Crosspathing/Ice Monkey

In Bloons TD 6, it is important to choose the best crosspathing for a specific tower in order to receive the best benefits out of that tower type. Towers have special roles to play for each stage of the game. The Ice Monkey in its core is a source of freezing, mainly for a supporting role at slowing down bloons.

Introduction
Ice Monkey is really a one-of-a-kind tower. It freezes bloons place though at a very short range, which prevents attacks with the Sharp damage type to damage bloons. While this can cause some negative synergies with physical based strategies, it can prove useful as an effective stalling tactic on energy based strategies. In path 1, Ice becomes able to increase the harshness of the cold with upgrades like Metal Freeze and Ice Shards. In Path 2, Ice focuses on the area effectiveness of the cold, with upgrades like Enhanced freeze and Artic Wind. In Path 3, Ice turns into a more traditionally tower, trading Area coverage for a lot more range compared to it bae Ice Monkey, with upgrades like Larger Radius and Cryo Cannon.

Tier 2 and below



 * 0-0-0: Due to its extremely short range, it should be crosspathed to add value with its extremely short range. 0-0-0 can be spammed as an emergency measure to catching Super Ceramics, but will only have the default freeze effects unless pre-upgraded before it can target bloons.
 * 1-0-0: This makes it so that the Bloons move slowly even after being unfrozen.
 * 0-1-0: This makes it so that Ice Monkey attacks faster and freezes longer. Note that this crosspath affects both Path 1 Path 3 also, in terms of attack speed.
 * 0-0-1: It now has larger, yet still small range compared to other towers.
 * 1-1-0: Combines the slowness after thawing out with the increased attack speed and longer time frozen bloons.
 * 1-0-1: Combines the slowness after thawing out with the larger radius
 * 0-1-1: Combines the increased attack speed and larger radius
 * 2-0-0: It can affect freeze and pop lead bloons and can detect camo.
 * 0-2-0: It can freeze up to two layers of bloons. To make it easier to understand this, attacks that can pop frozen bloons made by this crosspath will not cause the bloons to immediately unfreeze for extra one layer (up to 2, as the upgrade description states), which was the case before this crosspath.
 * 0-0-2: This makes it so that the Ice Monkey can freeze bloons that are already frozen. However, it needs 0-1-0 to actually do this on its own.
 * 2-1-0: Combines Lead freeze and popping power with the increased attack speed.
 * 2-2-0: Combines Lead freeze and popping power with the increased freeze resistance to layers being popped.
 * 1-2-0: Combines the slowness after thawing out with the increased freeze resistance to layers being popped.
 * 0-2-1: Combines the increased resistance to layers being popped, with the larder radius.
 * 1-0-2: Combines the slowness after thawing out with the ability to freeze bloons that are already frozen. Though it can be seen as a waste due to the fact that a lone Ice Monkey with this crosspath can't stall bloons without path 2.
 * 2-0-2: Combines the lead Freeze and popping power with the ability to freeze bloons that are already frozen.
 * 0-1-2: It is a notable crosspath for good reason, mainly its stalling power. Very strong for its cost at pure stalling, with exception of Whites and Zebras. Mostly used during the late-game for massive stalling of Super Ceramics especially when paired with Downdraft for an insane cheap price.
 * 0-2-2: Combines the increased freeze resistance to layers popped with the ability to freeze bloons that are already frozen. In practice, it is mainly useful in the mid-game when paired with other towers.

Ice Shards

 * 3-0-0: Ice Shards adds a temporary shardable status effect onto all bloons affected by its ice blasts, causing popped bloons to burst out shards. Crosspathing is not too important but is desirable for the maximum effects.
 * 3-1-0: More bloons can be frozen per time, but cannot activate its own shards under any circumstances. Pair with other towers to make the most of the 3-1-0 crosspath.
 * 3-2-0: Shardable status effect has not yet been proven to soak through layers, but it doesn't hurt to add 3-2-0. May give better popping potential here.
 * 3-0-1: Ice Shards already gains a decent range boost, but if more range is desired, like on Downstream, 3-0-1 may be useful.
 * 3-0-2: Can activate its own shards when given sufficient attack speed, or using multiple 3-0-2 desynced with each other can cause a similar sharding effect to BTD5 Ice Shards except weaker.

