Lead Bloon

"This area contains Lead Bloons. They can only be popped by certain Monkey types. Make sure you have Bomb Shooters or similar before attacking this area."

- Bloons Monkey City when the player is attacking a Lead Bloon area for the first time.

The Lead Bloon is a slow metallic gray Bloon that was introduced in Bloons Tower Defense 2 and appears in every subsequent Bloons Tower Defense game. Leads are uniquely immune to sharp projectiles, laser attacks such as the Super Monkey's Laser Vision and wind-based knockback effects. Ineffective damage-dealing projectiles and road hazards that attempt to harm a Lead Bloon will instantly despawn on contact, allowing Leads to remove unheated Road Spikes and act as a shield to other Bloon types. In Bloons Pop!, Lead Bloons cause non-damaging projectiles to simply bounce off unharmed.

They move at the speed of Red Bloons and regular M.O.A.Bs. Popping a Lead Bloon and its descendants rewards a total of 19 Money in BTD2 and BTD3 or 23 Money since BTD4. They contain 2 Black Bloons. Also, in BTD6, they can appear as fortified versions, gaining +3 HP (26 RBE).

Details
The Lead Bloon is one rank above Black Bloon in Bloons TD games, on the same tier as a Zebra Bloon. It is as fast as a Red Bloon and leaks 23 lives (or 19 pre-BTD4) if it reaches the exit. As per the multi-layer health system, a popped Lead Bloon splits into two Black Bloons when affected by an attack that deals 1 damage. More damage pops the Leads Bloon into its descendents, following the multi-layer health system of many bloons in the game. Unlike most bloons, the Lead Bloon has no parent, except BTD5 Generation Bloonarius the Inflator during Boss Events.

In Bloons TD games and Bloons Pop!, the Lead Bloon is immune to all sharp attacks without special upgrades or support. This is especially problematic for towers such as Dart Monkeys and Tack Shooters, which naturally are weak to these bloon types without accessing powerful higher-tier upgrades. Further discussion on the Lead Bloon's immunities are listed under.

Bloons Pop!
"Immune to sharp shots"

- Short description

BTD5
Lead Bloons in the BTD5 generation are immune to most sharp projectiles and a few laser attacks not under influence of Monkey Intelligence Bureau or its subsequent upgrade. Wind-powered attacks cannot blowback Leads either. Dreadbloon (without its rocky shield) and DDTs (only in BMC Flash) also inherent Lead properties.

Lead Bloons completely resist all of the following:


 * Darts (except 0-3 Super Monkey and Dartling Guns without Depleted Bloontonium Darts).
 * Spiky balls from 3-X Dart Monkeys (but not 4-X's).
 * Lasers (except 4-X and 3-2 Dartling Guns and 1-3 or Super Monkey in BTD5).
 * Tacks
 * Blades from Blade Shooter, Blade Maelstrom, and TOTMG (without Tier-4 miscellaneous sacrifices).
 * Spikes (except 2-X Spike Factory or Red Hot Spikes)
 * Nails from Monkey Engineers and Sentry Guns (without Tier-3 or Tier-4 Engineer Specialty Building)
 * Boomerangs and Glaives (except x/2 Boomerang Thrower and Glaive Lord's glaive orbitals)
 * Shurikens
 * Sniper Monkeys without Full Metal Jacket
 * Gunshots from COBRAs
 * Bees from Beekeepers
 * Acorns from Angry Squirrels not enraged.
 * Spears from Tribal Turtles
 * Bloonberry Bushes
 * Bloonchippers without Heavy Duty Suction.
 * Tornadoes (though popped by Tempest Tornado)
 * Downdraft effect
 * Radadactyls
 * Grapes
 * Frags

BTD6
In BTD6, Lead Bloons are specifically immune to all attacks with the Sharp, Cold, Energy or Shatter damage type without support (Ex: Monkey Intelligence Bureau, Acid Mixture Dip or Level 4+ Gwendolin). Leads retain their immunity to wind-powered knockback effects. DDTs now have Lead properties across all games of the same generation.

