It unlocks Mana Shield.

How it changes the game

Arcane Spike (4-x-x Wizard Monkey) fires fast magic bolts with big bonus damage against Ceramics and blimps. Archmage (5-x-x) keeps that attack and adds more on top. One extra point of bonus damage per bolt matters because the Wizard fires so many of them:

• Against Ceramics: the bonus is a larger share of each bolt's Ceramic damage, so Ceramics break noticeably faster. This also helps against Super Ceramics in freeplay, which have much more health.
• Against blimps: +1 on a bolt that already deals heavy MOAB damage is a smaller percentage, but still adds up over a long boss or ZOMG fight.
• Popular builds: a 4-0-1 Arcane Spike with Intense Magic as a crosspath is a common late-game damage tower, and it gets the full benefit.

Only the basic bolt attack of Arcane Spike and Archmage is affected. Archmage's other attacks, other Wizard paths and the Magus Perfectus Paragon do not get the bonus. Damage against other bloon types is unchanged.

Is it worth it?

Priority: good, mainly as a route node. For top-path Wizard players it is a solid damage buff. For everyone else, it is the price of Mana Shield, which absorbs up to 25 lives for free and is one of the most popular Magic knowledges. The full route is Lingering Magic, Hot Magic, Flame Jet, Arcane Impale and Mana Shield, plus enough Magic points to meet the 8-point requirement.

Compared with the other fourth-row Magic nodes, Cold Front, Acid Stability and X-Ray Ultra, Arcane Impale is the one most players buy first.

If you play Magic Monkeys Only, where Wizards often carry the Ceramic rounds, the bonus has more impact than in a mixed defense.

Where it works

Arcane Impale is active wherever Monkey Knowledge is enabled, including Magic Monkeys Only, Impoppable, freeplay and Boss Events, where Boss Bloons take the extra MOAB-class damage. It is disabled in CHIMPS and in challenges that switch knowledge off.

Frequently asked questions

What does Arcane Impale do?

Arcane Spike and Archmage bolts deal +1 damage to Ceramic and MOAB-class bloons.

Does Arcane Impale affect Archmage's other attacks?

No. Only the basic bolt attack gets the bonus.

Does it affect the Wizard Paragon?

No. Magus Perfectus is not affected.

How much does Arcane Impale cost?

One Knowledge Point and a one-time 250 Monkey Money, with 4 Magic points and Flame Jet.

Why do players buy Arcane Impale?

Mostly because it is required for Mana Shield.