BTD6 guide

How Paragon Degree Works in BTD6

Paragon degree is the result of several capped power buckets. A high cash sacrifice cannot replace missing pops, non-Tier-5 tiers, extra Tier 5 towers, or the final totem gap.

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Apex

Geraldo

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Quick answer: what raises Paragon degree?

BTD6 converts several inputs into Paragon power before choosing a degree. Cash and sacrifice value, tower pops or supported generated income, non-Tier-5 upgrade tiers, extra Tier 5 towers, and Geraldo Paragon Power Totems each contribute in their own bucket. Because the buckets have limits, a setup can spend more in one area and still produce a lower degree if another area is empty.

Start with the tower family and the three required Tier 5 paths.
Use the family’s pops, upgrade tiers, extra Tier 5s, and cash as separate checks.
Treat totems as a way to close the remaining gap, not a substitute for the whole setup.

Fill the buckets in a practical order

Plan the family before buying the Paragon. Let the sacrificed towers earn useful pops, add non-Tier-5 upgrade tiers you can verify, and check whether extra Tier 5 towers are possible in the mode. Then enter the sacrifice value and manual cash investment into the calculator. If the target is still short, the remaining power gap tells you whether to add more of a capped source or use totems.

Pops and supported generated income share a bucket, so extra income does not bypass a full bucket.
The three Tier 5 towers needed to unlock a Paragon are not the same as extra Tier 5 contributions.
Select the correct difficulty before comparing a plan in the calculator.

Why calculators beat fixed Degree 100 recipes

There is no universal totem count for Degree 100. The required number changes with the Paragon family, difficulty, cash, pops, generated income, upgrade tiers, and extra Tier 5 towers. Open the Paragon Degree Calculator, select the family and difficulty, enter only values you can verify, and read the bucket breakdown before deciding what to add.

Set the target degree before changing inputs.
Use the power-to-target number to identify the missing bucket.
Open the Degree 100 totem guide when the remaining gap is specifically a Geraldo planning question.

Check a low degree before rebuilding

If the result is lower than expected, compare the game setup with the calculator one bucket at a time. Confirm the sacrificed towers belong to the Paragon family, check their pops and non-Tier-5 tiers, separate the required three Tier 5s from extras, and verify the difficulty and cash fields. Only after those checks should you decide whether more totems or a different build is warranted.

A low degree is often an input or cap mismatch, not a broken Paragon.
Keep version-sensitive numeric assumptions out of a long-term build plan; use the calculator and current in-game values.

Sources checked

Reference notes

Primary and reference pages reviewed for factual checks while writing this guide.

FAQ

Common follow-up questions

What causes Paragon degree to be low?

Check the family pops or generated income, non-Tier-5 upgrade tiers, extra Tier 5 towers, cash, and the target degree in that order. A missing or capped bucket is more common than a broken Paragon.

Do the required three Tier 5 towers count as extra Tier 5s?

No. The three Tier 5 towers needed to create the Paragon are separate from extra Tier 5 contributions. Enter extra towers only when they are beyond the required three and allowed by the mode.

How many Paragon totems do I need for Degree 100?

There is no fixed number for every setup. Fill the other buckets first, then use the calculator and the Degree 100 totem guide to measure the remaining gap.

Are Geraldo totems required for Degree 100?

Not always. Totems are the practical way to close a remaining gap after the other buckets are near their useful limits, but the required count depends on the rest of the setup.