Attack Types

For types of damage, rather than projectile types, see Damage Types.

Attack Types refers to how a tower attacks. Each attack type is distinguished by the type of said weapon, such as sharp darts or explosive bombs. Some attacks don't fit into any of the categories. These are listed as Other.

Attack types incorporate damage types as part of the formula. In addition, every type of attack possesses a specific amount of the four basic statistics (pierce, range, attack speed, and damage) plus other statistics. Some of these miscellaneous statistics of certain attacks may include:

Projectile speed
Projectile lifespan
Blast/splash radius (e.g. Bomb Shooter explosions, Alchemist splashes, Tech Terror annihilation blast)
Cooldown timer (e.g. Sticky Bomb timer, Gwendolin's Heat It Up minimum cooldown timer, Druid of the Jungle's vines versus strong bloons)
Deployment cooldown (e.g. BTD6 Ground Zero drop time)
Homing curve (e.g. Guided Magic bolts, Neva-Miss Targeting darts)
Ability duration
Ability cooldown

Physical

These types of attacks use sharp objects. Most can't pop Lead Bloons, but a few can with certain upgrades.

Dart (Dart Monkey's darts can pop lead only with Splodey Darts Premium Upgrade
- Ace Darts (Sky Shredder can pop leads)
Spiked Ball (can pop Lead if from the Spike Factory)
Tacks
Blades
Spears
Acorns (Can pop lead when raging)
Boomerangs (Can pop lead with the Red Hot 'Rangs upgrade)
Glaives (Can pop lead in BTD4 Mobile, or with the Red Hot 'Rangs upgrade)
Grapes
Thorns
- Druid thorns
Juggernaut Spiked Balls (Juggernaut Spiked Balls can pop Lead)
Spikes (The White Hot Spikes upgrade for the Spike Factory allows spikes to pop lead)
Shuriken
Frags
Track Vines

Temperature

Explosives/Fire

These attacks usually have splash damage. The difference between explosives and fire is that fire can pop black and zebra bloons, but not purple bloons, while explosives can pop purple bloons, but not black and zebra bloons.

Explosives

Bombs
Fireballs
Missiles
- Ballistic Missiles
- Fighter Plane missiles
M.O.A.B. Maulers
Spectre and Flying Fortress bombs
Pineapples
Mortars
Spiked Mines
- Super Mines
Rockets (can pop blacks because of sharp points)
Mini Bombs

Fire

Ring of Fire
- Inferno Ring
Fireballs
Wizard and Mortar walls of fire
Burny Stuff
Dragon's Breath
Dreadnaught
Summon Phoenix (Wizard Lord Phoenix can pop purples]]

Cold/Freeze

Typically bloon-stallers. Usually can't pop bloons, and typically has no effect on white bloons.

Ice Tower and subsequent upgrades
- Can only pop bloons if upgraded to Snap Freeze
  - In BTD6, it can pop bloons by default
Ice Ball (Temple sacrifice)

Energy

These attacks can pierce through multiple bloons, but can't pop purples. Some of them can break through multiple bloon layers.

Chemical

These attacks slowly destroy bloons by popping layers one at a time.

Corrosive Glue and subsequent upgrades
Alchemist main attack potion

Wind

These attacks blow back bloons. Lead bloons are not affected.

Wizard and Druid tornadoes
- Tempest Tornado and Superstorm can pop bloons.
Downdraft

Flash

These attacks pop bloons instantly.

Combo

Combination of different attack types.

Wizard and Druid Lightning (Energy + Flash)
Spectre and Flying Fortress (Sharp + Explosive)
Apache Dartship and Apache Prime (Sharp + Flash + Explosive, Energy + Flash + Explosive respectively)
Splodey Darts (Sharp + Explosive)
Frag Bombs (Sharp + Explosive)
- Shrapnel Shots (Flash + Sharp)
Spiked Mines (Physical + Explosive/Fire)
- Applies to Super Mines as well

Miscellanous

These are other attacks that don't fit in the above categories