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| “ | Trained in the arts of monkey magic, the Monkey Apprentice weaves magical bolts of power that pop bloons. Each shot can pop 2 bloons. Can upgrade to cast additional spells. | ” |
| ~ Flash description |
The Monkey Apprentice is a tower in Bloons TD 5, Bloons TD Battles, and Bloons Monkey City. It retains its role from Bloons TD 4, but with a significant rework.
The Monkey Apprentice attacks by casting magic bolts at nearby Bloons, which has above-average range but a below-average attack speed. It can pop up 2 Bloons with each bolt, and can pop any Bloon type, but it cannot detect Camo Bloons without the Monkey Sense upgrade. Its upgrades primarily allow it to cast other types of spells, including fire and storm magic.
Description[]
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This section is incomplete. You can help by expanding it. |
Upgrades[]
Path 1[]
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Intense Magic COST: $255 / $300 / $325 / $360 UNLOCK: 140 XP | |
| Description: Shoots larger and more powerful magical bolts.
Effect: Increases pierce from 2 to 7 and doubles projectile size. | ||
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Lightning Bolt COST: $1,020 / $1,200 / $1,295 / $1,440 UNLOCK: 1,280 XP | |
| Description: Unleash the power of lightning to zap many bloons at once.
Effect: Gains a lightning attack that jumps to up to 2 other targets, dealing 1 damage to up to 11 Bloons near each target, striking a total of up to 33 Bloons (30 Bloons in the Flash versions). Has a cooldown of 2.3s (2.2s in BMC Flash). | ||
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Summon Whirlwind COST: $1,700 / $2,000 / $2,160 / $2,400 UNLOCK: 4,870 XP | |
| Description: Whirlwind blows bloons off the path away from the exit. Removes ice and glue from bloons however.
Effect: Gains a whirlwind attack that inflicts blowback on up to 30 Bloons, but deals no damage. Bloons hit by the attack lose any glue and freeze effects (though Frozen Bloons still block them, meaning each whirlwind can only defrost one Bloon before expiring). Also gets blocked by Lead Bloons. In the Flash versions, this attack does not remove glue (despite what the description states) and defrosts all Frozen Bloons rather than being blocked by them, and does not get blocked by Lead Bloons, but has only 20 pierce instead of 30. Has a cooldown of 2.5s. | ||
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Tempest Tornado COST: $6,800 / $8,000 / $8,640 / $9,600 UNLOCK: 25,590 XP | |
| Description: The tempest blows more bloons, faster, further and more often. Also pops bloons once before blowing. Removes ice and glue from bloons however.
Effect: Increases damage to 1, pierce to 70, and reduces cooldown to 1.75s, increasing its attack speed by ~43%. Can pop Lead Bloons in the Flash versions rather than being blocked by them. | ||
Path 2[]
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Fireball COST: $255 / $300 / $325 / $360 UNLOCK: 495 XP | |
| Description: The Apprentice adds a powerful fireball attack to its arsenal.
Effect: Gains a fireball attack that deals 1 damage to up to 30 Bloons in a large area, but cannot pop Black Bloons. Has a cooldown of 2.3s. In the Flash versions, instead hits up to 40 Bloons and has a cooldown of 2.2s. | ||
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Monkey Sense COST: $255 / $300 / $325 / $360 UNLOCK: 2,140 XP | |
| Description: Allows the Monkey Apprentice to target and pop camo bloons. Does not grant detection to other towers.
Effect: Self-explanatory | ||
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Dragon's Breath COST: $3,570 / $4,200 / $4,535 / $5,040 UNLOCK: 8,600 XP | |
| Description: Spews endless flames at nearby bloons, roasting and popping them with ease.
Effect: Gains a fire-breath attack that rapidly shoots flame projectiles with a spread of 30° (0.4 radians in the Flash versions), which deals 1 damage to up to 3 Bloons each (4 Bloons in BMC Flash). Has a cooldown of 0.07s, or 0.08s in the Flash versions. | ||
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Summon Phoenix COST: $4,250 / $5,000 / $5,400 / $6,000 UNLOCK: 44,280 XP | |
| Description: Summon Phoenix Ability: Creates a super powerful flying phoenix that flies around wreaking bloon havoc for 20 seconds.
Effect: Gains an Activated Ability that summons a phoenix sub-tower, which flies in a clockwise circle above the track and lasts for 20 seconds. The phoenix shoots flames at nearby Bloons with a cooldown of ~0.043s, with each flame dealing 1 damage, having 5 pierce, and having no spread. In the Flash versions, the phoenix lasts for 25 seconds, unlike what the description states, and its attack has a cooldown of 0.08s. The ability has a cooldown of 60 seconds. | ||
In Bloons TD 5[]
The Monkey Apprentice is unlocked at rank 14. Its tier 4 upgrades are unlocked at rank 33 in the Flash version, or rank 34 in the mobile version.
