Increased Lifespan

Increased Lifespan is a first-row knowledge in the Primary tree. It makes projectiles from the Dart Monkey, Bomb Shooter, Tack Shooter and Glue Gunner last 15% longer before they disappear. The Desperado's projectiles also get the bonus, even though the in-game description does not list it. It has no prerequisite, costs one Knowledge Point, and leads to Fraggy Frags and Cheap 'Rangs.

Lifespan is how long a projectile exists. A longer lifespan means a tack or dart can fly a little further, and lingering objects such as glue puddles stay on the track longer.

How it changes the game

The effect depends heavily on what kind of projectile the tower uses:

• Tack Shooter: tacks travel further before vanishing, so they reach bloons at the edge of the tower's range more often. This is the most noticeable early-game use.
• Dart Monkey: regular darts usually hit something before they expire, so the gain is small. The big winner is the Juggernaut line: high-pierce balls that bounce around the track get extra time to spend that pierce. Ultra-Juggernaut benefits the most.
• Glue Gunner: the acid puddles of Bloon Liquefier and The Bloon Solver last longer, which means more damage from each shot.
• Bomb Shooter: bombs explode on contact, so most of the time the bonus changes nothing.

It does not affect Ice Monkeys, Boomerang Monkeys or any non-Primary tower. Cryo Cannon and its upgrades are excluded even though they fire projectiles. It also adds no pierce or damage: a projectile that already used up its pierce is gone regardless of lifespan.

Is it worth it?

Priority: good, mainly as a gateway. The direct power gain is modest and mostly visible on Tack Shooters and Juggernauts. The real reason to buy it is the branch underneath: Cheap 'Rangs leads to Extra Bounce, Hard Press and the strong Long Turbo / Bionic Augmentation pair, while Fraggy Frags opens the Bomb Shooter nodes.

If you are deciding between first-row Primary points, Extra Dart Pops has the bigger immediate impact. Increased Lifespan is the natural second pick for players who use Boomerang Monkeys or Bomb Shooters, and you will buy it eventually anyway when filling the tree.

Where it works

Increased Lifespan works wherever Monkey Knowledge is enabled: Standard games on any difficulty, Impoppable, Primary Only, Races and Boss Events. It is disabled in CHIMPS, and challenges can switch knowledge off through their rules, so do not rely on extra Juggernaut bounce time in an Advanced Challenge without checking.

Frequently asked questions

How much longer do projectiles last with Increased Lifespan?

15% longer for all affected towers.

Does Increased Lifespan work on Cryo Cannon?

No. Ice Monkeys are not affected at all, including Cryo Cannon and its upgrades.

Which tower benefits the most?

Ultra-Juggernaut and Tack Shooters gain the most, because their projectiles often expire with pierce left over. Bomb Shooters gain almost nothing.

Does it affect the Desperado?

Yes. The Desperado's projectiles get the same 15% bonus, although the description only names four towers.