Strategy:Freeplay (BTD6): Difference between revisions

{{BTD6 last updated|53.2}}{{lede image|BTD6 AlternateBloonsBtn.png|Freeplay icon|size=200px}}

'''[[Freeplay]]''' in ''[[Bloons TD 6]]'' involves blimps rapidly ramping up in health and speed. The ramping means that blimps become magnitudes more challenging once the game is deep into Freeplay. Reaching Round 500, even on the easiest maps, is a daunting task, especially when considering the lag in Freeplay. Farming in the first couple hundred rounds is essential, and proper utilization of the entire space of the map is crucial for the final setup.

[[Logs]] is the recommended map, as it has an abundance of good placements, has a layout with many intersections and is composed entirely of straight lines, and is the 2nd longest map (after [[Scrapyard]], which severely lacks space and has many line of sight blockers). Contrary to popular belief, Logs has enough space for farming, being able to fit 38 {{B|Banana Farm|BTD6}}s, and optimal farming strategies can reach over $50 million spare by the time the final setup has been completed, with certain farming strategies on Logs reaching over $300 million, though this amount is almost never needed in Freeplay. Additionally, Logs has enough space for a full Ninja army with excellent overlaps, making it the best map for ultra late game no matter the strategy.<!-- add references to this information -->

[[Resort]] is shorter than Logs, but its plentiful space means that when using [[Bloonjitsu (BTD6)|Bloonjitsus]] + [[Shinobi Tactics (BTD6)|Shinobi Tactics]], it is only a bit worse than Logs for Freeplay. However, no matter the strategy, Logs remains superior. Resort currently holds the round record for [[Easy]] mode Freeplay with [[Power]]s (Round 969, though using time stops, Legend of the Night, and Ezili or Navarch rebuys this can go on infinitely), but Logs holds the round record for [[CHIMPS]] Freeplay (Round 550) and powerless Easy mode Freeplay (Round 720). It is worth noting that both of the aformentioned records were set in v52 where the Ice paragon was extremely overpowered and bugged, leading to such rounds now being unachievable. [[Spa Pits]] is the third most optimal, but it has no significant advantages over Logs or Resort and is thus not recommended, unless using [[Destroyer (BTD6)|Destroyers]] or [[Aircraft Carrier (BTD6)|Aircraft Carriers]] as the main damage dealers.

* {{B|BAD|BTD6}}s are the only significant threat, as all other Bloons and blimps can be permanently stalled. Paragons with stall capacity such as Ascended Shadow, Glaive Dominus and Master Builder are sufficient to permanently stall any bloon weaker than a BAD, though sometimes getting a Monarch of the Storms may be helpful. The best way to deal with BADs in freeplay is by using  [[Ezili (BTD6)|Ezili]] as her level 20 ability deals percentage damage to BADs  

* Do not overspend on defense during the first hundred rounds, as the gameplay is typically on [[Easy]] mode on a [[Beginner]] map. Instead, focus on farming.

* {{B|Banana Central|BTD6}} + {{B|Banana Research Facility|BTD6}} spam + {{B|Monkeyopolis|BTD6}} + {{B|Overclock|BTD6}}s (for the Farms) is the best simple farming strategy. Stalling to farm with {{B|Support Chinook|BTD6}}s (and later with {{B|Supply Drop|BTD6}}s) produces more income, but it is not necessary, as Banana Farms already permit a full setup with tens of millions to spare unless you are planning to truly push the limits of Ezili rebuy.

* Apart from the two main strategies of [[Sun Temple (BTD6)|Temple]] spam and Ninja army, a third strategy called ''Hybrid'' has recently been developed that involves using [[Support Chinook (BTD6)|Support Chinook]] to move Ninjas into Sun Temple's range as they transform, allowing for a Ninja and Temple army in one setup, providing currently unparalleled popping power.

* All [[Paragon]]s besides the [[Apex Plasma Master]] are worthwhile in Freeplay, and it is recommended to obtain them first to avoid the final setup depriving them of the pops needed to reach high degrees.

** Start investing into Paragons that will less likely "steal" future pops. The [[Master Builder]] is generally recommended to be first of the Paragons, the former relying on XXXL Trap's instakills to maximize pops.

* Using stalling towers such as [[Bloon Crush (BTD6)|Bloon Crush]]<nowiki/>at the start of the track or 4-0-2 sniper set to last can help greatly to get full Ultraboost stacks on every tower, or stall for abilties such as the [[Legend of the Night (BTD6)|Legend of the Night's]] Black Hole.

* Set stalling towers (such as Monarch of Storms and [[Master Builder]]) to [[First]], set [[Navarch of the Seas]] and [[Nautic Siege Core]] (if unsubmerged) to [[Last]], and set all other targetable towers to [[Strong]].

