The Complete BTD5 Arsenal Guide
Bloons Tower Defense 5 elevates the series with revolutionary Special Agents and powerful Tier 4 tower upgrades that transform strategic gameplay. Special Agents are one-time purchasable allies bought with Monkey Money that provide unique abilities - from bee swarms to screen-clearing super monkey storms. Meanwhile, Tier 4 upgrades represent the ultimate evolution of each tower type, offering game-changing abilities and massive damage increases.
This comprehensive guide covers the standard PC/Steam version of BTD5, focusing on all 10 Special Agents, every tower's Tier 4 upgrade paths, and the powerful synergy combinations that can carry you through Impoppable mode and beyond. Master these elements to unlock BTD5's full strategic potential.
Key Strategic Elements
- • Special Agents: One-time Monkey Money purchases
- • Tier 4 Upgrades: Ultimate tower evolution
- • No rank requirements: All content accessible
- • Synergy combinations: Agent + tower combos
- • Pro upgrades: Enhanced agent abilities
- • Impoppable strategies: Late-game mastery
Special Agents - Your Strategic Allies
Special Agents are purchasable with Monkey Money and deployable in-game for strategic advantages. Each agent has unique abilities, from direct combat to support functions. Using agents doesn't cost in-game cash - only the initial Monkey Money purchase.
Essential Combat Agents
Beekeeper ($120)
Releases bee swarms that stick to bloons and rapidly pop all layers. Extremely effective against regrowth bloons.
Limitation: Cannot pop Lead or frozen bloons. Best Use: Anti-regrowth and dense cluster clearing.
Super Monkey Storm ($50)
Panic button that calls 10 Super Monkeys to instantly clear all visible bloons, including MOABs and BFBs.
ZOMG Damage: 1000 HP reduction. Best Use: Emergency screen clearing in late game.
Tribal Turtle ($85)
Versatile land/water agent. Alternates between piercing spears and explosive coconuts that pop Leads.
Special: Extra ceramic damage, land/water placement. Best Use: Early-game lead handling.
Bloonsday Device ($250)
Mouse-controlled energy beam that melts almost any bloon instantly. Ultimate damage but one-time use.
Weakness: Cannot destroy full ZOMGs outright. Best Use: Fortified ZOMG and BFB clusters.
Strategic Support Agents
Meerkat Spy ($60)
Grants camo detection to all towers in its radius. Essential camo support without Village upgrades.
Synergy: Perfect with Bomb Towers, Ring of Fire, and high-DPS towers lacking camo vision.
Pontoon ($40) / Portable Lake ($40)
Pontoon creates land on water; Portable Lake creates water on land. Expand placement options.
Strategy: Enable powerful water towers on land maps or place land towers optimally over water.
Monkey Farmer ($40)
Automatically collects bananas from farms in radius. Essential for heavy farming strategies.
Quality of Life: Prevents banana loss, frees attention for defense management.
Angry Squirrel ($60)
Leak insurance. Normal attacks are weak, but becomes extremely powerful when bloons leak past defenses.
Rage Mode: Can pop Leads and detect camo when enraged. Perfect safety net for No Lives Lost.
Utility & Defense Agents
Bloonberry Bush ($50)
Regenerating spike trap. Grows 5 thorns per round that pop bloon layers. Cannot handle Leads.
Pro Version Benefits
All agents unlock Pro versions after multiple uses, providing enhanced abilities and additional features.
Advanced Tower Upgrades - Tier 4 Paths
Each tower has two upgrade paths with four tiers each. Tier 4 represents ultimate evolution - game-changing abilities that can single-handedly turn battles. You can achieve Tier 4 on one path and Tier 2 on the other (4/2 or 2/4).
Ultimate Power: Temple of the Monkey God
Temple of the Monkey God (4/2)
Cost: $100,000+ (Medium difficulty). The ultimate BTD5 upgrade that sacrifices nearby towers to gain immense power.
Sacrifice Strategy: Dollar value determines power. Sacrifice one tower of each type (Bomb, Glue, Ice, Tack) for balanced abilities. Position centrally due to enormous range.
Technological Terror (2/4)
Robot monkey with dual-arm cannons plus Bloon Annihilation ability (localized nuke around the tower).
Ability: 1000 damage to MOABs in radius, destroys all regular bloons. Perfect for ZOMG cleanup after they pop.
Essential Tier 4 Towers
Ring of Fire (4/2 Tack)
Continuous flame circle, massive area damage. Melts Leads and prevents regrowth.
Placement: Choke points, track loops, regrowth farms
MOAB Assassin (2/4 Bomb)
Ability instantly destroys one MOAB/BFB or deals 1000 damage to ZOMGs.
