Editing Ace Pilot

{{Tabs}}
{{For|[[Militant/Gallery#Skin Upgrades|{{Color|Deluxe|Ace Pilot}} Militant]] skin}}
{{TowerInfobox
|title = Ace Pilot
|image-static = AcePilotNewIcon.png
|image-dynamic = AcePilotDynamic.png
|unlockcost = {{Coins|1,500}}
|basecost = {{Money|500}}
|basesellingprice = {{Money|166}}
|role = Defense
|placement = Ground (Air-based)
|placement_limit = [[File:PlacementLimit.png|20px|Placement Limit]]8
|basedamage = [[File:Damage Icon.png|20px|Damage]]2
|damagetype = Single<br/>[[Splash Damage|Splash]] (Level 2+)
|basefirerate = [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Firerate]]0.22
|baserange = [[File:Range Icon.png|20px|Range]]9
|hidden_detection = {{Attr|Hidden|Level 4+}}<ref>From Level 2, its bombs can indirectly hit hidden enemies, but this tower cannot directly target hidden enemies until Level 4.</ref> 
|lead_detection = {{Attr|Lead|Level 2+}} ([[Splash Damage]] only)
|flying_detection = {{Attr|Fly|Level 0+}}
|immune = Stun<br/>Partial Debuff
|footprint = 1.5
|tooltip-1 = An early to mid game tower that flies in a circular or figure 8 strafing pattern. Fires a barrage of bullets and bombs when staffing by enemies.
|tooltip-2 = Also capable of giving nearby towers hidden detection at later levels.
|tooltip-3 = Capable of detecting [[Hidden (Attribute)|hidden]], and [[flying]] enemies.
}}
{{QuoteContainer|
{{QuoteBox|Flies in a circular path, shooting enemies in its line of fire and dropping bombs.|Store Description}}
{{QuoteBox|Rain fire from above!|Former Store Description}}
}}
__TOC__
==Description==
The '''Ace Pilot''' is an intermediate [[Towers|tower]] that can be bought for {{Coins|1,500}}. Unlike other ground towers, the attacking unit of the '''Ace Pilot''', the plane, is an air unit.

The '''Ace Pilot''' will circle around the runway. At Level 2+, this can be changed to a figure eight. With its ''Toggle Reverse'' ability, it is possible to reverse its flight path. The '''Ace Pilot''' is armed with a pair of machine guns on each wing at the base and will shoot any enemy within its patrol radius. At Levels 2–5, the aircraft will periodically drop a bomb directly where the targeted enemy was last, exploding and damaging any enemies caught in the explosion. The explosion is separated into two spheres. Enemies in the inner sphere will be dealt 100% of the stated damage, while damage in the outer sphere decreases linearly by distance from the edge of the inner sphere to the edge of the outer sphere. Since its bombs deal splash damage, they ignore [[defense]], dealing full damage to the enemies with [[defense]]. These bombs can also damage [[Lead (Attribute)|Lead]] enemies. Due to it being an air-based tower, it is immune to stuns, and because it is not a humanoid tower, it is also immune to debuffs from enemies added before [[v1.9.0]]. Additionally, because it is an air-based tower, it can detect [[Flying]] enemies.

At Level 4, the '''Ace Pilot''' will also grant nearby towers hidden detection with its ''Hidden Assist'', giving towers without hidden detection, like the [[Ranger]], the ability to detect [[Hidden (Attribute)|Hidden]] enemies. Its machine guns are then replaced by a single autocannon, granting it higher damage and firerate. The '''Ace Pilot''' boasts a high DPS, but its limiting range and inconsistent circling cripple its full potential. Therefore, in most situations, it does not operate at the highest DPS most of the time.

The '''Ace Pilot''' has a placement limit of eight per player.

==Upgrades==
{{Upgrade|Level = Level 1|Upgrade Title = Greased Guns|Cost = {{Money|225}}|Image = [[File:AcePilotLevel1.png|100px]]|Information = +1 Damage [[File:Damage Icon.png|20px|Damage]]


Sell Price changes to {{Money|241}}}}
{{Upgrade|Level = Level 2|Upgrade Title = Bombs away!|Cost = {{Money|625}}|Image = [[File:AcePilotLevel2.png|100px]]|Information = +1 Damage [[File:Damage Icon.png|20px|Damage]]

+Figure8 Flight Path [[File:AcePilotFigureEight.png|20px|Figure8]]

{{CollapsibleUpgrade|Title = Bomb Dropping|Description = •10 Damage [[File:SplashDamage.png|20px|Splash Damage]]