Embrittlement

 * 4-0-0: strips camo and regrow, and makes frozen bloons and blimps become temporarily brittle and temporarily vulnerable to sharp and freezing damage. It is even more desirable to give an Embrittlement with crosspathing for maximum performance, but again not required to become truly useful.
 * 4-1-0: With Enhanced Freeze, it is fast enough to activate its own shards upon the second consecutive hit, similar to a BTD5 Ice Shards but much weaker.
 * 4-2-0: Shardable status effect has not yet been proven to soak through layers, but it doesn't hurt to add 3-2-0. May give better popping potential here.
 * 4-0-1: Unlike the earlier Ice Shards, extra range isn't too important here compared to the attack speed.
 * 4-0-2: Embrittlement already can re-freeze the same bloons with its brittle effects, so 4-0-2 is generally useless unless paired with Ice Monkeys without the Embrittlement upgrade.

Super Brittle

 * 5-0-0: inflicts a higher vulnerability to affected bloons, +4 to be precise. Also can strip DDT camo. Crosspathing a Super Brittle is useful but not essential.
 * 5-1-0: Faster attack speed will help let it hit more blimps per unit time.
 * 5-2-0: Deep Freeze is generally not necessary as it cannot soak through blimp layers, regular bloons become really brittle anyway, and Super Ceramics won't have much of an effect with Deep Freeze.
 * 5-0-1: Wider freeze coverage allows Super Brittle to affect a wider range. Blimps have quite large hitboxes already but the base Super Brittle's range is still quite tiny, so it could be worth adding.
 * 5-0-2: Re-Freeze actually refreshes the debuff-and-brittle effect, especially noticeable on blimps and most particularly DDTs, contrary to popular belief after the Version 25.0 update. Therefore, Re-Freeze is now necessary to refresh Super Brittle's debuff and brittle effects. Its brittle-and-debuff status effect lasts a lot longer than its attack speed, so provided it has sufficient pierce then it will refresh duration if hit the same bloon consecutive times.

Arctic Wind

 * 0-3-0: Arctic Wind adds an Arctic Wind aura that slows down freeze-vulnerable bloons within range as well as allowing land towers to be placed on water. It also freezes more bloons per attack. Crosspathing with worth adding to assist with its support potential, whether it be to slow bloons more effectively or to expand the size of the Arctic Wind aura.
 * 1-3-0: Bloons will become even slower, because they would need to pass through the Arctic Wind aura and undergo Permafrost effect. However, Arctic Wind does still have a small range. 1-3-0 tends to clump up bloons more than keep them in place as 0-3-2 would do.
 * 2-3-0: Allows Leads and Camos to be affected by Arctic Wind too.
 * 0-3-1: Adds more range to increase Arctic Wind influence range and wider range for the ice platforms. This crosspath alone is mainly for purposes of ice platforms.
 * 0-3-2: Can basically permafreeze bloons, especially Ceramics.

Snowstorm

 * 0-4-0: Besides more range, Snowstorm gains an ability that freezes all bloons on screen, except Leads if not given lead-popping from any source. Crosspathing choice is often based on that for Arctic Wind, given that Snowstorm's increased range improves the Arctic Wind aura's coverage, but 2-4-0 may be used if external lead-popping sources are not plausible for its ability to affect DDTs.
 * 1-4-0: Permafrost also can apply to its ability, but the Permafrost effect will never affect MOAB-class bloons until getting Tier 5 upgrades of any kind. 1-4-0 ability is useful against bloons.
 * 2-4-0: Without lead-popping sources such as MIB or AMD, this crosspath is the only way for Snowstorm to affect Leads and DDTs, especially for its ability.
 * 0-4-1: Gains more range to further expand Arctic Wind effects, especially bloon slowdown aura and ice platform coverage.
 * 0-4-2: Can refreeze bloons to near-permastall Ceramics. Helpful if needing to stall Super Ceramics.

