How to Beat CHIMPS Mode in BTD6 — Complete Guide 2026

CHIMPS is the hardest standard mode in Bloons TD 6 — and the most satisfying to beat. Six restrictions stack on top of each other simultaneously: no Continues, no Hearts Lost (1 life), no Income bonus, no Monkey Knowledge, no Powers, and no Selling. You can’t undo a bad tower placement. You can’t use any of the 100+ permanent upgrades you’ve unlocked. The only cash you earn comes from popping Bloons. This guide covers exactly how to beat CHIMPS, what to build at each stage of the game, and which rounds are the hardest checkpoints to survive. You’ll need the Bloons TD 6 Latest Version APK installed first — CHIMPS unlocks from the main menu on any difficulty.

What Makes CHIMPS Different

In a normal Hard game you have 100 lives, Monkey Knowledge buffs, cash bonuses at round end, and the ability to sell bad towers for 80% back. CHIMPS removes every safety net at once. One Bloon reaching the exit ends your run from the very first round. No continue screen, no try-again — back to round 1.

The No Selling rule is the most consequential. Every tower you place is permanent. A tower in the wrong position costs you not just the money you spent, but the opportunity cost of what you could have built instead. Planning placement before spending is more important in CHIMPS than any other mode.

Start on a Beginner Map

Don’t attempt CHIMPS on Advanced or Expert maps first. Start on Monkey Meadow or Frozen Over — two of the most forgiving Beginner maps for CHIMPS. Wide paths, clear placement zones, no blind-fire sections. Once you understand CHIMPS’ rhythm on a Beginner map, the same core strategy transfers to harder maps.

The Core CHIMPS Strategy — Rounds 1–40

Place Your Hero at Round 1

Heroes earn XP every round they’re on the map. In CHIMPS, your hero is your most cost-efficient tower — it levels up for free and its active abilities become the emergency tools that save rounds. Sauda is the best CHIMPS hero for most maps — high early damage, built-in camo detection at level 3, and Blade Maelstrom at level 10 clears Ceramic waves that would otherwise leak through. Place her at the first curve of the path at round 1.

Rounds 1–15: Two Dart Monkeys + Ninja Monkey

Place two Dart Monkeys near the entrance of the path — upgrade them to 2-0-0 (Razor Sharp Shots) when you can afford it. At round 8, place a Ninja Monkey. At round 10, upgrade the Ninja to 0-2-0 (Distraction) — this makes Bloons regress a layer when hit, effectively tripling the value of every hit. The Ninja + two Dart Monkeys handles everything through round 15 cleanly.

Round 24 — Camo Bloons: Be Ready

Camo Bloons arrive on round 24. They’re invisible to every tower except those with camo detection. If Sauda is your hero, she gains camo detection at level 3 — which she reaches naturally around round 18–20 if placed at round 1. That handles early Camo. As a backup, upgrade your Ninja Monkey to 0-0-2 (Seeking Shuriken) or place a second Ninja. Never enter round 24 without at least one reliable camo detection source.

Round 28 — Lead Bloons: Have Fire or Explosives

Lead Bloons are immune to all sharp projectiles — darts, shurikens, boomerangs. Before round 28, add a Bomb Shooter (2-0-0 for extra pierce) or a Wizard Monkey (handles Lead natively). One tower is enough for rounds 28–35. This is non-negotiable — if you have no Lead popping power at round 28, you will lose immediately.

Round 38 — Prepare for MOABs at Round 40

The first MOAB arrives on round 40. It has 200 HP and releases 4 Ceramics when popped. At round 38 you need dedicated MOAB damage in place — not “should be okay” coverage, but a tower specifically built to handle 200 HP targets. Best early MOAB options: Bomb Shooter upgraded to 0-3-0 (MOAB Mauler — deals 10× damage to MOAB class), or Sniper Monkey at 2-0-0 (Full Auto Rifle) for fast consistent damage. Position whichever you choose directly on the path the MOAB will travel — don’t rely on general-purpose towers.

Rounds 40–80 — Mid Game

Economy Without Banana Farms

This is the core CHIMPS challenge. Banana Farms are banned — your only income is from popping Bloons. Round-end cash bonuses are also removed. That means every dollar you have came from something you popped, and you need to stretch it across 100 rounds. Prioritise upgrading existing towers over buying new ones until round 50+. A Tier-4 Ninja Monkey outperforms three Tier-1 towers at lower total cost. If you want to test upgrade paths without the cash constraint before your real run, the Bloons TD 6 MOD APK unlimited money lets you freely experiment with any build.

Round 63 — Ceramic Spam: Use Blade Maelstrom

Round 63 is one of the hardest rounds in all of CHIMPS. It sends a massive wave of Ceramic Bloons simultaneously. Ceramics have 10 HP each and release 2 Rainbows when popped — each Rainbow releasing Zebras, Blacks, and Pinks. The sheer volume of Bloons after popping all those Ceramics floods most defenses instantly. Save Sauda’s Blade Maelstrom specifically for this round if you haven’t used it recently. A Spike Factory at the exit with the middle path (Carpet of Spikes) is the best permanent solution for Ceramic waves.

Round 76 — DDT Warning

DDTs first appear on round 90 in standard games — but in some map variants they appear earlier. DDTs have Camo + Lead + Black properties simultaneously, 400 HP, and move at full speed. Most towers cannot detect them. The reliable DDT counters: Monkey Village with Radar Scanner (gives nearby towers camo detection) + a Bomb Shooter or Heli Pilot for damage, or Etienne as hero (level 8 reveals all Camo globally). Have your DDT counter in place before round 90.

Rounds 80–100 — End Game

Rounds 80–100 — End Game

Round 98 — Fortified BAD

Round 98 sends a Fortified BAD — a BAD with 40,000 HP instead of 20,000, plus 2 ZOMGs and 2 DDTs inside it. This is the round that ends most CHIMPS runs that survived to the 90s. You need a combination of: high MOAB-class single-target damage (Super Monkey, Dartling Gunner, or maxed Sniper), area cleanup for the ZOMGs it releases when popped, and DDT handling for the DDTs inside. There’s no single tower that handles this alone — it requires your entire defense working together.

Round 100 — The BAD

Round 100 sends a standard BAD (20,000 HP, 2 ZOMGs + 2 DDTs inside) plus the regular round composition. If your defense survived round 98’s Fortified BAD, round 100 should be manageable — the Fortified BAD is harder. Focus on having Spike Factory output (middle path tier-5 Carpet of Spikes) covering the exit for anything that leaks through, and your main damage towers focused on the BAD itself.

Recommended Tower Setup for First CHIMPS Win

The 5 Most Common Reasons People Fail CHIMPS

The 5 Most Common Reasons People Fail CHIMPS

1. No camo solution before round 24 — invisible Bloons walk straight through
2. No Lead popping before round 28 — Lead Bloons are immune to every tower most beginners build
3. Hero placed too late — a level 5 Sauda at round 40 is half as useful as a level 10 Sauda at round 40
4. Bad tower placed in the wrong spot — and no selling means it stays there all game
5. No dedicated end-of-path tower — things that slip through your main defense reach the exit

CHIMPS rewards knowing what each round sends before it arrives. Once you’ve beaten it on one Beginner map, the knowledge carries directly to every other map — the same round compositions, the same checkpoints, the same solutions. Check the BTD6 hero tier list to understand which hero fits your strategy, and the tower tier list for which upgrades to prioritise with your limited CHIMPS budget.

Frequently Asked Questions