Cheaper Maiming

Cheaper Maiming is a third-row Military knowledge that lowers the price of the Sniper Monkey's Maim MOAB upgrade (tier 4 top path) by a flat $1,000. On Medium it drops from $5,650 to $4,650. You need 4 Knowledge Points in the Military tree and Ceramic Shock. It costs one point, no Monkey Money, and unlocks Master Defender.

The discount is applied after the difficulty multiplier, so it is $1,000 on every difficulty: $4,800 to $3,800 on Easy, $6,100 to $5,100 on Hard and $6,780 to $5,780 on Impoppable. Version 57 fixed an older issue where flat discounts were calculated incorrectly outside Medium.

How it changes the game

Maim MOAB stuns the blimps it hits (with shorter stuns on bigger blimps) and deals heavy damage per shot. It is one of the most popular blimp stalls in the game, with unlimited range from anywhere on the map. A $1,000 discount, about 18% on Medium, changes its timing:

• First blimp rounds: you can afford Maim MOAB a round or two earlier, often right when the first MOABs and BFBs arrive in the 40s and 50s.
• Multiple Maims: many strategies use two or three Maim MOABs to chain stuns on ZOMGs and DDTs. The saving applies to each, which adds up quickly.
• Saving toward Cripple MOAB: reaching tier 4 sooner means starting the tier 5 save-up sooner.

Only the Maim MOAB upgrade is discounted. Lower tiers, Cripple MOAB and other paths cost the same, and the tower's stats do not change.

Is it worth it?

Priority: good. $1,000 off one of the most common blimp-control upgrades is excellent value for one point. It also leads to Master Defender and then Big Bloon Sabotage, one of the most valuable late-game knowledges.

Among third-row Military nodes, it is one of the best for direct gameplay, alongside Faster Takedowns as a route node. If you use Snipers at all, buy it early.

Where it works

Cheaper Maiming is active in every mode with Monkey Knowledge enabled, on every difficulty, including Military Only and Boss Events. It is disabled in CHIMPS, where Maim MOAB always costs full price, and in challenges that switch knowledge off. Keep that in mind when planning the exact round to buy a Maim in a CHIMPS run.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Maim MOAB cost with Cheaper Maiming?

$4,650 on Medium, $3,800 on Easy, $5,100 on Hard and $5,780 on Impoppable.

Does Cheaper Maiming reduce Cripple MOAB's price?

No. Only the tier 4 Maim MOAB upgrade is cheaper.

Is the discount the same on every difficulty?

Yes. It is always $1,000, applied after the difficulty price change.

What do I need to unlock Cheaper Maiming?

Elite Military Training, Ceramic Shock and 4 points in the Military tree.

Is Cheaper Maiming worth it?

Yes. It is one of the best value Military points for anyone who uses Maim MOAB.