Everything that Lead Bloons fully resist are as follows:


 * Darts (except Sky Shredder, Carrier Flagship), including 0/3/0 Robo Monkey
 * Arrows (except Crossbow Master or explosions from level 7+ Quincy or Crossbow Master)
 * Tacks and blades without Hot Shots/Super Maelstrom.
 * Nails from Monkey Engineers and Sentry Guns. For Sentry Expert, only its Boom Sentries can pop Lead.
 * Spike Factory spikes without White Hot Spikes.
 * Brambles from Obyn Greenfoot (unless Level 16+) or Spirit of the Forest without Hard Thorns.
 * Freezing effects without Cold Snap (except Absolute Zero ability)
 * Wizard's main bolt (excluding Arcane Spike and subsequent upgrades)
 * Lasers (except Plasma Accelerator and Ray of Doom)
 * Spiky balls from Spike-o-Pult, but not its subsequent upgrades.
 * Shurikens and Caltrops from Ninja Monkeys.
 * Boomerangs and Glaives without Red Hot Rangs.
 * Grapes without Hot Shot.
 * Sniper Monkey bullets without Full Metal Jacket or Supply Drop upgrade.
 * Downdraft effect and Druid of the Storm tornadoes, but not Superstorm supertornadoes
 * Frags from Frag Bombs and similar upgrades.
 * Shrapnel without Full Metal Jacket
 * Thorns without Hard Thorns
 * Shards from Ice Shards and Embrittlement.
 * Buckshot
 * Sauda's swords (except with any ability or if she is Level 13+)
 * Psi's vibrations, unless Level 6+. They will not target Leads until that point.

BATTD

 * Finn's sword and Warrior PB's sword without certain items such as Fire Sword.
 * Dungeon Finn's main attack without Fire Crown upgrade.
 * Jake's main attacks without Mace Hand, Big Jake Slap, or Harmful If Swallowed upgrade(s).
 * Marceline's main attack
 * Hunter Marceline's main attack before sucking a soul from a Lead Bloon via Soul Sucking upgrade.
 * C4 Charlie's frags from Frag Bombs upgrade.
 * Captain Cassie's grapes from Grape Shot upgrade.
 * Commander Cassie's main attack without at least Cruise Missile or Bloontonium Tips upgrade(s).
 * Juggernaut Max's dart without Juggernaut upgrade.
 * Max's dart without Hot Tips upgrade.
 * Sai's main attack without Flash Bomb upgrade.
 * Sam's main attack without Fireball or Forked Lightning upgrade.
 * Supermonkey without Plasma Eyes or Disarming Charisma upgrade(s).
 * Attacks and effects from allies/trinkets/weapons that use the Sharp, Shatter, or Energy damage type

BTDB2
TBA In BTDB2, all BTD6 rules apply, with several exceptions:
 * X
 * X

Appearances

 * Pre-BTD4 generation games


 * Bloons TD 2
 * Bloons TD 3


 * BTD4 generation games


 * Bloons TD 4
 * Bloons TD 4 Expansion
 * Bloons TD 4 (Mobile)
 * Bloons TD 4 (DSi)


 * BTD5 generation games


 * Bloons TD 5
 * Bloons TD 5 Flash
 * Bloons TD 5 Deluxe
 * Bloons TD 5 Mobile
 * Bloons TD 5 Steam
 * Bloons TD Battles
 * Bloons TD Battles Flash
 * Bloons TD Battles Mobile
 * Bloons TD Battles Steam
 * Bloons Monkey City
 * Bloons Monkey City Flash
 * Bloons Monkey City Mobile (including Steam version)
 * Bloons Super Monkey 2
 * Bloons Supermonkey 2 Mobile


 * BTD6 generation games


 * Bloons TD 6
 * Bloons Adventure Time TD
 * Bloons Pop!
 * Bloons TD Battles 2

Round Appearances
The following are all appearances on each round where Black Bloons will spawn naturally from the entrance. These will not include the rounds where the Black's parents or subsequent parents will feature.

