We have Seawitch in our tournament this weekend and I really can’t find much online about rules, etc. Anyone have some quick tips to put up a decent score?
Focusing on dropping whichever bank of drops has the lit X in front of it is a good place to start.
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Williams
What an amazing coincidence! I’m also playing in a tournament this weekend with Seawitch in it! Luckily I’m not too worried about it as my opponents are all lightweights when it comes to pinball. I found this you tube video.
I hope it helps you achieve second place 
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Here are (edited) notes I put together from watching the TNT video and preparing to play it during TPF’14. Anyone feel free to chime in on the inaccuracies.
Strategy: All about the drops! Soft-plunge to the upper R flipper, then do sweep shot of Ctr Drops. Hit drops bank with “X” lit (one of the 3 banks will have it lit), and then hit any drops or targets around bumpers to max your bonus. Cash in Score Bonus (unmultiplied) at drops with pink flashing insert.
“Score Lit Bonus”: Up to 29K
End-of-Ball Bonus: --Up to 290K if Bonus at 10x.-- Up to 203K if max BonusX at 7x. Don’t tilt!
Drop targets:
- Each drop (or lit stand-up) advances Bonus; and also increases Loop Value by 1K – up to 12K, represented by PF lights around the loop. And once 12th Loop PF light is lit, it lights the 2x Loop Value insert.
- The 2nd time you knock down a set of drop targets, the pink “Score Lit Bonus” value will flash when only one drop target is left on the bank. Therefore, it is desirable to knock down all targets in that bank except one, wait for the Score Lit Bonus light to begin flashing, and then nail the last drop.
- Completing each bank during same ball will light 1-2-3, but this is only for EB purposes. If EB is enabled, after 1-2-3 is completed, the EB is earned from a lit inlane, and the lit inlane alternates with pops & sling hits. The inlane EB alternating mechanism is also operator-adjustable.
Advance Bonus X by completing the bank of drops that has the “X” lit in front of it. Bonus X carries over from ball to ball, but if you get up to 6x/7x (operator adjustable), then your Bonus X resets down to 3x to begin the next ball.
Spinner seems worthless, but it’s value is advanced by the green standup targets surrounding the pops.
Thanks all for your help - much appreciated.
@wckrusa - You insolence is noted by the league commissioner. I hope you know this will go down on your permanent record!
A good place to start, and end. Lit drop targets all day! When you’ve got the multiplier maxed, it’s… you guessed it… time to hit more drop targets.
I’m pretty sure max bonus is 7X.
I believe the drop bank with the “X” always moves in the same pattern:
1X: center
2X: left
3X: top right
4X: center
5X: left
6X: top right
Bonus X “kinda” carries over from ball to ball. I think if you get to 7X (or possibly 6X) it’ll knock your bonus X down on the next ball. I’m not 100% sure of the details of this, and it may be tweakable by adjustment.
I do find the spinner situation disappointing in this game… what’s the deal with a classic Stern where the spinner isn’t sometimes ultra-valuable?!
Also: it’s possible to plunge just short of the spring-steel at the orbit, and on most games the ball (might) drift left and fall through the rollover button, giving you 5000 + 3 Adv (potentially 26K total), then fall controllably to the right flipper. This may, or may not, be better than other plunge choices (full plunge to upper left flipper, or soft plunge to upper right flipper).
Great game!
You’re absolutely right! I had forgotten that Seawitch BonusX playfield lights omit the “3x” as an option, so your max is lighting 4x, 2x, and 1x, for a sum total of 7x. Thanks!
Once again, correct! If you get to 6x or 7x bonusX (adjustable), your bonusX will reset down to 3x for the next ball.
Thanks ipdb.org link to Seawitch manual: http://mirror2.ipdb.org/files/2089/Stern_1980_Seawitch_Manual.pdf
If I’m not mistaken, Meteor’s Bonus X (and probably other Stern’s of the same era) also have the 6/7X -> 3x reduction.
I set mine up with Williams flipper bats on the upper flippers and juiced the spinner to make the riptide more rewarding and easier to shoot. Balances the game nicely but yeah, factory setup it’s about the drops and maxing out your bonus.
Nice! Any video of gameplay with this setup?
No, I have it on location