Ceramic Shock

Ceramic Shock is a second-row Military knowledge that lets every Sniper Monkey hit slow down Ceramic Bloons by 70% for 0.6 seconds. It requires Elite Military Training, costs one Knowledge Point and no Monkey Money, and unlocks Cheaper Maiming.

How it changes the game

Ceramics are the most common reason for mid-game leaks: they have a lot of health and move quickly. A Sniper that slows them on every hit buys time for your whole defense:

• Spaced Ceramic rounds: on rounds with Ceramics arriving one after another, a Sniper with a fast fire rate can keep the leading Ceramic slowed almost constantly while other towers finish it.
• Shrapnel Shot (x-2-x) and above: shrapnel fragments also apply the slow, so a single shot can slow several Ceramics behind the main target.
• Fast-firing bottom path (Semi-Automatic, Full Auto Rifle, Elite Defender): the faster the Sniper fires, the more often the 0.6 second slow is refreshed.
• Late game: Super Ceramics from round 81 onward are still Ceramics, so the slow keeps helping in freeplay.

All Sniper Monkey paths apply the slow, and the strength is the same regardless of the Sniper's upgrades. It only affects Ceramic Bloons. MOAB-class bloons and other bloon types are not slowed.

Is it worth it?

Priority: good. For players who use Sniper Monkeys, Ceramic Shock is one of the best value points in the Military tree. It turns a damage tower into a damage and stall tower against the bloon type that causes the most mid-game trouble. Even one Sniper with Shrapnel Shot on a long stretch of track makes Ceramic rushes noticeably easier.

It is also the path to Cheaper Maiming, Master Defender and finally Big Bloon Sabotage, so every account that wants that late-game knowledge buys it. Among second-row Military nodes, it ranks with Big Bunch as a top pick.

Where it works

Ceramic Shock is active wherever Monkey Knowledge is enabled, including Military Only, Impoppable, Races and freeplay. It is disabled in CHIMPS and in challenges that switch knowledge off. If your CHIMPS plan uses Snipers for Ceramic rounds, practise with knowledge toggled off, because the free slow is gone there.

Frequently asked questions

What does Ceramic Shock do?

Every Sniper Monkey hit on a Ceramic Bloon slows it by 70% for 0.6 seconds.

Does Ceramic Shock work with Shrapnel Shot?

Yes. Shrapnel fragments also apply the slow.

Does Ceramic Shock slow MOABs?

No. Only Ceramic Bloons are slowed.

Does the slow get stronger with better Snipers?

No. The slow is the same for every Sniper; faster-firing Snipers just apply it more often.

Is Ceramic Shock required for Big Bloon Sabotage?

Yes. It is part of the chain through Cheaper Maiming and Master Defender.