Reverse

Reverse is a Medium mode where bloons spawn at the map's exit and travel backwards to the entrance. On top of that, the bloon groups inside each round arrive in reverse order. Everything else matches Medium Standard: rounds 1 to 60, 150 lives, base prices and $650 starting cash. On many maps Reverse feels like a brand new track.

Reverse mode rules

• Reversed path: bloons spawn from the normal exit(s) and leave through the normal entrance(s).
• Reversed spawn order: the groups within each round are sent in reverse. On round 24, for example, the Blue bloons now arrive before the camo Green.
• Rounds: 1 to 60, ending with the BFB.
• Lives and prices: 150 lives and Medium prices.
• Still allowed: every tower, Monkey Knowledge, Powers, farming, selling and Continues.

Unlocking and rewards

Reverse unlocks after Medium Standard on the same map. Beating Reverse unlocks Medium Sandbox. It pays the Medium amount of Monkey Money (125 Beginner, 250 Intermediate, 375 Advanced and 500 Expert for the first win) and a silver Reverse medal. Your first Reverse win also earns the Role Reverser achievement, worth 50 Monkey Money.

Why Reverse can be hard

• Placement: the tower spots you know from Standard are now near the end of the track. A tower that saw bloons early now only catches leaks.
• Map features: some maps are built around the normal direction. On Dark Castle, Spike Factories are much less effective in reverse, and on Workshop bloons travel up the MOAB path instead of down, making them hard to reach.
• Bunching: reversing the group order can stack dense groups behind each other. Rounds where Ceramics or MOABs normally come first and bigger blimps later become clumps in reverse.

Rounds to watch in Reverse

• Round 24: the camo Green now comes at the end of the round, behind the Blues.
• Round 28: six Leads, unchanged in content.
• Round 40: the MOAB.
• Round 41: 60 Blacks and 60 Zebras, often harder in reverse.
• Round 48 and 50: mixed rounds where the order change creates denser clumps.
• Rounds 52, 55 and 56: MOABs and Ceramics or camo Rainbows arrive in a different order, and these rounds are usually harder than in Standard.
• Round 59: camo Leads and regrow Ceramics.
• Round 60: the BFB.

Some rounds, such as 45 and 47, are slightly easier in Reverse because the group order spreads the bloons out.

How to plan your placement

1. Open the map and trace the path from the exit to the entrance. That is your new track.
2. Find the spot where the reversed path loops or passes many tower positions. That is your new kill zone.
3. Put your strongest area damage near the new start of the track so it gets the longest time on target.
4. Place a cheap backup, such as a Spike Factory, near the normal entrance, which is now the exit.
5. Check line of sight again. Blockers that did not matter in Standard may now hide the most important stretch.

Best towers and heroes

Reverse has no tower restrictions, so the usual Medium strategies work once placement is fixed.

• Early: your hero plus a Dart Monkey, Ninja Monkey or Wizard with Wall of Fire (0-2-0).
• Support: an Alchemist with Berserker Brew (3-x-x) and a Monkey Village with Radar Scanner (0-2-0).
• Area damage: Glaive Ricochet Boomerangs (3-0-0), Ring of Fire Tack Shooters (4-0-0) and Druids.
• MOABs: MOAB Mauler Bomb Shooters (0-3-0) for rounds 40 and 50, Maim MOAB Snipers (4-0-0) or Monkey Aces for round 60.
• Long-range towers: Snipers, Monkey Aces and Heli Pilots ignore most placement problems because they cover the whole map.
• Heroes: Quincy, Sauda and Obyn Greenfoot are safe picks. Benjamin is good if you want to farm.

Common mistakes

• Copying your Standard placement without looking at the reversed path.
• Putting Spike Factories at the normal entrance and expecting them to work as a first line.
• Forgetting that the camo Green on round 24 now comes last, after your attention has moved on.

Which maps to start with

Maps that look the same in both directions, such as Haunted, play almost exactly like Medium Standard apart from the group order. Start with simple single-path Beginner maps, then move on. Our Reverse map guides on the BTD6 Master YouTube channel show the best spots for tricky maps.

Frequently asked questions

What is Reverse mode in BTD6?

A Medium mode where bloons travel the track backwards, from the exit to the entrance, and the groups inside each round arrive in reverse order.

How do you unlock Reverse mode?

Beat Medium Standard on the map.

Does Reverse give more Monkey Money than Medium Standard?

No. It pays the same Medium reward, but it is a separate first-time reward, so you earn it on top of Medium Standard.

What does beating Reverse unlock?

It unlocks Sandbox for the Medium difficulty on that map.

Which rounds are harder in Reverse?

Within rounds 1 to 60, rounds 41, 48, 50, 52, 55 and 56 tend to be harder, because reversing the group order packs bloons closer together. Rounds 45 and 47 are often a little easier.

Is Reverse harder than Medium Standard?

On most maps it is slightly harder because your usual placements no longer fit. On symmetrical maps the difference is small.