Ninja Monkey

The Ninja Monkey is one of the most flexible towers in the game. It sees Camo from the start, its middle path removes Camo and slows the whole screen, its bottom path deletes MOABs with Sticky Bombs, and Grandmaster Ninja is a strong late-game carry.

Best crosspaths

2-0-1 or 2-0-2 early Ninja

Ninja Discipline and Sharp Shurikens make the Ninja fast and add pierce, and Seeking Shuriken makes it accurate. A cheap tower that covers the camo green on round 24 of CHIMPS without extra spending.

4-0-2 or 4-2-0 Bloonjitsu

Bloonjitsu throws five shurikens per attack. 4-0-2 adds seeking shurikens and caltrops; 4-2-0 removes Camo and distracts Bloons. A strong mid-game damage tower.

0-2-4 or 2-0-4 Sticky Bomb

Sticky Bomb sticks a heavy bomb onto MOAB-class Bloons that detonates a few seconds later for big damage. One of the best value MOAB answers in the game. 0-2-4 removes Camo, which helps against Camo DDTs; 2-0-4 attacks faster.

0-3-2 or 2-3-0 Shinobi Tactics

Each Shinobi boosts the attack speed and pierce of every Ninja in its range, and the buffs stack. Several cheap Shinobis around a Grandmaster Ninja or Bloonjitsu make it far stronger.

0-2-3 or 2-0-3 Flash Bomb

Flash Bomb replaces every fourth throw with a bomb that stuns Bloons and deals Normal damage to every Bloon type, including Lead. 0-2-3 adds Counter-Espionage, which removes Camo and makes the Flash Bomb hit Camo Bloons harder. A cheap all-round tower that fixes the Ninja's Lead problem.

0-4-0 to 0-4-2 Bloon Sabotage

The Sabotage ability slows every Bloon on screen to half speed for 15 seconds. It does not affect BADs or bosses. A great panic button for rush rounds.

5-0-2 or 5-2-0 Grandmaster Ninja

Eight shurikens per throw with double damage and much faster attacks. A strong late-game carry, especially with Shinobis.

0-2-5 Master Bomber

Master Bomber's sticky bombs and flash bombs stun MOAB-class Bloons (except BADs and bosses) and hit much harder. Sticky bombs are thrown twice as often with infinite range.

Early game

A Ninja is a good early tower because it sees Camo for $400. Buy Ninja Discipline first for attack speed, then Seeking Shuriken so it rarely misses. On maps with long tracks, a 2-0-1 Ninja can handle most early rounds with a little help.

Remember that shurikens cannot pop Lead. Plan another tower for round 28, or move towards Flash Bomb later.

Mid game

Pick a role:

• MOAB damage: 2-0-4 or 0-2-4 Sticky Bomb before the MOAB-heavy 40s and 50s.
• Damage and Camo: 4-0-2 Bloonjitsu.
• Camo removal: a 0-2-x Ninja with Counter-Espionage removes Camo from Bloons it damages.
• Global slow: 0-4-0 Bloon Sabotage for the hardest rush rounds.

Flash Bomb (x-x-3) stuns Bloons and pops Lead, which makes the bottom path much safer in rounds with Leads.

The Shinobi army explained

Shinobi Tactics (x-3-x) buffs the attack speed and pierce of every Ninja in its range, including itself, and the buff stacks with other Shinobis. The classic setup places three to six cheap 0-3-0 or 2-3-0 Shinobis in a tight cluster around one main Ninja, usually a Bloonjitsu or a Grandmaster Ninja. The Shinobis also fight on their own, so the money is not wasted. Placement is the key: the main Ninja must sit inside every Shinobi's range, so build the main tower first and surround it.

Late game

In the late game, Ninjas can carry or support:

• Grandmaster Ninja with Shinobis: stack a few 0-3-x Shinobis in range of a 5-0-2 or 5-2-0 Grandmaster for huge damage.
• Master Bomber: stuns and big damage on MOAB-class Bloons.
• Grand Saboteur: a 30-second global slow that also takes a quarter of the health off every new MOAB-class Bloon as it spawns, including BADs.

The Ascended Shadow Paragon is a late-game and boss event option.

Ninja Monkey in CHIMPS

The Ninja is a very common CHIMPS tower:

1. Use a 2-0-1 Ninja early for damage and Camo.
2. Add a 2-0-4 Sticky Bomb for the MOAB rounds, or grow the early Ninja into 4-0-2 Bloonjitsu.
3. Keep Bloon Sabotage in mind for rush rounds in the 60s and 70s.
4. In the late game, Grand Saboteur and Grandmaster Ninja with Shinobis are both strong finishers.

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

Best heroes and tower combos

• Pat Fusty: his Rallying Roar is a classic partner for Grandmaster Ninja, because every shuriken pops an extra layer.
• Obyn Greenfoot: from level 11 he buffs Magic Monkeys in his range, which includes Ninjas.
• Shinobi Tactics Ninjas: the best support for other Ninjas.
• Monkey Village and Alchemist: extra speed, pierce and damage for fast shuriken attacks.

Tier 5 upgrades: are they worth it?

Grandmaster Ninja (5-x-x). A strong carry, especially with Shinobis around it. Good value for its price.

Grand Saboteur (x-5-x). Excellent in late CHIMPS and high rounds because of its long global slow and the free damage to every new MOAB-class Bloon.

Master Bomber (x-x-5). Strong MOAB control with stuns. Very good against BFBs and ZOMGs, but it cannot stun BADs or bosses.

Common mistakes

• Expecting shurikens to pop Lead. Only Flash Bomb (x-x-3) gives the Ninja Lead popping.
• Spreading Shinobis too far. Their buff only reaches Ninjas inside their range.
• Using Sabotage on easy waves. Save it for the hardest rush rounds.
• Relying on Sabotage for BADs. It does not slow BADs or bosses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Ninja Monkey path?

2-0-4 or 0-2-4 Sticky Bomb for MOABs, 4-0-2 Bloonjitsu for damage, and 5-0-2 Grandmaster Ninja with Shinobis for the late game.

Can Ninja Monkey see camo?

Yes, by default. Counter-Espionage (x-2-x) also removes Camo from Bloons it damages.

Can Ninja Monkey pop lead?

Yes, with Flash Bomb (x-x-3). Its shurikens alone cannot pop Lead.

Is Grand Saboteur worth it?

Yes, especially in CHIMPS and high rounds. A 30-second global slow is huge on its own, and taking a quarter of the health off every MOAB-class Bloon as it spawns, including BADs, adds a lot of free damage.

What does Distraction do?

Distraction gives each attack a chance to send damaged Bloons backwards along the track. It does not affect MOAB-class Bloons, and Ceramics are affected less, but it is a cheap extra stall on any middle path Ninja.

Do Shinobi Tactics buffs stack?

Yes. Several Shinobis can buff the same Ninja, up to a high stack limit.

Is Ninja Monkey good in CHIMPS?

Yes. It is one of the most used towers in CHIMPS because of its Camo detection, Sticky Bomb and Bloon Sabotage.

What is the Ninja Monkey Paragon?

Ascended Shadow, which costs $500,000 on Medium.