Intermediate map

Covered Garden

Info

Covered Garden is an Intermediate map set in a garden under sliding glass panels. It began as a fan design and was one of three joint winners of a community map concept competition, alongside Dark Dungeons and Erosion. It was released in Version 33.0 together with Midnight Mansion and the Goliath Doomship Paragon. Like every Intermediate map, it unlocks once you have won games on five different maps.

Layout and path. The garden is split into four quadrants. A single lane runs through the bottom-left, top-left and top-right quadrants and then exits. The track is fairly short, around 20 red bloon seconds (RBS).

The glass panels. Three of the four quadrants are always covered by transparent panels. At the end of every round the panels slide one step counter-clockwise, like a sliding puzzle, so each quadrant is open for one round and covered for the next three. Towers under the glass still attack normally and their bananas and crates can still be collected, but you cannot place, select or upgrade them. Tapping covered towers only knocks on the glass.

Special interactions. Abilities of covered towers can still be used from the ability bar. Overclock and Ultraboost cannot target covered towers, Adora cannot Blood Sacrifice them, Geraldo's shop cannot be opened while he is covered, and Admiral Brickell cannot drop a Mega Mine into covered water. Aircraft fly under the glass normally, and Heli Pilots and Dartling Gunners keep following their targeting settings.

Obstacles. A column of four flowery hedges blocks line of sight between the left and right quadrants. The stone base of the purple willow in the top-right quadrant also blocks sight. Flowerbeds and the top-left fountain block placement but not vision.

Water and high ground. Water fills the bottom-right quadrant and spills slightly into the bottom left. A park bench in the top-left quadrant acts as partial high ground.

Compared to similar maps. No other map locks your towers this way. The left strip outside the garden is the only area you can always use, so Covered Garden rewards planning ahead more than raw tower strength.

How to beat Covered Garden

Map overview for strategy

Covered Garden is a planning puzzle. Most of the land and all of the water sit inside the garden, and at any time three of its four quadrants are under glass. The panels move one step counter-clockwise after every round, so each quadrant opens for one round out of four. While a tower is covered, it keeps attacking, but you cannot upgrade it, change its targeting or sell it.

That leads to a few rules that matter more than any specific tower:

Upgrades come in bursts. When a quadrant opens, upgrade everything in it you can afford. If you cannot afford an upgrade that round, you wait three more rounds for the next chance.
Keep flexible towers outside. The strip on the left, outside the garden, is always accessible and has room for at least one column of towers. Put your hero and anything you upgrade often there.
Mobile, long-range towers cheat the gimmick. Heli Pilots and Monkey Aces fly under the glass and keep working, so a heli placed outside can cover the whole track.
Set targeting before the glass closes. Once covered, a tower keeps whatever targeting it had.

The track is short, around 20 red bloon seconds, and the hedges split vision between the left and right quadrants. The bench in the top left lets a tower see over most obstacles.

Best towers

Heli Pilot 2-0-4 (Comanche Defense). Placed outside the garden, it is always upgradeable and chases bloons along the whole track. Sauda plus Comanche Defense outside is a strong mid-game combination.
Monkey Sub 2-0-4 (First Strike Capability) in the bottom-right water. Advanced Intel needs no targeting changes, so subs are ideal set-and-forget towers. Plan their upgrades for the rounds when the water quadrant is open.
Ninja Monkey 4-0-1 with an Alchemist 4-2-0 near the track in one quadrant. Buy both upgrades together when that quadrant opens.
Monkey Ace placed outside. Planes fly under the glass and keep attacking, and the ace stays upgradeable.
Glue Gunner 2-0-3 (MOAB Glue). Useful on a short track. Place it outside or on the bench where it sees a long stretch.
Mortar Monkey 0-2-4 (Shattering Shells) outside the garden, aimed at the densest part of the track.

Best heroes

Sauda. Strong early and mid game. Place her outside so you can always use her.
Psi. Unlimited range means placement and vision barely matter.
Etienne. His drones fly over the track regardless of the glass, and he sits outside.
Avoid placing Geraldo, Adora or Admiral Brickell under glass. Geraldo's shop, Adora's Blood Sacrifice and Brickell's Mega Mine all lose value when their target area is covered.

