Adds a large missile array and powerful machine guns.
”
~ In-game description
Apache Dartship is the fourth upgrade of Path 1 for the Heli Pilot in Bloons TD 6. In addition to retaining its Quad Darts attack and improving Razor Rotors attacks, the Heli Pilot gains a powerful machine gun and an array of 4 long-range homing missiles. The machine gun darts deal 1 damage, have 7 pierce, and fire every 0.05 seconds. The 4 rockets deal 2 damage with 40 pierce and fire every 1.0 seconds. Additionally, the rotors attack gains more damage and pierce, damage increased from 2 to 4 and pierce increased from 10 to 20. Main darts also get -25% attack cooldown, reducing from 0.57s to 0.4275s.
This upgrade costs $16,660 on Easy, $19,600 on Medium, $21,170 on Hard, and $23,520 on Impoppable. If this tower is nearby Level 6+ Rosalia's workshop, this upgrade costs $14,995 on Easy, $17,640 on Medium, $19,055 on Hard, and $21,170 on Impoppable.
As befits its name, Apache Dartship takes on an appearance very similar to the real-life AH-64 Apache, gaining the signature sloped cockpit canopy, nose-mounted machine gun, and rocket pods. It retains the razor sharp rotors gained from Razor Rotors. Like all Tier 4 Heli Pilots, the pilot is no longer visible, and is likely inside the helicopter itself.
Apache Dartship retains all the attacks of previous upgrades, whilst adding two new ones: a nose-mounted machine gun, and an array of 4 homing missile launchers. The machine gun fires Sharp darts every 0.05 seconds, dealing 1 damage each with 7 pierce. The missiles are fired in groups of 4 every 1 second, and deal 2 damage with 40 pierce. Both of these new attacks possess Moderate Seeking.
Targeting Priorities[]
Apache Dartship utilizes touch-based mobility and self-mobility to move around the screen with different flight targetings. It shoots various types of straight movement projectiles, all of which originate from the Heli Pilot with its independent range like an ordinary tower.
Follow Touch / Follow Mouse: Moves to where the player taps. On desktop versions, Follow Touch instead becomes Follow Mouse, which will make the Heli Pilot move to wherever the cursor is currently at.
Lock In Place: Stops the Heli Pilot where it is when the Target Priority is selected. Can be adjusted to choose a different locked location.
Patrol: Patrols between two spots chosen by the player. Can be adjusted to choose different points.
Pursuit: Equivalent to the target priority First, except the Heli Pilot will follow in front of the bloons while shooting them. It is unlocked with the purchase of the second upgrade on the first path, with the same name as the target priority. Once upgraded to the respective upgrade, it automatically switches to this target priority.
The Heli Pilot's main attacks always default on First based on the range of the helicopter's weaponry. Its rotor attack is locked on Close.
Full Popology[]
Statistics[]
Updated as of Version 44.0
Base stats
Landing Base has a rectangular footprint of 27x27. "Dummy range" of 22. Upon placement, spawn Heli Pilot as the main tower.
Heli Pilot moves at a flight speed of 40. Can be set on Follow Touch / Follow Mouse, Lock In Place, Patrol Points, or Pursuit. Creates Dart, Missile, and Machine Gun projectiles from centre of Heli Pilot if detecting bloons within range. Passively generate Razor Rotor.
Follow Touch / Follow Mouse: move towards wherever the screen was last touched, or wherever the cursor is on screen.
Lock In Place: move towards the locked location, otherwise stop moving
Patrol Points: move between two points, and also pursue bloons within that range in a stadium-shaped formation.
Pursuit: move towards bloon on screen, following the first bloon
Dart:
Projectile, sharp type, 42 range, double spray of 2 ("spray of 4"), 0.4275s attack cooldown, 1 damage, 3 pierce. Projectile size of 3. Projectile speed of 260, projectile lifespan of 1s.
4-0-2: Dart attack cooldpwn decreased from 0.4275s to 0.342s, Razor Rotor attack cooldown decreased from 0.45s to 0.36s, Rocket attack cooldown decreased from 1.0s to 0.75s, Machine Gun attack cooldown decreased from 0.05s to 0.04s.
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The Apache Dartship is usually used as a midgame tower, especially as a stepping stone up to the T5 upgrade, Apache Prime. The 4-0-2 Dartship can generally be used in the midgame until round 80+ on single-path maps, with some minor additional support. It is very important to budget properly to afford Apache Prime before it is too late, as the Dartship tends to struggle against super ceramics. In comparison to Comanche Defense, Apache Dartship has a harder saveup from the T3 into T4, alongside an even harder saveup into the T5, although Apache Dartship and Apache Prime are arguably more powerful at overall raw damage than the Comanche upgrade path.
Tips[]
The 4-0-2 Apache Dartship generally is better than the 4-2-0 Apache Dartship, due to the increased attack speed. However, if higher mobility or internal camo detection is needed, use the 4-2-0 Apache Dartship instead.
Although the Dartship is extremely powerful even when set on Pursuit, it is even more effective if the player manually controls it, so as to control the direction of its attacks on especially hard rounds. This is especially so for utilizing its rotor attack more efficiently.
