Tier B Medium DoT/Pierce

The Embedded

Poison specialist with crowd-clearing synergies. DoT-focused gameplay.

Starting Ball

Poison

Passive Ability

Pierce - Balls always pierce enemies until hitting a wall, applying poison

Unlock Requirement

Build Veteran's Hut Blueprint (unlocked by clearing Snowy x Shores biome)

Playstyle Guide

The Embedded maximizes poison damage and pierce mechanics. Balls pierce through all enemies until hitting a wall, applying poison to every target passed through. Build toward Noxious (Poison + Dark) for poison spread or Radiation Beam (Poison + Cell) for damage amplification. Excels in long lanes where pierce chains hit 5-10+ enemies per shot. DoT-focused means damage ramps up over time rather than burst. Patient playstyle that rewards positioning in lanes and letting poison + pierce do the work. Pairs exceptionally with The Shade for critical poison damage.

Recommended Evolutions

These evolutions synergize best with The Embedded's abilities and playstyle:

Noxious

View evolution details →

Radiation Beam

View evolution details →

Virus

View evolution details →

Maggot

View evolution details →

Strategy Tips

Role: DoT/Pierce

Passive Ability Analysis

**Pierce + Poison Application** creates a unique lane-clearing playstyle: (1) **Infinite Pierce** - Balls pass through ALL enemies until hitting a wall. No pierce limit - a single shot can hit 10-15 enemies if they're lined up. This makes The Embedded exceptional in lane-heavy maps. (2) **Poison on Pierce** - Every enemy pierced receives poison DoT (damage over time). Poison stacks from multiple balls hitting the same enemy, creating escalating DoT damage. (3) **Wall Dependency** - Pierce ends when ball hits wall, not after X enemies. This means positioning near walls maximizes pierce distance. Stand at one end of a long lane, shoot, ball pierces through entire enemy line before hitting opposite wall. The key insight: **lane positioning is everything**. Long horizontal/vertical lanes = 5-10 enemy hits per shot. Cramped areas = 1-2 enemy hits (pierce wasted). Poison DoT synergizes with pierce - hit many enemies once, poison kills them over time (no need for second hits). The Embedded wants maps with long clear sightlines and grouped enemy spawns.

Early Game Strategy (Waves 1-10)

**Waves 1-10: Lane Mastery + Poison Stacking** The Embedded's early game focuses on maximizing pierce chains and poison application: **Wave 1-3 (Poison + Pierce Foundation):** - Starting Poison ball with pierce passive hits 2-4 enemies per shot (early waves have lower density) - **Positioning key:** Stand at end of lanes (horizontal or vertical), shoot down the lane for maximum pierce - Poison DoT stacks from multiple balls - focus fire on lanes with 3+ enemies lined up - Practice identifying high-value lanes (most enemies in straight line) - Target: 3-5 enemy hits per shot average by wave 3 **Wave 3-5 (First Evolution - Noxious):** - **Primary: Create Noxious (Poison + Dark)** - Uses starting Poison, adds poison spread to nearby enemies - Noxious spreads poison from pierced enemies to adjacent enemies (chain reaction) - Pierce hits 5 enemies → Noxious spreads to 10-15 nearby = massive poison coverage - Alternative: Radiation Beam (Poison + Cell) for damage amplification (enemies take more damage while poisoned) - Wave 5 target: Noxious created, 4-6 enemy hits per pierce chain **Wave 5-10 (Poison Scaling):** - Add second poison evolution: Radiation Beam or Virus (Poison + Ghost) - **Lane technique:** Shoot when 5+ enemies are lined up, let pierce + poison DoT kill them over 2-3 seconds - Poison ramp means you don't need burst damage - patience wins - Wave 10 target: Noxious + Radiation Beam/Virus, 6-8 enemy pierce chains, 15-20 total balls **Gold Priority:** 60% Dark/Cell balls (Noxious/Radiation Beam path), 30% ball levels, 10% passive items (Ghostly Corset for pierce damage) **Positioning:** Always position at lane ends (edges of screen), never center. Maximum lane length = maximum pierce chains.