*Unlocking [[Monkey Knowledge (BTD6)|Monkey Knowledge]] is vital. There is no MK that is truly detrimental to extreme Freeplay on non-CHIMPS games.

|A max buffed Destroyer can match or even outpace a Ninja in terms of raw DPS. However, due to only being able to be placed on water, having a large hitbox size, and only working with Brickell to max damage output, unless playing on a map that is predominately water, such as Spa Pits, Destroyer spam is not recommended, though it possesses immense damage potential if used well.  

|Ezili has two powerful assets: MOAB Hex and Sacrificial Totem. MOAB Hex is her flagship asset, as its capability to deal percentage-based damage makes it excessively powerful against BADs in deep freeplay, which have millions of health. Spamming the ability throughout the course of the round allows her to take down heaps of Fortified BADs, greatly easing the load on other towers. Sacrificial Totem's buff is also powerful, and it is best targeted at a location where it reaches the largest portion of the core defense. She works the best with the Bloonjitsus + Shinobis setup and the Hybrid (Temples+Ninjas) setup.

|Adora's Blood Sacrifice is extremely powerful, doubling the attack speed of all Sun Avatars, all Sun Temples, and the VTSG, all while boosting their ranges by 40%. She is best placed at the center of the map, as Blood Sacrifice only functions within her own range. However, this is not a limiting factor, as her Level 3 Long Arms of Light ability grants her global range when she is also given max buffs, so it is recommended to Blood Sacrifice when that ability is active. She works well with the VTSG + Sun Temples + Sun Avatars setup, which remains slightly weaker than the Bloonjitsus + Shinobis setup when paired with her but is more smooth and easy to perform. She matches Ezili when used in hybrid, though she may cause more lag.

|Herald Of Everfrost is an essential paragon for BTD6 Freeplay. It gives a map-wide debuff to all bloons, and also has the ability to slow BADS. The paragon is most effective in ninja-based freeplay as bloonjistus each have 8 projectiles, and each of those projectiles can benefit from the global debuff. Whilst not as effective in other setups such as temples or destroyers, the BAD slowing ability provides a lot of support.

|Overclocks are crucial to the final setup, as they maximize the strength of the most powerful Freeplay towers. If using the Bloonjitsus + Shinobis setup, use 1 Overclock for each Bloonjitsu and 2 for the Grandmaster Ninja. If utilizing Temples, use 1 Overclock for each Sun Temple and for each 2 Sun Avatars. In addition, use 1 Overclock for each of the supplemental defense towers listed below. Ultraboost is also essential for maximizing the final setup, and it is recommended to start ultraboosting towers as soon as possible, since it has a long cool down even with the [[Energizer (BTD6)|Energizer]]. It is worth keeping Ultraboost in the final setup due to its full uptime for Tier 5s, allowing it to permanently Overclock the two most powerful towers.

|The attack speed, range, pierce, and damage buffs that Permanent Brew grants are mandatory for all setups. To apply the buff to all towers on the map, use {{B|Support Chinook|BTD6}} to move Permanent Brew around. In general, it is best to apply Permanent Brew to Sun Temples after they have received their sacrifices, as doing so reduces their range before being upgraded and allows more of them to be fit.

|Glue Storm's debuff makes it crucial for reaching the highest round possible. 2-5-0 is recommended when [[The Final Harmonic]] is not used, as it increases the debuff from +2 to +3 and retains over 90% uptime with {{B|Primary Expertise|BTD6}} and {{B|Energizer|BTD6}}/[[Nautic Siege Core]]. 0-5-2 is recommended when using The Final Harmonic, as the latter strips the glue and debuff from the 2-5-0 Glue Storm.

* [[The Final Harmonic]] is also worth obtaining in the Bloonjitsus + Shinobis setup. However, its trance effect removes the debuff of the 2-5-0 Glue Storm (the preferred crosspath), making it counterproductive when used in the Adora + Sun Temples + Sun Avatars setup. On the other hand, in the Bloonjitsus + Shinobis setup, where Ezili is preferred, Harmonic's immense synergy with Ezili's MOAB Hex and Sacrificial Totem outweighs harm from its forcing of the 0-5-2 crosspath for Glue Storm.

|Sentry Champion benefits twice from aura buffs, such as {{B|True Sun God|BTD6}}, Jungle Drums,  Homeland Defense, and the Power Glove abilty, which boost both the rate at which sentries are spawned and the attack speed of the sentries. This makes Sentry Champion excessively powerful in Freeplay, and the 5-2-0 crosspath is recommended for increased damage to Fortified BADs.

|As Paragons with stalling capabilities (Master Builder, Ascended Shadow, Glaive Dominus, Herald of Everfrost) and Monarch of the Storms can already permanently prevent non-BADs from moving extra stalling is not useful, unless using Bloon Crush to stall for abilities such as Legend of the Night passive. None of the listed towers deal sufficient raw damage to BADs to be worth it either. Note that Bloon Crush is also useful in CHIMPS Freeplay to stall for {{B|Legend of the Night|BTD6}}'s passive ability.