Board 64: Rainbow's End

A picture of a pot of gold sat on a stone circle in a wood. Presumably there's a rainbow finishing here, but we can't see it in the picture.

Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 650k)

This design features four spirals and a scattering of loose round pegs. The top two spirals look very tempting as they're both aligned with the firing positioned. Unfortunately, taking the top two will break up the bottom two, but I can't see any obvious way of taking the bottom two first.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 690,590 

• I sent the first two balls round the top two spirals, although there may be an angle that takes the bottom two first without breaking the top two, but I didn't bother looking for it. Then it was just a matter of picking off the remaining reds, grabbing bonuses as they presented themselves.

Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 106 total - Pro target 450k)

This design follows the curves of the picture. These curves don't look easy to shoot though. If a ball could be made to roll gently over the top one, then the two smaller, lower ones might be sweepable.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 530,150 

• I found this one quite easy. I had a few lucky catches, but there were plenty of bonuses to be had. I managed to leave a red peg til last that I could shoot into the 100k bucket from. That allowed me to finish with about four balls left.

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 117 total - Pro target 550k)

I have no idea what this design represents, but it features a pair of concentric circles, plus a couple more half-pairs, and five U-shapes at the bottom.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 367,540

• The pegs all got in each other's way here. I should have thought more about breaking a hole in the centre circles that I could use for a big sweep shot. I still had 2 or 3 red pegs left at the end.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 177,220

• I tried to find a route into the big central circle, but couldn't get ti to work. As a result I lost focus on everything else and failed to pick up many bonuses or catches.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 511,510

• I went for the final red peg too early. I managed to build my score to within 50k of the target but then took the final peg hoping to avoid the 10k bins, but didn't. I did manage to find a good first ball, though, which opened a useful hole in the central circles. I expanded it slightly with the second shot and then swept the entire outer circle for a score of just under 130k. So I'll have another go and see if I can repeat it.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 462,650

• One red peg left. I managed to repeat the first ball though. It involves aiming at the loose peg to the very top right, just fractionally above full on.

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 481,930

• I got down to the final red peg, but I was still over 200k short of the pro target. I tried to build my score, but there were so many blue pegs still left that safe catches were hard to find, and I only had a couple of balls left. I ended up taking out the last red peg before I was ready.

Attempt #6 - No power ups. Score: 177,700

• I messed up the first ball that time. I shot at completely the wrong peg by mistake. I was always struggling after that, particularly for points.

Attempt #7 - No power ups. Score: 481,290

• I'm still not getting enough points, despite getting the sweep around the big circle. I guess I'll have to add a laser ball.

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball. Score: 756,260 

• Started the same way as usual, breaking a hole in the central circle then getting a big sweep from it. Then I triggered the laser ball and got a load more points from that. Pretty easy to finish after that.

Level 4 (Clear 30 red pegs from 87 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)

This one is an explosion of individual pegs, both round and diamond, radiating outwards from the pot.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 399,260

• I only had one red peg left at the end, but I was trying to open a path to it when I missed the final catch.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 483,680

• I had enough points but ran out of balls before I could finish clearing the last two red pegs.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 253,470

• That one didn't go quite so well. I kept finding the routes through the pegs without hitting any. The bonuses didn't come and nor did the catches.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 230,330

• I didn't make a single catch this time. I'm clearly getting worse. It's time to add a laser ball.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 775,220 

• Again the laser ball makes all the difference. I was down to one red peg and had accumulated over 450k points with about 5 or 6 balls remaining. I went for the total clearance, but finished prematurely when the last red peg was hit by a stray ricochet.

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 66 total - Pro target 450k)

Two clusters of pegs and two large gold coins acting as obstructions. Most of the pegs appear to be visible, but there are about a dozen I would guess that aren't and these will be the key pegs, I imagine.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 398,570

• I was struggling for points with two red pegs left. I actually twitched on the mouse button while I was considering my next shot and managed to take out the last two reds and drop in the 100k bonus, but it wasn't enough.

Level 6 (Score 475k with 35 red pegs and 82 blue - Pro target 850k)

The same design as level 3 which took 8 attempts. However it only took that long because I was trying to beat it without a power up. As soon as I resorted to the laser ball it was easy. I'll use the laser from the start here.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 940,340 

• I used my standard first three shots which all worked fine, although I missed the catch on the third one. I could then hit the yellow peg which was front and centre and take out another chunk of pegs and points. Then I just had to pick off what was left, taking bonuses as they presented themselves. I took an unnecessary total clearance.

Level 7 (Clear 40 red pegs from 106 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 600k)

The same design as level 2, but 10 more red pegs, 1 less ball amd another 150k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 630,050 

• I couldn't make my mind up at the start as to whether I was going to use the laser ball or not. I decided to go with it in the end, and I think I probably needed it. I had to make quite a lot of catches, stretching the game out to 24 balls. Quite a few of those catches came off purple pegs at the end as I tried to build my score up.

