Mastering the Skies: The Ultimate Monkey Ace Path Guide in Bloons TD 6
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The Monkey Ace in Bloons TD 6 (BTD6) is a versatile and powerful tower, capable of dishing out significant damage to both single targets and large groups of Bloons. Choosing the right upgrade path is crucial to maximizing its potential. So, what’s the best path? It depends on the situation! However, a strong argument can be made for the Top Path, specifically the Sky Shredder (5-0-2), due to its raw damage output, global range, and ability to handle most Bloon types effectively, especially when paired with a Monkey Village for Camo detection and buffs. However, the other paths have niche uses and can be very effective depending on the map and strategy.
Unpacking the Monkey Ace Upgrade Paths
Let’s break down each path and its strengths:
Top Path: Dart Powerhouse
The Top Path focuses on enhancing the Ace’s dart attack, culminating in the Sky Shredder.
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Tier 1: Faster Darts: A simple but effective upgrade, boosting attack speed.
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Tier 2: Rapid Fire: Increases attack speed significantly, making the Ace more efficient.
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Tier 3: Neva-Miss Targeting: A core upgrade that allows the Ace to target Bloons anywhere on the map, removing the need for manual targeting. This greatly improves its utility.
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Tier 4: Operation: Dart Storm: This provides an ability that unleashes a hail of darts across the screen. It’s a decent ability but not the primary reason to go down this path.
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Tier 5: Sky Shredder: The pinnacle of this path. The Sky Shredder fires a ludicrous number of darts with incredible speed. With the 5-0-2 crosspath, it can deal insane damage to single targets and groups of Bloons, including DDTs (provided it has Camo detection).
Middle Path: Bombing Run Specialist
The Middle Path transforms the Ace into a bombing powerhouse, focusing on explosives.
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Tier 1: Exploding Pineapple: Adds pineapples that explode on impact. This is generally considered a weak upgrade.
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Tier 2: Pineapple Sharing: Increases the number of pineapples thrown. Still not a very impactful upgrade.
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Tier 3: Bomber Ace: The turning point for this path. The Ace starts dropping bombs that deal significant damage, making it effective against clumped Bloons.
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Tier 4: Ground Zero: Provides an ability that drops a massive bomb, dealing high damage across the entire screen. This is useful for clearing waves or dealing with emergencies.
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Tier 5: Flying Fortress: A very expensive but incredibly powerful upgrade. The Flying Fortress continuously drops a barrage of bombs across the entire map, decimating Bloons. It boasts high sustained DPS.
Bottom Path: Precision and Support
The Bottom Path offers a more strategic approach, focusing on targeting control and buffing potential.
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Tier 1: Sharper Darts: Increases pierce, allowing darts to hit more Bloons.
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Tier 2: Lots More Darts: Further increases pierce, improving the Ace’s ability to deal with large groups of Bloons.
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Tier 3: Spy Plane: Grants Camo detection, essential for dealing with Camo Bloons and DDTs.
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Tier 4: Spectre: Transforms the Ace into a powerful, sustained damage dealer. It rapid-fires darts and bombs, making it effective against a wide range of Bloons.
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Tier 5: Tsar Bomba: Provides an ability that launches a devastating nuclear bomb, dealing massive damage and leaving behind a lingering radiation zone that damages Bloons over time.
Path Analysis and Strategic Considerations
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Sky Shredder (5-0-2): As mentioned, it’s arguably the best overall path due to its high DPS and global range. The 5-0-2 crosspath is generally preferred over 5-2-0 as the extra pierce from the bottom path is more valuable than slightly faster attack speed from the middle path. This thing shreds BADs (Big Airships of Doom) with ease.
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Flying Fortress (5-0-2): While expensive, the Flying Fortress offers unmatched map-wide coverage and sustained damage. It’s an excellent choice for long, difficult maps where consistent DPS is needed. Like the Sky Shredder, the 0-2 crosspath offers more pierce to each dart which translates to much more damage.
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Tsar Bomba (5-2-0): The Tsar Bomba is more situational. The ability is incredibly powerful for burst damage and clearing dense waves. The 0-2-5 provides valuable pierce. However, its reliance on an ability means its sustained DPS is lower than the Sky Shredder or Flying Fortress.
Crosspath Choices: Maximizing Potential
Choosing the right crosspath is just as important as choosing the main path. Here are some considerations:
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Top Path: 5-0-2 is generally preferred over 5-2-0. The increased pierce from the bottom path is more valuable for hitting multiple targets.
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Middle Path: For the Flying Fortress, the 5-0-2 crosspath is also often preferred due to pierce.
