Beginner map

Three Mines ‘Round

Info

Three Mines 'Round is a Beginner map added in Version 51.0 in October 2025, in the same update as the Bomb Shooter Paragon and the Havoc Staff power. It is a mining site inspired by the BTD5 map 3 Times Around, with mineshafts, a drained riverbed crossed by bridges and glittering gold crystals called Bananite.

The single lane comes in from the top, loops counter-clockwise around the map three times, and then exits downwards. There is one entrance and one exit, and the track is roughly 48 RBS long. The loops are wider than in the BTD5 original, wide enough that a Desperado's whole range fits inside one with the edges just past the path.

The map's big feature is mining. The gold crystals block line of sight, but you can pay to have miners dig them out over a set number of rounds. When a crystal is fully mined, you get back more cash than you paid, and the spot opens up for towers. Every crystal is a guaranteed profit. Base costs and returns are:

Tiny rock below the track: $435, 10 rounds, returns $870.
Rock left of the river: $3,000, 10 rounds, returns $4,600.
Rock in the lower right inside the loop: $10,000, 10 rounds, returns $15,000.
Rock above the loop: $25,000, 10 rounds, returns $37,000.
Rock in the upper left inside the loop: $50,000, 10 rounds, returns $72,000.
Big rock in the bottom right corner: $100,000, 20 rounds, returns $160,000.

Crucially, this income works even in CHIMPS and Deflation, which normally allow no income at all. It is the first map in BTD6 that can generate cash.

The old river is now mostly dry land with bridges you can build on, but there are a few small water spots. A tent in the top left is a non-intrusive obstacle. Even after mining, the leftover rocks of the bottom-right crystal cannot hold towers. There is no high ground.

How to beat Three Mines ‘Round

Map overview for strategy

Three Mines 'Round is one of the easiest maps in the game if you use the crystals. The track loops around three times, so central towers see bloons again and again, and the mining income gives you extra cash in every mode, including CHIMPS.

The first crystal, the tiny rock below the track, doubles your money and costs very little, so buy it as soon as you comfortably can. The larger crystals have lower percentage returns and lock your cash away for 10 or 20 rounds, so they are best bought in the mid-game, when your defense is stable and you can afford to wait. They also open up more building space when they are cleared.

The loops are wide, which suits medium-range towers placed in the middle of a loop. The Desperado is a natural fit, since its range covers a whole loop.

Think of the crystals as an investment schedule. Each one takes 10 rounds to pay out (20 for the biggest), so cash you put in on round 30 comes back around round 40, just when you need it for the first MOAB-class defense. A good rhythm is to start a crystal whenever your defense comfortably handles the next few rounds, and skip mining right before known spikes like 63, 76 and 78. Cleared crystals also stop blocking line of sight, so mining the ones near your core improves your towers' coverage as well as your bank.

Best towers

Ninja Monkey 4-0-1 and 2-0-4 in the middle of a loop.
Alchemist 4-2-0.
Desperado: its range fits a whole loop.
Boomerang Monkey 4-2-0: glaives bounce around the loops.
Tack Shooter 2-0-4 inside a loop.
Monkey Village 2-2-0 in the middle.
Super Monkey: a Sun Temple in the middle of the loops late.

Best heroes

Quincy: cheap, reliable and lets you afford the first crystal early.
Sauda: strong inside a loop.
Geraldo: flexible shop items and strong on any map.
Obyn Greenfoot: good with a Ninja build.

Easy and Medium

Build a Dart Monkey and a Ninja in the middle of a loop, then buy the tiny crystal. Add an Alchemist for leads and farms. Mine more crystals as cash allows. A 4-0-1 Ninja and a Glaive win Medium.

Hard

Mine the tiny crystal early and the next one by mid-game. Build Ninja, Alchemist and Glaive in the middle of a loop, plus a 2-2-0 Village and Sticky Bombs for MOABs.

CHIMPS

The mining income is the reason this map is so friendly in CHIMPS.

Rounds 6 to 10: hero and a Dart Monkey in the middle of the first loop.
Rounds 11 to 20: buy the tiny crystal as soon as your defense is safe, then a Ninja for camo before round 24.
Rounds 21 to 30: an Alchemist for the round 28 leads. The tiny crystal pays out around this time.
Rounds 31 to 45: Ninja to 4-0-1, Alchemist to 3-2-0. Buy the $3,000 crystal.
Rounds 46 to 63: a 2-2-0 Village, a 4-2-0 Glaive, a Sticky Bomb Ninja by round 60. Start a larger crystal if you have spare cash.
Rounds 64 to 80: Alchemist to 4-2-0, a Desperado or Sun Avatar, and keep mining while the defense holds.
Rounds 81 to 100: a Sun Temple with extra Sticky Bombs. Do not lock too much money into the big crystals late, because you need it for rounds 95 to 100.

Impoppable

Combine farms with mining for a strong economy. Follow the CHIMPS core.

Other modes

Deflation: mining works in Deflation, so invest part of your starting cash for a later boost.
Half Cash: at least the first crystal is worth it.
Apopalypse: three loops handle constant streams well.

Dangerous rounds on this map

Round 24: one camo green. The crystals block vision, so place camo towers with a clear view.
Round 28: six leads.
Round 40: the first MOAB.
Round 63: 122 dense ceramics. The triple loop helps a lot.
Round 76: 60 regrow ceramics.
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. Make sure you are not short on cash because of late mining.
Round 99: 60 MOABs and 9 fortified DDTs.
Round 100: one BAD that ignores slows.