Mid Game Strategy (Waves 11-25)

**Waves 11-25: Pierce Optimization + Critical Synergy** Mid-game focuses on scaling pierce damage and adding critical hit synergy: **Wave 11-15 (Double Poison Evolution):** - Noxious + Radiation Beam create double poison scaling - Radiation Beam makes poisoned enemies take more damage - synergizes with Noxious spread - **Pierce breakpoint:** 8-10 enemies per shot = 8-10 poison applications + Noxious spreads to 16-20 nearby - Add Ghostly Corset passive (increases pierce damage + rewards side hits) - Wave 15 difficulty spike: Poison DoT + pierce coverage trivializes this - enemies die to DoT before reaching you **Wave 16-20 (Maggot Addition):** - Create Maggot (Cell + Brood Mother) for baby ball multiplication - Maggot spawns 1-2 baby balls on enemy death - poisoned enemies die → baby balls spawn → more poison spread - **Optimal build:** Noxious + Radiation Beam + Maggot (poison + amplification + multiplication) - Add Silver Bullet passive (25% more damage until ball hits wall - perfect for pierce builds) - Wave 20 boss: Position for maximum lance length, pierce boss + all adds in one line, poison DoT handles cleanup **Wave 21-25 (Critical Synergy):** - **Character pairing consideration:** The Shade (10% crit) pairs exceptionally with The Embedded - Critical poison pierce hits deal massive damage to entire enemy lines - Build toward Wagon Wheel passive (boosts power after wall hits for stronger ricochets) - Wave 25 target: Noxious + Radiation Beam + Maggot + 1 utility evolution, 10+ enemy pierce chains **Gold Management:** 40% Brood Mother/Cell balls (Maggot path), 40% ball levels (scale Noxious/Radiation), 20% passive items (Ghostly Corset, Silver Bullet, Wagon Wheel) **Advanced Pierce Technique:** Diagonal shots that pierce diagonally across screen hit more enemies than straight horizontal/vertical (covers more area).

Late Game Strategy (Waves 26-40+)

**Waves 26-40+: Pierce Master with Poison Coverage** Late-game The Embedded becomes a lane-clearing specialist: **Wave 26-30 (Optimization):** - 10-15 enemies per pierce chain (practiced by now) - Poison DoT + Noxious spread + Radiation Beam amplification = screen-wide poison coverage - **Effective clear:** Single pierce shot poisons 10 enemies directly + spreads to 20 nearby = 30 enemies poisoned from 1 shot - Optimal build: Noxious + Radiation Beam + Maggot + Virus (quad poison evolution build) - Wave 30 boss: Position so boss + all adds line up, single pierce hits all targets, poison DoT finishes fight **Wave 31-40 (Wave 40 Push):** - Focus on maximizing poison damage and pierce efficiency - **S-tier evolution consideration:** Black Hole or Holy Laser can be added but don't synergize as well as pure poison builds - Better strategy: Stack A-tier poison evolutions (Noxious, Radiation Beam, Virus, Maggot) for specialized build - Wave 40 target: 4 poison evolutions + 2 pierce passives (Ghostly Corset, Silver Bullet), 12-15 enemy pierce chains **Wave 41-50+ (Endgame Pierce Specialist):** - The Embedded struggles at wave 50 compared to S/A-tier characters (poison DoT is slower than burst damage) - **Viable wave 50 build:** Noxious + Radiation Beam + Virus + Maggot + Ghostly Corset + Silver Bullet - Strategy: Perfect lane positioning, maximum pierce chains, rely on poison DoT for sustained damage - The Embedded's wave 50 limitation: Poison ramp time means slower clear vs burst characters, positioning dependency becomes critical - Mitigation: Character pairing with The Shade (crit) or The Empty Nester (ball multiplication) elevates to A-tier performance **Gold Management:** 20% new balls (complete Virus path), 50% ball levels (max all poison evolutions), 30% passive items (pierce synergy items) **Pierce Record:** Expert players achieve 15-20 enemy pierce chains in optimal setups (waves 35-40) = 15-20 poison applications + 30-40 Noxious spreads per shot.