•4 Bomb Cooldown [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Bomb Cooldown]]

•3 Explosion Range [[File:ExplosiveRange.png|20px|Explosion Range]]}}


Sell Price changes to {{Money|450}}}}
{{Upgrade|Level = Level 3|Upgrade Title = Aerial Ace|Cost = {{Money|1,500}}|Image = [[File:AcePilotLevel3.png|100px]]|Information = +1 Damage [[File:Damage Icon.png|20px|Damage]]

+1 Range [[File:Range Icon.png|20px|Range]]

0.22 > 0.15 Firerate [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Firerate]]

10% Speed Increase

{{CollapsibleUpgrade|Title = Upgraded Bombs|Description = •30 Damage [[File:SplashDamage.png|20px|Splash Damage]]

•4 Bomb Cooldown [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Bomb Cooldown]]

•3 Explosion Range [[File:ExplosiveRange.png|20px|Explosion Range]]}}


Sell Price changes to {{Money|950}}}}
{{Upgrade|Level = Level 4|Upgrade Title = Spy Plane|Cost = {{Money|3,000}}|Image = [[File:AcePilotLevel3.png|100px]]|Information = +3 Damage [[File:Damage Icon.png|20px|Damage]]

+Hidden Detection {{Hidden|Hidden Detection}}

Grants Hidden Detection to nearby towers [[File:HiddenDetectionOld.png|20px|Hidden Detection]]

•10 Range [[File:BuildRange.png|20px|Hidden Detection Range]]

{{CollapsibleUpgrade|Title = Upgraded Bombs|Description = •30 Damage [[File:SplashDamage.png|20px|Splash Damage]]

•2 Bomb Cooldown [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Bomb Cooldown]]

•3 Explosion Range [[File:ExplosiveRange.png|20px|Explosion Range]]}}


Sell Price changes to {{Money|1,950}}}}
{{Upgrade|Level = Level 5|Upgrade Title = The Surging Sky|Cost = {{Money|7,000}}|Image = [[File:AcePilotLevel5.png|100px]]|Information = +6 Damage [[File:Damage Icon.png|20px|Damage]]

0.15 > 0.12 Firerate [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Firerate]]

10% > 35% Speed Increase

{{CollapsibleUpgrade|Title = Upgraded Bombs|Description = •45 Damage [[File:SplashDamage.png|20px|Splash Damage]]

•1.5 Bomb Cooldown [[File:Cooldown Icon.png|20px|Bomb Cooldown]]

•4 Explosion Range [[File:ExplosiveRange.png|20px|Explosion Range]]}}


Sell Price changes to {{Money|4,283}}}}

==Ability==
{{Ability|Level Unlock = Level 0+|Cooldown Time= 8s Cooldown|Ability Title = Toggle Reverse|Image = [[File:ToggleReverseAbility.png|100px]]|Information = 
Flies the opposite direction.
}}

==Statistics==
''To see all the previous statistics of this tower, see the [[/History|history]] page, while for the statistics without the [[Firerate Bug]], visit the [[Firerate Bug/Ace Pilot|Firerate Bug]] page.''

{{neow|<nowiki>
<var>
$GDPS$ = Normal Damage / Firerate
$BDPS$ = Splash Damage / Bomb Cooldown
$TDPS$ = $GDPS$ + $BDPS$
$CE$ = Total Cost / DPS
$TP$ = $FNC-TOTAL-COST$
$COST$ = 500; 225; 625; 1500; 3000; 7000
$FSE-DETECTION$ = 4; 2; 0
$FSE-UPGRADE$ = Greased Guns; Bombs away!; Aerial Ace; Spy Plane; The Surging Sky
$FSE-UPGRADEICON$ = 17847640091; 17847639896; 17847640366; 17847640366; 17847640211
$FSE-META$ = Intermediate; File:AcePilotNewIcon.png
$TREF$ = <ref>Calculated as Gun DPS + Bomb DPS.</ref>
$R$ = $FNC-RECURSION$
</var>
<div class="overflow-box">
{| class="wikitable stats-table"
! Level !! Cost !! Total Cost !! Normal Damage !! Splash Damage !! Firerate !! Bomb Cooldown !! Range !! Explosion Range !! Hidden Detection Range !! Speed Multiplier !! DPS$TREF$ !! Cost Efficiency
|-
| 0 || {{Money|$COST$}}$R$ || {{Money|$TP$}}$R$ || 2 || N/A || 0.22 || N/A || 9 || N/A || N/A || 1 || $GDPS$ || {{Money|$CE$}}
|-
| 1 || $R$ || $R$ || 3 || N/A || 0.22 || N/A || 9 || N/A || N/A || 1 || $GDPS$ || {{Money|$CE$}}
|-
| 2 || $R$ || $R$ || 4 || 10 || 0.22 || 4 || 9 || 3 || N/A || 1 || $TDPS$<ref>$GDPS$ Gun DPS + $BDPS$ Bomb DPS</ref> || {{Money|$CE$}}
|-
| 3 || $R$ || $R$ || 5 || 30 || 0.15 || 4 || 10 || 3 || N/A || 1.1 || $TDPS$<ref>$GDPS$ Gun DPS + $BDPS$ Bomb DPS</ref> || {{Money|$CE$}}
|-
| 4 || $R$ || $R$ || 8 || 30 || 0.15 || 2 || 10 || 3 || 10 || 1.1 || $TDPS$<ref>$GDPS$ Gun DPS + $BDPS$ Bomb DPS</ref> || {{Money|$CE$}}
|-
| 5 || $R$ || $R$ || 14 || 45 || 0.12 || 1.5 || 10 || 4 || 10 || 1.35 || $TDPS$<ref>$GDPS$ Gun DPS + $BDPS$ Bomb DPS</ref> || {{Money|$CE$}}
|}
</div>
</nowiki>}}

