Board 121: Patchwork Airship

This picture shows an unlikely looking airship with patched sails flying over the sea with a city in the background.

Level 1 (Clear 30 red pegs from 92 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 525k)

The first design is a close-up of the pointy front-end of the airship, with some single round pegs in parting lines in front of it.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 942,710 

• I've seen comments on the forum that this board is quite an easy one, and if this first level is anything to go by, then that could be true. I made a very comfortable total clearance, scoring some 400k over the pro target and still had balls to spare at the end.

Level 2 (Clear 25 red pegs from 103 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 500k)

The second design follows various lines in the picture. There are curves around the sides of the airship, wavy lines on the sea, straight lines on the city, etc.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 262,850

• That one wasn't quite so easy. I still had four or fice red pegs left at the end, but it's worth another try.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 350,270

• A better effort. Only one red peg left that time, but 150k short of the pro target. One more try I think.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 431,430

• A little bit closer still. Just one red peg left again. I was just trying to clear one blue peg that was in the way of me getting to it, when I missed the catch. I'll give it another go, just in case I can keep getting better, although I'll probably get nowhere near this time.

Attempt #4 - No power ups. Score: 527,950

• I actually had the points that time, but needed to take both red pegs with the last ball, or catch the ball, and managed neither.

Attempt #5 - No power ups. Score: 431,060

• I'm not sure why I'm still trying to get this one without power ups. I could just add a laser ball and make it really east, but where's the fun in that? Besides, it's becoming a war of attrition now, and resorting to power ups at this stage would be to admit defeat. One red peg left again.

Attempt #6 - No power ups. Score: 565,860 

• Hurrah! I was determined not to be beaten by it. It may have taken me six attempts, but I did it without power ups and that's the important thing.

Level 3 (Clear 30 red pegs from 87 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 450k)

The third design looks like a turbine engine, with seven wavy lines radiating out from it.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 365,750

• Four red pegs left, but there's definitely room for improvement. Worth another try.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 344,090

• Five reds left that time, but I didn't feel like I got much luck at all there. I'll give it one more go, but if I don't get significantly closer I'll add a laser ball.

Attempt #3 - No power ups. Score: 240,550

• Nothing went my way at all that time. I had lots of red pegs left at the end. I suppose I'd better add a laser ball.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 735,420 

• I had two or three lucky catches and a few useful bonuses, but I'm not sure that I wouldn't have got there anyway. I completed the pro score quite easily.

Level 4 (Clear 25 red pegs from 95 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 475k)

The fourth design copies the top sail of the airship and is a curved triangle full of single round pegs, lined with diamond-shaped ones below and to the right.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 459,860

• Not bad for a first effort. I should probably take the big right-hand curve with the first ball next time.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 555,780 

• I learned a few lessons from the first attempt, and made some better sweep shots in that one. It didn't make it easy, and it was still touch and go at times, but I got there.

Level 5 (Clear 30 red pegs from 114 total, with only 9 balls - Pro target 500k)

The fifth and final design looks like a couple of leaves, much like the sails underneath the airship.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 748,120 

• Another not particularly difficult level. Some good sweeps available inside the leaves.

Level 6 (Clear 40 red pegs from 87 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 675k)

The same design as level 3, but with 10 more red pegs, two less balls and 225k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 311,130

• The yellow peg was hidden away right down the bottom and it took too many balls to get there, and then the rim bounce with the laser ball wasn't the best.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 810,250 

• The yellow peg was nicely on top this time, and it made a big difference. I went all the way to a total clearance.

Level 7 (Score 525k with 30 red pegs and 62 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 800k)

The same design as level 1, but with one less ball, 275k on the pro target, and just a score now to aim at.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 246,930

• Nothing seemed to work for me that time. A total contrast to level 1. I'll give it another go though, to see if I can get a bit closer.

Attempt #2 - No power ups. Score: 372,040

• I can't seem to get anywhere near it now. It all seemed so straightforward first time round. I'll add a laser ball.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 765,730

• The last two red pegs went unexpectedly before I was ready. I had balls in hand and was closing in on the pro target, fully expecting to get it, but I didn't expect the reds to go off that shot.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 417,200

• I couldn't get through to the yellow peg until most of the pegs were gone, and then I had no chance of reaching the pro target. I had about three pegs left at the end and still needed nearly 400k points.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball. Score: 865,570 

• This one turned into a sort of masterclass in brinksmanship and single peg catches. It took me three shots to get to the yellow peg, and then I concentrated the laser ball on the left hand side. I missed some catches after that, and before I knew it, I was down to my last ball, still with 17 pegs left (5 of them red) and just under 300k still needed for pro. I managed to take all seventeen pegs out one at a time without missing a catch, and I still needed to avoid a minimum 20k final bucket bonus at the end of it all, but thankfully I did. I think what made it particularly satisfying for me is that every single one of the sixteen catches was taken exactly as intended and there were none of the lucky deflections or rim bounces that usually happen in these situations.

