MOAB

The MOAB is the first bloon that punishes a defense built only for small bloons. A pile of Tack Shooters and basic Dart Monkeys can hold every round up to 39, then fail completely on round 40 because nothing deals enough damage to a single big target. Every strategy guide talks about "MOAB damage" for this reason: you need it before round 40, and you need more of it every ten rounds after that.

Why the MOAB is dangerous

• 200 health in one target. Most early towers deal 1 damage per hit. A MOAB soaks up 200 hits before it breaks.
• Ceramics inside. When it pops, four Ceramics appear at once, deep into your track. If your defense spent everything on the shell, the Ceramics can leak.
• Leaking costs a lot of lives. One MOAB can wipe out most of your lives on Hard, and in CHIMPS or Impoppable a single leak ends the game.
• Groups come fast. From round 57 on, MOABs arrive in packs, and from round 62 some of them are Fortified with 400 health.

Damage that works on MOABs

• Bonus MOAB damage. Many upgrades deal extra damage to MOAB-class bloons: MOAB Mauler, MOAB Assassin, Maim MOAB, Dark Knight and Dark Champion, the Monkey Sub's Ballistic Missile and First Strike Capability, and more. This is the most efficient damage you can buy for blimps.
• High damage per hit. Sniper Monkey bullets, Monkey Ace bombs and Mortar shells all chew through blimp health faster than 1-damage attacks.
• Percentage damage. Ezili's MOAB Hex and similar effects deal damage based on the blimp's health, which matters more on BFBs and ZOMGs than on a 200-health MOAB.
• Stuns, slows and knockback all work on MOABs. Maim MOAB stuns it, MOAB Glue slows it, MOAB Shove and MOAB Press push it back. Buying time is as good as buying damage.
• Instant kills. Monkey Pirates hook a MOAB off the track with their ability, and the MOAB Assassin ability deals enough damage to destroy a round 40 MOAB in one shot.

Best towers against the MOAB

Early answers (round 40)

• MOAB Mauler (2-3-0 Bomb Shooter): the classic first MOAB answer. Cheap, big bonus damage against blimps, and the bombs still hit the Ceramics afterwards.
• MOAB Assassin (2-4-0 Bomb Shooter): its ability deletes a round 40 MOAB on its own and keeps doing heavy damage later.
• Maim MOAB (4-0-2 Sniper Monkey): stuns blimps and deals bonus MOAB damage from anywhere on the map.
• Ballistic Missile (0-3-0 Monkey Sub, 2-3-0 is common): strong, cheap blimp damage on water maps.
• MOAB Shove (2-0-3 Heli Pilot): pushes the MOAB back while the Heli keeps shooting.
• MOAB Press (0-2-4 or 2-0-4 Boomerang Monkey): knocks blimps back along the track over and over.
• Sticky Bomb (2-0-4 Ninja Monkey): sticks a heavy bomb on the MOAB; one is enough for round 40.

Late game (MOAB groups and Fortified MOABs)

• MOAB Eliminator and multiple MOAB Maulers for constant blimp damage.
• Dark Champion, Sun Avatar and Sun Temple on the Super Monkey.
• Plasma Accelerator and Ray of Doom on the Dartling Gunner, plus M.A.D for raw blimp damage.
• Elite Defender and Cripple MOAB on the Sniper Monkey.
• Spike Storm and MOAB SHREDR from the Spike Factory to catch whatever slips through.

Heroes that help

• Striker Jones boosts Bomb Shooters and Mortar Monkeys, so he pairs well with a Mauler defense.
• Ezili's MOAB Hex does steady damage to any MOAB-class blimp, very useful once Fortified MOABs appear.
• Admiral Brickell handles blimps well on water maps with her mines and Naval Tactics.
• Benjamin does not pop much, but his extra cash gets you to a MOAB Mauler or Maim MOAB earlier.

Powers and Monkey Knowledge

• MOAB Mine explodes on up to 10 MOAB-class bloons for 5,000 damage each, so it deletes any MOAB instantly. Mauling MOAB Mines raises that damage further.
• Big Bloon Sabotage makes every MOAB-class blimp spawn already damaged.
• Mega Mauler gives MOAB Maulers more damage per hit, and Cheaper Maiming lowers the price of Maim MOAB.
• Hard Press makes MOAB Press knockback 30% stronger.
• In CHIMPS you have no Powers and no Monkey Knowledge, so plan your MOAB answer without them.

Dangerous MOAB rounds

• Round 40: the first MOAB. Have at least one real MOAB answer placed by round 38 or 39.
• Round 50: two MOABs plus Fortified Leads and Ceramics test both blimp damage and Lead popping.
• Round 62 to 66: the first Fortified MOABs. A single Mauler is no longer enough.
• Round 77: 11 MOABs and 5 BFBs in one round, a common Hard and CHIMPS wall.
• Round 83 and 84: 30 MOABs over a heavy Ceramic rush, then 50 MOABs and 10 BFBs.
• Round 89 and 92: 20 and then 50 Fortified MOABs. You need serious late-game blimp damage here.
• Round 99: 60 MOABs arrive with 9 Fortified DDTs. Do not let the MOAB pack distract your DDT answer.

Mode notes

• Easy: the round 40 MOAB has only 133 health and ends the game.
• CHIMPS: no selling and no farms, so buy blimp damage that stays useful. A MOAB Mauler or Ballistic Missile you place for round 40 should still be pulling its weight on round 60.
• Impoppable: towers are more expensive and one leak loses, so build your MOAB answer a round earlier than you think.
• Double HP MOABs: every MOAB has 400 health, and Fortified MOABs 800. Early answers that one-shot a MOAB no longer do.
• Alternate Bloons Rounds: the round 40 MOAB is Fortified and MOABs show up in different rounds (for example 2 on round 43 and 3 on round 47), so your MOAB damage has to come online earlier.

Common mistakes

• Spending everything on the shell and nothing on the four Ceramics inside.
• Relying on one tower with an ability. If the ability is on cooldown when round 40 starts, the MOAB walks through.
• Forgetting camo and Lead. MOAB rounds often include Camo Pinks (round 53) or Fortified Leads (round 50) that need other answers.

Frequently asked questions

What round does the first MOAB come in BTD6?

The first MOAB spawns on round 40 in both normal games and Alternate Bloons Rounds. In Alternate Bloons Rounds it is already Fortified.

How much health does a MOAB have?

A MOAB has 200 health and a Fortified MOAB has 400. On Easy mode the round 40 MOAB has only 133 health.

What comes out of a MOAB?

Four Ceramic Bloons, or four Fortified Ceramics if the MOAB was Fortified. Its total RBE is 616.

What is the best tower against MOABs early?

A 2-3-0 MOAB Mauler or a 4-0-2 Maim MOAB Sniper are the most reliable round 40 answers. On water maps a Ballistic Missile Monkey Sub works very well.

How do I beat round 40 in CHIMPS?

Have a dedicated MOAB tower ready by round 39, such as a MOAB Mauler, a Ballistic Missile Sub or a Sticky Bomb Ninja, and keep enough area damage behind it for the four Ceramics.

Can you stun a MOAB?

Yes. MOABs can be stunned, slowed and knocked back, so Maim MOAB, MOAB Glue, MOAB Shove and MOAB Press all work on them.