Monkey Sub

The Monkey Sub is one of the best towers on water maps. A 0-0-0 Sub is a great CHIMPS opener, Advanced Intel lets it reach almost anywhere, and its tier 4 and 5 upgrades include some of the strongest supports in the game. The only real limit is that it needs water.

Best crosspaths

0-0-0 opener

A plain Sub pairs perfectly with one or two Dart Monkeys in CHIMPS. The homing darts pick off stronger Bloons while the Darts deal with the rest.

2-0-3 or 2-0-4 Advanced Intel + Triple Guns / Armor Piercing Darts

Advanced Intel lets the Sub shoot any Bloon inside the range of your other towers. Combined with Triple Guns or Armor Piercing Darts, this is one of the strongest mid-game damage crosspaths in the game. It needs another tower that sees Camo to hit Camo Bloons, so a cheap 0-0-2 Dart Monkey placed nearby is a classic partner.

0-2-4 Armor Piercing Darts

If you do not need Advanced Intel, the middle path crosspath gives Heat-tipped Darts for Lead and Frozen Bloons. Good on maps where the Sub already sits next to the track.

3-0-2 Submerge and Support

Submerge and Support removes Camo from every Bloon in its radius while submerged. It is one of the best cheap Camo answers in the game, and it helps every other tower nearby.

0-3-2 or 2-3-0 Ballistic Missile

Ballistic Missile adds a homing missile that deals extra damage to MOAB-class and Ceramic Bloons. A good mid-game anti-MOAB support.

4-0-1 or 4-0-2 Bloontonium Reactor

Bloontonium Reactor damages Bloons while submerged, removes Camo, and lowers the ability cooldowns of nearby water Monkeys.

2-0-5 Sub Commander

Sub Commander boosts every Sub in its radius. If you are running a Sub-based defense, this is the late-game centerpiece.

Early game

On water maps, the classic CHIMPS opener is a 0-0-0 Sub plus one or two Dart Monkeys. Place the Sub where it covers a long stretch of track; its homing darts rarely miss.

As you approach round 24, decide how the Sub will see Camo. The cheapest option is usually a 0-0-2 Dart Monkey near the track plus Advanced Intel on the Sub, which lets the Sub fire at Camo Bloons that the Dart can see. Remember Heat-tipped Darts or another tower for Lead on round 28.

Mid game

The Sub's mid game is very strong:

• Main damage: grow into 2-0-4 Armor Piercing Darts. It is one of the best value damage towers for the MOAB rounds in the 40s and 50s.
• Camo removal: a 3-0-2 Submerge and Support removes Camo for your whole defense in its radius.
• MOAB support: 0-3-2 Ballistic Missile or 0-4-2 First Strike Capability for burst damage on BFBs.

Several 2-0-4 Subs grouped together are strong, and a Sub Commander later boosts them all. Note that Armor Piercing Darts still cannot pop Lead, so a 2-0-4 Sub needs a separate Lead answer for the Lead rounds and for DDTs in the 90s. The 0-2-4 crosspath fixes this but gives up Advanced Intel.

Placement for Subs is about water coverage. Advanced Intel lets a Sub fire into the range of any of your towers, so it does not have to sit right next to the track. That means you can tuck Subs into a pond far from the path and still use them as main damage, as long as your other towers cover the track.

Late game

In the late game the Sub has several roles:

• Sub Commander (2-0-5): turns a group of Subs into a real late-game defense.
• Pre-Emptive Strike (0-5-x): an automatic First Strike against every MOAB-class Bloon that enters, plus the First Strike ability itself.
• Energizer (5-x-x): cuts all ability cooldowns on the map and speeds up your hero's XP in its radius. Very strong with ability-heavy defenses.

The Nautic Siege Core Paragon is a late-game and boss option.

Monkey Sub in CHIMPS

On water maps, the Monkey Sub is one of the best CHIMPS towers:

1. Open with a 0-0-0 Sub and Dart Monkeys.
2. Add Advanced Intel and a cheap Camo source before round 24.
3. Grow into 2-0-4 for the MOAB rounds.
4. Add Submerge and Support for DDT Camo removal later, and finish with Sub Commander or other late-game damage.

For full CHIMPS walkthroughs, see our videos on the BTD6 Master YouTube channel.

Best heroes and tower combos

• Admiral Brickell: the water hero. Her Naval Tactics ability speeds up nearby water towers, and she pairs especially well with Sub Commander, Triple Guns and Ballistic Missile.
• Monkey Buccaneer: another water tower that benefits from Brickell and from the Bloontonium Reactor cooldown reduction.
• Dart Monkey or any Camo-detecting tower: gives Advanced Intel Subs Camo targeting.
• Ability-heavy towers: Energizer lowers ability cooldowns everywhere.

Tier 5 upgrades: are they worth it?

Energizer (5-x-x). Worth it in ability-heavy setups and when you want faster hero XP. It deals little damage by itself.

Pre-Emptive Strike (x-5-x). Strong, automatic MOAB damage, especially in rounds where many MOAB-class Bloons enter. Version 51 doubled the strike's damage.

Sub Commander (x-x-5). The best choice if you have several Subs. It boosts pierce and damage for every Sub in its radius.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting Camo on Advanced Intel Subs. Advanced Intel only reaches Camo Bloons that another tower can see.
• Skipping Heat-tipped Darts or a Lead answer. Bottom path Subs without Heat-tipped Darts cannot pop Lead.
• Leaving a Submerge Sub submerged when you need damage. A submerged Submerge and Support stops attacking.
• Ignoring the water. On maps with little water, the Sub may simply not reach enough track.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Monkey Sub path?

2-0-4 Armor Piercing Darts is the most popular damage build. 3-0-2 Submerge and Support is the best Camo removal build. 2-0-5 Sub Commander is the late-game centerpiece for Sub defenses.

Can Monkey Sub see camo?

It can target Camo Bloons with Advanced Intel (2-x-x) as long as another tower sees them, and Submerge and Support (3-x-x) removes Camo from Bloons in its radius.

Can Monkey Sub pop lead?

Yes, with Heat-tipped Darts (x-2-x).

Can Monkey Sub be placed on land?

No. The Monkey Sub can only be placed on water.

Can a 2-0-4 Monkey Sub pop lead?

No. Armor Piercing Darts adds damage but not Lead popping. Use 0-2-4 or another tower for Lead Bloons and DDTs.

Is Monkey Sub good in CHIMPS?

Yes, on water maps it is one of the best towers, both as an opener and as a mid-game carry.

What is the Monkey Sub Paragon?

Nautic Siege Core, which costs $400,000 on Medium.