A special version of the Monkey Apprentice known as the Wizard Lord appears in a Special Mission of the same name.
It costs $465 on Easy, $550 on Medium, $595 on Hard, and $660 on Impoppable.
Differences between BTD5 Flash and BTD5 Deluxe[]
2-X Lightning Bolt costs more ($1200 → $1250).
Premium Upgrade[]
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Tiny Tornadoes BTD5 Flash:  100 /  15BTD5 Deluxe: 1,800 | |
| Description: Makes those awesome tornados[sic] more awesomer. Now all tornadoes spawn 3 small copies of themselves, each of which can send bloons flying back to an entrance.
Effect: Upon expiring, whirlwinds spawn three smaller whirlwinds with 120° spread, with each tornado having the same pierce (20). | ||
Specialty Building[]
The Monkey Apprentice is enhanced when using the Mage Spire, but is more expensive when using the Super Monkey Lair.
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Mage Spire
TOTAL COST: 5,250
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| I | 1,000
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Description: Reduces tower and upgrade cost by 5% Increases the cost of Super Monkeys and upgrades by 5% | ||
| II | 1,000
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Description: Increases range by 10%
Effect: Increases attack speed by 10%. | ||
| III | 1,500
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Description: Adds an additional seeking bolt attack
Effect: Gains a seeking bolt attack that deals 1 damage, has 7 pierce, and has a cooldown of 3 seconds. | ||
| IV | 1,750
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Description: Sends out 3 extra small tornadoes for every normal tornado
Effect: Upon expiring, whirlwinds spawn three smaller whirlwinds with 120° spread. The smaller whirlwinds are similar, but have only 10 pierce. | ||
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Mage Spire
TOTAL COST: 2,500
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| I | 750
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Description: Reduces the cost of Apprentices and their upgrades by 5% Increases the cost of Super Monkeys and their upgrades by 5% | ||
| II | 750
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Description: Increases attack speed of Apprentices by 10%
Effect: Self-explanatory | ||
| III | 1,000
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Description: Adds a new additional magic bolt attack that seeks out its target
Effect: Gains a seeking bolt attack that deals 1 damage, has 7 pierce, and has a cooldown of 3 seconds. | ||
In Bloons TD Battles[]
In the Flash version, the Monkey Apprentice can be purchased for 
20 starting at 
500, white Its tier 4 upgrades can be purchased for 60. In the mobile version, it can be purchased for 10 starting at 20, while its tier 3 upgrades can be purchased for 45 starting at 170, and its tier 4 upgrades can be purchased for 65 starting at 420.
It costs $550 to place in-game.
Differences between BTD5 Flash and BTD Battles Flash[]
- 4-X Tempest Tornado costs less ($8000 → $4500).
- X-3 Dragon's Breath costs less ($4200 → $3600).
Cards[]
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This section is incomplete. You can help by expanding it. |
Mobile version history[]
The Monkey Apprentice has been buffed via game updates, as a lot of its upgrades have been made cheaper, most notably Dragon's Breath. The Monkey Apprentice is still considered quite a popular tower, having good all round popping power and providing cheap Camo Lead defence. Some popular loadouts include Ninja Farm Apprentice, Boat Farm Apprentice, Heli Farm Apprentice, Apprentice Farm Chipper, Apprentice Farm Ice, and Engineer COBRA Apprentice.
- 3.1
- Tempest Tornado price decreased ($8000 → $4500).
- Dragon's Breath price decreased ($4200 → $3600).
- 3.9
- Dragon's Breath price decreased ($3600 → $3200).
- Summon Phoenix price decreased ($5000 → $4000).
- 4.1
| “ | Again, this is a relatively uncommon tower in the higher end arenas. These reductions should make it a more viable option for early lead and camo-lead popping power! | ” |
| ~ "BTD Battles Update 4.1 - Big Balance Changes Incoming!" |
- Intense Magic price decreased ($300 → $200).
- Fireball price decreased ($300 → $200).
- Monkey Sense price decreased ($300 → $250).
- Dragon's Breath price decreased ($3200 → $2600).
- Summon Phoenix now deals an extra +1 damage to MOAB-class bloons (effectively dealing double damage to them now).
- 4.3
| “ | The Apprentice's Fireball upgrade is really useful in earlier rounds (especially if your opponent is piling on the pressure with tightly-grouped eco bloons) but it currently gets overwhelmed a little faster than we'd like it to. Buffing the explosion radius should help with that. | ” |
| ~ "BTD Battles 4.3 Update Balance Changes" |
- Fireball has a 20% larger explosion radius.
