Sub Admiral

Sub Admiral is a sixth-row Military knowledge that makes the Sub Commander's buff apply to every Monkey Sub on the map, not just the ones inside its radius. You need 14 Knowledge Points in the Military tree, Flanking Maneuvers and a one-time 1,000 Monkey Money. Together with Master Defender, it unlocks Big Bloon Sabotage.

How it changes the game

Sub Commander (x-x-5 Monkey Sub) is both a strong attacker and a support tower: it boosts the pierce and damage of nearby Subs. Normally that means every Sub you want to buff must share the same patch of water. With Sub Admiral:

• Placement freedom: the Sub Commander can sit wherever it attacks best, or next to an Alchemist or Monkey Village, while Subs elsewhere on the map still get the buff.
• Split-water maps: on maps with several small pools or rivers, Subs in different bodies of water all benefit from one Commander.
• Big Sub armies: every additional Sub you place, anywhere, is buffed from the moment it is placed.

It does not change the strength of the buff itself, only its reach. It also does not affect the Nautic Siege Core Paragon's own buff when submerged. Even with Sub Admiral, the 2-0-5 crosspath is commonly preferred for the Commander itself, because its own attacks benefit from the extra top-path upgrades.

Is it worth it?

Priority: good, mainly as a route node. On water-heavy maps where you build many Subs, Sub Admiral is a strong late-game buff. On maps with one big lake, it changes little, because the Commander already reaches everything. Most players buy it for Big Bloon Sabotage, which needs both Sub Admiral and Master Defender.

It requires a long chain: Naval Upgrades, Breaking Ballistic, Quad Burst, Big Bunch, Faster Takedowns, Trade Agreements and Flanking Maneuvers. Version 22 moved it under Flanking Maneuvers; before that it came straight from Trade Agreements.

Where it works

Sub Admiral is active wherever Monkey Knowledge is enabled, including Military Only, Impoppable, freeplay and Boss Events on water maps. It is disabled in CHIMPS and in challenges that switch knowledge off, so CHIMPS Sub Commander setups must keep their Subs in range.

Frequently asked questions

What does Sub Admiral do?

It extends the Sub Commander's buff to every Monkey Sub on the map.

Does Sub Admiral make the buff stronger?

No. It only removes the range limit.

Does it affect the Nautic Siege Core?

No. The Paragon's submerged buff is not affected.

How much does Sub Admiral cost?

One Knowledge Point and a one-time 1,000 Monkey Money, with 14 Military points and Flanking Maneuvers.

Is Sub Admiral needed for Big Bloon Sabotage?

Yes, together with Master Defender.