BTD2

 * Round 20: 1 Lead
 * Round 26: TBA
 * Round 29: TBA
 * Round 36: TBA
 * Round 37: TBA
 * Round 39: TBA
 * Round 41: TBA
 * Round 43: TBA
 * Round 46: TBA
 * Round 47: TBA
 * Round 48: TBA
 * Round 50: TBA

BTD3

 * Round 20: 5 Lead
 * Round 26: TBA
 * Round 29: TBA
 * Round 36: TBA
 * Round 37: TBA
 * Round 39: TBA
 * Round 41: TBA
 * Round 43: TBA
 * Round 46: TBA
 * Round 47: TBA
 * Round 48: TBA
 * Round 50: TBA

BTD4

 * Round 28: TBA
 * Round 30: TBA
 * Round 32: TBA
 * Round 37: TBA
 * Round 38: TBA
 * Round 39: TBA
 * Round 45: TBA
 * Round 50: TBA
 * Round 59: TBA
 * Round 63: TBA
 * Round 69: TBA
 * Round 75: TBA
 * Round 90: TBA
 * Round 95: TBA

BTD5

 * Round 28: X Lead
 * Round 30: X Lead
 * Round 32: TBA
 * Round 37: TBA
 * Round 38: TBA
 * Round 39: TBA
 * Round 45: TBA
 * Round 50: TBA
 * Round 59: XX Camo Lead
 * Round 63: TBA
 * Round 69: TBA
 * Round 75: TBA
 * Round 90: TBA
 * Round 95: TBA

Normal Gameplay

 * Round 28: 6 Lead
 * Round 30: 9 Lead
 * Round 37: 25 Black, 25 White, 7 Camo White, 10 Zebra, 15 Lead
 * Round 38: 42 Pink, 17 White, 10 Zebra, 14 Lead, 2 Ceramic
 * Round 45: 180 Pink, 10 Purple Camo, 4 Fortified Lead, 25 Rainbow
 * Round 50: 20 Red, 8 Fortified Lead, 20 Ceramic, 2 M.O.A.B.
 * Round 59: 50 Lead Camo, 20 Ceramic, 10 Ceramic Regrowth
 * Round 63: 75 Lead, 122 Ceramic
 * Round 69: 40 Black Regrowth, 40 Fortified Lead, 50 Ceramic
 * Round 75: 14 Lead, 14 Fortified Lead, 3 Fortified M.O.A.B., 7 B.F.B.
 * Round 90: 50 Fortified Lead Camo Regrowth, 3 D.D.T.
 * Round 95: 500 Purple Camo Regrowth, 250 Fortified Lead Camo Regrowth, 50 Fortified M.O.A.B., 30 D.D.T.
 * Round 104: 200 Purple (2 groups of 100), 200 Fortified Lead (2 groups of 100) , 200 Ceramic (2 groups of 100) , 150 Fortified M.O.A.B., 25 B.F.B., 14 Fortified B.F.B.
 * Round 105: 25 Fortified Lead, 100 Ceramic, 300 Fortified Ceramic, 30 B.F.B.
 * Round 117: 250 Lead, 27 D.D.T., 18 Fortified D.D.T.
 * Round 122: 20 Fortified B.F.B., 40 B.F.B., 75 Fortified Lead
 * Round 126: 1 Fortified Lead Camo Regrowth, 99 D.D.T.
 * Round 129: 7 Fortified Z.O.M.G., 77 Fortified Lead Camo, 77 Purple Camo, 77 Ceramic Camo, 7 Z.O.M.G., 18 D.D.T.

Alternate Bloons Rounds

 * Round 10: 22 Blue, 40 Green, 2 Lead
 * Round 23: 7 Black, 6 White, 4 Lead
 * Round 24: 1 Lead Camo
 * Round 28: 6 Lead Regrowth
 * Round 30: 9 Lead Camo
 * Round 37: 7 Black Regrowth, 25 White, 25 White Regrowth, 18 Lead, 10 Zebra
 * Round 38: 42 Purple, 17 Black, 14 Lead, 7 Rainbow, 1 Ceramic Regrowth
 * Round 44: 10 Fortified Lead, 40 Zebra
 * Round 45: 120 Pink, 10 Purple Camo, 4 Fortified Lead, 10 Ceramic
 * Round 48: 30 Purple Camo Regrowth, 80 Black Regrowth, 15 Fortified Lead Regrowth, 3 Fortified Ceramic
 * Round 50: 8 Fortified Lead Regrowth, 4 M.O.A.B, 2 Fortified M.O.A.B.
 * Round 59: 50 Lead Camo Regrowth, 20 Fortified Ceramic, 25 Rainbow
 * Round 61: 57 Zebra Regrowth, 8 Fortified Lead, 15 M.O.A.B.
 * Round 62: 250 Purple, 15 Fortified Lead Camo Regrowth, 5 Fortified M.O.A.B, 2 B.F.B.
 * Round 75: 50 Lead, 14 Fortified Lead, 4 Fortified M.O.A.B, 4 B.F.B, 4 Fortified B.F.B.

