How to Beat Vortex in Bloons TD6  

Vortex is one of Bloons TD6’s five Boss Bloons you must conquer. If you’re ready to defeat the high-speed Deadly Master of Air, we have some tips for you!

Bloons TD6 is one of the best titles if you’re looking for a classic tower defense game with many challenges. One of the hardest tasks in the game is the seasonal Boss Bloon challenges, which could unleash your competitive side! 

Vortex, dubbed the Deadly Master of Air, is one of the five Boss Bloons in the game. The Boss Bloons in BTD6 typically rotate “weekly,” with the Vortex typically coming after the Lych. 

If you’re ready to conquer the leaderboard or gain your first Vortex badge, we’ve written a guide below on how to beat Vortex in Bloons TD6!

Vortex: Deadly Master of Air Abilities and Levels 

Increased Speed

Vortex is all about speed. His main passive ability grants 2.5x movement speed to all Bloons coming behind it, so you should be prepared for a high-speed battle starting at Level 40. Given this, you should use slowing defensive towers that could slow other Bloons while you take down this huge boss. 

For maps with multiple lanes, all Bloons spawned while Vortex is on screen also gain this speed boost. The Bloons will also maintain faster movement even after the boss is defeated until the last Bloon spawns while Vortex is alive and reaches the spot where the boss is popped. 

Stuns nearby towers

One of the biggest challenges to defeating Vortex is that it stuns nearby towers. On one of my playthroughs, I focused on using the Tack Zone + Embrittle strategy, but I lost because Vortex stunned my defensive towers, and all fast-coming Bloons leaked and ended my run. 

Some of the top considerations for this mechanic include investing in multiple defense towers or using a long-range Monkey (Monkey Ace, Sniper Monkey, or Submarine) to avoid rendering your main defense line useless. 

Removes projectiles

Aside from stunning nearby towers, Vortex also blows a gust of wind that clears the track of any projectile. These include Bananas and other select items. If you’re not using the Marketplace upgrade for the Banana Farm, be nimble when collecting your hard-earned money. 

Storm shield

When you clear a skull or “level” of the Vortex, it obtains a 6-second storm shield that deflects projectiles. Some projectiles bypassing this shield include Sniper Monkey bullets, the Plasma Accelerator (4-x-x Dartling Gunner), and darts and projectiles inside the shield. 

Early Strategy for Vortex 

The strategy for all Boss Bloons in BTD6 always relies on boosting your early economy to get past the first Boss round (Level 40) and constantly adding high-popping power towers as you go. Plant enough income-earning towers (Banana Farms, Monkey Buccaneer, or Benjamin as your Hero) to bolster your early game economy. 

For economy, I highly recommend stacking up on 2-x-x Banana Farms to afford a high-tier monkey by Level 40. Around Level 30, you can upgrade these Banana Farms to 2-x-3 (Marketplace) for higher selling value if you choose a Sniper Monkey tower for Tier 1. 

Below are some of your early-game options to defeat a Tier 1 Vortex: 

Sniper Monkey (Elite Defender

A 2-x-5 Sniper Monkey will easily defeat a Tier 1 Vortex. While it may be difficult to obtain this tower, which can cost 15k at the hard level, you can sell your first bunch of Banana Farms to get it in time for Level 40.

Ninja Monkey (Sticky Bomb)

This is, by far, the most affordable option for easily defeating most Tier 1 Bosses (except Dreadbloon). The only downside to using the Sticky Bomb as an early defense unit is that it can be stunned, making your first Vortex skull kill take longer. You will also need another unit further down the track to eliminate other Bloons while the Ninja Monkey focuses on the Vortex. I like using the Sticky Bomb with a Ring of Fire (Tack Shooter) as a support.

You may look at these two strategies in two ways. Most BTD6 players opt to sell their first-tier defense towers to snowball their economy. However, by choosing the less expensive option (Ninja Monkey), you can focus on the economy while retaining your hard-hitting tower for normal MOABs on in-between levels. 

Best Towers for Defeating Vortex in Bloons TD6

Now that we’ve covered the best strategy for an early-game advantage in a Vortex Boss Challenge, here are your options for subsequent Tiers and skulls. 

Rocket Storm (2-4-x Dartling Gunner)	The Dartling Gunner is a top favorite of mine for Tier 2 Vortex. Aside from its long-range capability, it has an activated ability that could boost your killing speed for ranked modes. You can power up this tower with a Stronger Stimulant (4-x-1 Alchemist) for higher popping power. This tower would work better if you chose the Sniper Monkey route on Tier 1; the alchemist will also boost the Elite Defender.
M.A.D. (2-5-x Dartling Gunner)	If you have the Dartling Gunner for Tier 2, upgrading it to its extreme version, the M.A.D. feels natural. This tower has one of the best capabilities for popping Bloons and bosses from a distance. While some players also recommend the first-tier upgrade for the Dartling Gunner (Ray of Doom), I believe that the cheaper mid-route also fares well with less expenses.
MOAB Eliminator (2-5-x Bomb Shooter	While most think of the Bomb Shooter as a limited-range tower, the MOAB Eliminator is actually a global tower. This is also a good option for easily eliminating the Tier 2 Vortex. I suggest running this tower with a Primary Mentoring (4-2-x Monkey Village) tower for boosted popping power.
Glue Storm (x-5-2 Glue Gunner)	The Dartling Gunner is a top favorite of mine for Tier 2 Vortex. In addition to its long-range capability, it has an activated ability that could boost your killing speed for ranked modes. You can power up this tower with a Stronger Stimulant (4-x-1 Alchemist) for higher popping power. This tower would work better if you chose the Sniper Monkey route on Tier 1; the alchemist will also boost the Elite Defender.
Inferno Ring (5-2-x Tack Shooter)	This tower is a personal favorite. It has helped me overcome Races, Boss Bloons, and even Impoppable and Chimps modes. Its AoE and ranged (yes, this Tack Shooter has ranged meteors!) attacks greatly damage both the Vortex and its spawned Bloons. This is also one of the best towers for preventing any leaks in your defense.
Apex Plasma Master (Dart Monkey Paragon)	Your preference for the next two towers is completely up to you. However, the advantage of choosing an Apex Plasma Master over a TSG is that it is relatively more affordable than Super Monkey’s absolute form. Availing of this tower is also possible on Tier 4, making the rest of the game a breeze. However, you must remember that the Vortex stuns nearby towers (including Paragons), so place the Paragon somewhere mid-map or further from the track.
True Sun God (5-2-x Super Monkey)	The TSG is always a top pick for late-game or Boss Bloon strategies. However, the expensive Super Monkey upgrade has been less popular since the addition of the Paragons. Despite its hefty price tag, the TSG’s damage remains to be one of the most significant in all of BTD6.