Captain Churchill

Captain Churchill is simple to play and brutally strong once he is levelled. The challenge is the price and the slow leveling, so most of the skill is in when and where you place him.

When to pick Captain Churchill

Pick Churchill when:

• You want a hero that is a main damage source, not a support. His shells and MOAB Barrage are some of the highest damage numbers any hero produces.
• The map has long straight sections of track. Each shell explodes several times along its flight path, so a straight line lets every explosion hit.
• The late game is the hard part. MOAB Barrage cuts BFBs and ZOMGs down to manageable chunks.
• You have the economy to afford him early enough for his levels to matter.

Skip him in Half Cash or other low-money starts, where $2,000 or more is too much, and on maps with short, twisty track where his shells waste explosions.

Leveling and power spikes

He has one of the slowest XP scales in the game (1.71x), so every round he is not on the map hurts more than for other heroes.

1. Level 3: Armor Piercing Shells. Your answer to Black Bloon properties before you have other coverage.
2. Level 5 to 7: machine gun, camo detection, then double shell damage. This is where he starts carrying.
3. Level 10: MOAB Barrage.
4. Level 12 to 14: 6 explosions per shell and 12 damage per explosion.
5. Level 15: bonus damage against camo, Lead and Fortified bloons.
6. Level 17: stronger Armor Piercing Shells and 500-damage barrage missiles.
7. Level 20: 20 damage per explosion, 1,000-damage missiles and MOAB Barrage every 30 seconds.

Ways to level him faster:

• Empowered Heroes starts him at level 3, which is worth the most on a slow hero.
• Monkey Education, Self Taught Heroes and Monkeys Together Strong add XP gain.
• An Energizer (Monkey Sub 5-0-0) makes heroes in its range earn XP 50% faster.
• In the late game, buying levels with cash is often worth it, because each of his levels adds a lot of damage.

Best tower combos

• Engineer Monkey Overclock (x-4-x). A classic partner. Overclock boosts his attack speed, and because Churchill is so strong relative to his level, it gives great value.
• Alchemist (4-2-0). Stronger Stimulant adds damage and attack speed to his shells.
• Monkey Village (2-x-x or x-3-x). Jungle Drums for attack speed, or Monkey Intelligence Bureau so his machine gun and shells pop every bloon type.
• Ceramic and DDT support. Pair him with a tower that handles DDTs, since he cannot damage them without abilities.
• Slowing towers such as Ice Monkeys or Glue Gunners. Slowed groups stay in the path of his shells longer.

Best maps

• Maps with long straight sections where he can fire down the track. Aim him so his shells travel along the lane rather than across it.
• Long beginner maps such as Logs, Resort and Spa Pits, where the track is long enough to place him late and still have time to recover.
• Avoid very short or tangled maps. Shells that cross the track at an angle only get one or two of their explosions on bloons.

His range of 75 from level 4 lets him cover a big area from one spot. Pick the spot with the longest straight line in range.

Captain Churchill in CHIMPS

At $2,160 on Hard he is a mid game purchase in CHIMPS, not an opener. Build your early defence first, then place him as soon as you can afford him. The later you place him, the less XP he collects, and with no Monkey Knowledge in CHIMPS that hurts.

Once he is up, he can be a main MOAB damage source. Armor Piercing Shells deal with Black and Zebra groups and add heavy ceramic damage. MOAB Barrage handles BFB and ZOMG rounds. Have a separate DDT answer ready for round 90. Because selling is disabled in CHIMPS, commit to him only if your early towers can hold the rounds while you save the $2,160.

Captain Churchill in Impoppable and boss events

In Impoppable he costs $2,400, but Monkey Knowledge is on: Empowered Heroes, Hero Favors and the XP boosts make him far more practical. Many players save for him over the first rounds and then let him carry the mid game.

In Boss Events he is one of the stronger damage heroes. MOAB Barrage prioritizes the strongest blimps, his shell damage is high, and level 20 makes MOAB Barrage available every 30 seconds. Time Armor Piercing Shells and MOAB Barrage together for the biggest burst.

Abilities: when to use them

Armor Piercing Shells (level 3). For its duration his shells pop Black Bloons, explode up to two extra times and deal +9 damage to ceramic and MOAB-class bloons (+21 from level 13, +33 from level 17, plus extra base damage). It lasts 9 seconds at level 3, gains half a second per level and caps at 18 seconds. Cooldown is 30 seconds. Use it on Black and Zebra groups he could not touch otherwise, and on ceramic and MOAB rounds as the blimps enter his range.

MOAB Barrage (level 10). Fires waves of missiles at up to 10 of the strongest blimps on screen for 8 seconds. Each missile deals 200 damage (250 from level 13, 500 from level 17, 1,000 at level 20). Cooldown is 60 seconds, 30 at level 20. Each wave sticks to its target until it pops, so use it once the strongest blimps of the round are on screen rather than on the first MOAB that appears.

Skins

Captain Churchill's skins are cosmetic only and do not change his stats.

Common mistakes

• Placing him too late. His slow XP scale means a late placement can leave him under level 10 for most of the game.
• Bad angles. Shells explode along their path. Point him down a straight lane.
• Forgetting DDTs. He cannot damage them without his abilities.
• Using MOAB Barrage too early. It locks onto blimps already on screen. Wait for the strongest ones.
• Ignoring Black Bloons in the early game. Until he is levelled, his shells only pop Black properties during Armor Piercing Shells.

For full Churchill games, see our videos on the BTD6 Master YouTube channel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Captain Churchill good in CHIMPS?

Yes, as a mid game damage carry. He is too expensive to open with, so build an early defence first and place him as soon as you can afford him.

How much does Captain Churchill cost?

$2,000 on Medium, $1,700 on Easy, $2,160 on Hard and $2,400 on Impoppable. Hero Favors reduces that by 10%.

When does Captain Churchill get camo detection?

At level 6.

Can Captain Churchill pop DDTs?

Not without his abilities. Plan a separate DDT answer for the late game.

What level does Churchill get MOAB Barrage?

Level 10. The cooldown drops to 30 seconds at level 20, when each missile also deals 1,000 damage.

Why is Churchill so expensive?

He is the strongest pure damage hero for most of the game, with no support role. The high price and slow leveling balance that out.