Bloons Pop!

 * Level X
 * Level X

Bloons TD 6
Rounds marked in italics are marked as technically starting to appear on that round but only ever appear from getting released from parent bloons.

Countermeasures
Many towers have an option to counter Leads in different ways, with variety increased in later generations of the Bloons TD series games. The most obvious countermeasure to Leads is the Bomb Shooter, but it is not the most effective due to the Leads spawning explosive-immune Black Bloons. In BTD6 however, they can bypass the Black layer with the likes of Heavy Bombs or other damage bonuses. Having a defense that can counter both Leads and Blacks is necessary for beating Leads, at least in most cases.

For further information on what pops Leads, refer to the Lead-Popping Power page.

Effective for Camo Leads

 * See also: Camo Lead/Strategies

Camo Leads can be especially problematic as no tower besides Ezili has Camo Detection and Lead-Popping Power by default, without upgrades/level ups or external buffs. Thankfully, outside of Apopalypse Mode in BTD5 and 6, Camo Leads do not first appear until standard round 59 (round 24 in Alternate Bloons Rounds).


 * BTD6


 * Dart Monkey
 * Needs Juggernaut with Enhanced Eyesight or a Crossbow Master. Plasma Monkey Fan Club with Enhanced Eyesight is generally overkill, plus it only can pop them via its ability.
 * Ice Monkey
 * Needs Cold Snap.
 * Sniper Monkey
 * Needs Night Vision Goggles, and either Full Metal Jacket or Supply Drop.
 * Wizard Monkey
 * Needs Monkey Sense and either Fireball, Arcane Spike, or Necromancer: Unpopped Army.
 * Super Monkey
 * Needs Ultravision, alongside Plasma Blasts or Tech Terror.
 * Ninja Monkey
 * Needs Flash Bomb.
 * Spike Factory
 * Needs White Hot Spikes.

Quotes
"Lead Bloons are slow and heavy, but can turn a game against an unwise opponent. Research Heavy Bloon Armour in your Bloon Research Lab to unlock Lead Bloons."

- "Lead Bloons" Quest description

"Camo + Lead = much pain. Hope you're ready."

- Round 59 in Bloons TD 5

"Camo + Lead inbound."

- Round 59 in Bloons TD 5 Mobile

"Leads are slow and easily dealt with if you have the right towers. Otherwise, they could cause you some grief..."

- Round 28 in Bloons TD 5

Sounds
When a BTD5 Lead Bloon is hit by a non-damaging attack: When a BSM2 Mobile Lead Bloon is hit by a non-damaging attack: When a BTD6 Lead Bloon is hit by a non-damaging attack:
 * [high-pitched metallic hit]
 * [high-pitched metallic hit]
 * [dull metallic hit]
 * [dull metallic hit]
 * [dull metallic hit]
 * [dull metallic hit]

