“Bloons TD 6” (BTD6), developed by Ninja Kiwi, is a highly strategic and addictive tower defense game that has captured the hearts of players worldwide. A core aspect of BTD6’s gameplay revolves around the concept of “Rounds,” which are waves of increasingly challenging balloons, or “bloons,” that players must pop by strategically placing different types of towers on the map.
In this article, we will explore the intricacies of rounds in R BTD6, focusing on their structure, difficulty scaling, strategies for dealing with challenging rounds, and how the game keeps things fresh with randomized rounds and special events.
Understanding the Structure of Rounds in BTD6
In BTD6, a round consists of a pre-set number of bloons that move across the map, attempting to reach the end of the player’s track. The goal is to prevent the bloons from escaping by strategically placing towers to pop them before they reach the exit.
Round Progression
BTD6 offers several game modes, including Easy, Medium, Hard, and more challenging modes like Chimps and Impoppable. Each mode has a different number of rounds:
- Easy Mode consists of 40 rounds.
- Medium Mode has 60 rounds.
- Hard Mode goes up to 80 rounds.
- Chimps and Impoppable have the same 100 rounds but with additional restrictions or challenges.
The rounds increase in difficulty as you progress through the game, with bloons becoming faster, more numerous, and more durable.
Types of Bloons Across Rounds
As you move from one round to another, you encounter different types of bloons with varying difficulty levels:
- Red Bloons (RBE: 1): The weakest bloons, they take just one hit to pop.
- Blue Bloons (RBE: 2): When popped, they split into Red Bloons.
- Green Bloons (RBE: 3): Split into Blue Bloons when popped.
- Yellow Bloons (RBE: 4): Split into Green Bloons.
- Pink Bloons (RBE: 5): Split into Yellow Bloons.
- Black and White Bloons: These are immune to certain types of attacks (Black bloons are immune to explosions, while White bloons are immune to freezing).
- Lead Bloons: Resistant to sharp attacks but vulnerable to explosives or heat-based attacks.
- Zebra Bloons: Combine the traits of Black and White bloons.
- Camo Bloons: Only towers that detect camo can pop them.
- MOAB-Class Bloons: These bloons are large, heavily armored, and when popped, release smaller bloons. Types include MOAB, BFB, ZOMG, DDT, and BAD.
The Role of Randomization
One of the exciting features of BTD6 is the variety of bloons that appear in each round, particularly in later levels. While early rounds (1-40) tend to follow predictable patterns, rounds beyond that start to introduce more randomness and larger mixes of bloon types. This unpredictability requires players to adjust their strategies and tower placements on the fly.
Key Rounds and Difficulty Spikes
Certain rounds in BTD6 are known for being especially challenging due to the types of bloons introduced and their difficulty scaling. Let’s examine a few critical rounds in greater detail.
Round 40: The First MOAB
Round 40 is a major milestone in the game. On Hard Mode and above, this round introduces the first MOAB-Class Bloon (Massive Ornary Air Blimp). The MOAB has 200 health and, when popped, splits into four Ceramic Bloons, which themselves are strong and durable.
This round marks the first significant spike in difficulty, requiring players to have adequate firepower and a strong defense capable of dealing with both the MOAB and the Ceramics that follow.
Strategies for Round 40:
- Use MOAB Popping Towers: Make sure to have towers like Bomb Shooters (with MOAB Mauler upgrades) or Monkey Buccaneers (with MOAB Takedown ability).
- Upgrade Early Towers: Towers like the Ninja Monkey with Bloon Sabotage or the Monkey Ace can help handle ceramics after the MOAB pops.
Round 63: Ceramic Rush
Round 63 is infamous among players for its overwhelming rush of Ceramic Bloons. The round consists of three massive waves of Ceramic Bloons that appear in quick succession, testing your tower placement, upgrade choices, and your ability to deal with clustered high-health bloons.
Strategies for Round 63:
- AOE (Area of Effect) Towers: Towers that deal splash damage, like Bomb Shooters with Recursive Cluster or Monkey Aces with Spectre upgrade, are crucial for handling the dense waves.
- Ice Monkey: The Ice Monkey’s Permafrost ability can slow down ceramics, allowing your other towers more time to pop them.
Round 76: Dense Bloon Formation
Round 76 features a particularly nasty trick: regrowth rainbow bloons. These bloons, if not popped quickly, can regrow into full bloon formations, overwhelming your defenses.
Strategies for Round 76:
- Strong Anti-Regrowth Measures: Make sure to have towers like Glue Gunners with Corrosive Glue or Super Monkeys to quickly take out regrowth bloons before they multiply.
- Upgraded Dartling Gunner: A Ray of Doom from the Dartling Gunner can melt through layers of bloons in seconds, making it an excellent choice for this round.
Round 98-100: The Final MOAB Assault
The last three rounds of the game, especially in Hard or Chimps modes, are the ultimate test of a player’s strategy. Round 98 features a mixture of ZOMGs, DDTs, and other bloon types that can easily overwhelm an unprepared player. Round 99 introduces fortified DDTs, which are faster and tougher versions of regular DDTs. Finally, Round 100 unleashes the BAD Bloon (Big Airship of Doom), the most powerful bloon in the game.
Strategies for Rounds 98-100:
- Maximize MOAB-Destroying Power: Towers like the Monkey Buccaneer with the Pirate Lord ability or the Bomb Shooter with MOAB Eliminator can help you target and destroy the larger MOAB-Class bloons.
- Slow Down Bloons: Using abilities like Ice Monkey’s Absolute Zero or Monkey Village with the Homeland Defense ability can provide critical support in slowing down or buffing your towers for more efficient popping power.
Special Events and Randomized Rounds
In addition to the standard progression of rounds, BTD6 introduces randomized elements through special events like Odyssey Mode and Boss Events. These events feature custom rounds with bloons in unpredictable formations, offering players a fresh challenge and requiring them to adapt their strategies accordingly.
Odyssey Mode
Odyssey Mode is a series of maps that the player must complete using a limited number of towers and upgrades. The rounds in Odyssey Mode are often randomized, adding an extra layer of unpredictability to the game. Players need to think carefully about which towers to bring into each map and how to use them efficiently across multiple rounds.
Boss Events
BTD6 also features special boss events, where players face off against massive, powerful bloon bosses that appear during regular rounds. These bosses come with unique abilities, such as regenerating health or summoning smaller bloons, making them a formidable challenge.
Boss Strategy:
- Strong Anti-Boss Towers: The Sniper Monkey with the Elite Defender upgrade or the Super Monkey with Dark Knight abilities are great for taking down bosses quickly.
Conclusion
Rounds are the backbone of Bloons TD 6, providing the structure and challenge that makes the game so captivating. From the first simple Red Bloon in Round 1 to the monstrous BAD Bloon in Round 100, each round tests the player’s ability to strategize, adapt, and execute their game plan. Whether you’re battling through the chaos of Round 63 or preparing for the MOAB rush on Round 98, understanding the intricacies of rounds and how to counter each bloon type is key to mastering BTD6.