==Skins==
''To see all the upgrades of a skin, see the [[/Gallery#Skin Upgrades|gallery]] page.''
{| class="light-table pad-5 align-center" style="width:300px; margin:0 auto"
!
|[[File:GreenAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|[[File:RedAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|[[File:YellowAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|[[File:AerialAceAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|-
!Skin
|{{Color|Basic|Green}}
|{{Color|Basic|Red}}
|{{Color|Basic|Yellow}}
|{{Color|Basic|Aerial Ace}}
|-
!Rarity
|{{Color|Common}}
|{{Color|Common}}
|{{Color|Common}}
|{{Color|Common}}
|-
!Daily Store Cost
|{{Coins|500}}
|{{Coins|500}}
|{{Coins|500}}
|{{Coins|500}}
|-
!Obtained From
|[[Basic Crate]]
|[[Basic Crate]]
|[[Basic Crate]]
|[[Basic Crate]]
|-
!
|[[File:PurpleAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|[[File:BlueAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|[[File:PumpkinAcePilotIconIGJ24.png|175px]]
|[[File:EasterAcePilotIconIG.png|175px]]
|-
!Skin
|{{Color|Basic|Purple}}
|{{Color|Basic|Navy}}
|{{Color|Pumpkin|Pumpkin}}
|{{Color|DuckyRevenge|Easter}}
|-
!Rarity
|{{Color|Common}}
|{{Color|Rare}}
|{{Color|Event}}
|{{Color|Legendary}}
|-
!Daily Store Cost
|{{Coins|500}}
|{{Coins|1,000}}
|N/A
|N/A
|-
!Obtained From
|[[Basic Crate]]
|[[Basic Crate]]
|[[Pumpkin Crate]]
|[[Ducky Revenge Event#Ducky Revenge Battle Pass|Ducky Revenge Regular Battle Pass]]
|-
!
|[[File:ToyPlaneAcePilotIconIG.png|175px]]
|-
!Skin
|{{Color|FinalAct|Toy Plane}}
|-
!Rarity
|{{Color|Rare}}
|-
!Daily Store Cost
|N/A
|-
!Obtained From
|[[The Final Act Event#The Final Act Battle Pass|The Final Act Premium Battle Pass]]
|}