Gallery


Trivia

 * In real life, lead is a dense heavy metal with a relative low melting point, a solid explaination to many of the Lead Bloon's immunities and vulnerability to fire and plasma.
 * Weaker lasers and (in BTD6) some other energy attacks may not be a high enough temperature to melt through lead.
 * They are probably based on Metal Blocks.
 * It is ironic that Lead Bloons, which could originally only be popped with Bomb Towers, contain Black Bloons, which are immune to explosions.
 * Leaking one Lead costs 23 lives. Leaking the entirety of round 28, the lead's debut in Bloons TD 5, costs 92 lives.
 * The only 0/0 tower capable of popping Camo Leads is the Monkey Buccaneer with the maxed out Specialty Building activated in BTD5 Mobile/Steam.
 * The TV show Mythbusters created a real lead balloon, and despite common assumption, its biggest problem was not its weight. The lead was so fragile that it tore during inflation. They also built aluminum balloons, which apart from being an odd shape, worked perfectly well.
 * It is one of 2 bloons to resist physical attacks not by using hit points, with the other being the Purple Bloon. It takes one non-physical hit to pop.
 * One method of allowing a large number of towers to pop Lead Bloons is to upgrade a Monkey Village to Monkey Intelligence Bureau.
 * The Monkey Apprentice's Tempest Tornado can pop Lead Bloons but can't blow them away.
 * If affected by Arctic Wind, Permafrost, and glue at the same time, a Lead Bloon will move slower than a Z.O.M.G..
 * A Sniper Monkey with the Point Five Oh upgrade can pop an entire Lead bloon since it can pop 7 layers.
 * In Daily Challenge #136 (Precision Pineapples), all towers' upgrades that allow them to pop Leads are disabled. To pop leads, a Monkey Intelligence Bureau is required, or just use Exploding Pineapples to pop them.
 * Similar situation was previously in daily challenge #99 (Wait, What?); In this challenge however, even Exploding Pineapples are disabled, making Monkey Intelligence Bureau the ONLY way to allow popping Leads.
 * Strangely in BTD5, a x/3 Super Monkey can pop Lead, even though it shoots darts.
 * One logical explanation is offered in BMC: it is stated in the description of the Special Mission "Phase Crystal" that the phase crystal powers the Robo Monkey's suit, (not needed for the Robo Monkey upgrade) and the fact that a 4/0 Dartling Gun Ray of Doom (which requires the Phase Chrystal tile) can pop Lead without the Depleted Bloontonium upgrade, so that could be why Robo Monkeys can pop Lead.
 * Strangely, in BTD6, they cannot pop Lead.
 * Bloons Monkey City states that Lead Bloons are paradoxical, because they are made out of metal but still can float.
 * In Bloons Monkey City Mobile, tiles that show the highest Bloon ranking as Lead Bloons contain Zebras instead, since Leads are internally considered stronger than Zebras.
 * In BTD5 and BMC, the Lead Bloon "donk" sound is much higher pitched and slightly more resonant compared to in BTD3, BTD4, and BTD6.
 * It is the only Ordinary Bloon of BTD5 that does not have any parents.
 * In BTD2, BTD3, and BTD4, the sound made by a sharp object hitting a Lead Bloon is the same as a dart/boomerang hitting a Metal Block in Bloons 1.
 * In BTD5, the Lead Bloon is the only Bloon that does not appear as a Regen Bloon outside of Daily Challenges and Sandbox Mode.
 * After update 4.1 in Battles Mobile where the grouped Zebra Bloons got more expensive, the grouped Lead Bloons that players can send on Round 15 started to become popular due to players being able to send them for only $200, as well as them being hard to defend against especially when combined with the Regrowth modifier.
 * The Lead Bloon, as well as the Ceramic Bloon, are the only Bloons that can have the Camo, Regrowth, and Fortified properties.
 * The Lead Bloon is the second weakest Bloon to not have a parent in the main Bloons Tower Defense series, the first being the BTD4 Camo Bloon.
 * In BMC however, Bloonarius the Inflator can spawn the Lead Bloon at levels 1 & 2.
 * On Rounds 86+ in BTD5, Rounds 30+ in both Bloons Monkey City Flash and Mobile, Rounds 35+ in BTDB Flash, Rounds 43+ in BTDB Mobile, and Rounds 81+ in BTD6, Lead Bloons will only spawn one Black Bloon when popped instead of two. That Black Bloon will also only spawn one Pink Bloon instead of two.
 * The Lead Bloon has likely inspired the Lead, Lead Boss, and Lead Balloon (an obvious reference) from Tower Defense Simulator and Lead Cube and Lead Cube Boss from Cube Defense (both of which are Roblox experiences).