Best Evolutions for The Embedded

**Top 5 Evolutions for The Embedded:** **1. Noxious (A-tier for Embedded, 1.6x damage + poison spread)** - Recipe: Poison + Dark - Why it works: Uses starting Poison ball, spreads poison from pierced enemies to nearby enemies - Pierce hits 10 enemies → Noxious spreads to 20 nearby = 30 total poisoned from single shot - Synergy: Core evolution for The Embedded, build entire strategy around pierce + spread - **Essential evolution - enables poison coverage** **2. Radiation Beam (A-tier, 2.2x damage + damage amplification)** - Recipe: Poison + Cell (or Laser + Poison/Cell) - Why it works: Poisoned enemies take amplified damage from all sources - Pierce applies poison → Radiation Beam makes them take more damage → poison DoT deals more = exponential scaling - Synergy: Multiplies Noxious and Virus damage **3. Maggot (A-tier, 1.3x damage + multiplication)** - Recipe: Cell + Brood Mother - Why it works: Spawns baby balls on enemy death - poisoned enemies die → baby balls spawn → more poison spread - Late-game: 30-40 baby balls on screen from Maggot, all applying poison via pierce - Synergy: Multiplication mechanic compounds with pierce (more balls = more pierce chains) **4. Virus (A-tier, 2.0x damage + auto-spread DoT)** - Recipe: Poison + Ghost - Why it works: Auto-spreads poison + disease to nearby enemies - Pierce hits 10 enemies with Virus → spreads to 20-30 nearby automatically - Synergy: Combined with Noxious creates dual-spread mechanics (Noxious + Virus spread simultaneously) **5. Swamp (B-tier normally, A-tier for Embedded, 1.7x damage + slow + poison)** - Recipe: Poison + Earthquake - Why it works: Slows enemies while applying poison - frozen enemy lines = perfect pierce targets - Slow keeps enemies grouped in lanes for maximum pierce efficiency - Synergy: Control + poison application **Evolutions to Avoid:** - **Holy Laser/Black Hole** - Don't synergize with pierce + poison mechanics (require different ball types) - **Bomb/Magma (burst)** - Explosions don't benefit from pierce (pierce is for DoT, not burst) - **Freeze-based evolutions** - The Embedded needs lanes with grouped enemies, freeze spreads them out (anti-synergy)

How to Unlock The Embedded

**Unlocking The Embedded: Build Veteran's Hut Blueprint** **Recommended Character:** The Pitling (fast progression) **Strategy (25-40 minutes):** **Phase 1: Reach Snowy x Shores Biome** - Snowy x Shores is an early-mid game biome (wave 10-15 range, same as The Repentant unlock) - Play The Pitling with normal progression strategy - Snowy x Shores unlocks after completing 2-3 initial biome combinations - Build 2-3 evolutions before attempting (Bomb, Magma recommended) **Phase 2: Clear Snowy x Shores Boss** - Complete full biome run (typically 8-12 waves to reach boss) - Boss drops Veteran's Hut Blueprint upon defeat - Blueprint is guaranteed first-time clear drop - Collect blueprint from boss loot **Phase 3: Build Veteran's Hut in New Ballbylon** - Return to New Ballbylon hub - Access Housing tab in build menu - Select Veteran's Hut Blueprint - **Resources required:** 5 Stone (very cheap - tied with The Repentant for cheapest unlock) - Place building, send workers to construct (bounce into building) - Construction completes quickly (5 Stone = minimal worker bounces) - Once complete → The Embedded unlocks **Time Investment:** 25-40 minutes total (fastest unlock if you've already cleared Snowy x Shores for The Repentant) **Common Mistakes:** - Not realizing Snowy x Shores drops TWO blueprints (Haunted House for The Repentant, Veteran's Hut for The Embedded) - Attempting unlock without The Repentant first (The Repentant is better character - prioritize that unlock) - Not having 5 Stone saved (very cheap, but still need resources) **Priority Ranking:** Unlock The Embedded AFTER The Repentant (both from same biome, The Repentant is A-tier vs The Embedded's B-tier).

Advanced Tips & Tricks

**1. Lane Identification:** Master recognizing high-value lanes instantly. Best lanes: 8+ enemies in straight line with clear path to wall. Shoot these lanes first, ignore scattered enemies. **2. Wall Distance Positioning:** Stand as far from walls as possible - increases pierce distance by 30-40%. Edge positioning (left/right edges of screen) maximizes lane length. **3. Diagonal Pierce Mastery:** Diagonal shots (45-degree angles) pierce across more area than straight shots. Practice diagonal lane clearing for 20-30% more enemy hits per shot. **4. Poison Stack Timing:** Poison DoT stacks from multiple balls. Fire 3-4 shots down same lane rapidly, then switch lanes while poison DoT kills first lane. "Rotate lanes" technique maximizes uptime. **5. The Shade Synergy:** Pair with The Shade (10% crit) in character combo mode. Critical poison pierce hits deal 3x-4x damage to entire enemy lines. This pairing is "one of the fastest damage duos in Ball x Pit" (source: Dexerto). **6. Ghostly Corset Passive:** Ghostly Corset increases pierce damage AND rewards side hits (hits from non-direct angles). Combine with diagonal pierce for +40-50% damage. **7. Silver Bullet Passive:** Silver Bullet maintains 25% higher damage UNTIL ball hits wall. Perfect for pierce builds - entire pierce chain gets +25% damage. **8. Baby Ball Pierce:** Maggot baby balls also pierce (inherit The Embedded's passive). Late-game with 30-40 baby balls = 30-40 pierce chains simultaneously = screen-wide poison coverage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

