Board 54: Ancient Gear Rapids

This picture is of a huge cog wheel, green with algae, lodged in the rocks of a raging river.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 112 total - Pro target 525k)

The first design is based on the lines of the picture, mainly the broken curve of the cog wheel, lines showing the various levels of the waterfall and a scattering of round pegs over the trees, wheel spokes and lower rocks. The high loose pegs look like they might get in the way.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 376,310

• With one red peg in the two high clusters of single pegs I really struggled for both bonuses and catches. All the blue pegs really got in the way.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 137,470

• It seems a bit defeatist to be considering a power up so early in the board, but this level is proving decidedly tricky without any. This go was even worse than the last .

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 590,690 

• I managed to get rid of all the red pegs bar one, and cleared the bottom corners of all pegs. I still needed a lot of points at that stage, but I could just keep firing the ball into the bucket until the purple peg was somewhere useful, then take the rebound into the bucket for 15k. The high clusters of blue pegs are very useful for this. It just takes a certain amount of patience. It doesn't make for a very interesting video though, I'm afraid.

Level 2 (Clear 30 red pegs from 91 total - Pro target 500k)

This design is three curved zigzags representing the teeth on three cog-wheels. Some awkward angles here by the look of it.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 267,240

• I was running out of pegs to shoot at and my score wasn't increasing enough, so my shots were becoming more and more desperate and risky. Another one that might well need a laser ball, but not quite yet.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 600,470 

• I got quite lucky with a couple of early catches, but early points were still extremely hard to come by. It took me seven shots to break 100k. The seventh shot was a big scorer, though, and after that I got most of the catches that I went for (and a few that I didn't), and I went to make a total clearance with three balls to spare.

Level 3 (Clear 35 red pegs from 96 total - Pro target 700k)

This design is modelled on the pattern that adorns the rim of the wheel in the picture. The pegs are mostly contained within two parallel horizontal lines.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 484,270

• Points were easier to get here. Good job as the pro score is quite high. I didn't make many catches though, which is what caused me to fail.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 798,960 

• It's another dull video! Once I got down to my last ball, with quite a few red pegs still to get and a long way short on score, I felt the only way to get there was to wait for the purple peg to appear in the right place, and try not to attempt anything too difficult. It stretched the game out to 48 shots, but it got me there. Not a very interesting video to watch, though. Unless you want to see an exercise in sheer bloody-mindedness.

Level 4 (Clear 35 red pegs from 89 total - Pro target 575k)

This design looks a bit like water swirling down a plug hole. The spokes of the plug hole match the spokes on the cog-wheel.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 207,710

• Not a particularly good first attempt. Only a couple of red pegs left at the end, but very short score-wise. There must be a good angle somewhere for the first ball to get a decent sweep, but I didn't fine it there.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 488,100

• I should have had that one. I missed a near vertical glance down the middle on the penultimate red peg with another to follow on the last one. Clumsy. The red pegs were much more kindly arranged this time which helped me get some early bonuses.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 691,140 

• I got it this time. It was just a matter of picking off most of the pegs one at a time. I took 32 shots in total, but there was very little, if any, shooting straight into the bucket. I took a total clearance in the end, and I probably needed to to get the pro target.

Level 5 (Clear 35 red pegs from 94 total - Pro target 500k)

The final design is very angular with a large central square with various other straight lines arranged around it, plus some other lines made up of single round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 426,360

• I struggled for catches here. I had at least a dozen red pegs left at the end. Score-wise I was doing fine. It's worth another try without power ups, I think.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 449,270

• Oh, what an idiot! I did all the hard work. I had one red peg left, on my last ball, and 50k needed for the pro target. The peg was vertical and just off-centre so I thought I could glance off it into the 100k bucket. I played it too fine, missing the peg altogether, and got my timing with the bucket wrong as well, just hitting the rim and not making the catch. All I needed to do was miss the 10k buckets. Daft!

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 691,490 

• A good selection of early bonuses and ricochets got me quite close to victory quite quickly. I was soon at the point of needing just one red peg per ball and it was plain sailing from there.

Level 6 (Clear 45 red pegs from 96 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 575k)

The same design as level 3, but with 10 more red pegs, one less ball, and, rather bizarrely, 125k less on the pro target. This actually sounds easier than it was last time.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 838,100 

• There were plenty of early bonuses available in terms of distance bonuses and side-wall shots. I took a few early lucky catches which always makes life a bit easier. But all in all, quite an easy level, and probably easier than the last time we saw this layout, back in level 3. The pro target really took some getting then, this one is much easier.

