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What Sniper Crosspath is Best? The Ultimate Guide

The “best” Sniper crosspath in Bloons TD 6 isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. It depends heavily on the tower’s intended role, the game mode, the map, and your overall strategy. However, in most scenarios, the 0-2-5 Cripple MOAB is the universally recommended and strongest crosspath. While the 2-5-0 offers more pierce, the attack speed bonus from Full Auto Rifle (0-2-0) is significantly more valuable for maximizing Cripple MOAB’s stunning and damage-dealing potential against high-health MOAB-class bloons. Now, let’s delve deeper into why this is the case and explore the nuances of other Sniper crosspaths.

Understanding Sniper Crosspaths

The Sniper Monkey, a versatile tower in Bloons TD 6, can be customized through different upgrade paths, each drastically altering its effectiveness. Before deciding on the “best” crosspath, it’s crucial to understand what each path offers:

Top Path: Damage and Targeting

Higher damage output, especially against MOAB-class bloons.
Allows for targeting options like Strong, First, Last, and Close.
Upgrades like Full Metal Jacket and Bouncing Bullet add pierce and versatility.

Middle Path: Support and Utility

Focuses on economic support and crowd control.
Supply Drop provides extra income.
Elite Sniper buffs other Snipers on the map.

Bottom Path: Attack Speed and Debuff

Prioritizes increased attack speed and debuffs.
Full Auto Rifle drastically improves attack speed.
Cripple MOAB stuns MOAB-class bloons, making them more vulnerable.

The Cripple MOAB Dominance: 0-2-5 vs. 2-5-0

The Cripple MOAB is undoubtedly the Sniper Monkey’s most powerful Tier 5 upgrade. Its ability to stun MOAB-class bloons is invaluable, significantly increasing the damage output of your other towers. The crosspath choice, 0-2-5 or 2-5-0, centers on attack speed versus pierce:

0-2-5 (Full Auto Rifle Crosspath): This crosspath focuses on maximizing the number of attacks and, therefore, stuns. The increased attack speed from Full Auto Rifle more than compensates for the slightly reduced pierce.
2-5-0 (Full Metal Jacket Crosspath): This crosspath offers increased pierce, allowing the Sniper to hit more bloons with each shot. While seemingly beneficial, the reduced attack speed leads to fewer stuns overall, diminishing the tower’s primary purpose.

The primary function of Cripple MOAB is to stall MOABs and increase their damage taken, the added pierce of the top path isn’t as critical as the faster stun uptime that the bottom crosspath offers.

Exploring Alternative Crosspaths

While the 0-2-5 Cripple MOAB reigns supreme in many situations, other crosspaths have their niche uses:

2-0-5 Cripple MOAB: In specific situations, like maps with extremely dense MOAB-class bloons, the extra pierce provided by the 2-0-5 crosspath can be beneficial. However, this is a niche case.
5-2-0 Elite Sniper: The added range from Full Auto Rifle is a minor upgrade when considering Elite Sniper benefits other snipers in your range. It does not increase the Elite Sniper’s ability cooldown, so Full Metal Jacket is usually the better choice with pierce, range, and damage to regular bloons.
4-2-0 Elite Defender: The attack speed buff from the Full Auto Rifle is much more useful on the Elite Defender as it makes him pop more bloons, saving lives. The price is not greatly affected by the upgrade either.

Synergies with other Towers

Consider how Sniper Monkeys synergize with other towers. For example:

Ice Monkey: Pairing Cripple MOAB with an Ice Monkey’s Embrittlement or Super Brittle significantly increases damage to MOABs.
Glue Gunner: Glue Gunners can slow down bloons, allowing the Sniper more time to target them.
Overclock: Overclocking a Cripple MOAB can dramatically increase its stun uptime, making it even more effective.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is 0-2-5 Cripple MOAB always the best choice?

No, but it’s the most versatile and generally optimal choice in most scenarios. If MOABs are tightly packed together, the 2-0-5 might offer slightly better performance, but the difference is minimal.

2. Why is attack speed more important than pierce for Cripple MOAB?

Cripple MOAB’s primary role is to stun MOAB-class bloons, making them more vulnerable and stalling them. More frequent attacks translate to more frequent stuns, significantly increasing the overall effectiveness of the tower.

3. How does the Full Auto Rifle affect the Elite Defender?

Full Auto Rifle drastically increases the Elite Defender’s attack speed. It is essential to buff it so that it pops bloons faster than it can lose lives.

4. Is the Elite Sniper’s ability affected by the Full Auto Rifle upgrade?

No, the Elite Sniper’s ability cooldown remains the same regardless of the crosspath. Therefore, more pierce is usually more desired than attack speed.

5. What’s the best targeting option for the Cripple MOAB?

Generally, Strong targeting is preferred for Cripple MOAB, ensuring it prioritizes MOAB-class bloons over regular bloons. First can be useful if you want to delay the first MOAB wave as long as possible, but this isn’t as reliable.

6. Can the Cripple MOAB stun multiple MOABs at once?

The Cripple MOAB can stun multiple MOABs at once if they are close enough together, but the stun duration applies to each MOAB individually.

7. How does the Supply Drop Sniper affect the game’s economy?

The Supply Drop Sniper provides a consistent stream of extra income each round, making it a valuable tool for long-term economic stability.

8. Is it worth upgrading multiple Supply Drop Snipers?

Yes, multiple Supply Drop Snipers can significantly boost your income, but be mindful of the opportunity cost. Investing in defensive towers might be more beneficial in some situations.

9. How does the Elite Sniper buff other Sniper Monkeys?

The Elite Sniper increases the attack speed of all other Sniper Monkeys within its range, making them more effective at popping bloons.

10. What is the optimal placement for the Elite Sniper?

Place the Elite Sniper in a central location that maximizes its range and allows it to buff as many other Sniper Monkeys as possible.

11. Does camo detection affect the Sniper Monkey’s performance?

Yes, Sniper Monkeys require camo detection to target Camo Bloons effectively. Ensure you have adequate camo detection support if relying on Snipers.

12. What are the best maps for using Sniper Monkeys?

Sniper Monkeys excel on maps with long, straight lines of sight, allowing them to target bloons from a distance.

13. How does the Bouncing Bullet upgrade affect the Sniper Monkey’s pierce?

The Bouncing Bullet upgrade adds pierce, allowing the Sniper Monkey to hit multiple bloons with a single shot.

14. Can the Elite Defender solo rounds?

The Elite Defender, particularly with buffs, can solo many rounds on easier difficulties, but it struggles against large waves of MOAB-class bloons.

15. What are some alternative strategies for using Sniper Monkeys?

Experiment with different combinations of Sniper Monkeys and other towers. For example, try using a combination of Cripple MOABs, Elite Snipers, and other damage-dealing towers to create a powerful defensive setup. A good example is to pair a Cripple MOAB with an Embrittlement or Super Brittle.

Conclusion

Choosing the “best” Sniper crosspath requires understanding each path’s strengths and weaknesses and considering the specific circumstances of the game. While the 0-2-5 Cripple MOAB is the generally preferred choice, experimenting with different crosspaths and strategies can help you optimize your gameplay and achieve victory. Understanding the tower’s role and adapting your choices to the map, mode, and other towers is key to mastering the Sniper Monkey in Bloons TD 6.

What sniper crosspath is best?