Turn

Turns in Bloons Card Storm determine when players can play cards and use Hero Abilities. The player that can perform actions switches on each turn. In modes with an AI opponent, the human player always goes first, while in multiplayer modes, the turn order is assigned at random.

Every turn has three major phases: the start-of-turn phase, the middle phase where the player can act, and the end-of-turn phase. In the start-of-turn and end-of-turn phases, the player cannot perform any actions and any effects that trigger in these phases occur in a specific order. The middle phase begins immediately after the start-of-turn phase ends, the end-of-turn phase begins once the player ends their turn or their timer runs out, and the next player's start-of-turn phase begins immediately after the previous player's end-of-turn phase ends.

The term "turn" is used in-game to refer to both the individual turns of each player, as well as the turn counter (represented by a number inside a blue square in the top-left corner of the UI), which starts at zero and increments at the very start of the first player's turn. It is possible for actions to occur on turn 0; in Daily Challenges where players start with a Bloon in play, Zee Jay's Passive Awesomeness activates on turn 0, before players choose their opening hand, and can activate again on turn 1. Similarly, the Storm counter increments at the very end of the second player's turn, though if the counter is at zero, it activates during both player's turns.

Steps of a turn

This section is in need of research. You can help out by editing this article or discussing your findings on the talk page. The editor who added this notice elaborates: When does Fearful Aura end? (Possibly start of turn?)

Start of turn

1. The game displays the message "Your turn" (player) or "Opponent's turn" (opponent). If on the turn of the player that goes first, the turn counter also increments.
2. Badlands deals damage and Temporary Ammo disappears.
3. All Monkeys perform their reload step in the order they were played, oldest first.
   • On a Monkey's reload step, its reload counter decrements, it regains all ammo if it reaches zero, and it triggers any On Reload effect it has if it reloaded.
   • A Monkey's reload counter does not decrement if it is Temporary or Stunned.
   • On Turn Start effects also trigger on this step, even if the Monkey is Stunned.
4. Doomed Monkeys disappear.
5. On Turn Start effects of all Bloons trigger, in their order on the Bloon track.
6. The player draws a card (if able), or loses by decking out if their deck is empty (even if their hand is full).
7. The player can take actions.

End of turn

1. The player can no longer take actions.
2. On Turn End effects of all Monkeys except Blade Maelstrom trigger in the order they were played, oldest first.
3. Blade Maelstrom triggers.
4. On Fire Bloons take damage.
5. Amelia's Bloon Shield and Obyn's Nature's Shield trigger.
6. Hazards placed on Bloon spaces (Acid Pools, Strong Acid Pools, and Mountain Obyn's brambles) deal damage in the order they were placed.
7. On Turn End effects of all Bloons (Defense Prep Bloons, Lead Coating Bloons, etc.) trigger.
8. Temporary Monkeys with no regular ammo left disappear.
9. Monkeys that were stunned on a previous turn stop being stunned.
10. All Bloons summoned before On Turn End effects triggered this turn perform their advance step.
    • On an advance step, the Bloon stops being stunned if it was stunned on the previous turn, or attacks if at zero delay, or its delay counter decrements if not at zero delay and not Immobile.
    • If the conditions are met for Bloons to attack, the game displays the message "Bloons attack!". If no Bloons can attack, but any Bloon's delay decrements, it displays "Bloons advance" instead. If neither condition is met, the game does not display a message.
11. The Storm advances.