==Strategy==
*Place this tower where it can be used to its full potential. This primarily involves placing it at turns.
**Placing it on a straight path is not recommended, as it will not shoot as often.
**As the '''Ace Pilot''' flies clockwise, placing it so it covers a counterclockwise path turn will mean it has a greater chance of attacking an enemy.
***The first roundabout on [[Wrecked Battlefield]] is a good example of this.
***You can also place it on a clockwise path and use the ''Toggle Reverse'' ability to make it fly counterclockwise, having the same effect.
*When changing flight paths, the '''Ace Pilot''' will complete the previous flight path first before switching to the new flight path.
*The [[DJ Booth]] can significantly increase its attack radius.
**However, the [[DJ Booth]] does not increase the '''Ace Pilot's''' flying radius.
*Try not to focus solely on '''Ace Pilots'''.
**This is because faster enemies may walk right past the '''Ace Pilot''' without being damaged. If you want reliable defense, then a [[Minigunner]] or [[Cowboy]] could be a more reliable option.
*The [[Commander]] cannot decrease the firerate of the bombs. However, it can decrease the firerate of the guns.
*Unlike the [[Pursuit]], the '''Ace Pilot''' does not stop to hover over an area whenever an enemy enters its range.
**This means that the '''Ace Pilot''' is unlikely to be attacking all the time, reducing the effectiveness of the tower.
*In [[Hardcore Mode|Hardcore]] mode, the '''Ace Pilot''' can be used as an effective way to deal with flying, lead and enemies with [[defense]] that appear early on during the game, such as the [[Lead]], [[Hefty]] and [[Balloon]].
*The bombs that the '''Ace Pilot''' drops are a good way to clear out hordes of weaker enemies, like the [[Abnormal]] or [[Slow]], while also dealing additional damage to higher health enemies, like the [[Abnormal Boss]].
**The '''Ace Pilot's''' bombs completely ignore [[defense]], dealing full damage to enemies with defense. Because of this, it can be useful against hordes of enemies with defense that appear early on during the game, like [[Heavy|Heavies]], [[Abnormal Boss]]es or [[Hefty|Hefties]].
**While the bomb is aimed directly at the target, it may miss the enemy as it takes a little while for the bomb to land.
***At Level 5, the missile has a faster projectile speed, so is less likely to miss the enemy's intended target.
*At Level 4+, the '''Ace Pilot''' gives nearby towers hidden detection for towers that do not have it, such as the [[Ranger]].
**Towers are only granted hidden detection if they are within the radius of the runway, which is quite small.
***This radius cannot be increased by the [[DJ Booth]].

==Trivia==
*It is stated by BelowNatural that the '''Ace Pilot''' was based on the [[w:c:bloons:Monkey Ace|Monkey Ace]] from the ''Bloons Tower Defense'' series.
**However, its main method of distributing damage and the fact that it gives hidden detection are similar to those of the [[w:c:roblox-tower-battles:Aviator|Aviator]] from ''Tower Battles''.
*The '''Ace Pilot''' used to share its Level 2 icon with the [[Mortar]]'s Level 4 icon but upside down.
*This is the first tower to able to give other towers hidden detection, with the second being the [[Firework Technician]].
*Strangely, the [[Soul Stealer (Legacy)|Soul Stealer]] and [[Void Reaver (Legacy)|Void Reaver]] can still spawn a [[Soul]] from the '''Ace Pilot''', despite not being a humanoid tower.
*On Level 2 and 4, the '''Ace Pilot''' upgrade names have capitalization errors.
**Additionally, there are two spaces between "''Aerial''" and "''Ace''" in the Level 3 upgrade name instead of one.
*The Level 5 upgrade name, "''The Surging Sky''" is a reference to a fake leak of the Level 6 '''Ace Pilot''' upgrade.
*The Level 3 upgrade name, "''Aerial  Ace''" shares its name with the {{Color|Basic|Aerial Ace}} skin.
**Both the upgrade name and the skin were also added in the same update. Prior to the change, the Level 3 upgrade was simply just "''Better plane''".

==Update History==
''For previous cosmetic variations, see the [[/Gallery|gallery]] page.''

