Pontoon

The Pontoon is a floating platform you place on water. Once it is down, you can build almost any land tower on top of it, including a full Banana Farm. It costs 50 Monkey Money, or 40 with the Budget Pontoons knowledge, and it stays for the rest of the game.

What the Pontoon does

• Can only be placed on water.
• Creates a square of land on top, big enough for one Banana Farm or other land tower of similar size.
• Most land towers can then be placed on it as if it were normal ground.
• Can be placed during the break between rounds, so you can plan your layout calmly.
• It cannot be placed on a Portable Lake, so you cannot stack the two Powers.

It is the reverse of the Portable Lake, which creates water on land for water towers.

How to get Pontoons

Buy them for 50 Monkey Money, or 40 with Budget Pontoons. Free sources include:

• Achievements: Challenge Apprentice (win 10 Daily Challenges, 1 Pontoon plus 100 Monkey Money) and So Spiiicey Ninja Kiwi (beat Spice Islands on Alternate Bloons Rounds with only land towers, 2 Pontoons plus 150 Monkey Money).
• Quests such as the Etienne and Captain Churchill tutorials.
• Daily and event rewards.

Best times to use it

The Pontoon is all about position. Use it when the best spot on the map is water and your defence needs a land tower there.

• Water-heavy maps. On maps like Pat's Pond, Flooded Valley, Peninsula and Spice Islands, the strongest positions next to the track are often water. A Pontoon puts your key land tower right there.
• Track loops surrounded by water. A Tack Shooter, Bomb Shooter or Super Monkey placed in the middle of a loop covers far more track than one on the edge.
• Support towers. A Monkey Village or Alchemist placed on a Pontoon can reach a group of water towers that land tiles cannot.
• Out of land space. Late in a game, Pontoons give you more room for Banana Farms or extra towers.
• Hard and Expert medals. On maps with very little land, one or two Pontoons can be the difference between a working layout and none at all.

Place it early, before you need the tower on top. The Pontoon itself does nothing until something stands on it.

Best combos

• Super Monkey or Dartling Gunner at a choke point. Strong land damage dealers benefit the most from a perfect position.
• Monkey Village. A Village on a Pontoon in the middle of a lake can buff water towers and land towers on other Pontoons at the same time.
• Banana Farms. When land is full, Pontoons give you extra farming space.
• Spike Factory. A factory on a Pontoon close to the end of the track works as a last line of defence on water maps.
• Water towers around it. Monkey Subs and Monkey Buccaneers can surround a Pontoon tower, building a compact kill zone.

Where you can't use it

• Disabled in CHIMPS, Races and ranked Boss Events.
• Disabled in challenges and Quests that turn Powers off, and in the editors' test mode.
• Not usable in Contested Territory, because there is no Pontoon Relic.
• In Odyssey and Rogue Legends only equipped Powers can be used.
• It only works on maps with water. On a dry map it has no use.

Is it worth the Monkey Money?

For the right map, absolutely. 50 Monkey Money (40 with Budget Pontoons) for a permanent tower position is cheap, and on water-heavy Expert maps it can change your whole strategy.

You do not need a stock of them. Keep the free Pontoons from achievements and quests, and buy one or two only when you plan a medal on a water-heavy map and know exactly which tower you want on it. Budget Pontoons saves 10 Monkey Money each time, so it is only worth a knowledge point if you use Pontoons regularly.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Pontoon do in BTD6?

It is a floating platform placed on water that lets you build most land towers on top of it.

Can you put a Banana Farm on a Pontoon?

Yes. The Pontoon is large enough to hold a Banana Farm.

How much does a Pontoon cost?

50 Monkey Money, or 40 with the Budget Pontoons Monkey Knowledge.

Can you place a Pontoon on a Portable Lake?

No. Pontoons cannot be placed on a Portable Lake.

Can you use Pontoons in CHIMPS?

No. All Powers are disabled in CHIMPS, Races and ranked Boss Events, so Pontoons cannot help with CHIMPS layouts.

What is the difference between Pontoon and Portable Lake?

Pontoon puts land on water for land towers. Portable Lake puts water on land for water towers.