Level 8 (Clear 40 red pegs from 114 total, with only 7 balls - Pro target 650k)

The same design as level 5, but with 10 more red pegs, two less balls and 150k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - No power ups. Score: 273,650

• I got a few sweeps but not many, and hardly any catches. I think trying to get this one without power ups is probably a little unrealistic. I'll use a laser ball.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 508,030

• A better score, but I think I only made one catch and that's never going to be good enough. On a layout like this, particularly in the early stages, all you can really do is try and put the bucket in the right sort of area and hope to make a few catches. But sometimes, inevitably, it just doesn't want to play along and you don't make any.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 622,090

• I got down to five red pegs left and five balls, but one of the red pegs was blocked, so I had to take out a blue peg as well. Essentially I needed to make one catch somewhere in the last five shots, but I just couldn't find one. It's so frustrating when that happens.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball. Score: 844,130 

• That time I did get a good chunk of luck, particularly right at the end just as I thought it was all over. But that's the way it goes sometimes, and God knows there have been enough games when I got no luck at all. So it's swings and roundabouts.

Level 9 (Clear ALL pegs - 30 red and 73 blue, with only 8 balls - Pro target 825k)

The same design as level 2, but with 5 more red pegs, one less ball, 325k on the pro target, and a total clearance now required.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 884,440 

• I jumped straight in with the laser ball this time. I got an early bonus with the first ball, taking the yellow peg, triggering the Split Ball and catching both for a 100k bonus. I had to make quite a few catches after that, but I was up to the task.

Level 10 (Clear 45 red pegs from 95 total, with only 6 balls - Pro target 775k)

The same design as level 4, but with 20 more red pegs, three less balls and 300k on the pro target.

Attempt #1 - Laser Ball. Score: 282,840

• I couldn't get to the yellow peg until I had hardly any pegs left to shoot at with the laser ball. A couple of clumsy early shots weren't caught and should have been, and that's all the more important when you have so few balls to work with.

Attempt #2 - Laser Ball. Score: 228,780

• I messed up the first sweep down the right hand side, and then couldn't find a way to break through to the yellow peg. I only got it with my very last ball so never got a chance to use it.

Attempt #3 - Laser Ball. Score: 692,430

• I managed to get rid of all the pegs, but I needed the full 200k final bucket bonus for a pro score but could only manage 110k. It's time to add a Big Bounce into the equation.

Attempt #4 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 508,600

• I couldn't get through to the yellow peg to activate the laser ball for several balls, plus I messed up the two starting sweep shots.

Attempt #5 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 378,590

• I'm still trying to find that elusive first ball that will run all the way down the top curve for a big sweep bonus.

Attempt #6 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 419,460

• I nearly got the first ball to stop on top of the curve, but it just tipped off the end. Maybe I'll get it next time.

Attempt #7 - No power ups. Score: 289,750

• I took a fairly radical step of taking off the power ups as I wasn't sure they were gaining me much. It was more about finding the right early sweep shots. I think that was a mistake, though, so I'll add them back in.

Attempt #8 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 379,950

• I thought I had the angle down for the first shot this time, but I clearly got it wrong as it fell off the right-hand side again, and that messed up the whole subsequent game.

Attempt #9 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 536,780

• I completely messed up the first ball that time, although I'm not sure how I went so badly wrong. Maybe I was aiming at completely the wrong peg or something.

Attempt #10 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 690,450

• Quite close that time, but I couldn't quite find the right catches at the end.

Attempt #11 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 347,930

• I thought I'd adjusted my aiming point from the previous go for the first ball, but I got the same result so I can't have done. Ths ball stops just at the top of the slope and starts to roll down it, but then the pegs disappear from under it and it falls through.

Attempt #12 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 332,330

• Again I managed to mess up the first ball because it hung around too long at the top of the curve. I will get the timing right on this level eventually!

Attempt #13 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 434,430

• Only two or three red pegs left that time, but a long way short of the pro target.

Attempt #14 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 398,020

• I found a decent first ball this time to get a decent slide down the top slope, but both the special balls were a little disappointing.

Attempt #15 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 623,470

• That was a much better effort. Just two red pegs left and a 97% clearance. The first ball fell through again, rather than sweeping down the curve, but I recovered well after that. I just couldn't quite keep the catches going at the end.

Attempt #16 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 488,470

• I found a good set of opening shots, but unfortunately my luck ran out after that. It took several more shots to get to the yellow peg, and by the time I'd played the Big Bounce as well I was down to my last ball. I made a few catches but I couldn't keep it going all the way.

Attempt #17 - Laser Ball & Big Bounce. Score: 850,980 

• I studied the opening three moves from my previous attempt and managed to reproduce them here, although I got nowhere near a catch on the third shot. Rather handily, the third shot triggered both the yellow and green pegs, and in the right order. I used a standard shot for the laser ball, although I fired it too late for a rim bounce, but then with so few balls to play with, the catch I took instead might even have been better. I did OK with the Big Bounce, and then managed to pick off the red pegs that were left and the odd purple to get myself over the pro target.

SUMMARY

Level	Reds	Pegs	Target	Balls	Clock	Pro	Attempts	Record	Average	Video
1	30	92	Reds	9	-	525k	1	942,710	942,710
2	25	103	Reds	9	-	500k	6	565,860	428,236
3	30	87	Reds	9	-	450k	4	735,420	421,452
4	25	95	Reds	9	-	475k	2	555,780	507,820
5	30	114	Reds	9	-	500k	1	748,120	748,120
6	40	87	Reds	7	-	675k	2	810,250	560,690
7	30	92	525k	8	-	800k	5	865,570	533,494
8	40	114	Reds	7	-	650k	4	844,130	561,975
9	30	103	All	8	-	825k	1	884,440	884,440
10	45	95	Reds	6	-	775k	17	850,980	463,721