Board 56: Fairy Glade

This picture is of a lake in a forest glade, with fairies flitting above it and waterfalls in the near distance.

Level 1 (Clear 25 red pegs from 91 total - Pro target 475k)

This design features loose rings of round pegs around the fairies in the picture. Then more and looser rings extending outwards. As a rule I hate these levels made entirely of round pegs as the ricochets are impossible to judge and catches are practically impossible.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 154,490

• Not particularly close. Only three catches made, and not enough decent ricochets. I'm reluctant to resort to power ups on level 1, but I can see I might have to before too long.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 255,530

• Two red pegs left, and a better score, but still not particularly close. I could try this a dozen times without power ups before I got it, and I'm not sure I can be bothered. I'll use a laser ball.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 539,770 

• I didn't actually do very well here, but I got lucky with some of the bonuses I picked up. I still needed to avoid the 10k final bucket at the end, which I did.

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 100 total - Pro target 500k)

This design features hexagons around the fairies with a combination of diamond and round loose pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 315,780

• I red pegs didn't seem particularly well placed for bonuses, so I struggled for points early on. I tried to build a bigger score later, but I ran out of balls trying to make too many fancy catches.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 514,490 

• My score built fairly steadily throughout that game. I was a little short at the end, but the last red peg was low and central so I felt I had a good chance of at least avoiding the 10k buckets which was all I needed.

Level 3 (Clear 25 red pegs from 111 total - Pro target 550k)

This design looks like a set of wings, although the fairies in the picture have quite pointed wings and these are very rounded.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 675,690 

• This one seemed particularly easy. Although I did take quite a few lucky catches, so I was never running short of balls, and that always makes a level seem easier. I had more than enough balls left at the end to have gone for the total clearance but an unexpected ricochet took out the last red peg and ended it.

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 99 total - Pro target 500k)

The design has seven little triangular fairy shapes, all framed on three sides by a row of round pegs.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 563,560 

• Not overly challenging, this one. I had to take a chance on avoiding the 10k buckets at the end, but I felt that was less of a risk than continuing to attempt catches off the purple peg. I got the 100k bucket, so the gamble paid off.

Level 5 (Clear 25 red pegs from 107 total - Pro target 575k)

This design follows the lines in the picture. Vertical lines where the trees are, curves over the bushes and waterfalls, and a few other single pegs dotted about.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 307,770

• The red pegs were awkwardly placed for good scoring opportunities, so I was always struggling for points. I still had several left at the end as I's had to go for tricky shots just to get some points on the board.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 675,840 

• The red pegs didn't seem particularly well placed here, but the left-hand side broke open quite nicely early on, and there turned out to be quite a few bonuses to be had there. I had a lucky catch or two down that side as well which boosted my score. In the end, I hit the pro target comfortably which balls to spare.

Level 6 (Clear 45 red pegs from 100 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 2, but with 20 more red pegs, one less ball, and 150k on the pro target. The pro target seems quite large, but then all those red pegs should make bonuses easier to come by. It'll probably just be a matter of whether I can clear them all or not.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 425,480

• I seemed to start reasonably enough, and points were easier to come by than in level 2, but the target was still too high, and the red pegs too numerous. I'll add a laser ball.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 529,540

• Five red pegs left. The yellow peg was awkward to get to - right down the bottom in the middle. Plus I didn't get a decent rim bounce with the laser ball. I'm confident that I can beat the level if I can just improve on these two aspects.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 491,590

• The red pegs were awkwardly placed, and the yellow peg was hidden again. I couldn't get the points I needed for the pro target.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 955,890 

• Well, that was the complete opposite experience to the previous two goes. I could pick the yellow peg off via the side wall with the first shot. I was a touch early with the laser ball, as I got a rim bounce but it went straight up so didn't take out many pegs. But after that, the bonuses came thick and fast. I was getting distance bonuses with practically every deflection. I had an easy finish in the end, allowing me the luxury of being able to delay it by a few shots in order to build a bigger score. Not that I needed to.

