One of my favourite things about being a long-time BTD6 player is the fact that I have seen the game evolve in so many ways. I’ve gotten to see the addition of multiple Heroes, the introduction of a plethora of events and have got to see multiple changes in the way that Towers function and can help support a player.
It’s no secret that Bloons TD 6 is my favourite version of the game and while I have played all versions of the game, there’s something about 6 that really gets me excited. I love BTD6 so much that I don’t think a stream goes by where I don’t mention it and I’ve even gotten into making videos about the game to help encourage members of my community to join in on the fun and make it more accessible to them.
Though BTD6 is my favourite version of the game, I have to say that it seems like BTD5 gets a bit more love when it comes to events and variance, though it seems like many of the events and concepts from BTD5 are leaking into BTD6.
First, we saw the Mega Boss MOABs making an appearance in the game and later we were introduced to the Golden Bloons.
While I actually avoided Golden Bloons in BTD6 at first, understanding that they were quite difficult to break, I finally gave in more recently to understand so I could figure out whether or not map that spawn them are worth doing, especially when there’s no other new content out.
I’m sure every BTD6 player gets into lulls of “what should I do? should I even log in today?” especially if you have been playing the game for years, so you may be in the same boat as me.
In today’s post I’m going to cover what the Golden Bloon is, whether it’s worth focussing on maps that spawn them and what you need in order to actually successfully pop a Golden Bloon.
WHAT IS A GOLDEN BLOON?
Golden Bloons are a mechanic that were first introduced in BTD5, though were introduced in BTD6 well into the release of the game (patch 24.0 to be specific).
Golden Bloons are a mechanic that can be completely ignored as they are simply there to provide players with a bit of a boost in resources, though the resource they provide players with aren’t the best, leaving many players unsatisfied with the amount of work it takes to pop them for such little profit.
Golden Bloons are tougher than the typical bloon and can spawn on any map, though they are always guaranteed on maps where the Golden Bloons float in the main map selection.
Luckily for players trying to farm out Golden Bloons, there will be a Golden Bloon that spawns on each difficulty, making your options quite good for players with different skill sets.
It should be noted that Golden Bloons cannot spawn on Deflation or C.H.I.M.P.S. due to the functionality of these game modes, though players will be happy to note that any map that spawns a Golden Bloon has a chance to spawn multiple, making them a bit more farmable.
Players may even raise a brow knowing that Golden Bloons can even spawn on Co-Op maps, though they can be excited to note that if any player pops the Golden Bloon, everyone will get the reward, even if their towers haven’t damaged the Golden Bloon.
Players should also note that the Golden Bloon does not cost any lives, so if players are unable to defeat one there is really no risk or downfall.
WHAT DO GOLDEN BLOONS PROVIDE PLAYERS?
For popping a Golden Bloon players will receive a bit of Monkey Money. Players will receive a bit more Monkey Money for higher difficulty maps.
The following are the amounts of Monkey Money players will receive from each tier of difficulty:
Beginner maps provide 2 Monkey Money for Normal Golden Bloons and 4 Monkey Money for Fortified Golden Bloons.
Intermediate maps provide 3 Monkey Money for Normal Golden Bloons and 6 Monkey Money for Fortified Golden Bloons.
Advanced maps provide 4 Monkey Money for Normal Golden Bloons and 8 Monkey Money for Fortified Golden Bloons.
Expert maps provide 5 Monkey Money for Normal Golden Bloons and 10 Monkey Money for Fortified Golden Bloons.
HOW DO YOU DEFEAT A GOLDEN BLOON?
Golden Bloons have a chance to spawn at the beginning of each round beyond Round 21 and will begin by moving slowly around the map, though each time it takes damage it will quickly move to another place on the map, meaning that players will need to have a good amount of map coverage in order to successfully pop a Golden Bloon.
The faster a Golden Bloon is hit, the faster it will move.
The Golden Bloon also becomes immune for a short period after it is attacked. During this immunity period, the Golden Bloon will move 3.5x faster than a Red Bloon, meaning that it moves at the speed of a Pink Bloon.
Players should note that Golden Bloons can appear with multiple properties such as Lead, Camo, Fortified, Purple or Zebra.
The Golden Bloon can be affected by damage-over-time effects and can be distracted.
It should be noted that Golden Bloons are not affected by Road Spikes and will actually pause for a second when they run over Road Spikes then zoom to the exit. Alternatively, it seems like the Golden Bloon becomes resistant to a Spike Factory, making this strategy less effective than a player would like to assume.
Players should also note that the Golden Bloon is Immune to having its Camo Properties removed, being pinned by Engineer Monkeys and Shell Shock from the Mortar Monkey.
Now with all of this information out of the way, time to talk strategy!
Players are going to want to build as much slow as possible or will want to come up with a strategy that outright stalls the Golden Bloon. Some of the best Towers for this include Ice Monkeys and Glue Gunners.
Ice Monkeys tend to be the first route of action for players as you will simply need an X-1-2 Ice Monkey to shred through the first Golden Bloon, however, beyond the first Golden Bloon it’s going to be time to place a Glue Gunner.
While the X-1-2 Ice Monkey is going to be able to stall and secure the first Golden Bloon, though after the first Golden Bloon the rest will be a bit too durable and speedy for the Ice Monkey to destroy them on their own.
Now, after the first Golden Bloon passes, you don’t need to do too much in order to keep yourself safe as you will simply need a 2-X-2 Glue Gunner for the next one. Although I typically recommend that players cross path 1 and 2 for Glue Gunners, the third path is really good for slowing down bloons further, ensuring that the Golden Bloon stays on the map long enough to actually kill. Players will rejoice in knowing that the first path’s corrosive damage will continue to damage the Golden Bloon when it is immune to taking hits, meaning that rushing a 4-X-2 Glue Gunner is going to be your best bet for defeating any more Golden Bloons that come on by.
Now, it’s also true that a X-X-5 Glue Gunner will be powerful and will completely stop the Golden Bloon, dealing damage over time, so this may actually be the option for you in the end game.
Now, it’s no secret that both of these towers will not have all the popping skills do deal with things like Camo or Lead (though the Ice Monkey can be powered up to see these properties), players will want to ensure that they place a Monkey Village with at least X-2-X or X-3-X near their Glue Gunner to ensure that it can continue dealing damage to the Golden Bloon once it gains properties.
If players have no space for a Monkey Village, they can also use a Monkey Sub with Submerge and Support, though this can still be a bit frustrating for players in comparison to the Monkey Village in tandem with the Glue Gunner.
The best Towers in the end game include the following:
A Mortar Monkey with X-5-X
A Monkey Ace with X-5-X
A Ninja Monkey with X-4-X
A Druid, as long as you have Monkey Knowledge, with X-5-X
TOWERS YOU WANT TO AVOID WITH THE GOLDEN BLOON
As mentioned, some of the strongest Towers actually become problematic for players and will simply hinder the player from being able to shred through a Golden Bloon as their damage will cause the Golden Bloon to bounce across the map.
Some of these towers include:
Super Monkey with X-X-4
Any Sniper Monkeys
Monkey Subs that aren’t 4-X-X
Any Monkey Ace
Any Heli Pilot
Any Spike Factory
If a player uses these Towers in a place where the Golden Bloon gets stunned or held, it should be fine to use them, however, if you’re focussing on clearing a map the stalling of Golden Bloons tends to be a second thought.
