Aircraft Carrier

Aircraft Carrier keeps the Destroyer attack and adds up to three aircraft that fly around the whole map, see over obstacles and follow the Carrier's targeting. It launches one plane every 1.25 seconds until it has three. Each plane has:

• Forward darts: 2 at a time, 2 damage, 4 pierce, firing about 5 times per second at Bloons in front of it.
• Radial darts: 8 darts in all directions every 1.2 seconds, 4 damage and 9 pierce each.
• MOAB missiles: seeking missiles that only hit MOAB-class Bloons, exploding for 15 damage. They cannot hit DDTs without extra support.

With Grape Shot the planes fire grapes forward instead of radial darts; with Hot Shot those grapes burn and pop Lead. The plane darts cannot pop Lead.

When to buy it

Aircraft Carrier is a strong mid-game tower with well-rounded damage against groups and blimps. It works best on maps with one lane per round. On maps with simultaneous lanes, the planes chase targets across the map and their targeting gets inconsistent, though they still deal good damage.

Crosspaths:

• 4-2-0 if the Destroyer attack can hit the track and its range reaches every lane.
• 4-0-2 otherwise: more pierce on the plane darts and built-in Camo detection.

For Aircraft Carrier spam, upgrade one of them to Carrier Flagship for its speed buff to every Buccaneer, and use Admiral Brickell for Naval Tactics.

Is it worth it?

Yes, it is a strong mid-game carry and saves up smoothly into Carrier Flagship.

Frequently asked questions

Can Aircraft Carrier planes pop DDTs?

The MOAB missiles cannot damage DDTs, and the plane darts cannot pop Lead. You need Carrier Flagship, Hot Shot grapes with camo support, or another tower.

What crosspath for Aircraft Carrier?

4-2-0 when the main boat can reach every lane, 4-0-2 otherwise.

How much does Aircraft Carrier cost?

$8,000 on Medium. Every difficulty is listed at the top of the page.