Least Cash

Least Cash is a ruleset in Bloons TD 6, first introduced in Version 32.0(?). When playing with this ruleset, the player must aim to spend as little cash as possible. This includes removing obstacles or activating any map-specific gimmicks that cost cash; spending cash by any means contributes towards the score.

In Contested Territory, unoccupied Least Cash tiles can be set with a specific score once captured. Any occupied Least Cash tiles are set with a maximum score and must be beaten below the score in order to claim or re-secure the tile. The aim is to get a low score (i.e. least spending). If heroes are enabled, the banned heroes are Sauda and Corvus.

Boss Bloon Events may use Least Cash as a Ranked Boss leaderboard rule. Any tie-breakers under this ruleset are decided by the Boss Race time. In the extreme case where both ties are done, the first player to achieve those scores is the final tie-breaker.

There are related community-made challenges by the BTD6 community called Least Cost CHIMPS and Least Cost Deflation, dedicated to efficient spending on CHIMPS and Deflation, respectively.

Strategy

Summary

The aim of Least Cash is to spend as little money as possible while still surviving. Try to evaluate the most cost-efficient tower combos possible throughout all stages in the game. If a Hero is available, always try to use it in order to save a maximum amount of money via automatic leveling. Make use of all available resources including Monkey Knowledge and Relics to minimize the score.

Tips

• Farming can be used to accelerate towards expensive towers, but every dollar spent on farming does cause the spent cash counter to go up, so be careful.
• Direct sacrifices themselves do not consume cash in the Least Cash meter, although the process of preparing sacrifices does.
• If Heroes are enabled, opt for a hero who is capable of assisting powerful synergies for a cheap cost. Ideally, the best hero for Least Cash would be a hero that is capable of synergizing excellently with other towers and does not require excess cash investments.
• There are several tower combos that are often seen for Least Cash Normal Boss Events; this includes Shinobi spam, Brickell + Destroyers, Ezili + Heart of Vengeance Druids, and Sun Avatar spam. These strategies typically offer a way to slowly gain power over time and all feature cost-efficient DPS options.
• If doing a Least Cash Elite Boss, attempt a setup that does minimal farming. Some relatively cost-effective income options include: Monkey Town. Try to choose farming options that are able to scale decently across rounds.

CT-Specific Tips

• Particularly useful Relic Knowledge for Least Cash typically allow for a highly synergetic group of towers throughout any stage of the game, preferably one that covers mid-to-late-game.
  • Bloon property countermeasures: Alchemist Touch, Sharpslosion (e.g. Captain Churchill), Camo Trap
  • Early-game: Flint Tips, Restoration, Starting Stash, Road Spikes, Mana Bulwark
  • Direct savings: Box of Monkey, discount-related Relics (e.g. Military Monkeys, Air and Sea's discount benefit)
  • Mid-to-late-game: MOAB-Clash, Monkey Boost, SMS, MOAB Mine, Glue Trap,
  • Miscellaneous: Hard Baked, Bigger Bloon Sabotage, Extra Empowered, Hero Boost
• Account for all stages of the game by using a variety of cost-effective defenses throughout. For tiles with a wide range, account for the early-game and mid-game as well as the late-game.
  • Examples of strong early-and-mid-game towers for penny-pinching purposes include: Wall of Fire, 2-0-3 Cluster Bombs, 0-2-2 Ice Monkey.
  • Examples of strong mid-game towers for penny-pinching purposes include: 0-2-4 Necromancer, Ground Zero, 2-0-4 Recursive Cluster, Berserker Brew and Stronger Stimulant.
  • Examples of strong late-game towers for penny-pinching purposes often include at least one Tier 5, such as: Spirit of the Forest (until about Round 93 on most maps), Sky Shredder.
  • In combination with strong late-game towers, these can include the following supports: Downdraft, 0-2-2 Ice Monkey, 0-1-3 or 0-2-3 MOAB Glue.
• On CT Least Cash, the lowest possible score is $410, which is achieved by soloing with Quincy + Hero Favors on Easy.
• If Heroes are enabled, opt for a hero who is capable of assisting powerful synergies for a cheap cost. Since Sauda is banned in Contested Territory, the next best candidates include: Captain Churchill (high DPS), Gwendolin (synergetic grouped popping and buffs), Geraldo (flexibility, especially on maps with difficult pathing), Etienne (free camo detection and mid-game saveups). Choose the hero depending on circumstances of the map, tower availability, and the round length.

Version History

Gallery

Least Cash at exactly $0 left

MOAB Clash Least Cash tile with a $2000 score

Least Cash for an Advanced Challenge run after overshooting the target score by $703415

CT Least Cash since Event 52, with no Geraldo or Corvus

Trivia

• After Version 33.2 patched an exploit that allowed 7 Map Relics to be picked, the currently lowest possible legitimate Least Cash tile on a non-regular tile is $2000, which is achievable with an expensive Box of Monkey candidate + Captain Churchill, plus multiple other Relics.