Level 7 (Score 475k with 35 red pegs and 76 blue, with only 9 balls - Pro target 800k)

The same design as level 3, but with 10 more red pegs, one less ball, and 250k on the pro target. This is now purely a point-scoring exercise though, and these are usually easier.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 383,760

• Attempting such a high pro target without power ups always seemed a little over-ambitious. My score never even looked liked remotely approaching it.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 668,070

• A better score with the laser ball, although I didn't get the rim bounce with it that I was looking for. Quite a few attempted catches went awry as well.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 1,054,080 

• The yellow peg was in plain view at the start, plus a found a cracking first ball off it as well. By playing the innermost tog peg on the left-hand side as fine as possible on the bottom edge, the ball looped around the full bottom left-hand outer curve, and also most of the bottom -right-hand one as well, for just over 250k. I then got a good rim bounce with the laser ball for a further 410k, taking my score to over 660k after two balls. At this point I only needed another 140k for the pro target, and I had 10 red pegs left and 10 balls to get them with. It was a walk in the park from there. Even after this, the bonuses kept on coming. I was going for a total clearance, but the last red peg got taken out with still three blue pegs left and four balls in hand, so my score, over a million as it was, could have been even more.

Level 8 (Clear 45 red pegs from 107 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 750k)

The same design as level 5, but with 20 more red pegs, one less ball, and 175k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 961,470 

• The yellow peg was positioned in the right-hand column and proved awkward to get to. It took about three or four balls to get to it, and at that point I thought I had no chance. But I'd scored quite a lot with my first ball, and I scored quite a lot more with the laser ball, then picked up some good ricochets and bonuses afterwards and suddenly found myself with the score practically in the bag and with five balls left to clear the last five red pegs. And I still hadn't actually taken a successful catch at this point.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 61 blue - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 1, but with 5 more red pegs, and 225k more on the pro target. This design was tricky to either make catches or score bonus points on. This could be tricky.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 655,560

• I did the best I could in the endgame, but I just didn't score enough points earlier on to give myself a realistic chance. If both balls had fallen in the 100k bucket at the end, then I would have made it, but one of them missed the 100k and went in the 50k instead. It's a tough level to score big points on.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 715,510 

• This has to be one of the most extraordinary games of HotShot that I've ever played. The yellow peg was awkward to get to, down in the bottom left-hand corner. I ended up triggering the Big Bounce first which scored me hardly anything as the ball got stuck in a corner. Then the laser ball didn't do much better as I felt forced to shoot right with it instead of left and I'm unfamiliar with the angles going that way. So after both power ups had been used, I only had 176k points, and I still had 43 pegs to clear with only 6 balls. At this point I felt it was barely worth continuing and was just going through the motions. But at that point my luck completely changed and I started picking up outrageous catches, extraordinary bonuses and amazing ricochets. If you think I'm exaggerating, watch the video.

Level 10 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 69 blue - Pro target 700k)

The same design as level 4, but with 5 more red pegs, and 200k on the pro target. A total clearance is now required.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 438,080

• It took too many balls to break through to the yellow ball, and then the laser ball scored so few points anyway that it hardly seemed worth it.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 507,510

• A better effort, but still only a 92% clearance. I'll try adding another power up.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 985,410 

• Another excellent run of luck was what I needed. Not quite as outrageous as level 9, but not far off. There were a few fairly spectacular catches in there. The game is definitely at its most fun when when it gives you gifts like these! I managed to get the yellow peg with the first ball, and get a good rim bounce with the laser. Plus the Big Bounce worked well as well. Add to that the ricochets and catches that fortune threw my way, and it was a breeze.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	25	91	Reds	10	-	475k	3	539,770	316,596
2	25	100	Reds	10	-	500k	2	514,490	415,135
3	25	111	Reds	10	-	550k	1	675,690	675,690
4	25	99	Reds	10	-	500k	1	563,560	563,560
5	25	107	Reds	10	-	575k	2	675,840	491,805
6	45	100	Reds	9	-	650k	4	955,890	600,625
7	35	111	475k	9	-	800k	3	1,054,080	701,970
8	45	107	Reds	9	-	750k	1	961,470	961,470
9	30	91	All	10	-	700k	2	715,510	685,535
10	30	99	All	10	-	700k	3	985,410	643,666