Naval Upgrades

Naval Upgrades is a first-row Military knowledge that gives every Monkey Sub and Monkey Buccaneer attack +1 pierce. A basic Monkey Sub dart goes from 2 pierce to 3, and a basic Buccaneer dart from 4 to 5. It has no prerequisite, costs one Knowledge Point and no Monkey Money, and unlocks Big Bunch and Breaking Ballistic.

How it changes the game

The bonus applies to the main attacks and to secondary projectiles, which is where it really shines:

• Early Monkey Sub: Sub darts home in on bloons, so they almost always use all their pierce. Going from 2 to 3 pierce is about 50% more pops per dart on a base Sub, which makes a 0-0-0 or 2-0-0 Sub far stronger on rounds 1 to 20.
• Airburst Darts (Sub x-x-2 and above): every split dart gets +1 as well, so each shot gains several pierce in total. Combined with Quad Burst, the effect grows further.
• Grape Shot (Buccaneer x-1-x and above): each grape gets +1 pierce, and with Big Bunch there are more grapes per volley to carry it.
• Destroyer, Aircraft Carrier and other high-volume upgrades: every dart carries the bonus, so the total gain scales with fire rate.

It adds no damage and no new damage types. It affects only Monkey Subs and Monkey Buccaneers, including their Paragons where they use pierce-based attacks.

Is it worth it?

Priority: must-have for anyone who uses water towers, and a strong first Military point in general. Monkey Subs are among the best early-game towers on water maps, and a 50% pierce boost on their base dart makes them better at exactly the moment you are short on cash.

Compared with the other first-row Military nodes, Naval Upgrades has the broadest everyday effect. Airforce Upgrades only helps tier 3 and higher Aces and Helis, Elite Military Training is about XP, and Emergency Unlock is a niche Dartling tool. Naval Upgrades also leads to Trade Agreements and Military Conscription, two of the strongest deep Military nodes.

Where it works

Naval Upgrades is active wherever Monkey Knowledge is enabled, including Military Only, Impoppable, Races and Boss Events. It is disabled in CHIMPS, where early Sub openings are noticeably weaker, and in challenges that switch knowledge off.

Frequently asked questions

What does Naval Upgrades do?

It gives all Monkey Sub and Monkey Buccaneer attacks +1 pierce.

Does Naval Upgrades affect Airburst Darts and Grape Shot?

Yes. The split darts and every grape get +1 pierce each.

How much pierce does a basic Monkey Sub have with Naval Upgrades?

3 per dart instead of 2.

Is Naval Upgrades a good first Military pick?

Yes. It is one of the strongest early-game knowledge points in the tree.

Does it work in CHIMPS?

No. Monkey Knowledge is disabled in CHIMPS.