Paint Stripper

Paint Stripper is a fourth-row Military knowledge that lets the Mortar Monkey's Shattering Shells remove fortification from Fortified DDTs. You need 8 Knowledge Points in the Military tree, Extra Burny Stuff and a one-time 250 Monkey Money. It unlocks Budget Battery. It was added in version 6.

How it changes the game

Shattering Shells (x-x-4 Mortar Monkey) strips fortification from the bloons it hits, which removes the extra health that fortified bloons carry. Without this knowledge, it cannot do that to DDTs. With Paint Stripper:

• Fortified DDTs lose their fortification when hit by Shattering Shells, even though the Mortar's explosions cannot damage DDTs themselves (DDTs share the Black Bloon's immunity to explosions).
• Lower DDT health means your real DDT killers, such as Sniper Monkeys, Dartling Gunners or Wizard Monkeys, finish them faster.
• Cheap support role: a 0-2-4 Shattering Shells Mortar, with its faster reload crosspath, is an inexpensive way to weaken Fortified DDTs compared with buying more damage.

It only affects fortification on DDTs. It does not let the Mortar damage DDTs, and it no longer has any effect on camo removal. In the past, it was involved in removing camo from DDTs with Signal Flare and Blooncineration, but those interactions have since changed; Blooncineration decamos DDTs on its own.

Fortified DDTs show up in the late rounds and freeplay, so this is strictly a late-game knowledge.

Is it worth it?

Priority: situational. If you reach late rounds and freeplay with a Mortar-based support setup, Paint Stripper turns a Shattering Shells into a DDT helper. For most games ending at round 80 or 100, it rarely matters.

Its main role for many players is as the step to Budget Battery, which helps Artillery Battery builds. The whole Mortar branch (Extra Burny Stuff, Paint Stripper, Budget Battery) is self-contained and leads to no other knowledge, so it is a good place to spend spare points once Military Conscription, Advanced Logistics and Big Bloon Sabotage are handled.

Where it works

Paint Stripper is active wherever Monkey Knowledge is enabled, including freeplay, Impoppable and Military Only. It is disabled in CHIMPS and in challenges that switch knowledge off.

Frequently asked questions

What does Paint Stripper do?

It lets Shattering Shells remove fortification from Fortified DDTs.

Can Mortars damage DDTs with Paint Stripper?

No. The explosions still cannot damage DDTs; only the fortification is removed.

Does Paint Stripper remove camo from DDTs?

No. It only affects fortification in the current version.

Is Paint Stripper worth it?

Only for late-game and freeplay players who use Shattering Shells. Otherwise it is a step toward Budget Battery.

What do I need to unlock it?

Extra Burny Stuff, 8 Military points and a one-time 250 Monkey Money.