Strategy: Multiple assassins can delete entire MOAB rushes
Spectre (4/2 Monkey Ace)
Flying fortress with bomb carpet and homing darts. One-monkey army DPS.
Flight Path: Figure Infinite or Circle for maximum track coverage
Sabotage Supply Lines (2/4 Ninja)
Ability slows ALL bloons by 50% for 15 seconds. Game-changing support.
Chain Strategy: Two ninjas can maintain near-permanent slow
Ray of Doom (4/2 Dartling)
Continuous laser beam with extreme DPS. Manual aiming required but devastating.
Tip: Lock targeting on long straight sections
First Strike Capability (2/4 Sub)
Ballistic missile that destroys full ZOMGs or multiple BFBs instantly.
Global Range: Works from any water position
Economic & Support Tier 4
Economic Powerhouses
- Banana Research Facility (4/2): $2000/round in crates
- Banana Bank (2/4): $1000/round + 20% interest
- Both paths: Essential for Temple financing
Support Tier 4
- Call to Arms (2/4 Village): Doubles attack speed/damage
- Overclock (2/4 Engineer): 66% speed boost to any tower
- Both abilities: Game-changing in tough rounds
Synergy Tips: Special Agents + Upgraded Towers
The true power of BTD5 emerges when combining Special Agents with Tier 4 towers. These synergies cover weaknesses, multiply effectiveness, and create unstoppable defensive combinations.
Economic Synergies
Monkey Farmer + Banana Farms
Essential combo for heavy farming. Farmer automatically collects from Research Facilities and Banks.
Efficiency: Prevents $200+ crate losses, frees attention for defense
Multiple Farmers Strategy
One Farmer covers 3-4 centrally placed farms. Use multiple for large farming operations.
Temple Strategy: Essential for $100,000+ Temple financing
Combat Synergies
Super Monkey Storm + Sabotage
Use Sabotage to slow bloons by 50%, then trigger Storm to clear more bunched bloons.
Timing: Sabotage first to bunch spawning bloons for maximum Storm effect
Bloonsday Device + MOAB Support
Use MOAB Assassin or First Strike on ZOMGs, then sweep Bloonsday beam over resulting BFBs.
ZOMG Weakness: Device can't destroy full ZOMGs but obliterates everything else
Placement Synergies
Pontoon + Powerful Land Towers
Place Temple, Spectre, or Ray of Doom on water via Pontoons for optimal positioning.
Pro Bonus: Pontoon Pro adds 20% range boost to placed towers
Portable Lake + Water Towers
Deploy Aircraft Carrier or First Strike Sub on land maps via Portable Lakes.
Strategy: Enables powerful water towers anywhere, expands strategic options
Detection & Support Synergies
Meerkat Spy + High-DPS Towers
Grant camo detection to Ring of Fire, Glaive Lord, Spectre, or Juggernaut clusters.
Cost Savings: Avoids expensive Village camo upgrades early-game
MIB Village + Special Agents
Monkey Intelligence Bureau allows agents to pop all bloon types within radius.
Example: Beekeeper gains lead-popping, removing its main weakness
Master-Level Combinations
Triple Defense Safety Net
Setup: Spiked Mines (4/2 Spike Factory) + Bloonberry Bush + Angry Squirrel near exit
Result: Virtually guarantees no leaks - mines explode, bush stalls, squirrel rages if needed
Stall + Melt Combo
Setup: Sabotage Ninja (2/4) + Supa-Vac Bloonchipper + Ring of Fire
Strategy: Slow, hold, then burn - even ZOMGs get massive damage from extended flame exposure
Economic Powerhouse
Setup: Multiple Banana Research Facilities + Monkey Farmers + Pontoons for water farms
Goal: Generate $100,000+ for Temple while maintaining other defenses
Master BTD5's Ultimate Arsenal
BTD5's Special Agents and Tier 4 upgrades create unprecedented strategic depth. From the game-changing Temple of the Monkey God that consumes nearby towers for ultimate power, to simple but effective combinations like Monkey Farmer + Research Facilities, every element serves a purpose. Master the timing of abilities like Super Monkey Storm and MOAB Assassin, understand the synergies between agents and towers, and leverage placement tools like Pontoons and Portable Lakes to optimize your defenses. With this comprehensive knowledge, you're equipped to tackle Impoppable mode, survive endless Freeplay rounds, and experience BTD5's full strategic potential. Balance popping power, economic growth, camo/lead handling, and emergency abilities - the path to bloon-popping mastery awaits!
Sources: BTD5 Official Documentation, Steam Community Guides, Bloons Fandom Wiki, Gameboard Travel Blog Strategy Analysis
