Best Dartling Gunner Path in BTD6: Ranked & Reviewed
The Dartling Gunner is one of the most mechanically unique and satisfying towers in Bloons TD 6. Giving players direct control over targeting or utilizing autonomous locking mechanisms, this tower can completely shred through dense ceramic clusters and powerful MOAB-class bloons alike. However, choosing the best dartling gunner path depends entirely on your current map, round goals, and economic situation.
In this guide, we break down each upgrade path from top to bottom, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases to help you make the best choice every time you play.
Path 1: Laser Cannon and Ray of Doom
The top path focuses on raw, concentrated piercing power, culminating in one of the most iconic weapons in the entire game. This path transitions the Dartling from a standard projectile shooter into a continuous, high-damage beam of pure energy.
Tier Progression Overview
- 0-1-0 Focused Firing: Tightens the spread significantly, making it much easier to hit fast-moving bloons.
- 0-2-0 Laser Shock: Applies a damage-over-time effect to every bloon touched by the stream.
- 1-3-0 Laser Cannon: Replaces standard darts with a continuous laser that excels at popping leads and purples (when cross-path allows).
- 1-4-0 Plasma Accelerator: Fires an incredibly powerful plasma beam that can be locked in place to melt straight lines of bloons.
- 1-5-0 Ray of Doom: The ultimate screen-clearing laser that deals massive damage infinitely down its path.
When to Use Path 1
The top path shines brightest on straight, linear maps like Logs or Cubism. The Plasma Accelerator (specifically with a 0-4-2 or 1-4-0 build) is widely regarded as one of the most cost-effective mid-game tools for dealing with dense Super Ceramic rushes. The Ray of Doom, while extremely expensive, turns late-game freeplay into an absolute breeze by effortlessly cutting through fortified MOABs.
Path 2: Hydra Rocket Pods and Bloon Exclusion Zone
The middle path trades precision laser power for explosive, area-of-effect firepower. It converts the Dartling into a multi-shot rocket launcher capable of handling large groups of bloons simultaneously.
Tier Progression Overview
- 0-1-0 Faster Barrel Spin: Increases attack speed to get more projectiles on screen.
- 0-2-0 Powerful Darts: Increases pierce, helping standard attacks hit multiple targets.
- 0-3-0 Hydra Rocket Pods: Replaces lasers with explosive rockets that deal excellent splash damage and pop lead bloons natively.
- 0-4-0 Rocket Storm: Grants an activated ability that launches a massive barrage of rockets across the entire screen.
- 0-5-0 Bloon Exclusion Zone (BEZ): Spawns micro-drones that fire a relentless storm of high-damage rockets automatically.
When to Use Path 2
Hydra Rocket Pods (0-3-2) is arguably one of the most meta mid-game starts for advanced and expert maps, offering incredible value for its cost. The Bloon Exclusion Zone is an absolute powerhouse for rounds 80 through 100. Because BEZ scales incredibly well with attack speed buffs (like Alchemist stimulants and Primary Expertise villages), it can easily function as your primary Tier 5 damage dealer on challenging maps.
Path 3: Accelerated Darts and MAD
The bottom path specializes in raw single-target damage and elite MOAB-class destruction. If you struggle against Bad Bloons, ZOMGs, and DDTs, this is the path you need to look at.
Tier Progression Overview
- 1-0-0 Larger Bore: Increases projectile size and pierce.
- 2-0-0 Focused Firing: Improves accuracy for tighter groupings.
- 3-0-0 Buckshot: Transforms the weapon into a shotgun-style blast that shreds unarmored bloons up close.
- 4-0-0 Rocket Accelerator: Bridges the gap toward heavy anti-MOAB weaponry.
- 5-0-0 MAD (Massive Aerial Destructor): Fires massive, high-velocity rockets that deal catastrophic bonus damage to MOAB-class bloons.
When to Use Path 3
While Buckshot and Rocket Accelerator have niche uses, the real star of this path is the MAD (2-5-0 or 0-5-2). The MAD is widely considered a boss-fighting staple and an incredible insurance policy against round 100 BADs. However, because its single-target focus leaves it vulnerable to massive ceramic rushes, you must pair a MAD with reliable crowd-control towers like Boomerang Monkeys or Ice Monkeys.
Cross-Pathing Strategies for Maximum Efficiency
Getting the most out of your Dartling Gunner requires smart cross-pathing depending on your chosen main upgrade.
- For Plasma Accelerator (1-4-0): Always go down to path 2 for faster firing (1-4-2). The increased attack speed drastically improves the plasma beam's damage output.
- For Bloon Exclusion Zone (0-5-2): Pick up the bottom path cross for extra pierce and larger projectiles, ensuring the micro-drones catch as many bloons as possible.
- For MAD (2-5-0): Add top path for increased projectile size, making it slightly more forgiving when aiming fast-moving targets.
Conclusion: Which Path Should You Choose?
Ultimately, there is no single best dartling gunner path for every situation, as each excels in a completely different role. Use Hydra Rocket Pods (0-3-2) for affordable mid-game survival, lean on the Plasma Accelerator (1-4-0) for linear map dominance, deploy the Bloon Exclusion Zone (0-5-2) for incredible all-around late-game DPS, and buy the MAD (2-5-0) when you need to melt bosses and BAD bloons instantly.
