Advanced map
Sunset Gulch
Daily challenges
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Info
Sunset Gulch is an Advanced map added in update 49.0, created to show off the Desperado tower that was released in the same update. It is a Wild West badlands scene: two cliffs joined by a railway bridge over a deep valley, with desert mountains and a setting sun behind.
Layout and path. The map has two separate routes, split by bloon type rather than by round:
- Bloon path: every non-MOAB bloon enters at the lower left, follows the dirt trail, crosses the bridge from left to right and continues along the right-hand trail to an exit at the lower right.
- MOAB path: MOAB-class bloons ride the railway only, entering at the top left and running straight across to the top right. A railway bell rings when blimps start coming. Boss Bloons use this path too.
The MOAB path is short and straight, while the bloon path is longer and winding. The two exits are on the right side of the map, close enough that a well-placed tower can reach both.
Placement. Towers can be built on both cliffs. The valley in the middle cannot hold normal towers (only footprint-ignoring ones, such as Rosalia from level 7), but two raised rocks in it do: the top rock fits towers up to Spike Factory size, and the bottom rock fits even extra-large towers like a Super Monkey. A few cacti block placement and slightly block line of sight.
Water: none. High ground: the raised rocks in the valley. Removable objects: none.
Sunset Gulch is a middle-of-the-pack Advanced map. It is similar to Cargo in having a dedicated blimp lane, but here the split is permanent from the start and the blimp lane is a single straight line.
How to beat Sunset Gulch
Map overview for strategy
Think of Sunset Gulch as a short single-lane map with a separate, even shorter blimp lane. The cleanest approach is to build your main defence near the right side, where both routes finish, and use the left cliff only for early support.
Key points:
- Early game: the left cliff can hold cheap towers covering the first part of the bloon path. They are useful while blimps have not arrived.
- Mid and late game: focus on the right side. Towers there see the end of the bloon trail and the end of the railway.
- Respect the straight MOAB lane. Blimps travel a short, straight route. Towers that use long lines of pierce are excellent, and you need real blimp damage there by round 40.
- Use the valley rocks. The bottom rock fits big towers and sits between the routes.
Best towers
- Desperado 2-0-5 (The Desert Phantom): the straight MOAB lane lets its pierce hit blimps all along the line, knocking them back and dealing heavy damage. The 2-0-5 crosspath improves its attack rate on long straight lines.
- Desperado (Golden Justice): its near-infinite-pierce rifle shots love the long straight railway. Since update 55.0 it wastes less pierce chasing targets outside the area you need.
- Spike Factory 2-0-5 or 0-2-5 (Perma-Spike): use Set Target on the spot where the two exits meet so it covers both routes, then retarget it to the MOAB lane later. Excellent late-game cleanup.
- Glue Gunner 5-x-x (The Bloon Solver): split exits hurt most cleanup towers, but Solver clears super ceramics near the MOAB lane and still covers the bloon lane reasonably.
- Monkey Village 2-2-0: on the right cliff near your main defence.
- Sniper Monkey 4-0-2 (Maim MOAB): stuns blimps on the short railway.
Best heroes
- Rosalia: from level 7 she can hover over the valley, ignoring footprint rules, and she is strong in the mid-game.
- Psi: global range, so the split between the bloon and MOAB lanes does not matter.
- Captain Churchill: long range and strong blimp damage for the railway.
Easy and Medium
Place a Dart Monkey and your hero on the left cliff for the first rounds. Build your main defence on the right cliff: a Boomerang or Tack near the bloon exit and a Bomb Shooter 0-3-2 MOAB Mauler or a Desperado near the railway before round 40. Finish with Perma-Spike targeted between the exits.
Hard
Use the left cliff for two cheap early towers, then move investment to the right: Village 2-2-0, a Desperado heading to The Desert Phantom, a Maim MOAB Sniper and a Perma-Spike. Add The Bloon Solver for the dense late rounds.
CHIMPS
A practical CHIMPS route:
- Round 1: a Dart Monkey on the left cliff by the bloon path, plus your hero (Psi or Rosalia) where it covers the bridge area.
- Rounds 2 to 15: a second cheap tower near the bridge, such as a Boomerang going 2-0-0 or a Tack going 0-0-2.
- Rounds 16 to 30: start the right-side defence: a Village 0-2-0 for camo by round 24, and a Desperado near where both routes end.
- Rounds 31 to 40: before round 40, make sure the railway has blimp damage: upgrade the Desperado, or add a 0-3-2 MOAB Mauler by the railway. Village to 2-2-0.
- Rounds 41 to 70: start a Spike Factory on Set Target at the meeting point of the exits, and an Alchemist 3-0-1 on your main damage. Add a 4-0-2 Maim MOAB Sniper.
- Rounds 71 to 90: finish Perma-Spike and build towards The Desert Phantom or Golden Justice for the railway. Add a Glue Gunner towards The Bloon Solver if dense rounds leak on the bloon lane.
- Rounds 90 to 100: retarget Perma-Spike to the MOAB lane when only blimps remain. Save Maim stuns and hero abilities for round 100's BAD on the railway.
Impoppable
The same right-side plan works; get Perma-Spike before round 75 because the straight MOAB lane gives very little time.
Dangerous rounds on this map
- Round 24: first camo.
- Round 40: first MOAB on a short, straight lane. Be ready before the bell rings.
- Round 63: a ceramic rush on the bloon path; the bridge is a good choke point.
- Rounds 90 to 100: DDTs and the BAD use the short railway.
- Boss Events: bosses ride the railway too.
The BTD6 Master YouTube channel has video guides for Sunset Gulch if you want to watch a full game.
Frequently asked questions
When was Sunset Gulch added?
Sunset Gulch was added in update 49.0, the same update as the Desperado.
Which lane do MOABs use on Sunset Gulch?
All MOAB-class bloons, and Boss Bloons, ride the railway from the top left to the top right. Other bloons use the dirt path and bridge.
Can you place towers in the canyon?
Only on the two raised rocks in the valley, or with footprint-ignoring heroes like Rosalia from level 7.
What is the best tower for Sunset Gulch?
The Desperado, especially The Desert Phantom or Golden Justice on the straight railway, plus Perma-Spike targeted between the exits.
What is the best hero for Sunset Gulch?
Rosalia or Psi. Captain Churchill is a good choice for railway blimp damage.
How do you beat Sunset Gulch CHIMPS?
Use the left cliff for early towers, then build on the right side: a Village, a Desperado for the railway, a Maim MOAB Sniper and a Perma-Spike covering both exits.
Guides for every mode
Medium4/4
Hard5/5
Impoppable2/2
