I think that there and back again is 1 ball play only
IIRC, you can start TABA when Gollum is running? It’s the only way to avoid starting DTR (once it’s qualified) and start a mode/TABA instead.
Yeah I’ve definitely done it before, the points opportunity is massive. But there’s definitely some quirk to it
Acktually,
All rings must be consumed and re-earned in order to light ring frenzy again.
The game tries its best to help you though. Here’s a deep cut: have mystery and Gollum lit when you drain. If you’re still on normal difficulty, mode lights at ball start, but you just got screwed out of ring frenzy. If you collect mystery, it will almost certainly give you light all dwarf rings to relight mystery AND start ring frenzy for you.
What a guy, huh?
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BSD:
I always make some changes in the settings on BSD (f.e. Mistery not lit, Mistery Time 1 s, Mistery locks on 0%, etc.). The Bonus X memory is factory on ‘Yes’ even on extra hard, but I prefer this setting on ‘No’. Playing with Extraballs keeps your Bonus X for your Extraball(s). OK, this isn’t even semi-useful.
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If your Walking Dead Premium/LE is set up so that failing Horde doesn’t end your ball in play, then upon failure you can spam any remaining walker bombs to resurrect the mode (assuming that’s enough kills for your add-a-ball).
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Hah/whoops!
EDIT: This would be the grace period for Horde ending, though, assuming you can’t do it after the “Horde Total” screen appears. Right?
I believe so. If I recall, I did it during the animation where the approaching walker leaves a bite mark on the display.
Whoa I had no idea horde ended your ball in play if it timed out… I’ve never had that happen…
It’s a setting in Feature Adjustments, I believe.
Yeah, I believe it’s off in normal play, but on in competition install.
On Iron Maiden, during Fear of the Dark, you can get your double spinner value from the R ramp after you rip the spinner, provided that it’s still spinning when you shoot the purple-lit R ramp. The points award for the spinner rip doesn’t get awarded until after the spinner completes its spins.
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Crazy! First game since Firepower to do this?
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You can also get both spinners going at once if you hit the upper spinner then let the ball bypass the upper flipper, then nail the lower spinner while the upper one is going. I learned this one from @ZRW
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Did this last night
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I’ll add this one for Iron Maiden Premium/LE. Want a consistent way to potentially finish hallowed in 10-15 seconds? Prime mummy to where it is ready for the sarcophagus lock. Start hallowed and immediately shoot the left ramp. This will complete phase one and two along with stopping the timer. Beat the auto plunger and short plunge to the left flipper. Shoot the right orbit and perform a “skate ball drop catch” with the mini flipper to the drop targets. Shoot the inner orbit and then the bullseye to finish.
You could make it even faster by having your trooper locks lit. Take the right orbit shot with lock two. Hold the little flipper up to get those drops. Shoot the inner orbit to start trooper which again would pause the timer. Short plunge the auto launch to the left flipper and hit the bullseye.
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This isn’t scoring-related, but it’s pretty deep and it could be really semi-semi-semi-useful information if you are running a tournament and the launch button fails on The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (and maybe some other DE games of this era as well). R&B does not appear to have a flipper autolaunch setting. Well, it actually kind of does, it’s just not in Adjustments. If you start a game on R&B but power cycle without the launch button being registered (as when the button is broken) then it increments a counter. Start 5 games without pressing the launch button (not 5 total players, but 5 total games) and the button is flagged bad. The right flipper button will now launch the ball. One caveat, if the launch button ever registers again the game will clear the flag. Therefore, if the button is merely flaky, you probably would want to disable it if you can’t reliably fix it.
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Sega (Data East) Maverick: when you get into the Raise/Fold VUK, those are the only two options you are presented with. However, there is a non-obvious third option: Stand. This leaves Raise/Fold lit at the VUK so you can still decide later. Ideally, it would be a double flip, but that doesn’t do anything. Instead, you just have to wait out the timer. It’s rare that I would use this option, but if I’m running a little low on discards and already have 2 or 3 of the lit top left five bank down I sometimes use Stand since missing the top left drops often ends up in the VUK anyway and I can reevaluate my discard situation then.
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A couple more for Iron Maiden thanks to arcades being closed.
Having a tough time hitting that SJP shot during trooper? With a ball on each flipper try to glance the mummy captive ball into the super target from the lower left flipper (similar to a monger glance on IM). On a premium it works better if the ball is not locked in the sarcophagus in order to get enough velocity for the target hit. On some machines you can hit the SJP target directly from the lower left flipper.
If you are doing really well in a game and have your sixth tomb award ready to collect, check revive prior to collecting. All the progress you made on revive will be wiped away by collecting this award. I like to stack these back to back especially on competitive mode where using one revive takes both out.
Struggling to get decent Cyborg scores? Bringing a playfield x in always helps but it is sometimes not worth the risk. You can either channel your inner Raymond Davidson (@raydaypinball) or try this. Once you start Cyborg focus on the ramps. Keith designed this game to not reward flailing, in particular at the ramps. I will skill drain to focus on hitting one ramp and the left orbit (spinner plus orbit). The targets and pops come from flailing. Consistent Cyborg scores start and end with the ramps. Use skill draining to hit that orb as well. You aren’t getting that many points from hitting everything else when the orb is lit. Nothing worse than hitting a ramp when you have the orb lit and it counts for virtually nothing.
Finally, mummy MB on a premium can be fun and way easier than a pro. When your left ramp is lit red, shoot the ball up there to lock for double switch hits. While it is waiting to lock in the sarcophagus, shoot the left orbit to light the next letter. If you have done it prior to the lock it will credit you with the letter collect and still one ball play. The double jackpot is usually not worth the risk of collecting so I light the next letter and just wait for ball to come back into play. I believe collecting the double does not relight the left ramp but that could be wrong. If so then it is NEVER worth it! 
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On TSPP: if you miss the Comic Book Guy skill shot but get a ball on the lower right flipper, you can make a Cletus (left orbit) shot and nail Comic Book Guy with the upper right flipper. I believe this will still count as a skill shot.
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