Ninja Kiwi released Bloons TD 6 in June 2018 and has kept adding to it ever since, past 25 monkey towers split across the Primary, Military, Magic and Support categories. Every tower has three upgrade paths of five tiers, but you may only take two paths and the second one caps at tier 2, which is the single rule that shapes every strategy in the game. Rounds run to 100 in standard play, with the MOAB arriving at 40, the BFB at 60, the ZOMG at 80, the DDT at 90 and the BAD at 100.
Starting Bloons TD 6 can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Bloons TD 6 is a strategy game built around Two path upgrade limit and Bloon properties and immunities. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Military | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Magic | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Support | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Heroes | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Military. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Heroes as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Two path upgrade limit
A tower can reach tier 5 on one path while a second path is capped at tier 2, and the third path stays empty. Those two crosspath tiers are not filler: the extra pierce or attack speed they add is often worth more than the tier 4 upgrade you skipped.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Two path upgrade limit works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Monkey Meadow
The beginner map everyone starts on. One long looping path, unlimited placement space and no obstructions, which makes it the right place to test a new build before taking it somewhere cruel.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Ninja Monkey: it's the most accessible early upgrade. Fast, cheap and camo capable without any support. Shinobi Tactics on the top path buffs every other ninja nearby, so three ninjas together outperform three ninjas spread out.
Step 4: Understand Bloon properties and immunities
Black and White bloons resist explosions and freezing, Lead resists sharp attacks, Purple resists energy, magic and fire, and Camo cannot be targeted without detection. Monkey Village path 2 answers most of this, with Radar Scanner at tier 2 for camo and Monkey Intelligence Bureau at tier 3 for the rest.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Cubism
A beginner map with a short winding track, so bloons pass the same towers several times. Short paths reward high pierce placements in the middle rather than long range towers at the edges.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Two path upgrade limit
A tower can reach tier 5 on one path while a second path is capped at tier 2, and the third path stays empty. Those two crosspath tiers are not filler: the extra pierce or attack speed they add is often worth more than the tier 4 upgrade you skipped.
Bloon properties and immunities
Black and White bloons resist explosions and freezing, Lead resists sharp attacks, Purple resists energy, magic and fire, and Camo cannot be targeted without detection. Monkey Village path 2 answers most of this, with Radar Scanner at tier 2 for camo and Monkey Intelligence Bureau at tier 3 for the rest.
Monkey Knowledge and hero levelling
Monkey Knowledge points are permanent account upgrades that reduce costs and add small buffs, and heroes gain levels inside a match while only one hero may be placed. Both are disabled in CHIMPS, which is why CHIMPS clears feel so different from normal runs.
Cash income and the Banana Farm
Cash comes from popping and from round end bonuses, and the Banana Farm converts early spending into a much bigger late defence. Monkey Bank on the middle path compounds interest inside the bank, while Monkey Wall Street on the bottom path collects for you.
CHIMPS ruleset
CHIMPS stands for no Continues, no Hearts lost, no Income, no Monkey Knowledge, no Powers and no Selling. One life, rounds 6 to 100, and every placement is permanent, so the mode is really a test of whether your opening spending was correct.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Buying tier 4 upgrades with no crosspath, which throws away pierce and attack speed that would have cost a few hundred dollars
2. Reaching a camo round with no detection anywhere on the map and watching bloons walk through a full defence untouched
3. Buying the first Banana Farm after round 40, when there is no longer enough time left for the income to compound
4. Spreading towers evenly around the map instead of clustering damage inside Alchemist and Monkey Village buff radii
5. Selling towers to fund an upgrade in modes where selling is legal, then discovering the sold tower was the only thing covering a second track entry
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Two path upgrade limit and Bloon properties and immunities
- Choose Military as starting build
- Clear Monkey Meadow main content
- Acquire Ninja Monkey or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Cubism
- Buy the two crosspath tiers before the tier 4 upgrade in most cases. A 2-0-4 Ninja out damages a 0-0-4 Ninja by a wide margin because pierce and attack speed multiply the base attack rather than adding to it.
