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What Can Hit Lead in TDS? A Comprehensive Guide

Lead Bloons are a significant threat in Tower Defense Simulator (TDS), posing a unique challenge to players. Their lead property makes them immune to most standard attacks, requiring specific tower types or upgrades to deal damage effectively. Understanding which towers can penetrate lead is crucial for success in TDS. In short, any tower with splash, fire, electric, poison, and collision damage can damage Lead Bloons. Additionally, certain specific towers and upgrades, like the Electroshocker, Warden, Sledger, and Toxic Gunner, are designed to efficiently counter Lead Bloons and especially Lead Bosses.

Understanding Lead Immunity

Lead Bloons possess a unique characteristic that renders them impervious to many common tower attacks. This immunity is due to their dense lead coating, which is difficult for most projectiles to penetrate. Towers relying solely on piercing or standard physical attacks will not be effective against these resilient enemies. This feature forces players to adapt and utilize more specialized tower options.

Towers Effective Against Lead Bloons

Several categories of towers and specific units are effective against Lead Bloons. These include:

Splash Damage Towers

Towers with splash damage can effectively damage lead bloons. This is because the area of effect damage bypasses the single-point resistance of the lead coating. Examples of towers with splash damage that can hit lead include:

Bomb Shooter (not explicitly in provided text, but a standard for lead): Any projectile that explodes with AoE damage will pierce the lead coating.
Mortar (not explicitly in provided text, but a standard for lead): Similar to Bomb Shooters, Mortars deliver area of effect damage capable of popping Lead Bloons.

Elemental Damage Towers

Elemental damage is another way to damage Lead Bloons. This includes:

Fire Damage: Towers that utilize fire attacks, such as the Golden Pyromancer, can damage lead.
Electric Damage: Towers like the Electroshocker deal electrical damage, which is effective against lead.
Poison Damage: Towers like the Toxic Gunner apply poison effects that can damage Lead Bloons.

Specific Tower Units

Certain units are specifically designed to damage Lead Bloons:

Warden: Level 3+ Wardens are particularly effective against Lead Bosses due to their high damage output and lead penetration capabilities.
Sledger: The Sledger can also damage Lead Bosses, making it another viable option.
Toxic Gunner: The Toxic Gunner’s poison damage is effective against both standard Lead Bloons and Lead Bosses.

Lead Penetration Abilities

Some towers gain the ability to damage lead through specific upgrades:

Sniper Monkey: Base sniper cannot pop lead. The Full Metal Jacket upgrade is required to pop lead bloons.
Ranger: Multiple Level 3+ Rangers are effective, especially against Lead Balloons.

Lead Bosses: A Special Challenge

Lead Bosses require even more specialized strategies to defeat. They are often more resilient and require high damage output to take down efficiently. Level 3+ Wardens are particularly useful against them due to their combination of high damage and lead penetration. Other effective options include the Electroshocker, Sledger, and Toxic Gunner.

Lead Balloons: A Unique Case

Lead Balloons present a unique challenge as they possess both lead and flying immunities. This limits the number of towers capable of detecting and damaging them simultaneously. Level 3+ Rangers or Level 1+ Pursuits are generally the best options for dealing with Lead Balloons and their associated bloons.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can the Freezer and Frost Blaster damage Lead Bloons?

No, the Freezer and Frost Blaster can only slow down Lead Bloons; they cannot damage them directly.

2. What are the best early-game options for handling Lead Balloons?

Early on, cheap towers like the Ace Pilot, Golden Soldier, or Sniper can be effective against Lead Balloons. These can help you manage them before more powerful units are available.

3. Can the Executioner, Archer, or Electroshocker hit multiple Lead Bloons?

Yes, the Executioner, Archer, and Electroshocker can hit multiple enemies in one go, making them quite effective against swarms of Lead Bloons.

4. Which towers can hit flying Lead Bloons?

Towers capable of hitting flying bloons that also have lead damaging properties include the Engineer, Hunter, Ranger, Sniper, Mortar, Executioner, Shotgunner (with ground enemies below), Ace Pilot, and Pursuit.

5. Can the Engineer Tower defeat Lead Bloons?

The Engineer can be effective against Lead Bloons using its AoE abilities, but requires upgrades to maximize lead-damaging efficiency.

6. Is the Accel tower effective against Lead Bloons?

The Accel tower is more effective against bosses due to its high DPS, but it doesn’t possess any direct lead-penetrating ability as a primary feature. Other towers are better suited for lead-heavy waves.

7. What tower is obtained at level 50 in TDS?

At level 50, you receive the Turret tower. This tower is not specifically designed to target lead but can be part of a balanced strategy.

8. Can road items like Hot Spikes damage Lead Bloons?

Yes, road items like Hot Spikes can damage Lead Bloons, providing a useful early-game defensive measure.

9. Can the base Sniper Monkey pop Lead Bloons?

No, the base Sniper Monkey cannot pop Lead or Frozen Bloons without the Full Metal Jacket upgrade.

10. How do Camo Bloons interact with Lead Bloons?

Camo-Lead Bloons require towers with both Camo and lead detection. The Monkey Apprentice (with Monkey Sense) and Dartling Guns (with Depleted Bloontonium) are good counters.

11. Can Quincy detect and damage Lead Bloons?

Quincy can always detect Camo Bloons, but he cannot pop Lead Bloons without support from other towers or road items.

12. Which towers are the most effective against Lead Bloons?

The Golden Pyromancer and Electroshocker are perhaps the most effective towers against Lead due to their DPS and ability to damage multiple Leads. Level 3+ Sniper, Warden, or Ranger are also viable options.

13. Why are Lead Bloons so hard to penetrate?

Lead’s high density makes it difficult for many projectiles to pass through. Instead, energy is often absorbed, making penetration difficult without specialized damage types.

14. What is the best tower for lead in the late game?

The best towers for lead in the late game depend on the stage. A combination of high-level wardens, Electroshockers, and other splash damage towers are all useful for the late game.

15. What are Golden Perks and how do they relate to Lead Bloons?

Golden Perks enhance the power of towers but can also increase their cost. While they make towers stronger, they do not inherently grant towers lead penetration. The lead penetration must still be a part of the base tower or upgrades.

What can hit lead in TDS?