Dan D’Monke

Dan D'Monke is two heroes in one. Keep him in his base form for support, life protection and tower repositioning, and switch to The Masqued Macaque when you need camo coverage, group damage or a burst ability. Learning when to swap is what makes him strong.

When to pick Dan D'Monke

Pick Dan when:

• You want to move towers. Reposition works like a Support Chinook's ability but is instant, can be used between rounds and can move Dan himself. It lets you shift a defense toward a new threat, such as a boss lane or a camo-heavy section.
• Your plan needs lives to be lost in CHIMPS. Rabble Rouser triggers passives that normally need a leak, such as Elite Defender's retaliation or Bomb Blitz's bomb storm.
• You want a safety net. Ethereal Shield, Quick Thinking and his level 14 life recovery make leaks far less punishing, which helps a lot on short maps and maps where the exit is hard to see.
• You need a damage multiplier. Rabble Rouser gives nearby towers 1.5 times damage that stacks with other damage buffs.

Skip him if you need a hero with huge single-target damage from the start, or one who generates money.

Two forms: which one to use

Dan D'Monke (base form)

• Fast sword attack, no camo detection, cannot pop Lead or Frozen bloons with the blade.
• Net traps from level 4 slow up to 12 bloons by 50%.
• Taunt from level 8 makes bloons take +1 damage from every source for 20 seconds and permanently halves their leak damage.
• Life recovery from level 14 and Mana Shield generation from level 19.
• Abilities: Reposition and Rabble Rouser.

Use it most of the game. The supports are what Dan is picked for, and this form takes buffs better than the Masqued Macaque.

The Masqued Macaque

• Slower, harder hits with Normal damage, camo detection and more range.
• Chain lightning every third attack, forking up to 15 bloons.
• Stomp every 20 attacks deals area damage and scatters small bloons backwards.
• MOAB Smack from level 14 hurls a MOAB back down the track and through other bloons.
• Abilities: Volant Strike and Berserk Frenzy, whose cooldowns drop every time you lose a life.

Use it for alternate bloon rounds, camo-heavy stretches, or when your defense lacks cleanup for large groups.

Leveling and power spikes

Dan uses a 1.425x XP scale, a little slower than the fastest heroes. His mid game is his strongest stretch: by level 10 he has both form abilities, and Reposition and Rabble Rouser are already doing their job. His highest levels are a bonus rather than the reason to pick him.

• Level 3: Transformation. Each swap channels for 3 seconds with lightning, then grants +33% attack speed for 9 seconds (15 from level 17). Cooldown 20 seconds.
• Level 5: Ethereal Shield at every lane exit. A leak deals half damage, rounded up (a Red Bloon leak costs nothing), and nearby bloons are pushed back and stunned for 3 seconds. Recharges after 12 seconds.
• Level 7 to 10: Reposition or Volant Strike, then Rabble Rouser or Berserk Frenzy.
• Level 12: Quick Thinking. When a bloon is about to leak, leak damage is halved for 6 seconds and up to 40 bloons near the exit are blown back. Cooldown 60 seconds.
• Level 15: +40% blowback distance for every tower on the map.
• Level 17: longer Transformation buff and shorter Reposition, Volant Strike and Rabble Rouser cooldowns.
• Level 19: base form gains 1 Mana Shield per pop (up to 100) and +1% damage per shield point. The Masqued Macaque gains +1% damage for each life below 102.
• Level 20: up to double attack speed as bloons get close to the exit, plus extra damage the more bloons are on screen.

Abilities: when to use them

Transformation (level 3). Swap before a big grouped round to hit it with the lightning burst, then fight with the attack speed buff. Swap back afterwards if you need Reposition or Rabble Rouser.

Reposition (level 7, base form). 30-second cooldown. Move a tower that is no longer pulling its weight to where the action is, or reposition Dan himself. It cannot move heavy units such as Aircraft Carriers, Paragons, Beast Handlers or most map-specific towers.

Volant Strike (level 7, Masqued Macaque). 30-second cooldown. Dan leaps to a spot, deals 75 damage to up to 35 bloons and stuns survivors: 6 seconds for small bloons and DDTs, 3 for MOABs, 2 for BFBs and 1 for ZOMGs. Each lost life cuts 3 seconds off the cooldown. Use it as an emergency stop.

Rabble Rouser (level 10, base form). 60-second cooldown, 10 seconds long. Towers in range deal 1.5 times damage and become immune to stuns, but attack about 17% slower. It also fires every passive that normally needs a life to be lost. Line it up with a boss skull, a big blimp round or a Bomb Blitz.

Berserk Frenzy (level 10, Masqued Macaque). 60-second cooldown. For up to 12 seconds Dan dashes around the map slashing bloons. Each lost life takes 5 seconds off the cooldown. Use it to clean up a spread-out round.

Best tower combos

• Elite Defender (Sniper Monkey 0-0-5) and Bomb Blitz (Bomb Shooter 0-0-5): Rabble Rouser triggers their life-loss passives on command, even in CHIMPS.
• High-damage-per-hit towers: a 1.5x damage multiplier is worth the most on towers that already hit hard.
• Blowback towers: his level 15 buff makes every knockback and distraction effect push bloons farther.
• Any tower worth moving: Reposition lets you build in a safe spot and move the tower to the frontline when it is ready.

Dan D'Monke in CHIMPS

He costs $700 on Hard. His biggest CHIMPS value is Rabble Rouser triggering life-loss passives and Reposition fixing placement mistakes. In the early game his Transformation burst helps with tough grouped rounds. Mana Shield from level 19 still generates in CHIMPS.

Dan D'Monke in boss events and alternate rounds

Both forms are immune to boss debuffs, so he keeps attacking while bosses stun, slow or jam your other towers. Rabble Rouser also makes nearby towers immune to stuns for 10 seconds, which is useful against bosses that disable towers. In Alternate Bloons Rounds the Masqued Macaque is a solid pick thanks to camo detection and Normal damage.

Common mistakes

• Staying in the wrong form. The base form is for support, the Masqued Macaque for camo and groups.
• Expecting the base form to handle camo or Lead. His sword cannot.
• Wasting Rabble Rouser. Save it for moments when the damage multiplier or a life-loss passive matters.
• Forgetting Reposition. Moving a tower is often better than buying a new one.

For Dan D'Monke strategies in real games, see our videos on the BTD6 Master YouTube channel.

Frequently asked questions

How do you unlock Dan D'Monke?

Reach player level 35 and buy him for 7,000 Monkey Money.

How much does Dan D'Monke cost?

$650 on Medium, $550 on Easy, $700 on Hard and $780 on Impoppable.

Does Dan D'Monke have camo detection?

Only as The Masqued Macaque. His base form cannot see camo.

What does Rabble Rouser do?

Towers in range deal 1.5 times damage and are immune to stuns for 10 seconds but attack slower, and passives that need a lost life trigger immediately.

Can Dan D'Monke move towers?

Yes. From level 7 his Reposition ability instantly moves most towers, including himself, every 30 seconds.

Is Dan D'Monke good in CHIMPS?

Yes as a support hero, mainly for Rabble Rouser triggering life-loss passives and Reposition fixing placement.

Who is The Masqued Macaque?

Dan D'Monke's alter ego, unlocked at level 3 with Transformation. He trades attack speed and support for Normal damage, camo detection and chain lightning.