Tack Shooter

The Tack Shooter rewards good placement more than any other Primary tower. On a tight bend it can carry the early game and chew through MOABs for very little money; on a straight track it does almost nothing. Learn where it works and it becomes one of the best value towers in the game.

Best crosspaths

2-0-3 Tack Sprayer

A cheap tower that fires 16 tacks per volley at a fast rate. Each tack hitting the same target means good damage against a single MOAB for its price. It is a common early and mid-game pick on maps with a tight loop.

2-0-4 Overdrive

Overdrive shoots incredibly fast. The 2-0-4 crosspath gets the most out of it and is one of the best mid-game single-target and close-range options in the game for its cost. Pair it with a Monkey Village for Camo.

2-0-5 The Tack Zone

The tier 5 version fires a storm of tacks. It is a strong late-game DPS tower when placed on a chokepoint and buffed by heroes and support towers.

4-0-2 or 4-2-0 Ring of Fire

Ring of Fire hits every Bloon in its radius with fire and pops Lead. More Tacks and Even More Tacks increase its damage, so 4-0-2 is the stronger choice when you care about damage, while 4-2-0 gives more range. It is excellent against dense groups and Lead rounds.

0-4-2 or 2-4-0 Blade Maelstrom

Blade Maelstrom adds an ability that covers the area in blades for a few seconds. It is a good panic button for a single hard moment, such as a Ceramic rush or a group of Camo Bloons that slipped past. It still cannot target Camo with its normal attack.

0-5-2 Super Maelstrom

Super Maelstrom makes the ability longer and much stronger, and recent updates added bonus damage to Ceramics. It is a cheap tier 5 that supports late-game rush rounds.

5-0-2 Inferno Ring

The strongest version of Ring of Fire. It burns everything in its radius and is a solid late-game tower on tight maps, especially when combined with other buffs.

Early game

A plain Tack Shooter can defend the first rounds of most beginner and intermediate maps if you place it on a sharp corner or between two parts of the track. Upgrade Faster Shooting and Even Faster Shooting first; they are cheap and make a big difference.

In CHIMPS, a Tack Shooter on the right map can replace the usual Dart Monkey opener. It has no Camo, though, so pair it with a tower that can handle the camo green on round 24.

Mid game

From the late 20s onward, choose your direction:

• Lead and dense rounds: buy Hot Shots and go for 4-0-2 Ring of Fire. It pops Lead and burns groups very quickly.
• MOAB damage on a budget: go bottom path. A 2-0-3 Tack Sprayer and later a 2-0-4 Overdrive put out a lot of damage into a single target, which is perfect for the first MOAB on round 40.
• Emergency bursts: a 0-4-2 Blade Maelstrom covers your weakest moments with its ability.

Remember that Overdrive and Tack Sprayer still use Sharp tacks and cannot pop Lead. Hot Shots is a tier 3 top path upgrade, so it cannot be combined with Tack Sprayer or Overdrive. Bring a different tower for Leads and, later, for DDTs.

Late game

In the late game the Tack Shooter depends on buffs. The Tack Zone and Inferno Ring both need to be on a tight bend, and they get much stronger with:

• a Monkey Village for Camo, range and attack speed,
• an Alchemist brew for extra damage on every tack,
• heroes that buff nearby towers.

The Paragon, Crucible of Steel and Flame, costs $200,000 on Medium, making it the second cheapest Paragon after the Dart Monkey's. It is a strong option for freeplay and boss events.

Tack Shooter in CHIMPS

The Tack Shooter is a map-dependent CHIMPS tower. On maps with a tight loop or a spot surrounded by track, a 2-0-3 or 2-0-4 can deal with early MOABs and BFBs for very little cash. A common plan:

1. Use a cheap Tack Shooter or Dart Monkeys to start.
2. Grow into 2-0-3 Tack Sprayer by the 30s, then 2-0-4 Overdrive.
3. Add a Monkey Village for Camo, and a separate Lead answer for DDTs later.
4. Upgrade to The Tack Zone or switch to a different late-game carry.

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

Best heroes and tower combos

• Pat Fusty: his Rallying Roar lets nearby towers pop an extra layer per hit for a short time. Since a Tack Shooter throws so many projectiles, this buff is worth a lot. Pat Fusty plus The Tack Zone is one of the classic hero and tower pairs.
• Monkey Village: Camo detection from Radar Scanner, plus range and attack speed. Almost every serious Tack Shooter needs one.
• Alchemist: a Berserker Brew adds damage to every tack, which multiplies across a whole volley.
• Glue Gunner or Ice Monkey: slowing Bloons keeps them inside the short range for longer.

Tier 5 upgrades: are they worth it?

Inferno Ring (5-x-x). Strong on tight maps against dense rounds, Leads and Ceramics. It is pricey, so buy it when your main damage is already near the same bend.

Super Maelstrom (x-5-x). Cheap for a tier 5 and gives a strong ability for rush rounds. It is a support upgrade rather than a main carry.

The Tack Zone (x-x-5). One of the best close-range DPS towers in the game when buffed and placed well. Without support it struggles with Camo and Lead.

Common mistakes

• Placing it on a straight track. Most tacks fly off into empty space. Look for bends.
• Forgetting Camo. No Tack Shooter upgrade gives Camo detection.
• Skipping Lead answers with bottom path. Tack Sprayer and Overdrive cannot pop Lead on their own.
• Not buying the cheap top path tiers. Faster Shooting and Even Faster Shooting cost very little and boost every bottom path crosspath.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Tack Shooter path?

2-0-4 Overdrive for cheap DPS and early MOABs, 4-0-2 Ring of Fire for Lead and dense rounds, and 2-0-5 The Tack Zone in the late game.

Can Tack Shooter pop camo?

No. The Tack Shooter has no Camo detection in any path, so it needs a Monkey Village with Radar Scanner or another camo source.

Can Tack Shooter pop lead?

Yes, with Hot Shots (3-x-x). Ring of Fire and Inferno Ring also pop Lead.

Is Tack Shooter good in CHIMPS?

On maps with tight bends, yes. A 2-0-3 or 2-0-4 is a very cheap answer to early MOABs.

What hero is best with The Tack Zone?

Pat Fusty is the classic pick, because his Rallying Roar boosts every tack fired by nearby towers.

Is Tack Shooter good against MOABs?

Yes, for its price. Every tack in a volley can hit the same MOAB, so cheap bottom path crosspaths like 2-0-3 and 2-0-4 deal a lot of single-target damage when the MOAB passes close to the tower.

What is the Tack Shooter Paragon?

Crucible of Steel and Flame, which costs $200,000 on Medium.