Level 8 (Clear ALL pegs - red and 111 blue, with only ball - Pro target 850k)

The same design as level 1. This was quite a friendly design, so I think I'll try without power ups first, despite the fact that total clearance is needed.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 803,100

• I was down to two pegs and one ball, so I only needed to make one more catch or take both pegs in one ball. I hit the first peg, missed the second by a whisker, hit the rim of the bucket, the ball came across the screen, missing the the second peg by a whisker again, hit the rim of the bucket again, came halfway back again, hit the rim of the bucket a third time and rolled off. Of course, it still needed to avoid the 10k buckets at the end, but it was still extremely irritating.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 739,420

• 96% clearance which is about 5 pegs left. I've not been far off doing this on either attempt so far, so I'm pretty confident this can be done without using a power up.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 673,360

• Only 93% clearance this time, so not as good as the previous couple of goes. Only 14 shots, so lack of catches was the main problem.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 709,980

• 95% clearance. I keep coming close but not quite close enough. It's starting to get annoying.

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 690,240

• 95% again. This is getting depressingly repetetive. That one went over 34 shots, but a lot of those were shot straight into the bucket while waiting for a usable purple peg. I'm not getting that little bit of extra luck that I need.

Attempt #6 - No power ups. Score: 578,480

• 93% clearance, and 18 shots. I really don't want to resort to power ups here as I've so close several times without them. This was my worst attempt yet, but I just need a bit of luck.

Attempt #7 - No power ups. Score: 933,550

• I got some lucky bounces early on which gave quite a lot of extra points, so it became all about making the catches, but I failed with two pegs left.

Attempt #8 - No power ups. Score: 767,560

• 95% clearance that time. I'm going to have to give up soon, but I'm still reluctant to.

Attempt #9 - No power ups. Score: 733,230

• 95% clearance again.

Attempt #10 - Laser Ball. Score: 967,910 

• I've just come back to this board after finishing this week's and forgot to remove the laser ball. Inevitably, after coming so close for so long, the laser ball made it pretty easy. It didn't add many points, but it wasn't really points that were the problem. What it does is take a chunk of pegs at an important time and that's what made the difference.
  

Level 9 (Clear 35 red pegs from 66 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 550k)

The same design as level 5 with the two large gold coins to get in the way.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 290,140

• It's going to take me a few goes to learn the angles, I suspect. I still had quite a few red pegs left in the lower bunch. I probably ought to get rid of them first next time.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 574,390 

• I think I had a magnet in the bucket on that one. I was making catches all over the place, and if I'm honest, not many of them were particularly planned. At least, I tried to put the bucket in the right general area, but I still didn't expect as many catches to work as did. I'm not complaining, of course. It earned me a quick pro on what I think could have been a pretty tough level.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 57 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 4 but a complete clearance is required. 87 pegs isn't a huge number for a total clearance, but they're well spread out, and that makes it more awkward.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 244,410

• An awful effort. Only 77% clearance, so barely three-quarters of the pegs removed. The catches just didn't want to come.
  

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 548,930

• A much better effort, but bonuses were thin on the ground. Just under 110k for the laser ball, despite triggering it with the first ball. I needed some big final bucket bonuses and I got 2 10ks.
  

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 66 total - Pro target 450k)

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 569,680 

• That has to be one of my most effective laser balls ever. The yellow was awkwardly placed in the middle of the lower group, so I didn't activate it until the seventh ball. But the laser bounced twice off the lower coin and once off the bucket to take out 31 of the remaining 36 pegs including all but one of the 14 red ones, and scoring over 300k to take me comfortably past the pro target.
  

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 57 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 675k)

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 189,200

• The clearance was ok at 87%, but an almost complete lack of bonuses meant that the score was going nowhere. Over half the score I did get came from the laser ball, and that wasn't brilliant.
  

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 126,500

• Clearance of 83% this time. The score was better than last time, but still less than half of what's required. I had intended to add a Big Bounce, but I must have clicked it twice by mistake as it wasn't there when I started the game.
  

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 452,050

• Up to 94% clearance with the added power up. Still some way to go though.
  

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 715,500 

• Just made it. The two power ups both worked perfectly. The laser ball triggered the Clone Ball giving me two laser balls going in different direction which is always good news and scored me about 156k. Then the Big Bounce gave me several good bounces, each taking out quite a few pegs, and that scored even more at 189k. It was still touch and go towards the end whether I would make the pro target or not. In the end, the minimum of two 10k final bonuses would have given it to me by 500 points, but I got a 10k and a 50k for a small cushion.
  

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	30	111	Reds	10	-	650k	1	690,590	690,590
2	30	106	Reds	10	-	450k	1	530,150	530,150
3	25	117	Reds	10	-	550k	8	756,260	427,012
4	30	87	Reds	9	-	450k	5	775,220	428,392
5	25	66	Reds	10	-	450k	2	569,680	484,125
6	35	117	475k	10	-	850k	1	940,340	940,340
7	40	106	Reds	9	-	600k	1	630,050	630,050
8	35	111	All	10	-	850k	10	967,910	759,683
9	35	66	Reds	9	-	550k	2	574,390	432,265
10	30	87	All	9	-	675k	6	715,500	379,431