Absolute Zero

 * 0-5-0: Activating Absolute Zero requires no initial cooldown and therefore can be used to freeze all bloons on screen on-demand with sell-and-rebuy strategies, and usually only requires 0-5-0. As for using Absolute Zero without sell-and-rebuy, Absolute Zero can directly target MOAB-class but not freeze them, the main attack gains more range, ability cooldown decreases and ability increases attack speed of all Ice Monkeys. Crosspathing improves the Absolute Zero's potential. Path 1 crosspath is more beneficial against blimps while Path 3 keeps its original Arctic Wind optimization principles.
 * 1-5-0: Main attack can inflict Permafrost to any bloon including MOAB-class. Once struck against blimps, blimps will move at 25% permanently until popped. The same applies to its ability.
 * 2-5-0: The ability already freezes Leads and DDTs even without crosspaths, but 2-5-0 allows DDTs to be inflicted with Permafrost with its main attack.
 * 0-5-1: Wider range for a wider influence of the Arctic Wind effect.
 * 0-5-2: Near-permanently stalls Ceramics. It also takes advantage of its improved 300 pierce, which allows it to catch lots more Ceramics.

Cryo Cannon

 * 0-0-3: Cryo Cannon converts the Ice Monkey into a more traditional, projectile-based attacker. It shoots freezing snowballs at bloons at a much quicker rate. As such, it is most effective as a catcher of Super Ceramics in the late-game. Crosspathing is worth adding to assist with its powerful freezing potential, especially because it loses a small amount of pierce in exchange for more damage.
 * 1-0-3: Permafrost is a worthy upgrade to add, because Cryo Cannon attacks quite fast anyway. However, Permafrost is rarely useful in a practical sense due to the fact that Cryo Cannon basically permafreezes the affected bloon(s) in place.
 * 2-0-3: This particular crosspath is mostly dedicated to the reliable catching of Golden Bloons. A 2-0-3 Cryo Cannon is sufficient enough to permanently freeze a Golden Bloon and inevitably lead to its eventual death, at least until much later rounds where the Golden Bloon gains freeze immunity. By this point, a MIB should be readily affordable.
 * 0-1-3: Generally the better upgrade for the Cryo Cannon, as it attacks faster so that it can catch Super Ceramics and ordinary Ceramics better.
 * 0-2-3: Normally, Deep Freeze is redundant on a Cryo Cannon, as it already freezes bloons quite fast anyway and therefore can reapply a freeze quite quickly before another tower unfreezes those bloons.

Icicles

 * 0-0-4: Icicles adds spikes to each bloon hit by the snowball attack. Crosspathing improves its damage potential. Note that Icicles isn't as good at stalling compared to Cryo Cannon or 0-1-2 Ice, but it handles mid-game rushes better in exchange for that.
 * 1-0-4: Permafrost is a worthy upgrade to add, because Icicles attacks quite fast anyway. However, Permafrost is rarely useful in a practical sense due to the fact that the icicles can eat away at bloons anyway, rendering Permafrost less useful on all except groups of Ceramics and when microing its targeting.
 * 2-0-4: Useful on "hard and heavy" rounds, especially Round 63, given that Leads may block out the spikes.
 * 0-1-4: Increases attack speed for a much better hybridized freeze and damage.
 * 0-2-4: Normally, Deep Freeze is redundant on a Icicles, just like with Cryo Cannon. Plus, the icicles can shred bloons every time they hit them.

Icicle Impale

 * 0-0-5: Icicle Impale allows the Ice Monkey to directly target MOAB-class, and hitting them slows them down immensely and deals a considerable amount of damage. It also attacks slightly faster than normal. Crosspathing is worth adding to improve its support role at both freezing and supporting damage.
 * 1-0-5: Apply permafrost to blimps, generally useless because impale freezes blimps to a halt anyways.
 * 2-0-5: Can hit and freeze DDTs. Does not require a Radar Scanner because Cold Snap adds built-in camo detection.
 * 0-1-5: Faster attack speed and better at stalling moab class bloons.
 * 0-2-5: Almost useless, given bloons layer soak does virtually no difference to its MOAB-class stalling.

Strategy
TBA