Elite Sniper

"Supply Drop gives much more cash. Grants Elite targeting prio and faster reload to all snipers."

- BTD6 description

 is the final upgrade of Path 2 for the Sniper Monkey in Bloons TD 6. It increases the money gained from Supply Drop from $1,200 to $3,000, as well as allowing all Snipers (including itself) to gain a new "Elite" targeting option along with improving attack cooldown for all other snipers by x0.75 (around +33% attack speed), while giving itself with a x0.4 attack cooldown (equal to +150% attack speed). The Elite Sniper itself retains its normal Supply Drop Sniper attack but with the built-in faster attack speed.

It costs $11,050 on Easy, $13,000 on Medium, $14,040 on Hard, and $15,600 on Impoppable.

Description
Elite Sniper will gain an improved Supply Drop ability for itself, which grants extra cash per ability from itself, an approximately +150% attack speed boost for itself, a +33% attack speed buff to all other Snipers on screen, and a new "Elite" target priority.

Appearance
The Elite Sniper gains a more complex set of goggles, a pair of black gloves, along with a full-black disguise wig. The radio backpack changes from brown and green to entirely black. The black hood loses the orange accents.

Elite Targeting
This upgrade allows all Snipers (including itself) to gain the Elite targeting setting.

The elite targeting option saves the players from microing too often; when set to elite, Snipers will target Strong Bloons normally and then change targeting to First when bloons are near the exit, specifically once bloons reach at least 75% of the bloon track. Snipers set to Elite will also prioritize Ceramic Bloons over MOAB-Class Bloons.

Statistics
TBA

Damage Types
TBA

Costs

 * Updated as of Version 30.1

Summary
Alone, the Elite Sniper is not very strong for its cost, although with crosspathing and simple buffs it can be used to effectively counter mid-game grouped bloons. Its main power, however, comes from buffing the attack speed of all other Snipers on screen, as well as its higher value cash crates. Since the Elite Sniper increases the firing speed of all Sniper Monkeys on screen, this upgrade is extremely useful for players with many Sniper Monkeys, especially with Maim MOABs, Cripple MOAB, Full Auto Rifles, and Elite Defender.

On CHIMPS, Elite Sniper is actually a viable option despite not generating income. It handles mid-game rushes with relative ease, improves all Snipers especially 4-2-0 Maim MOABs, and deals rather effective Super Ceramic cleanup when paired with Downdraft. It costs remarkably less than other Tier 5 options, which does give it an edge over other mid-to-late-game options.

Tips

 * A 2-5-0 Elite Sniper have Shrapnel that deals 2 damage and bullets that deal 7 damage; however, the 0-5-2 Elite Sniper, despite less base Shrapnel and bullet damage (1 and 2 respectively), attacks 2.04x faster, making it have increased DPS potential when buffs (such as 3-x-x Alchemist) or debuffs (such as 5-x-x Sniper) are being used, with the added benefit of having an easier time catching fast bloons.
 * Without support, the 2-5-0 is able to damage both leads and frozen with its bullets and Shrapnel, while 0-5-2 is only able to damage leads and frozen with its bullets.
 * 2-5-0 has the benefit of an additional +10 maximum bounce distance, which may be the difference between interweaving across split lanes and not.
 * One 2-5-0 Sniper can solo Round 63, as of Version 23.0, because the huge pierce from each 2 damage shrapnel combined with 7 damage per bullet allows for a lot of overall damage to grouped bloons. On multi-lane maps with lack of Line of Sight, the same 2-5-0 Sniper can solo Round 63 if given Stronger Stimulant. Link.
 * Combining Elite Sniper with Downdraft can be used to clean up Super Ceramics adequately.

Sounds
When activating Supply Drop Ability:
 * [Jet flyby]

When collecting cash from the Cash Crate:
 * [Cash sound]

Trivia

 * The Elite Sniper is now the cheapest Tier-5 for the upgrade alone ($13,000 on Medium but costs $24,500 on Medium for a 0-5-0 Sniper). However, Ultra-Juggernaut is the cheapest Tier-5 in the game (5-0-0 Dart costs ~$17,000 on Medium).
 * The "Elite Supply Drop" ability plane is the Monkey Ace's Operation: Dart Storm.

Balance changes

 * Elite Sniper was very slightly slower than a Sniper with Even Faster Firing prior to the reworks of the Sniper attack speed, but now it is very slightly faster than a Sniper with Even Faster Firing.
 * Multiple balance changes for Elite Sniper have caused many shifts in "favorable" crosspath.
 * The reworked Shrapnel Shot attack in Version 17.0 made 0-5-2 superior.
 * The Version 19.0 shrapnel damage buff favored Large Calibre.
 * Version 20.0 base attack speed buff improved 2-5-0 again.
 * Version 22.0's shrapnel pierce buffs have further enhanced the 0-5-2 crosspath.
 * Version 23.0's shrapnel pierce buffs have improved both crosspaths in different ways.
 * Version 28.0's rework to shrapnel accepting external buffs in exchange for bullet bounces via pierce buffs has shifted favor to 0-5-2.
 * Version 30.0's bounce distance nerf has shifted favor to 2-5-0 slightly.

Community achievements

 * Elite Sniper is the 75th unique 2MPC tower upgrade listed on the fan-official 2MPC spreadsheet. This is the second time a new unique Sniper 2MPC was achieved. Interestingly, the 0-5-2 Elite Sniper crosspath was used to achieve this, not the 2-5-0 Elite Sniper.
 * The 157th unique 2TC combo belongs to 0-5-2 Wizard Lord Phoenix + 2-5-0 Elite Sniper. This combo has broken the 36 consecutive 2TC appearances streak that Captain Churchill once had.