Tier 5 upgrade
Pre-Emptive Strike
Pre-emptive Strike fires a 750-damage missile at every MOAB-class Bloon that spawns and boosts First Strike. DDT answer, crosspaths, verdict.
Automatically triggers a powerful missile attack whenever MOAB-Class Bloon spawns from the Bloon entrance.
Daily challenges
Monkey Sub tier 5s
Barbed Darts- Heat-tipped Darts
Ballistic Missile
First Strike Capability
Pre-Emptive Strike
Ability
First Strike Capability
Stats
Main attack
- Damage
- 1
- Pierce
- 5
- Attack speed
- 0.75s
- Range
- 50
Ballistic Missile
- Damage
- 10
- Pierce
- 40
- Attack speed
- 0.5s
- Range
- 50
How to use Pre-Emptive Strike
Pre-emptive Strike is the middle path tier 5 Monkey Sub. It adds an automatic attack: every MOAB-class Bloon that enters the map is hit by a missile that deals 750 damage. The missile only damages the outer layer, it does not soak into children.
It also upgrades everything from the lower tiers:
- First Strike gets a shorter cooldown and hits much harder: 20,000 damage to the target plus a 1,000-damage explosion, 21,000 in total.
- Ballistic Missiles fire twice as fast and deal far more damage, with big bonuses against Ceramics and blimps, plus a larger blast.
When to buy it
Pre-emptive Strike is a late-game anti-blimp tower. Its best job in CHIMPS is handling DDTs. Paired with a Sub Commander, its automatic missiles one-shot the round 99 DDTs, and the combination takes down every DDT through round 100, Fortified ones included. That removes the need for a Monkey Intelligence Bureau or another de-Lead tower. Admiral Brickell and a Sub-focused setup fit naturally around it.
The faster First Strike also helps against the round 100 BAD: on shorter maps it can fire twice, and with a Bloontonium Reactor even on a map like Ravine.
0-5-2 is the preferred crosspath for more damage. 2-5-0 is only for maps with distant alternating lanes, such as Muddy Puddles, where the Sub would otherwise sit idle.
Weaknesses
Even with the stronger missiles, it is weak against Super Ceramics, and the same money spent on several Ballistic Missile Subs gives far more general damage. It is an expensive answer to a specific problem.
Is it worth it?
If you are building around Subs and want fully automatic DDT handling plus a stronger BAD burst, yes. Compared with cheaper DDT answers it costs a lot, so it makes most sense in a Sub Commander setup rather than as a standalone pick. In Boss Events, the boosted First Strike is a strong burst tool.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pre-emptive Strike kill DDTs?
With a Sub Commander buffing it, its automatic missiles take down DDTs through round 100. Without the buff, it needs help.
What is the best crosspath for Pre-emptive Strike?
0-5-2 in most cases. 2-5-0 only on maps with distant alternating lanes.
How much does Pre-emptive Strike cost?
$29,000 on Medium. Prices for every difficulty are at the top of the page.