{{Scroll|text=
*'''29 November 2019''' - [[Release v1.4|Release v1.4.0]]
**'''Ace Pilot''' added.
**Skins: {{Color|Basic|Red}}, {{Color|Basic|Green}}, {{Color|Basic|Yellow}}
**{{Bug}} '''Ace Pilot's''' placement is bugged.
*'''24 December 2019''' - [[Release v1.5|Release v1.5.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Level 0'''
****'''Ace Pilot''' now flies faster.
***'''Level 3'''
****Now makes the '''Ace Pilot''' fly faster.
***'''Level 5'''
****Now makes the '''Ace Pilot''' fly faster.
*'''12 January 2020''' - [[Release v1.6|Release v1.6.0]]
**{{Bug}} Placement limit is higher than intended by 1.
*'''13 January 2020''' - [[Release v1.6|Release v1.6.0a]]
**{{Bugfix}} Placement limit is now the correct value.
*'''24 March 2020''' - [[Release v1.8|Release v1.8.1a]]
**'''Ace Pilot''' placement limit increased from 5 to 10.
*'''29 April 2020''' - [[Release v1.10|Release v1.10.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot''' placement bug fixed.
*'''26 May 2020''' - [[Release v1.11|Release v1.11.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|1,000}} to {{Money|650}}.
****Firerate increased from 0.2 to 0.25.
***'''Level 1'''
****Damage increased from +1 to +2.
***'''Level 2'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|850}} to {{Money|350}}.
***'''Level 3'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|2,500}} to {{Money|2,000}}.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|4,500}} to {{Money|4,000}}.
****Damage decreased from +3 to +2.
***'''Level 5'''
****Damage increased from +2 to +3.
****Range increased from +1 to +2.
*'''31 May 2020''' - [[Release v1.11|Release v1.11.1]]
**{{Bugfix}} Stacking issue fixed.
*'''29 October 2020''' - [[Overhaul v1.0|Overhaul v1.0.0]]
**Unlock cost decreased from {{Coins|1,600}} to {{Coins|1,500}}.
**Bombs now only drop when an enemy is in range.
**Splash damage equation reworked.
**Firerate decreased due to the [[Firerate Bug]] being made less severe.
**Skin rarity added to [[Basic Crate]] skins.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Firerate decreased from 0.25 to 0.18.
****Damage decreased from 2 to 1.
****Range increased from 5 to 7.
****Flying detection added.
***'''Level 1'''
****Damage decreased from +2 to +1.
***'''Level 2'''
****Bombs can damage lead enemies.
***'''Level 3'''
****Range decreased from +1 to +0.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.1">0.25 > 0.15</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.05">0.18 > 0.13</abbr>.
****Renamed from ''Better plane'' to ''Aerial  Ace''.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|6,500}} to {{Money|7,500}}.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.05">0.15 > 0.1</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.05">0.13 > 0.08</abbr>.
****Now fires missiles instead of dropping bombs.
**{{Bug}} '''Ace Pilot''' attack range and circling direction is not shown properly.
**{{Bug}} '''Ace Pilot's''' bombs only deal damage to one enemy.
**New skins: {{Color|Basic|Aerial Ace}}, {{Color|Basic|Navy}}, {{Color|Basic|Purple}}
*'''31 October 2020''' - [[Overhaul v1.1|Overhaul v1.1.0]]
**New skin: {{Color|Pumpkin|Pumpkin}}
*'''23 November 2020''' - [[Overhaul v1.1|Overhaul v1.1.1]]
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot''' attack range is now shown properly.
*'''8 May 2021''' - [[Overhaul v1.3|Overhaul v1.3.0]]
**'''Ace Pilot's''' bombs now ignore [[defense]].
**'''Ace Pilot's''' bombs now aim directly to where the targeted enemy was last at, as opposed to straight down for Levels 2-4.
**Splash damage reworked. Explosion is now separated into two spheres. Inner sphere deals 100% of the stated damage, while damage in the outer sphere decreases linearly from the edge of the inner sphere to the edge of the outer sphere.
**'''Ace Pilot''' now has to take off from its runway when placed down, and upgraded to Level 3 or Level 5.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|650}} to {{Money|500}}.
*****{{Bug}} Inside the Lobby, the price is {{Money|650}}, when it is actually {{Money|500}}.
***'''Level 2'''
****Splash Damage decreased from 12 to 10.
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 5 to 4.
****Projectile speed increased.
***'''Level 3'''
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 5 to 4.
****Cost decreased from {{Money|2,000}} to {{Money|1,500}}.
***'''Level 4'''
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 6 to 4.
****Cost decreased from {{Money|4,000}} to {{Money|3,600}}.
****Now gives Hidden Detection for 15 seconds to nearby towers at the start of each wave.
***'''Level 5'''
****Splash Damage decreased from 30 to 24.
**{{Bug}} No longer immune to stuns.
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot's''' bombs now deal damage to multiple enemies.
*'''4 December 2021''' - [[v1.0.0]]
**{{Bug}} The '''Ace Pilot's''' bombs no longer grant cash.
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot''' is now immune to stuns.
