Ground Zero

Ground Zero adds an activated ability that drops a single huge bomb anywhere on screen. It deals 700 damage, has 2,000 pierce and a full-screen blast that can hit every bloon type, prioritising the bloons closest to the runway. The cooldown is 35 seconds and the bomb lands about 0.7 seconds after activation. The regular bombing runs also get much stronger: damage goes from 3 to 15 and pierce from 20 to 40. With Spy Plane, both the bombing runs and the ability deal double damage to camos.

When to buy it

In races and Time Attack, buy it as early as possible so the ability is off cooldown when the big rounds arrive, send rounds aggressively and fire the ability when the screen is full.

In CHIMPS it is a panic button for low-health mass waves. It wipes swarms of DDTs, MOABs and super ceramics. If you make sure nothing on screen is decamoed, a single Ground Zero can clear the fortified DDTs of round 99. Because the cooldown is long, save it for the round that would otherwise leak.

Crosspaths:

• 1-4-0: the common choice, faster bombing runs between abilities.
• 2-4-0: extra darts for black bloons, which the bombs cannot damage.
• 0-4-1 or 0-4-2: Sharper Darts adds 12 pierce to every bomb, and Centered Path lets you keep the plane over the track so more bombing runs land.

Is it worth it?

Yes, for burst damage on demand. It is not a constant damage dealer, so pair it with steady damage towers and use the ability as insurance.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ground Zero hit camo bloons?

Yes. The ability bomb hits all bloon types on screen, and with Spy Plane it deals double damage to camos.

How often can Ground Zero be used?

Every 35 seconds, with a shorter initial cooldown after you buy it.

How much does Ground Zero cost?

It costs $16,000 on Medium. All difficulty prices are listed at the top of the page.