Easy and Medium

Put your hero outside on the left and a couple of Dart Monkeys near the track in whichever quadrant is open on round 1. Add a Heli Pilot outside as soon as you can and upgrade it steadily. Get camo by round 24 and lead popping by round 28, and remember that each upgrade inside the garden must wait for its quadrant to open.

Hard

Hero outside the garden and Dart Monkeys in the open quadrant.
A Heli Pilot outside, upgraded toward Pursuit.
Camo (Ninja or Village) and lead popping placed in a quadrant that opens before rounds 24 and 28.
Subs in the water by round 40, upgraded to Ballistic Missile when the water opens.
Comanche Defense, Shattering Shells and two First Strike subs for the ZOMG on round 80.

CHIMPS

CHIMPS starts on round 6 with $650 and no selling. Mistakes inside the garden are permanent, so write down when each quadrant opens. A realistic plan:

Round 6: Sauda outside on the left, close to the track.
Rounds 7–20: A Dart Monkey or two in open quadrants, and a Heli Pilot outside started early so you can upgrade it every round.
By round 23: camo for round 24. A Ninja 2-0-1 placed in a quadrant you can still upgrade later, or a Village 0-2-0 near your darts.
By round 27: lead popping for round 28, such as a sub with Heat-tipped Darts or a Mortar outside.
Rounds 30–39: Heli to 2-0-3 and a sub to 2-0-3 for round 40. Time the sub upgrade with the water quadrant opening.
Rounds 40–62: Heli to 2-0-4, Ninja to 4-0-1 with an Alchemist 4-2-0 beside it, and a Mortar 0-2-4 outside before round 63.
Rounds 63–80: More subs toward First Strike, a Glue Gunner 2-0-3 outside or on the bench, and a second Comanche heli if needed.
Rounds 81–100: Save cash so that each quadrant opening can fund a big upgrade at once. Extra First Strike subs and Comanche helis are the most reliable late-game damage.

Impoppable

Same plan, with higher prices and one life. You can sell, but only towers that are not covered. Banana Farms inside the garden still produce, and their bananas can be collected through the glass.

Other modes

Military Only: helis and aces outside plus subs in the water fit the gimmick perfectly.
Half Cash: missing an upgrade window costs three rounds. Save for the next opening instead of spending on small extras.

Dangerous rounds on this map

Round 24 (camo green): if your camo tower sits in a quadrant that will not open in time, you cannot upgrade it before the round.
Round 28 (leads): the same timing problem. Buy lead popping outside the garden if the right quadrant is closed.
Round 40 (first MOAB): a short track gives your MOAB damage little time. Have a heli or Ballistic Missile sub ready.
Round 63 (75 leads, 122 ceramics): short track, dense rush. Shattering Shells outside and Bloonjitsu inside help.
Rounds 76 and 78: regrow ceramics and a big mixed rush with camo ceramics.
Round 95: camo leads and DDTs. Make sure your camo detection covers the whole track.
Rounds 98 to 100: fortified BFBs, ZOMGs, DDTs and the BAD. Use towers you can still upgrade, outside the garden, for last-minute damage.

For a full walkthrough, see our videos on the BTD6 Master YouTube channel.

Frequently asked questions

How do the glass panels work on Covered Garden?

Three of the four quadrants are covered at any time. After each round the panels slide one step counter-clockwise, so each quadrant is open one round out of four.

Do towers under the glass still attack?

Yes. Covered towers attack normally and their bananas can still be collected, but you cannot upgrade, select or sell them until their quadrant opens.

What is the best hero for Covered Garden?

Sauda placed outside the garden is a strong all-round pick. Psi is also good thanks to unlimited range.

How do you beat Covered Garden on CHIMPS?

Keep your hero and a Comanche Defense Heli Pilot outside the garden, use subs in the water, and time every inside upgrade for the round its quadrant opens.

Can you use abilities on covered towers?

Yes, through the ability bar. Some interactions fail, though: Overclock cannot target covered towers and Geraldo's shop cannot be opened while he is covered.