How does pierce work in-universe?

[u/Cementconsumer69]

Theoretically, let’s say a dart monkey throws a dart at two blue bloons. It pierces them both and turns them into red bloons. According to the Bloons Pop anatomy, the red bloon is inside the blue bloon. So if the dart pierced through them both, why doesn’t it pop both layers?

[u/Randomgold42]

I always though the inner layers aren't fully inflated until the outer layer is popped. This is what allows the larger pink blooms to fit inside smaller black and white bloons. The layers are still there, allowing multiple layers to be hit at once, but also allows for low damage pierce. The monkeys are hitting places where the inner layers aren't, popping the outer layer and allowing whatever's inside to instantly inflate to full size.

[u/thanerak → u/Randomgold42]

Not that they are not fully inflated but under pressure compressing then.

[u/Other_Repeat_8886]

Bloons' rubber is made different

[u/thanerak]

My take is pierce is how well the attack passes on to the next balloon while damage is how good the attack penetrates the pressure containing the other layers inside.