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Game Introduction

Bloons TD 4 represents a significant evolution in the Bloons Tower Defense series, introducing a major graphical overhaul and foundational gameplay mechanics that defined future titles. While the core objective—placing monkeys to pop waves of Bloons—remains, BTD4 deepened the strategy immensely.

The most important innovation in this installment is the introduction of branching upgrade paths. Instead of buying all available upgrades for a tower, players must make a strategic choice between two powerful, mutually exclusive tier 3 and tier 4 upgrades. This creates diverse roles for the same tower.

The game also introduced a player rank system. By playing and completing games, players earn experience points (XP) to level up their rank. New towers, upgrades, and game modes are unlocked as the player’s rank increases, adding a persistent sense of progression.

Key Features of Bloons TD 4:

• Branching Upgrades: The cornerstone of modern Bloons TD strategy. For example, a Tack Shooter can be upgraded to a Tack Sprayer for more tacks or a Ring of Fire for powerful AoE damage, but not both.
• New Towers: Introduced iconic towers like the Dartling Gun, Spike Factory, and Monkey Glue.
• New Blimp - The BFB: The red B.F.B. (Brutal Flying Behemoth) makes its debut. It’s much tougher than a MOAB and contains four MOABs inside.
• Player Rank & Unlocks: A progression system where you unlock content by playing the game.
• New Game Modes: Introduced Apopalypse Mode (continuous Bloon waves with no breaks) and Sandbox Mode (unlimited money and lives to test strategies).
• Consumables: Road Spikes and Monkey Glue Puddles can be placed on the track as single-use defenses.

Gameplay Strategy

• Plan Your Upgrades: Because you can no longer buy every upgrade, you must plan ahead. Decide what role a tower will fill. Do you need a Bomb Tower for stunning (MOAB Mauler) or for massive area damage (Bloon Impact)?
• Camo and Lead are Major Threats:
  • Camo Bloons: You need specific towers to hit them. The best early options are a Dart Monkey upgraded to 2/2 (Enhanced Eyesight), a Spike Factory (1/x upgrade), or a Mortar Tower with the Signal Flare (x/3) upgrade.
  • Lead Bloons: Bomb Towers (2/x) or a Boomerang Thrower with Glaive Thrower (x/2) are your primary tools. The Ring of Fire (Tack Shooter) can also pop Leads.
• Powerful Upgrade Paths to Aim For:
  • Super Monkey (2/x - Sun God): The ultimate late-game damage dealer.
  • Bomb Tower (2/3 - MOAB Mauler): Essential for stunning and dealing extra damage to MOABs and BFBs.
  • Tack Shooter (2/4 - Ring of Fire): Amazing crowd control for a large area.
  • Monkey Glue (2/2 - Bloon Dissolver): Excellent for slowing down blimps and melting through ceramic layers.
• Banana Farms are a Must: For higher difficulties and late-game survival, you need an economy. Build Banana Farms early and upgrade them to Banana Republic (2/x) to generate a steady income stream. This allows you to afford expensive tier 4 upgrades and Super Monkeys.
• How to Beat the BFB: The BFB (first appears on Round 65) is a huge threat. Your defense should include:
  • A large number of MOAB Mauler Bomb Towers to stun and damage it.
  • A Bloon Dissolver Glue Gunner to slow it down.
  • A Sun God Super Monkey for primary damage.
  • A Spike Storm (Spike Factory ability) for a burst of damage if it gets too close to the exit.

Controls Guide

The interface is a classic point-and-click system.

• Select & Place Tower: Click a tower from the right-hand panel. If it is unlocked and you have enough money, you can place it on the map by clicking again.
• Upgrade Tower: Click an existing tower on the map. Its upgrade panel will appear. Click on one of the two paths to purchase upgrades. Remember that buying a tier 3 or 4 upgrade on one path will lock the other path.
• Hotkeys: Use the corresponding hotkeys (displayed on the tower icons) to select towers quickly. The spacebar starts rounds, and fast forward speeds up the game.
• Consumables: Click the Road Spikes or Glue Puddle icon at the bottom and then click on the track to place them.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why can’t I buy a certain tower or upgrade?

In Bloons TD 4, most towers and all tier 3 and 4 upgrades must be unlocked by increasing your player rank. Play more games to earn XP and you will eventually unlock everything.

2. How do I pop Camo Bloons?

You need towers with camo detection. This includes Dart Monkeys with the Enhanced Eyesight (2/2) upgrade, Mortar Towers with the Signal Flare (x/3) upgrade, or Spike Factories with the Bigger Stacks (1/x) upgrade.

3. What’s the difference between the blue MOAB and the red BFB?

The BFB (Brutal Flying Behemoth) is much stronger and more durable than the MOAB. When a BFB is popped, it releases four MOABs.

4. Can I buy all the upgrades for one monkey?

No. This is the biggest change in BTD4. You can only choose one of the two final upgrade paths for each tower. For example, you can get a Super Monkey’s Sun God (2/x) OR Robo-Monkey (x/2), but not both on the same tower.

5. What is Apopalypse Mode?

It’s a special game mode where Bloons come in continuous, overlapping waves without any breaks between rounds. You don’t earn money at the end of rounds, only from popping Bloons, making it very challenging.