Level 7 (Score 450k with 45 red pegs and 49 blue - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 5, but with 10 more red pegs, and 175k on the pro target. The extra points on the pro target should come easily enough from the extra red pegs. None of these layouts have seemed particularly difficult, and providing the full 10 balls for this one should make it quite gettable.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 667,880

• A pretty good attempt, considering I was using no power ups. Very close to the pro target, and a 96% clearance. I still had three red pegs left, but they were all clustered together.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 888,750 

• The bonuses came easily enough, and every time I play each of these layouts, I get more accustomed to the angles and therefore make more catches. I didn't quite get a total clearance here, leaving one blue peg behind, but the score was the only important thing and I got that without much difficulty.

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 89 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 4, but with 5 more red pegs, one less ball, and 125k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 233,890

• A lousy effort where nothing seemed to go my way. No nice big sweeps, no distance bonuses, no luck at all really.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 666,300

• Pretty close that time. I only had one red peg left, and I'd only had one red peg left for some time. I was gradually picking off the purple pegs to build to a pro score. I wasn't confident about getting a big final bucket score off the last red peg so I felt I had to push the score quite close to 700k before I could go for a finish. I guess I just pushed it one shot too far.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 715,670 

• Got it at the third attempt. Only a slight improvement on the last go, but that was all I needed. I never got down to my last ball until I knew I had a certain finish and that always helps to give you a certain security and a bit of extra confidence. I made a lot of catches, but then all these layouts seem to be quite friendly from that perspective.

Level 9 (Clear 40 red pegs from 91 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 575k)

The same design as level 2, but with 10 more red pegs, three less balls, and 75k on the pro target. Points on level 2 weren't particularly easy to come by, but I did get 600k on my second attempt, so a pro target of 575k shouldn't be anything to be scared of.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 436,640

• It didn't feel like a bad attempt, although I still had 9 red pegs left at the end. This may need a power up eventually, but I'm not there yet.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 298,910

• I got no luck that time. Hardly any of the catches I attempted worked. All you can do at the start is try and put the bucket in the most likely position that you think the ball is going to end up and hope to make some of them. Usually you do, and sometimes you make most of them. This time I made very few but that's the way it goes sometimes. With only 7 balls to start with, early catches are vital here.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 308,300

• I'm not making much headway, it has to be said. I had eight red pegs left that time. I think I might have a better idea about where to place the bucket to make the first couple of catches now, though. So that may help if it works.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 581,280 

• Well, despite trying to work out the timing in the previous attempt to make catches off the first two balls, I missed both of them. However, it didn't matter in the long run as I made plenty of catches later on in the game. I did get to a point in the endgame when I had to discard quite a few balls while waiting for a useful purple peg, but it was worth it in the end. I had one tricky shot near the end, when I was down to my final ball and I had to clear an awkward blue peg that was blocking my intended final shot into the 100k bucket, which I was going to need. I had to get the timing just right. But once I'd caught that one, I took one more purple peg to get me within 100k of the pro target, then took the final red peg for an easy 100k final bucket bonus.

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 25 red and 87 blue - Pro target 625k)

The same design as level 1, the only differences being an extra 100k on the pro target, and a total clearance now being required. To beat level 1 I had to be very patient - clearing the bottom corners, then clearing the top corners one peg at a time to build a big enough score. I'm not sure if that will be enough this time, but I've not used any power ups on this board yet, and it would be a shame to have to use any now.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 365,130

• Only a 72% clearance, so nowhere near. The catches really didn't seem to go my way at all.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 367,950

• The clearance was up to 86% that time, so an improvement, but the score was about the same, so I'd found less bonuses on the way. I think it deserves another couple of goes at least without power ups, if only to be able to say that I've completed a board without using any power ups at all.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 403,790

• 83% clearance and a slight improvement in the score.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 292,320

• A dreadful attempt. Only about a 74% clearance. I could be all night trying to do this without power ups. I'll use a laser ball.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 700,160

• No problem with the score, using a laser ball. The clearance is up to 94% so much closer.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball. Score: 609,850

• A 92% clearance. I should probably add a Big Bounce to finish this one off.

Attempt #7 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 989,640 

• I got it that time, despite the Big Bounce getting stuck in the corner and scoring very little. But at least it finished in the bucket. After that there was a fairly steady stream of extra balls, bonuses and ricochets. I had to make a lot of catches.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	112	Reds	10	-	525k	3	590,690	368,156
2	30	91	Reds	10	-	500k	2	600,470	433,855
3	35	96	Reds	10	-	700k	2	798,960	641,615
4	35	89	Reds	10	-	575k	3	691,140	462,316
5	35	94	Reds	10	-	500k	3	691,490	522,373
6	45	96	Reds	9	-	575k	1	838,100	838,100
7	45	94	450k	10	-	675k	2	888,750	778,315
8	40	89	Reds	9	-	700k	3	715,670	538,620
9	40	91	Reds	7	-	575k	4	581,280	406,282
10	25	112	All	10	-	625k	7	989,640	532,691