- 6.9
- Monkey Apprentice price decreased ($550 → $500)
- Fireball price increased ($200 → $250)
- 6.11
- Fireball no longer creates more fireball explosions when given pierce buffs
- 6.13
- Tempest Tornado cost decreased ($4500 → $4200)
- Tempest Tornado can now blow back Lead Bloons
- [undocumented] Tempest Tornado now only blows back Ceramics
- 6.13.3
- Tempest Tornado damage type is now corrected to actually blow all Bloon types including Lead Bloons as intended
- 6.14
- Monkey Apprentice base pierce increased (2 → 3)
- Intense Magic base pierce increased (5 → 6)
- Summon Phoenix duration increased (20s → 23s)
- 6.15
- Summon Whirlwind attack speed increased by +10%
- Summon Whirlwind price increased ($2000 → $2100)
In Bloons Monkey City[]
The Monkey Apprentice's population is increased by building Wizard's Towers, which are unlocked at City Level 5. Its upgrades can be researched by building the School of Wizardry. Its tier 4 upgrades require building the Wind Spire and Fiery Pit respectively, in order to be researched.
It is favored on Volcano Terrain, but is restricted on Jungle Terrain. It is also one of the two towers that can be used on Consecrated Ground.
It costs $550 normally, or $595 on Hardcore Mode.
Differences between BTD5 Flash and BMC Flash[]
- 2-X Lightning Bolt has a shorter cooldown (2.3s → 2.2s).
- X-3 Dragon's Breath has more pierce (3 → 4).
Monkey Knowledge[]
| 1 | Base attack cooldown reduced by 5% | 6 | Base attack cooldown reduced by 10% | 11 | Base attack cooldown reduced by 15% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cooldown on fireball reduced by 5% | 7 | Cooldown on fireball reduced by 10% | 12 | Cooldown on fireball reduced by 15% |
| 3 | Whirlwind pierce increased by 2 | 8 | Whirlwind pierce increased by 4 | 13 | Whirlwind pierce increased by 6 |
| 4 | 50% chance that Regrow Bloons hit by lightning are stripped of their regrow property | 9 | 60% chance that Regrow Bloons hit by lightning are stripped of their regrow property | 14 | 70% chance that Regrow Bloons hit by lightning are stripped of their regrow property |
| 5 | Phoenix lasts 3 seconds longer | 10 | Phoenix lasts 6 seconds longer | 15 | Phoenix lasts 9 seconds longer |
Strategy[]
- Be advised that Apprentices are arguably the worst offensive tower in BTD5, due to their abysmal single-target damage at lower tiers, lack of pierce and overall damage with Dragon's Breath and Summon Phoenix, and potential to create unintended Regrow Farms with Lightning Bolt, Summon Whirlwind, and Tempest Tornado.
- In BTD4 and BTD5, since they can push back bloons, it is a good idea to place the tower near loops or near the end of the track.
- Several of them bunched together can sometimes work very well on strong bloons.
- Apprentices with Dragon's Breath are best at the start of the track because they can pop any incoming Leads and weaker bloons with ease, especially if Lightning Bolt is purchased.
- They can pop Lead Bloons in BTD5 even without upgrades, so if you don't have enough cash for a bomb tower by round 28+, then place an apprentice.
- Summon Whirlwind and Tempest Tornado are useful in Regen Farming in BTD5.
- Monkey Apprentices with at least Lightning Bolt can be used in groups to quickly dispose of clustered bloons.
- However, in BTD6, the ability to summon lightning is found exclusively in the Druid as Heart of Thunder
- They should not be used against Ceramics or MOAB-Class bloons without Dragon's Breath, as they do little damage to them.
- Watch out for Regrow Bloons if players rely heavily on Monkey Apprentices. Since Lightning Bolt can pop bloons practically anywhere on a track, this can potentially allow them time to regrow and start a Regrow Farm.
Quotes[]
| “ | Throws magic bolts that can pop 2 bloons each. | ” |
| ~ Mobile versions description |
| “ | Masters of storm and fire, Monkey Apprentices work at any track position & can deal with camo-lead bloons. Powerful upgrades include: Monkey Sense, Lightning Bolt, Summon Whirlwind, Dragon's Breath. | ” |
| ~ BMC summary description |
Gallery[]
All the possible appearances for Monkey Apprentice in BTD5.
Path 1 upgrades
Path 2 upgrades
All Apprentice upgrades
Monkey Apprentice (with Intense Magic Upgrade) in Bloons Monkey City
Trivia[]
- The Monkey Apprentice used to function completely differently in the Flash version of BTD5. Prior to V230312 (the 23 March 2012 update), the Monkey Apprentice was much more like its iteration in Bloons TD 4 in that its extra attacks were added to a sequence with its base attack, all sharing the same cooldown, rather than having their own cooldowns. The code for these sequence-based attacks still exist in the data of BTD5 Flash, BTD5 Deluxe, BTD Battles Flash, and Bloons Monkey City Flash, but are unused.
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