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.
These tips go beyond the basics. They're the strategies experienced players use to play more efficiently, the hidden mechanics most people miss, and the optimizations that compound over a full playthrough. If you're just starting, check our beginner's guide first.
Essential Tips
1. Buy the two crosspath tiers before the tier 4 upgrade in most cases
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.
2. Sort out camo detection before camo rounds arrive rather than during them
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.
3. Monkey Intelligence Bureau at Monkey Village path 2 tier 3 lets covered towers pop Black, White, Purple, Lead and Frozen bloons
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.
4. Farms only earn back their cost if you buy them early
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.
5. Cluster Ninja Monkeys so Shinobi Tactics stacks, and park the Alchemist where its brew reaches all of them
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.
6. Place a bottom path Spike Factory at the track exit early so it stockpiles spikes through the quiet rounds
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.
7. Learn the round schedule rather than reacting to it: MOAB at 40, BFB at 60, ZOMG at 80, DDT at 90, BAD at 100
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.
8. Sun Temple sacrifices are category based, so what you feed it changes what it does
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.
9. In CHIMPS you cannot sell, so a badly placed tower is a permanent tax on 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.
10. For boss events against Bloonarius, Lych, Vortex, Dreadbloon and Phayze, stack every buff onto one damage core
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.
Advanced Strategies
Build Optimization
The difference between an average build and an optimized one is massive. See our builds guide for full breakdowns.
For Primary (A-Tier):
- Focus on Two path upgrade limit combinations for maximum output.
- Core gear: Dart Monkey
- Stat priority: Offensive stats first
For Military (A-Tier):
- Versatile approach that handles any situation.
- Core gear: Ninja Monkey
- Stat priority: Balanced stats
Mechanic Interactions
Understanding how Bloons TD 6's systems interact is where the real optimization lives. Our combat guide covers this in detail.
Two path upgrade limit + Bloon properties and immunities: A tower can reach tier 5 on one path while a second path is capped at tier 2, and the third path stays empty. Combined with 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 Knowledge and hero levelling + Cash income and the Banana Farm: 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. When paired with 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.
CHIMPS ruleset scaling: 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.
Equipment Efficiency
| Equipment | Best Use Case | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dart Monkey | Opening rounds on any map, and cheap Primary category filler for Sun Temple sacrifices. | The cheapest tower in the game and the one everyone underrates. |
| Ninja Monkey | Camo rounds and the mid game stretch from round 40 to 60 before the big towers come online. | Fast, cheap and camo capable without any support. |
| Alchemist | Any build with one strong damage core that you want to hit roughly twice as hard. | A support tower disguised as an attacker. |
| Banana Farm | Long games, freeplay pushes and any mode where income is legal. | The income tower. |
| Super Monkey | Rounds 80 and beyond, where one enormous tower beats five medium ones. | Expensive and worth it. |
Location Efficiency
Monkey Meadow (Beginner difficulty): 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.
Cubism (Beginner difficulty): 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.
Geared (Advanced difficulty): An advanced map built around rotating gears that carry bloons across the board. Placement windows shift as the gears turn, so towers with long range or infinite range like the Sniper Monkey pull ahead here.
Dark Castle (Expert difficulty): An expert map with limited placement space and dark areas that block line of sight. Tight geometry means every tower slot counts and support towers must be positioned to reach the damage core.
Muddy Puddles (Expert difficulty): Four separate entry paths converging on separate exits, with water blocking much of the buildable space. It punishes any strategy that leans on one defensive chokepoint.
Mistakes Even Veterans Make
- Buying tier 4 upgrades with no crosspath, which throws away pierce and attack speed that would have cost a few hundred dollars.
- Reaching a camo round with no detection anywhere on the map and watching bloons walk through a full defence untouched.
- Buying the first Banana Farm after round 40, when there is no longer enough time left for the income to compound.
- Spreading towers evenly around the map instead of clustering damage inside Alchemist and Monkey Village buff radii.
- 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.
Pro Quick Tips
- 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.
- Start with Military, switch to Primary when ready
- Invest in Dart Monkey above everything else
- Clear areas in order: Monkey Meadow → Cubism → Geared → Dark Castle → Muddy Puddles. See our maps guide
- Two path upgrade limit + Bloon properties and immunities together are stronger than either alone
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 Beginner's Guide
- 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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