Emergency Unlock

Emergency Unlock is a first-row Military knowledge that adds an activated ability for Dartling Gunners. When you press it, every Dartling Gunner that is not on Normal targeting switches back to Normal, and all Dartling Gunners rotate 50% faster for 15 seconds. It has no prerequisite, costs one Knowledge Point, and unlocks Gorgon Storm. It was added in version 22.

How it changes the game

Dartling Gunners follow your cursor or tap on Normal targeting. Players often set them to Locked to fire in a fixed direction, and the Bloon Area Denial System to Target Independent. That is efficient until bloons appear somewhere unexpected. Emergency Unlock is the panic button:

• One press fixes every Dartling. All locked Dartlings (and Bloon Area Denial Systems on Target Independent) return to Normal at once.
• Faster swivel: for 15 seconds, all your Dartling Gunners turn 50% faster, which helps them track a fast blimp or a sudden leak. It stacks with the Faster Swivel upgrade.
• Cooldown: 15 seconds. It keeps recharging even when the button is hidden.

The ability button only appears when at least one of your Dartling Gunners is not on Normal targeting. A few technical notes: it is not tied to a tower, so an Energizer cannot shorten its cooldown, and the Tech Bot Power cannot activate it. The swivel boost counts as a buff, which means Lych can remove it.

Is it worth it?

Priority: situational. For players who use locked Dartlings, it is a convenient safety net. For everyone else, it is mainly the price of entry for Gorgon Storm and Cross the Streams.

Some players find the extra ability button clutters the ability bar. Since version 57, you can toggle individual knowledges off in the Monkey Knowledge menu, so you can buy it for the branch and disable it in games where you do not want the button. Keeping all Dartlings on Normal also hides it.

Among first-row Military nodes, it ranks last for most players behind Naval Upgrades, Airforce Upgrades and Elite Military Training.

Where it works

Emergency Unlock works in all modes with Monkey Knowledge enabled, including Military Only and Boss Events. It is disabled in CHIMPS and in challenges that switch knowledge off. In Rogue Legends, which has its own progression, it is a separate Rogue XP Shop unlock for 1,500 Rogue XP.

Frequently asked questions

What does Emergency Unlock do?

It switches all your non-Normal Dartling Gunners to Normal targeting and boosts their turning speed by 50% for 15 seconds.

Why don't I see the Emergency Unlock button?

It only appears when at least one Dartling Gunner is set to something other than Normal, and it hides while on cooldown.

Can Tech Bot use Emergency Unlock?

No. It is one of the few abilities Tech Bot cannot activate.

Can I turn Emergency Unlock off?

Yes. Since version 57, single knowledges can be toggled off in the Monkey Knowledge menu.

What does Emergency Unlock lead to?

Gorgon Storm, then Cross the Streams.