- For BTD5 counterpart, see Hydra Rocket Pods (BTD5).
| “ | Shoots depleted bloontonium missiles instead of darts, which can pop black and lead Bloons. | ” |
| ~ BTD6 description |
Hydra Rocket Pods is the third upgrade of Path 2 for the Dartling Gunner in BTD6. Instead of darts, the Dartling Gun now shoots deadly missiles that create multiple explosions per missile that deal 1 damage per explosion to up to 6 bloons, with each explosion having a blast radius of ~12. Like the older Hydra Rocket Pods from BTD5, the Hydra Rocket Pods automatically gains normal damage type, allowing it can pop any bloon type, including Black Bloons.
Each missile by default creates 3 explosions on impact (4 explosions with Powerful Darts), similarly to Captain Churchill, with a very brief delay in between each explosion. Unlike any other explosive-based tower, the total number of explosions per missile can be increased with pierce buffs such as Berserker Brew, although for Alchemist buffs the number of increased explosions is decreased (+1 explosion with Berserker Brew, and +2 with Stronger Stimulant or Permanent Brew).
It costs $4,465 on Easy, $5,250 on Medium, $5,670 on Hard, and $6,300 on Impoppable.
Strategy[edit | edit source]
Summary[edit | edit source]
Hydra Rocket Pods advances at destroying grouped bloons by its special feature to create multiple explosions per missile. Because of how the new explosions work, it acts similarly to Captain Churchill by producing up to 3 explosions on impact (or 4 with Powerful Darts), making it effective at handling multiple groups of bloons along straight lines.
Tips[edit | edit source]
- 0-3-2 is better in terms of DPS. This is because giving it more pierce actually makes each rocket create more explosions akin to Captain Churchill. It gains one more explosion in this way.
- 2-3-0 is more accurate, but it loses out on extra numbers of explosions per missile. Focused Firing is the main upgrade to go for when crosspathing with Path 1. Adding Laser Shock only affects the initial hit of the Hydra Rocket Pods, but it does not affect the missile explosions, which otherwise in theory would be the better crosspath.
- With this upgrade, the Dartling Gunner with Hydra Rocket Pods turns into a fast-attacking Captain Churchill. As such, place it where Captain Churchill would be placed, but account for the projectile deviation too.
- There is a special interaction with the Alchemist's buffs where the pierce buffs only gain one fewer extra explosions than usual number of pierce buff units (i.e. +1 explosion with Berserker Brew, and +2 with Stronger Stimulant or Permanent Brew). However, percentage pierce buffs from Homeland Defense double the number of total explosions.
Version History[edit | edit source]
- 22.0 (Dartling Gunner update)
Hydra Rocket Pods costs less ($7000 --> $5250)
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Trivia[edit | edit source]
- The lack of the Depleted Bloontonium Darts upgrade means that a 0-3-0 Hydra Rocket Pods is the cheapest possible Dartling Gunner that naturally can pop Lead.
- 3-0-0 Laser Cannon is the cheapest possible Dartling Gunner that naturally can pop Frozen, making a 0-3-0 Hydra Rocket Pods the second-cheapest in this regard.
- The Dartling Gunner has a unique gas mask and helmet and is similar to the MS-06 Zaku II from the mecha anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.
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