**{{Bugfix}} The placement cost of the '''Ace Pilot''' in the lobby is now correct.
*'''29 December 2021'''
**{{Bug}} All of the '''Ace Pilot's''' skins do not upgrade properly.
*'''29 December 2021''' - [[v1.0.0]]l
**{{Bugfix}} Every '''Ace Pilot''' skins now upgrade properly.
*'''12 March 2022''' - [[v1.1.0]]
**'''Ace Pilot''' is now immune to all debuffs.
**Firerate decreased due to the [[Firerate Bug]] being made less severe.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Firerate decreased from 0.18 to 0.175.
***'''Level 3'''
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.05">0.18 > 0.13</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.05">0.175 > 0.125</abbr>.
***'''Level 5'''
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.05">0.13 > 0.08</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.05">0.125 > 0.075</abbr>.
**{{Bug}} '''Ace Pilot''' can be targeted by enemies.
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot's''' bombs now grant money.
*'''17 April 2022''' - [[v1.2.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot''' can no longer be targeted by enemies.
*'''21 December 2022''' - [[v1.6.0]]
**Skin rarity added to all skins.
**{{Color|Basic|Navy}} skin rarity changed from {{Color|Uncommon}} to {{Color|Common}}.
**{{Color|Basic|Aerial Ace}} skin rarity changed from {{Color|Rare}} to {{Color|Common}}.
*'''23 January 2023''' - [[v1.6.0]]j
**{{Color|Basic|Navy}} skin rarity changed from {{Color|Common}} to {{Color|Rare}}.
*'''7 April 2023''' - [[v1.7.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} Circling range is now displayed properly.
*'''5 May 2023''' - [[v1.7.2]]
**{{Bug}} Placement footprint does not show up when the '''Ace Pilot''' is selected.
*'''28 October 2023''' - [[v1.9.0]]
**Placement limit decreased from 10 to 8.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Range increased from 7 to 7.5.
***'''Level 1'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|250}} to {{Money|300}}.
***'''Level 2'''
****Range decreased from +1 to +0.
****Bomb cooldown increased from 4 to 4.5.
***'''Level 3'''
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.05">0.175 > 0.125</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.025">0.175 > 0.15</abbr>.
****Bomb damage decreased from 18 to 15.
****Bomb cooldown increased from 4 to 4.5.
****Cost increased from {{Money|1,500}} to {{Money|2,000}}.
***'''Level 4'''
****Range increased from +0 to +1.5.
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 3.5 to 3.
****Cost decreased from {{Money|3,600}} to {{Money|3,200}}.
***'''Level 5'''
****Damage increased from +3 to +4.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.05">0.125 > 0.075</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.05">0.15 > 0.1</abbr>
****Range decreased from +2 to +1.
****Bomb damage decreased from 24 to 20.
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 3 to 2.5.
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 6 to 5.5.
****Cost increased from {{Money|7,500}} to {{Money|8,750}}.
****Name changed from ''Air Fighter'' to ''The Surging Skies''.
*'''21 December 2023''' - [[v1.11.0]]
**Unlock cost increased from {{Coins|1,500}} to {{Coins|3,500}}.
*'''10 May 2024''' - [[v1.21.0]]
**{{Bug}} '''Ace Pilot''' does not deal damage while its bomb is being dropped.
*'''31 May 2024''' - [[v1.23.0|v1.23.5]]
**Splash damage no longer bypasses defense.
*'''16 June 2024''' - [[v1.24.0|v1.24.2]]b
**{{Bug}} Towers do not gain hidden detection when upgraded to a Level that has one if they have the [[Hidden Detection Buff]] from the '''Ace Pilot''' active.
*'''21 June 2024''' - [[v1.25.0]]
**Rotating the '''Ace Pilot''' no longer has an impact on its starting position, though it does affect the rotation of the Figure8 flight path.
**'''Ace Pilot''' now can select from two flight paths, Circle and Figure8.
**'''Ace Pilot''' no longer has a start up animation on placement, Level 3 or Level 5.
**Bombs now bypass defense again.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|500}} to {{Money|550}}.
****Damage increased from 1 to 2.
****Firerate increased from 0.175 to 0.2.
****''Toggle Reverse'' ability added.
*****Allows the '''Ace Pilot''' to fly in the reverse direction of its flight path.
***'''Level 1'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|300}} to {{Money|150}}.
****Damage decreased from +1 to +0.
****Firerate changed from 0.175 to <abbr title="-0.025">0.2 > 0.175</abbr>.
****Name changed from ''Better bullets'' to ''Greased Guns''.
***'''Level 2'''
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 4.5 to 4.
****Now unlocks the Figure8 flight path.
***'''Level 3'''
****Damage increased from +2 to +3.
****No longer boosts flight speed.
****Bomb damage increased from 15 to 18.
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 4.5 to 4.
