Deflation

Deflation is an Easy mode with one big twist: you start on round 31 with $20,000 and can never earn another dollar. Pops, farms, cash Powers and every other income source give nothing. Survive to round 60 and you win. It is a planning puzzle more than a reflex test, and once you know a build, it is one of the most reliable medals in the game.

Deflation rules

• Starting cash: $20,000, or $20,200 with the More Cash knowledge.
• Income: none. Popping, Banana Farms, Benjamin's cash, Cash Drop and other income sources give nothing. The only exception is the crystals on Three Mines 'Round.
• Selling: allowed and refunds cash as normal, so you can rebuild during the game.
• Rounds: 31 to 60.
• Lives and prices: 200 lives and Easy prices (15% below Medium).
• Continues: disabled.
• Insta Monkeys: allowed, except Banana Farm Instas.

In Co-op the $20,000 is split evenly between players and cash transfers are disabled.

Unlocking and rewards

Deflation unlocks after you beat both Easy Standard and Primary Only on the map. It pays the Easy amount of Monkey Money (75 to 300 for the first win) and a bronze medal. Beating round 100 in Deflation for the first time earns the Inflated achievement, worth 100 Monkey Money.

Why Deflation is hard

You need a defence that covers every bloon property from the first second of round 31 to the BFB on round 60, and you must buy it all at once. That means camo detection, lead popping, Purple-safe damage, MOAB damage and enough ceramic damage, all within $20,000. You cannot fix a mistake by earning more, only by selling.

Rounds to watch

• Round 31: Blacks, Whites and regrow Zebras. Zebras ignore both explosions and freezing.
• Round 32: Purples, which ignore fire, energy and plasma.
• Round 33: camo Reds and Yellows. Camo detection is needed in the first few rounds.
• Round 37: camo Whites and Leads.
• Round 40: the MOAB (with two thirds of its health on Easy).
• Round 42: camo regrow Rainbows.
• Round 45: camo Purples and fortified Leads.
• Round 46: fortified Ceramics.
• Round 50: two MOABs, fortified Leads and 20 Ceramics.
• Round 51: camo Ceramics.
• Round 59: 50 camo Leads and regrow Ceramics.
• Round 60: the BFB.

Best builds for Deflation

The key upgrade is Monkey Commerce (0-0-2 Monkey Village), which discounts towers and upgrades up to Tier 3 in its range. Stacking a couple of discount Villages lets you afford far more Tier 3 power than the raw $20,000 suggests. Tier 4 and Tier 5 upgrades are not discounted, so most winning builds lean on Tier 3s and buffs.

Proven setups:

• Neva-Miss Aces: two Monkey Villages (one 0-2-2 and one 2-0-2), two Neva-Miss Targeting Monkey Aces (2-0-3) and a Stronger Stimulant Alchemist (4-0-0). The buffed Aces hit the whole track, so this works on almost every map, including multi-path and moving maps.
• Sniper carry: a Full Auto Rifle Sniper (0-2-4) buffed by a Stronger Stimulant Alchemist (4-2-0) and a 2-0-0 Village can solo many Beginner maps.
• Crossbow Master: a single Crossbow Master Dart Monkey (0-2-5) can solo many maps if you have the right knowledge, such as Bonus Monkey!, More Cash and Come On Everybody!.
• Water maps: Destroyer Buccaneers with Hot Shot (3-2-0), Submerge and Support Subs (3-x-x) and Triple Guns Subs (2-0-3) are cheap and strong.
• Robo Monkey: a 2-3-0 Super Monkey between discount Villages, plus a tower that can pop Purples, clears all Beginner maps and most Intermediate ones.

Best heroes for Deflation

• Captain Churchill: the most popular pick; he can solo large parts of the game on many maps.
• Gwendolin: buffs any tower class near her and adds strong damage.
• Avoid Benjamin: his income does nothing here, although his hacking abilities still work.
• Etienne: note that he will not have camo detection in time for round 33, only for later camo rounds.

Step-by-step game plan

1. Before pressing play on round 31, place your Villages first so every purchase gets the discount.
2. Place your main damage towers inside the Village range and buy their Tier 3s.
3. Add your buff Alchemist and check camo, lead and Purple coverage.
4. Keep a few hundred dollars spare only if your build needs a later upgrade; otherwise spend it all, since money in the bank pops nothing.
5. If a round goes badly, sell a less useful tower and rebuild. Selling is your only way to adapt.

Common mistakes

• Buying Banana Farms or income heroes.
• Placing towers before the discount Village.
• Forgetting Purples on round 32 with an all-magic build.
• Going for an expensive Tier 4 instead of several discounted Tier 3s.

Which maps to start with

Start on Beginner maps with open space around the track so the Villages can cover many towers. The Ace build is the safest choice for multi-path or moving maps. For complete builds per map, see our Deflation videos on the BTD6 Master YouTube channel.

Frequently asked questions

How much money do you start with in Deflation?

$20,000, or $20,200 with the More Cash knowledge. You cannot earn any more during the game.

What rounds is Deflation?

Rounds 31 to 60 on Easy settings, with 200 lives.

Can you sell towers in Deflation?

Yes. Selling refunds cash as usual, which is the only way to get money back.

What is the best strategy for Deflation?

Discount Villages with Monkey Commerce plus Neva-Miss Aces and a Stronger Stimulant Alchemist is the most universal build.

Do Powers work in Deflation?

Most Powers work, but cash Powers like Cash Drop and Banana Farmer give nothing because all income is disabled.