Apex Plasma Master

Apex Plasma Master is the Dart Monkey Paragon and the cheapest Paragon in the game. It combines Ultra-Juggernaut, Plasma Monkey Fan Club and Crossbow Master into one tower that fires volleys of three large plasma juggernaut balls. Each large ball splits into six smaller juggernauts twice: once when it has used half its pierce (or expires), and again when it expires. That is 12 mini balls per large ball and 36 per volley. Every ball bounces off walls and obstacles and can hit the same bloons again after a bounce.

Stats at degree 1

• Attack: a volley of 3 large juggernauts every 0.5 seconds, with 85 range.
• Large juggernauts: 25 damage, +75 to ceramics, +60 to boss bloons, 210 pierce.
• Mini juggernauts: 25 damage, +90 to ceramics, +60 to boss bloons, 200 pierce.
• Damage type: normal, so it pops every bloon type.

Several Monkey Knowledge upgrades affect it. Extra Dart Pops and Increased Lifespan apply to every ball, Force vs Force adds MOAB damage, and 4 and 4 adds a fourth large ball every fourth volley. Crossbow Reach has no effect.

How to unlock Apex Plasma Master

First unlock all three Dart Monkey tier 5 upgrades in the upgrade tree, then spend the XP shown at the top of this page to unlock the Paragon itself. In a game, you need one Ultra-Juggernaut (5-x-x), one Plasma Monkey Fan Club (x-5-x) and one Crossbow Master (x-x-5) on the map at the same time. Select one of them, buy the Paragon upgrade, and every Dart Monkey on the map is absorbed into it.

Degree and how to raise it

Every Paragon has a degree from 1 to 100. Higher degrees increase damage, pierce and attack speed. Degree is fixed when you buy the Paragon, and it comes from the power of everything it absorbs:

• Cash spent on absorbed Dart Monkeys (not counting tier 5s) and cash added with the Paragon slider, up to 80,000 power.
• Extra tier 5 Dart Monkeys beyond the required three, worth 6,000 power each. Master Double Cross lets you bring a second Crossbow Master in single player.
• Damage dealt by absorbed Dart Monkeys, 1 power per 180 pops on their counters, up to 125,000 power.
• Paragon Power Totems from Geraldo, 2,000 power each with no cap.

Degree 100 needs 200,000 power. A cheap trick is to spam many low-tier Dart Monkeys with cheap upgrades before buying, so the cash you spend also adds power.

When to buy it

Apex Plasma Master depends on bouncing, just like Ultra-Juggernaut. On maps with many walls and obstacles, such as Sulfur Springs, Encrypted or Dark Path, it can out-damage much more expensive Paragons. On open maps it loses most of its value. Its high projectile count and low base damage also pair unusually well with debuffs like Super Brittle, which add flat damage to every hit.

Its low price makes it a good choice in Boss Rush and in the lower tiers of Boss Events. Blastapopoulos is its best matchup, because the boss's rocks give the balls extra surfaces to bounce from.

Is it worth it?

On obstacle maps, yes: it is the most cost-efficient Paragon and can carry a late game or a boss tier for a fraction of the usual price. On open maps another Paragon or tier 5 setup is usually better. In fast-clear boss events many players sell it after the lower tiers and invest in farms instead.

Frequently asked questions

How do you get the Apex Plasma Master?

Unlock all three Dart Monkey tier 5s and the Paragon in the upgrade tree, then own Ultra-Juggernaut, Plasma Monkey Fan Club and Crossbow Master at once and buy the Paragon upgrade.

How much does Apex Plasma Master cost?

$150,000 on Medium, the lowest price of any Paragon. Every difficulty's price is shown on this page.

Is Apex Plasma Master good?

It is excellent on maps with lots of walls and obstacles and much weaker on open maps.

Can Apex Plasma Master pop camo?

Yes, it can target camo bloons, and its normal damage type pops every bloon type.