****Bomb explosion range increased from 4 to 4.5.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|3,200}} to {{Money|3,600}}.
****Damage increased from +2 to +3.
****Firerate changed from 0.15 to <abbr title="-0.025">0.15 > 0.125</abbr>.
****[[Hidden Detection Buff]] is now permanent.
****[[Hidden Detection Buff]] is now given in its secondary range around the runway, which has a range of 7.
****Bomb damage increased from 15 to 25.
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 3 to 2.75.
****Bomb explosion range increased from 4 to 4.5.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|8,750}} to {{Money|9,750}}.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.05">0.15 > 0.1</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.008">0.125 > 0.117</abbr>.
****Flight speed boost changed, now boosts flight speed by 35%.
****Bomb damage increased from 20 to 30.
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 2.5 to 0.65.
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 5.5 to 4.
**{{Bugfix}} Gun now deals damage while a bomb is being dropped.
**{{Bug}} Regular damage is no longer boosted by [[Damage Buff]]s, though the bomb damage still is.
**{{Bug}} Small red cube appears on the center of the map when the '''Ace Pilot''' is placed.
**{{Bug}} Animations breaks when rejoining the server.
**{{Bug}} '''Ace Pilot''' is upside down in the [[Daily Store]] and when opening skincrates.
**{{Bug}} Explosion visuals are bigger than the actual explosion.  
*'''19 July 2024''' - [[v1.26.0]]
**No longer has a white dot under the plane while using the Figure8 path.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|550}} to {{Money|450}}.
****Damage decreased from 2 to 1.
****Firerate decreased from 0.2 to 0.175.
***'''Level 1'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|150}} to {{Money|225}}.
****Damage increased from +0 to +1.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.025">0.2 > 0.175</abbr> to 0.175.
***'''Level 3'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|2,000}} to {{Money|2,200}}.
****Damage decreased from +3 to +2.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|3,600}} to {{Money|4,000}}.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.025">0.15 > 0.125</abbr> to 0.15.
****Bomb cooldown decreased from 2.75 to 1.75.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|9,750}} to {{Money|10,000}}.
****Damage increased from +4 to +5.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.008">0.125 > 0.117</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.033">0.15 > 0.117</abbr>.
****Bomb explosion damage decreased from 30 to 25.
****Bomb cooldown increased from 0.65 to 0.8.
**{{Bug}} [[Hidden Detection Buff]] range is no longer shown.
**{{Bug}} When being placed down, the Figure8 flight path is shown instead of Circle.
**{{Bug}} Figure8 path does not rotate with the tower, displaying the path incorrectly if rotated.
*'''2 August 2024''' - [[v1.27.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} Regular damage is now boosted by [[Damage Buff]]s.
**{{Bugfix}} When being placed down, it correctly shows the Circle path instead of Figure8.
*'''21 August 2024''' - [[v1.28.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} Animations no longer break when rejoining the server.
**{{Bugfix}} A small red cube no longer appears in the center of the map when the '''Ace Pilot''' is placed down.
*'''28 August 2024''' - [[v1.29.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} '''Ace Pilot''' is no longer upside down in the [[Daily Store]] and when opening skincrates.
*'''11 October 2024''' - [[v1.35.0|v1.35.1]]a
**{{Bug}} Statistical changes made in TDS Experimental have been moved over to the main game.
*'''11 October 2024''' - [[v1.35.0|v1.35.1]]b
**{{Bugfix}} No longer uses statistics from [[TDS Experimental]] during matches.
*'''11 October 2024''' - [[v1.35.0|v1.35.1]]c
**{{Bugfix}} No longer uses statistics from [[TDS Experimental]] in the lobby.
*'''16 October 2024''' - [[v1.36.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Range decreased from 7.5 to 7.
***'''Level 1'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|225}} to {{Money|300}}.
***'''Level 2'''
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 4 to 2.
***'''Level 3'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|2,200}} to {{Money|1,500}}.
****Damage decreased from +2 to +1.
****Range increased from +0 to +0.5.
****Without [[Firerate Bug]], firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.03">0.15 > 0.12</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.025">0.15 > 0.125</abbr>, however, because of the bug the firerate is effectively the same without [[Firerate Buff]]s.
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 4.5 to 2.25.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|4,000}} to {{Money|3,500}}
****Range decreased from +1.5 to +0.5.
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 4.5 to 2.25.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|10,000}} to {{Money|7,500}}.