The Apache Dartship tends to struggle against super ceramics, since the Heli Pilot struggles to deal enough damage while trying to catch up with the ceramics, due to their speed and high health.
Apache Dartship is alright versus Round 63, as the combination of its high attack speed and good overall pierce of all its attacks, especially its rotors, help clear out dense clumps of bloons.
Apache Dartship is fairly strong on CT Least Tiers as an upgrade of the Razor Rotors to better handle the mid-game. However, the saveup during the 40's can be tough with only Razor Rotors as the main defense.
The Apache Dartship has some problems defending against Fortified MOABs, but a simple blimp debuff (e.g. Embrittlement or Glue Strike) or blimp slowdown or stun should help reduce its struggles.
Version History[]
Balance Changes[]
Overall, the Apache Dartship has been buffed since it was first released. The upgrade is now only slightly less expensive than it was on initial release, and its special attacks gained considerable buffs. It gained a price nerf in both Version 8.0 and 9.0 to avoid easy Deflation setups. Version 31.0 buffed Apache Dartship due to its difficult save-up till Apache Prime compared to a similar saveup from Operation: Dart Storm into Sky Shredder.
Initial release
Cost increased ($17,500 → $20,000)
4.0
Cost decreased ($20,000 → $15,000).
8.0
Cost increased ($15,000 → $19,500).
Rocket damage increased (1 → 2).
Machine gun fire rate increased by 25%.
9.0
Cost increased ($19,500 → $19,600).
20.0
Affected by Razor Rotors area-of-damage size buff.
24.0
Affected by Razor Rotors damage buff.
31.0
“
[...] Apache Dartship has also fallen off over time as a viable saveup for prime, though it is meant to be reasonably difficult some changes have made this a little more difficult than it probably should be so we have increased the pierce of the machinegun attack.
Heli’s Razor Rotors don’t scale with higher tiers so improvements have been made specifically to that attack for Dartship & Apache Prime. [...]
”
~ Ninja Kiwi
Apache Dartship Rotors damage increased (2 → 4)
Apache Dartship Rotors pierce increased (10 → 20)
37.0
“
Even with the map-range advantage, rotors are weak compared to any other constant AoE circle like this. [...]
”
~ Ninja Kiwi, referring to Razor Rotors
4-0-2 Apache Dartship's rotor attack will now gain 0.80x attack cooldown from the Faster Firing crosspath
Apache Dartship's rotor attack cooldown rate reduced from 0.75s to 0.5s
41.0
“
Pursuit will now interact with Patrol Points in a limited 'pursuit between points', with this now you will be able to make your pursuit heli stay on one side on multi-path maps without getting stuck in the middle. Razor Rotors is fairly good now, but it could still justify a little more power given the weaknesses of the expensive upgrades that it builds into.
”
~ Ninja Kiwi
4-0-x Apache Dartship rotors attack cooldown reduced from 0.5s to 0.45s
4-0-2 Apache Dartship rotors attack cooldown reduced from 0.4s to 0.36s
Affected by Pursuit + Patrol Points enhanced algorithm addition
Bug Fixes and General Changes[]
This section is incomplete. You can help by expanding it.
Extra Notes (Version History)[]
Version 44.0 buffed Rosalia's Level 6+ discount from 5% to 10%, which changed the prices of Apache Dartship when buffed by her:
Easy: $15825 → $14995
Medium: $18620 → $17640
Hard: $20110 → $19050
Impoppable: $22345 → $21170
Gallery[]
Crosspathing (Top: Path 2, Bottom: Path 3)
4-0-0 Apache shooting missiles at a Red Bloon
Apache Dartship missile explosions within tight targeting
Apache Dartship missile explosions within wide targeting
Apache Dartship rotors dealing 4 damage and having higher pierce
Darts and machine gun shooting within helicopter range, missiles with extended range
Apache Dartship spam versus multiple DDTs, demonstrating the improved rotors
Apache Dartship shooting its machine gun darts and normal quad darts
Enough XP to unlock Apache Dartship
Official artwork[]
Upgrade portrait
Upgrade icon
Instamonkey icon
Projectiles[]
Apache Dartship rocket
Trivia[]
This upgrade is somewhat similar to the Spectre, as both shoot some combination of explosives and darts at similar pricepoints while also having a flight advantage.
Additionally, both got a cost nerf in return for a damage output buff, because both used to be easy Deflation strategies.
The Apache Dartship is a reference to the AH-64 Apache, a military helicopter which is still in use today.
The Apache Dartship's missiles do not in fact have infinite range, but the range is quite large.
Prior to Version 8.0, Apache Dartship was often used to easily beat Deflation. However, it was rebalanced that update to deal more damage, but at a higher cost. Soon after, a strategy involving Monkey Knowledge and Village discounting was developed, allowing for an Apache to still be purchased with only $55 left. This was fixed in version 9.0 with a $100 price increase.
The front machine gun has a spin up and spin down animation, though it does not actually affect attack speed.