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Bottom Path: The 0-2-5 or 2-0-5 are both viable. The 2-0-5 gives a little more attack speed, but the 0-2-5 crosspath gives greater pierce which translates to much better damage output.
Synergies and Support Towers
The Monkey Ace benefits greatly from support towers:
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Monkey Village: Essential for providing Camo detection and buffs like attack speed and range. MIB (Monkey Intelligence Bureau) is critical for allowing the Ace to damage DDTs, and Primary Expertise will provide valuable buffs to damage, range, and attack speed to nearby towers.
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Alchemist: The Alchemist’s buffs can significantly increase the Ace’s damage output.
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Overclock Engineer: The Overclock Engineer’s ability can temporarily boost the Ace’s attack speed and damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Monkey Ace
1. Can the Monkey Ace pop Lead Bloons?
Yes, certain upgrades allow the Monkey Ace to pop Lead Bloons. The Bomber Ace (Middle Path, Tier 3) and Spectre (Bottom Path, Tier 4) both fire bombs that can pop Lead Bloons. A Sky Shredder Ace with a Monkey Village with MIB (Monkey Intelligence Bureau) can also pop Lead Bloons and DDTs.
2. What’s the best crosspath for the Spectre?
Generally, the 2-0-5 is prefered to the 0-2-5 as it offers greater pierce to each dart and bomb, ultimately translating to more damage output.
3. Does the Monkey Ace need Camo detection?
Yes, the Monkey Ace requires Camo detection to target and damage Camo Bloons and DDTs. This can be provided by the Spy Plane upgrade (Bottom Path, Tier 3), a Monkey Village with MIB, or a Hero like Obyn Greenfoot.
4. Is the Flying Fortress worth the high cost?
Yes, in many situations. The Flying Fortress offers unmatched map-wide coverage and sustained damage, making it a worthwhile investment for challenging maps and game modes.
5. How does the Monkey Ace compare to the Heli Pilot?
The Monkey Ace and Heli Pilot are both flying towers with different strengths. The Monkey Ace excels at single-target damage and map-wide coverage, while the Heli Pilot is more versatile and benefits from its mobility. The choice depends on the map and strategy.
6. What’s the best strategy for using the Ground Zero ability?
Use the Ground Zero ability to clear dense waves of Bloons or to deal with particularly tough Bloons like MOABs or BFBs. Timing is key to maximizing its impact.
7. Can the Monkey Ace be buffed by the Alchemist?
Yes, the Monkey Ace benefits from the Alchemist’s buffs, which can significantly increase its damage output.
8. How effective is the Tsar Bomba ability against bosses?
The Tsar Bomba ability can deal significant burst damage to bosses, but its long cooldown limits its overall effectiveness. It’s best used as a supplemental damage source.
9. Which Hero pairs well with the Monkey Ace?
Many Heroes synergize well with the Monkey Ace. Obyn Greenfoot provides Camo detection and buffs to nearby towers. Captain Churchill’s raw damage output complements the Ace’s sustained DPS. Benjamin can help with early-game economy.
10. Is the Monkey Ace a good early-game tower?
No, the Monkey Ace is generally not a good early-game tower due to its relatively high cost and low initial damage output. It’s best used as a mid-to-late game damage dealer.
11. How does the Sky Shredder perform against the BAD (Big Airship of Doom)?
The Sky Shredder is exceptionally effective against the BAD, dealing significant damage due to its high attack speed and pierce. With proper support (like buffs and de-buffs on the BAD), it can shred the BAD very quickly.
12. What is the range of the Monkey Ace?
The Monkey Ace has global range due to its flying nature. However, its targeting range is limited without the Neva-Miss Targeting upgrade.
13. What is the cheapest way to get camo detection for Monkey Ace?
The cheapest way to get camo detection for the Monkey Ace is through the Bottom Path’s “Spy Plane” upgrade.
14. How does the Dart Paragon relate to Monkey Ace?
Although the information mentions the Monkey Ace’s Paragon, it’s important to keep in mind that the Dart Paragon is a separate tower upgrade path for the Dart Monkey, not the Monkey Ace. The Games Learning Society highlights the importance of understanding the nuances of game mechanics. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.
15. Is there a definitive “best” Monkey Ace path for all situations?
No, there is no single “best” path for the Monkey Ace. The optimal path depends on the map, game mode, and overall strategy. The Sky Shredder is a generally strong choice, but the Flying Fortress and Tsar Bomba can also be effective in specific situations.
By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each path, you can tailor your Monkey Ace strategy to conquer any challenge in Bloons TD 6. Experiment, adapt, and master the skies!