****Damage decreased from +5 to +4.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.033">0.15 > 0.117</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.025">0.15 > 0.125</abbr>.
****Bomb explosion damage increased from 25 to 35.
****Bomb cooldown increased from 0.8 to 1.25.
****Bomb explosion range decreased from 4 to 2.
**{{Bug}} Level 4 upgrade description no longer mentions that it gains the ability to give other towers hidden detection in its secondary range.
*'''30 October 2024''' - [[v1.39.0]]
**{{Bugfix}} Level 4 upgrade description now mentions that it gains the ability to give other towers hidden detection in its secondary range.
*'''26 March 2025''' - [[v1.58.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|450}} to {{Money|550}}.
****Damage increased from 1 to 2.
****Firerate increased from 0.175 to 0.225.
****Range increased from 7 to 7.5.
****''Toggle Reverse'' cooldown decreased from 10 to 8 seconds.
***'''Level 1'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|300}} to {{Money|200}}.
***'''Level 2'''
****Bomb explosion range increased from 2 to 2.5.
***'''Level 3'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|1,500}} to {{Money|1,850}}.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.025">0.175 > 0.15</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.1">0.225 > 0.125</abbr>.
****Bomb damage increased from 18 to 20.
****Bomb explosion range increased from 2.25 to 2.5.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|3,500}} to {{Money|3,200}}
****Bomb damage increased from 25 to 30.
****Bomb cooldown increased from 1.75 to 2.
****Bomb explosion range increased from 2.25 to 2.75.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|7,500}} to {{Money|8,000}}.
****Damage increased from +4 to +7.
****Bomb damage increased from 35 to 40.
****Bomb cooldown increased from 1.25 to 1.5.
****Bomb explosion range increased from 2 to 3.
*'''9 April 2025''' - [[v1.60.0]]
**Defense role added.
*'''16 April 2025''' - [[v1.61.0]]
**New skin: {{Color|DuckyRevenge|Easter}}
*'''25 June 2025''' - [[v1.68.0]]
**Unlock cost decreased from {{Coins|3,500}} to {{Coins|1,500}}.
*'''20 December 2025''' - [[v1.83.0]]a
**New skin: {{Color|FinalAct|Toy Plane}}
*'''28 January 2026''' - [[v1.84.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|550}} to {{Money|500}}.
****Range increased from 7.5 to 9.
***'''Level 1'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|200}} to {{Money|225}}.
***'''Level 2'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|350}} to {{Money|625}}.
****Damage increased from +0 to +1.
****Explosion range increased from 2.5 to 3.
***'''Level 3'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|1,850}} to {{Money|1,500}}.
****Damage decreased from +1 to +0.
****Range increased from +0.5 to +1.
****Explosion damage increased from 20 to 30.
****Explosion range increased from 2.5 to 3.
****Flight speed is now boosted by 10%.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|3,200}} to {{Money|2,500}}.
****Damage decreased from +3 to +2.
****Range decreased from +0.5 to +0.
****Explosion range increased from 2.75 to 3.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|8,000}} to {{Money|9,500}}.
****Damage increased from +7 to +9.
****Range decreased from +1 to +9.
****Explosion damage increased from 40 to 45.
****Explosion range increased from 3 to 3.5.
*'''11 March 2026''' - [[v1.86.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Level 3'''
****Upgrade name changed from <abbr title="Contains two spaces between Aerial and Ace">''Aerial  Ace''</abbr> to ''Aerial Ace''.
***'''Level 4'''
****No longer grants towers hidden detection, moved to Level 5.
****Upgrade name changed from ''Spy plane'' to ''Spy Plane''.
***'''Level 5'''
****Now gives towers hidden detection.
*'''8 May 2026''' - [[v1.90.0]]
**Statistical changes:
***'''Level 3'''
****Damage increased from +0 to +1.
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.1">0.225 > 0.125</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.075">0.225 > 0.15</abbr>.
***'''Level 4'''
****Cost increased from {{Money|2,500}} to {{Money|3,000}}.
****Damage increased from +2 to +3.
****Now gives towers hidden detection.
****Hidden detection range increased from 0 to 10.
***'''Level 5'''
****Cost decreased from {{Money|9,500}} to {{Money|7,000}}.
****Damage increased from +9 to +10.
****Explosion range increased from 3.5 to 4.
*'''5 June 2026''' - [[v2.0.0]]
**Firerate decreased due to the [[Firerate Bug]] being fixed.
**Statistical changes:
***'''Base'''
****Firerate decreased from 0.225 to 0.22.
***'''Level 3'''
****Firerate changed from <abbr title="-0.075">0.225 > 0.15</abbr> to <abbr title="-0.07">0.22 > 0.15</abbr>.
***'''Level 5'''
****Damage decreased from +10 to +6.
****Firerate changed from 0.15 to <abbr title="-0.03">0.15 > 0.12</abbr>.
}}

==Notes==
<references/>



{{TowerNavBox}}
[[Category:Ground]]
[[Category:Ability]]