- Sort out camo detection before camo rounds arrive rather than during them. A Monkey Village with Radar Scanner at path 2 tier 2 covers every tower in its radius, and Ninja Monkeys and Sniper Monkeys with the right upgrades see camo without help.
Tips for New Players
- Buy the two crosspath tiers before the tier 4 upgrade in most cases. A 2-0-4 Ninja out damages a 0-0-4 Ninja by a wide margin because pierce and attack speed multiply the base attack rather than adding to it.
- Sort out camo detection before camo rounds arrive rather than during them. A Monkey Village with Radar Scanner at path 2 tier 2 covers every tower in its radius, and Ninja Monkeys and Sniper Monkeys with the right upgrades see camo without help.
- Monkey Intelligence Bureau at Monkey Village path 2 tier 3 lets covered towers pop Black, White, Purple, Lead and Frozen bloons. That single upgrade rescues builds that would otherwise stall completely on Purple or Lead rounds.
- Farms only earn back their cost if you buy them early. A Banana Farm placed on round 12 pays for itself many times over by round 60, while the same farm bought on round 55 is close to wasted money.
- Cluster Ninja Monkeys so Shinobi Tactics stacks, and park the Alchemist where its brew reaches all of them. Positioning is worth more cash than an extra tower in almost every mid game defence.
- Place a bottom path Spike Factory at the track exit early so it stockpiles spikes through the quiet rounds. That stockpile is the difference between a leaked BFB costing one life and costing the run.
- Learn the round schedule rather than reacting to it: MOAB at 40, BFB at 60, ZOMG at 80, DDT at 90, BAD at 100. Every upgrade should be in place a round or two before the threat, not during it.
- Sun Temple sacrifices are category based, so what you feed it changes what it does. Feeding Primary towers, Magic towers and Support towers gives different bonuses, and dumping random leftovers wastes the single most expensive decision in the run.
- In CHIMPS you cannot sell, so a badly placed tower is a permanent tax on the run. Plan the first four or five placements before round 6 starts and treat each one as final, because it is.
- For boss events against Bloonarius, Lych, Vortex, Dreadbloon and Phayze, stack every buff onto one damage core. Bosses are single fat targets with skull thresholds that change behaviour, so spread out crowd clear does almost nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CHIMPS actually stand for?
No Continues, no Hearts lost, no Income, no Monkey Knowledge, no Powers and no Selling. You play rounds 6 to 100 with a single life and every placement is permanent.
Which hero should a new player use?
Quincy is free, needs no setup and carries early rounds on any map. Obyn Greenfoot and Striker Jones are cheap follow ups, while Sauda and Adora suit boss events where single target damage matters.
How many upgrade paths can one tower take?
Two. One path can reach tier 5 while the second is capped at tier 2, and the third stays at zero. That constraint is why crosspath choice is discussed as much as tier 5 choice.
When do the big blimps show up?
MOAB on round 40, BFB on round 60, ZOMG on round 80, DDT on round 90 and BAD on round 100. Freeplay past 100 keeps scaling them up in count and health.
Are the boss bloons harder than round 100?
Yes, considerably. Bloonarius, Lych, Vortex, Dreadbloon and Phayze appear in timed boss events with health pools and skull thresholds that trigger new behaviour, and Elite versions raise the numbers further.
More Bloons TD 6 Guides
- Bloons TD 6 Bloons TD 6 Overview
- Bloons TD 6 Best Builds
- Bloons TD 6 Tier List
- Bloons TD 6 Walkthrough
- Bloons TD 6 Tips & Tricks
- Bloons TD 6 Weapons Guide
- Bloons TD 6 Combat Guide
- Bloons TD 6 Boss Guide
- Bloons TD 6 Maps & Locations
- Bloons TD 6 Crafting Guide
- Bloons TD 6 Classes & Characters
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