Beginner map
Frozen Over
Daily challenges
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Info
Frozen Over is a Beginner map set on a cracked ice field. It was the first map added to BTD6 after launch, arriving in Version 5.0 in October 2018 alongside Haunted and Dark Castle.
Bloons enter at the bottom left and follow the flowing current to the exit at the top right. The path is made of long straight lines that cross and wrap around each other, forming a square and several small triangles in the middle of the map. There is one entrance and one exit, and the track is 40.37 RBS long (about 1,110 range units). Players often compare it to Cubism, because both maps have lots of overlap and lots of water.
Water is everywhere. The cracks in the ice leave several pools, including a good-sized patch in the centre, while land towers sit on ice floes of different sizes. An ice shelf runs across the top of the map. It mainly gets in the way of Banana Farm placement, but long-range towers such as Snipers and Mortars can sit on it and see most of the track. The shelf counts as high ground, and nothing else on the map meaningfully blocks line of sight. There are no removable objects.
Frozen Over also hides a secret. A Cave Monkey is frozen in the ice in the bottom-right corner. Since Version 17.0, if you target that spot with Mortar Monkeys and hit it 30 times, the Cave Monkey breaks free and joins your defense. It works like a level 1 Pat Fusty whose hits briefly stun bloons. Hitting the spot 50,000 times in total across your games unlocks the hidden achievement "They call me Cave Monkey!", which rewards the Cave Monkey as a placeable power.
Compared with other Beginner maps, Frozen Over is one of the friendliest. The small triangles are perfect for short-range towers, the central water patch suits heavy-hitting boats, and the long straights work for line attackers.
How to beat Frozen Over
Map overview for strategy
Frozen Over is easy because the track keeps crossing itself in the middle of the map. The small triangles and the square formed by the path give short-range towers several passes at every bloon, and the central water lets you add powerful boats right next to the busiest part of the track.
The main limitation is land. The floes come in awkward sizes, so large towers (farms, Villages, Super Monkeys) need planning. The big floe between the square and the two triangles is the best vantage point on the map: a long-range tower there, such as a Super Monkey or Captain Churchill, covers a large part of the track.
The Cave Monkey is a nice bonus if you already use Mortars. Aim one at the bottom-right corner early, and after 30 hits you get a free stunning tower.
Best towers
- Tack Shooter 2-0-4 or Ice Monkey 4-0-1 inside the small triangles, where the track wraps around them.
- Monkey Buccaneer 3-2-0 (Destroyer) in the central water patch. It shreds early and mid-game rounds.
- Monkey Buccaneer 2-4-0 (Monkey Pirates) or Monkey Sub 2-0-4 for MOAB-class bloons.
- Ninja Monkey 4-0-1 and 2-0-4: camo and Sticky Bombs.
- Alchemist 4-2-0: buff the central towers.
- Mortar Monkey: on the ice shelf it covers a lot of track, and it frees the Cave Monkey.
- Super Monkey on the big central floe: Sun Avatar and later Sun Temple.
- Monkey Village 2-2-0: radar and speed.
Best heroes
- Admiral Brickell: lots of water and a central pool make her a top choice.
- Captain Churchill: from the central floe his long range covers much of the track. Expensive but very strong.
- Sauda: very strong inside a triangle early on.
- Quincy: cheap and reliable.
Easy and Medium
Start with a Dart Monkey and a Monkey Sub, then add a Tack Shooter in a triangle. A Ninja for camo, a Destroyer in the middle and a few farms on the larger floes will carry Medium.
Hard
Farm two or three Banana Farms on the larger floes. Build a Destroyer in the central water, a Ninja and Alchemist near the triangles, and a 2-2-0 Village. Add Monkey Pirates or a Sticky Bomb Ninja for BFBs, and a 2-0-4 Sub for extra MOAB damage.
CHIMPS
- Rounds 1 to 6: Brickell or Sauda near the triangles, plus a Dart Monkey.
- Rounds 7 to 18: a Monkey Sub in the central water (2-0-0), then a Ninja Monkey for camo before round 24.
- Rounds 19 to 30: an Alchemist for the round 28 leads and to buff the Ninja. Sub to 2-0-3.
- Rounds 31 to 45: Ninja to 4-0-1, Alchemist to 3-2-0, and a Monkey Buccaneer in the centre going towards 3-2-0 Destroyer.
- Rounds 46 to 63: a 2-2-0 Village, Sub to 2-0-4, and a second boat at 2-4-0 Monkey Pirates for round 60 onwards. A Tack Shooter or Ice Monkey in a triangle helps on round 63.
- Rounds 64 to 80: Alchemist to 4-2-0, a Sticky Bomb Ninja, and a Sun Avatar on the central floe.
- Rounds 81 to 100: Carrier Flagship, Sub Commander or Sun Temple as your late-game anchor, with more Sticky Bombs and Pirates for rounds 98 and 99.
Impoppable
Farm on the larger floes and build a naval core in the centre. Brickell plus Destroyers, Pirates and a Sub Commander handle most of the game, with a Sun Temple on the central floe for the last ten rounds.
Other modes
- Deflation: Destroyers and Subs in the central water give great value.
- Military Only: one of the best maps for it, with water everywhere and Mortars on the shelf.
- Half Cash: Subs and Sauda are cheap and effective early.
- Apopalypse: the triangles handle constant streams well.
Dangerous rounds on this map
- Round 24: one camo green. Boats need a Ninja or Village radar nearby.
- Round 28: six leads. Destroyers and early subs may struggle, so have acid or bombs.
- Round 40: the first MOAB. A 2-0-3 Sub or Brickell's mines handle it.
- Round 63: 122 ceramics. The triangles help, but add pierce in the centre.
- Round 76: 60 regrow ceramics in a dense burst.
- Round 78: camo ceramics and purples. Purples resist fire, energy and plasma.
- Round 95: camo regrow purples and fortified leads, then MOABs and DDTs.
- Round 98: 30 fortified BFBs and 8 ZOMGs. Monkey Pirates and Sticky Bombs are the key.
- Round 99: 60 MOABs and 9 fortified DDTs.
- Round 100: one BAD that ignores slows.
Our BTD6 Master YouTube channel has video guides for Frozen Over, including CHIMPS runs.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get the Cave Monkey on Frozen Over?
Target the frozen Cave Monkey in the bottom-right corner with Mortar Monkeys. After 30 hits it breaks free and fights for you for that game.
How do you unlock the Cave Monkey power?
Hit the Cave Monkey spot 50,000 times with Mortars across your games to earn the hidden achievement "They call me Cave Monkey!", which unlocks the power.
What is the best hero for Frozen Over?
Admiral Brickell, thanks to the large amount of water. Churchill and Sauda are also strong.
How do you beat Frozen Over CHIMPS?
Use the central water for a Sub and Destroyer, add a Ninja and Alchemist near the triangles, then Village, Monkey Pirates and Sticky Bombs. Finish with a Carrier Flagship, Sub Commander or Sun Temple.
How much Monkey Money does Frozen Over give?
First-time medals pay 75, 125, 200 and 300 Monkey Money for the Easy, Medium, Hard and Impoppable/CHIMPS tiers. Replays pay one fifth.
Guides for every mode
Medium4/4
Hard5/5
Impoppable2/2