**1. Center Positioning:** - Mistake: Standing in center of screen (habit from other characters) - Why it's bad: Reduces lane length by 40-50%, cutting pierce chains from 10 enemies to 5-6 enemies - Fix: ALWAYS position at edges (left/right/top/bottom), never center **2. Shooting at Scattered Enemies:** - Mistake: Shooting at 1-2 isolated enemies instead of waiting for lane formations - Why it's bad: Pierce passive wasted on single targets - same as any other character at that point - Fix: Wait for 5+ enemies to line up in lane, then shoot. Patience = efficiency. **3. Not Building Noxious First:** - Mistake: Creating other evolutions before Noxious - Why it's bad: Noxious is THE core evolution for The Embedded - pierce + poison spread defines the character - Fix: Create Noxious (Poison + Dark) by wave 3-5, no exceptions **4. Ignoring Poison DoT Ramp Time:** - Mistake: Expecting instant kills like burst damage characters - Why it's bad: Poison DoT takes 2-3 seconds to kill enemies - The Embedded is NOT a burst character - Fix: Shoot, move to next lane, let DoT finish first lane. "Shoot and rotate" technique. **5. Building Burst Evolutions:** - Mistake: Creating Bomb, Magma, Holy Laser (burst damage evolutions) - Why it's bad: The Embedded's kit synergizes with poison DoT, not burst - wasted evolution slots - Fix: 100% poison-focused build - Noxious, Radiation Beam, Virus, Maggot only **6. Not Using Diagonal Shots:** - Mistake: Only shooting straight horizontal/vertical - Why it's bad: Diagonal shots cover more area, hit more enemies (20-30% efficiency gain) - Fix: Practice diagonal lane clearing - aim at 45-degree angles **7. Undervaluing The Shade Pairing:** - Mistake: Not pairing with The Shade in character combo mode - Why it's bad: The Shade's 10% crit makes The Embedded's poison pierce deal 3x-4x damage - one of strongest combos in game - Fix: Always pair The Embedded with The Shade when character combos are available

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Embedded viable for wave 50?

The Embedded can reach wave 50 but struggles compared to S/A-tier characters. Poison DoT ramp time (2-3 seconds) is slower than burst damage at wave 50 where enemies hit hard. Viable wave 50 build: Noxious + Radiation Beam + Virus + Maggot + pierce passives. Success rate: 50-60% for expert players vs 80-90% for S-tier characters. Character pairing with The Shade elevates success rate to 70-80%.

Why is The Embedded B-tier instead of A-tier?

B-tier reflects build and map dependency. The Embedded excels in long lanes with grouped enemies (A-tier performance) but struggles in cramped arenas or scattered enemy spawns (C-tier performance). S/A-tier characters have unconditional power (The Pitling's XP works everywhere, Iron Fool's defense always active). The Embedded's pierce requires specific conditions. Average across all conditions = B-tier.

Should I unlock The Embedded early or late?

Unlock early (tied for cheapest at 5 Stone). However, unlock The Repentant FIRST from same biome (Snowy x Shores). Recommended order: The Pitling → Iron Fool → The Repentant (5 Stone, A-tier) → The Embedded (5 Stone, B-tier). Both cost 5 Stone from same biome, but The Repentant is stronger (A-tier vs B-tier).

What's the best character pairing for The Embedded?

The Shade (10% crit chance). Critical poison pierce hits deal 3x-4x damage to entire enemy lines. Dexerto describes this as "one of the fastest damage duos in Ball x Pit." Alternative: The Empty Nester (ball multiplication) - more balls = more pierce chains = more poison coverage.

How many enemies can The Embedded hit per shot?

Theoretical maximum: 15-20 enemies in perfect lane setups (wave 30-40, long diagonal lanes). Practical average: 6-10 enemies in normal play, 12-15 enemies for expert players with optimal positioning. Each pierced enemy receives poison DoT, and Noxious spreads to 2x more nearby enemies (10 pierced = 20 total poisoned).