Bloons TD Battles: How to Defend MOABs Without Tower Boost

To defend Round 18 MOAB rushes without using a Tower Boost in Bloons TD Battles, deploy dedicated anti-blimp upgrades before the blimp reaches your track and position secondary defenses downstream to catch the Ceramic bloons inside. Preserving your Tower Boost leaves you prepared for larger Round 20 re-rushes or Round 22 BFB pushes while punishing the opponent's economic investment.

Anti-MOAB Defense Options

Different loadouts rely on distinct mechanics to dismantle MOABs without active boost powers. The best option depends on your selected towers and map layout:

Defense Setup	Targeting	Key Strength	Limitation
4-x Monkey Chipper	First / Strong	Full track stall; stops movement	Struggles if blimps are clustered
0-3 / 2-3 Bomb Mauler	Strong	Sustained heavy shell damage	Requires separate Ceramic clean-up
0-4 Bomb Assassin	Ability / Manual	Instant single-target burst	Limited by ability cooldown
0-4 Monkey Buccaneer	Ability / Manual	One-shot drag; deletes Ceramics	Limited by ability cooldown; water only

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Method 1: Monkey Chipper Stall (Super Wide Funnel)

The 4-x Monkey Chipper (Super Wide Funnel) disables a MOAB by pulling it directly into the machine, halting its forward progress completely while shredding through the outer layer.

Path progression: Upgrade through Dual Cyclone (3-x) to Super Wide Funnel (4-x) along the top path.
Placement: Position the Chipper near the front or middle of the track so it grabs the blimp before it threatens your exit.
Targeting: Set to First or Strong to guarantee it pulls the lead blimp immediately.
Crosspath adjustment: Upgrade to 4-2 (Heavy Duty Suction) on shorter tracks to speed up layer shredding.

Because the Chipper takes several seconds to process a blimp, place basic splash or dart towers behind it to clean up the four Ceramic bloons once the shell pops.

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Method 2: Bomb Shooter Maulers and Assassin

Bomb Shooters offer high anti-blimp damage through either sustained projectile spam or instant burst abilities.

Stacking MOAB Maulers (0-3 or 2-3)

Place two to three 0-3 Bomb Shooters (or 2-3 with Missile Launcher) targeting Strong. MOAB Maulers deal massive bonus damage against MOAB-class armor. Position them along straight pathways or track intersections so their shells hit continuously, cracking the shell open before the blimp travels deep into your side.

MOAB Assassin Ability (0-4)

On shorter maps or against sudden sends, a single 0-4 Bomb Shooter removes the need for sustained fire. Activating the MOAB Assassin ability fires a targeted missile directly at the strongest blimp on screen, instantly destroying or severely damaging the outer layer without requiring boost attack speed.

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Method 3: Burst Abilities

If your loadout lacks Chippers or Bomb Shooters, specific tier-4 activated abilities can handle early MOABs on demand.

Monkey Buccaneer MOAB Takedown (0-4)

On maps with water placement, the 0-4 Monkey Buccaneer (Monkey Pirates) offers complete elimination. Activating the ability fires a grappling hook that drags the target MOAB off the track entirely. This eliminates both the outer shell and the four inner Ceramic bloons, preventing any leaks as long as the opponent sends only one blimp per cooldown.

Super Monkey Fan Club (0-4 Dart Monkey)

When running Dart Monkey strategies, upgrade one Dart Monkey to 0-4 before Round 18 while maintaining a cluster of standard Dart Monkeys. Activating the Super Monkey Fan Club transforms up to 10 nearby Dart Monkeys into Super Monkeys. Wait to trigger the skill until the MOAB enters your primary dart cluster, allowing the concentrated fire to melt both the blimp shell and the spawned Ceramics within seconds.

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Handling the Ceramic Clean-Up Phase

Every MOAB shell releases four fast-moving Ceramic bloons when destroyed. If your anti-MOAB setup only targets blimp layers, these Ceramics can slip through and cost you lives.

Stagger your defenses: Position your single-target anti-MOAB towers upstream and your area-of-effect clean-up downstream.
Dedicated clean-up towers: Place a 3-x or 4-x Boomerang (Glaive Ricochet), a 2-3 Tack Shooter, or a 4-2 Mortar directly behind the zone where the MOAB is expected to pop.
Role separation: Keeping your anti-blimp towers focused on Strong ensures they do not waste hits on standard bloons, leaving your secondary towers to wipe out the Ceramics before they can sprint down the track.