[S E N D H E L P] Beating Challenge #6: Ups and Downs

Puzzle Strike
1

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! This freaking puzzle!

So this is what I’ve got so far…

#Start with 5 gems in the pile and…
Combinatorics
Three Colours
Bang then Fizzle
Option Select
It’s Combo Time
Safe Keeping

  1. In order to get down to 4 gems, first need to ‘Safe Keeping’ a gem into the bag (one black arrow remains)
  2. Then we can ‘Bang then Fizzle’ (two black arrows remain)
  3. We draw a :ps1gem: and ‘Crash Gem’
  4. The :ps1gem: allows us to play ‘It’s Combo Time’ (two black arrows remain)
  5. We draw ‘Combine’, :ps3gem:, :ps2gem: , and ‘Creative Thoughts’
  6. In order to get the gem pile high enough to play ‘Combinatorics’, I need to ‘Option Select’ into ‘Risky Move’, so I do that, putting the :ps3gem: into the pile (one black arrow remains)
  7. Play ‘Combinatorics’ (one neutral arrow remains)
  8. Play ‘Creative Thoughts’ to gain a black arrow and draw a chip - the draw always gets a :ps1gem: so it’s equivalent (?) to the +1$ option, but gets us further into our bag (one black arrow remains)
  9. Play ‘Combine’, combining twice, getting a :ps4gem: and a :ps2gem: (one black arrow remains)

#At this point

  • I have ‘Three Colours’, a ‘Crash Gem’, and $3 worth of gems in hand
  • I have a :pspig:, $1, and one black arrow in my action phase
  • The draw order of the next turn is: ‘Option Select’, :ps1gem:, ‘Option Select’, ‘Bang then Fizzle’, [whatever chip I buy], ‘Chromatic Orb’, ‘Crash Gem’…
  • I am stuck.

I’m pretty sure Three Colours is worthless, because the only blue chip in the bank doesn’t do anything, and there are no red chips at all. I’m pretty sure crashing the :ps4gem: on turn 1 is not the correct play, and that I should stash it.

‘Option Select’ will allow me to combine x2 because of ‘Combinatorics’ ongoing ability, so I get another :ps4gem: that way. The issue I’m running into is that I don’t have enough black/purple arrows to play 2 ‘Crash Gems’. I think the solution is to Crash twice, getting down to 3 gems in the pile, then have ‘Bang then Fizzle’ get me the fuel I need to keep doing stuff… but I don’t see how I can possibly get enough arrows to do that out of the turn 2 draw.

I don’t want the whole solution spelled out for me, but if someone could point out the 1st error I’m making in my thinking that’d be much appreciated

2 Likes
2

I’m stuck on this one as well. Watching this closely for hints!

3

Your analysis up to the buy looks good, although making 3+3 instead of 4+2 on step 9 also works. There is indeed a winning line that involves doing all that and then pigging the crash.

I suggest thinking more about this part of your post. There’s a subtle flaw in the logic you use to conclude you can’t win with that hand:

1 Like
4

Thanks Bucky! I’m glad I’ve at least got the Turn 1 sequence down. Now to think about the buy and Turn 2.

5

Hmm. Can you use ‘Option Select’ to counter-crash on your opponent’s turn?

1 Like
6

I did it!

A further clue for those struggling

Don’t use the :pspig: and buy two chips on Turn 1

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7

Finally got it too! Although, I’m not sure about your hint, @mysticjuicer…

[details=Spoilers]Bucky implied that the draw will be the same regardless of whether you pig the crash gem or not, and I just tested and found that I was able to use the same solution either way. Also,
I never needed the second chip I bought (and never drew it), so I tested whether buying only one chip made a difference and it didn’t. With that in mind,
a rephrasing of that hint might be “don’t buy a chip that costs $4.”[/details]

Still, it probably would have taken me longer to find the solution without your hint, so I guess it works…? Thanks!

1 Like
8
Summary

Oh, Interesting! I ended up buying both a ‘Combine’ and a ‘Risky Move’, which is only possible if you crash the 2-gem from your pile during your turn. How did you end up winning?

9
Full Solution Inside

Bought Gem Essence, used Option Select to counter-crash with a 1-gem (!) and let the rest through. The other Option Select was used to Combine right away, then Gem Essence gave me the arrows to play Chromatic Orb and a Crash Gem, at which point Bang then Fizzle let me get and play one more Crash Gem. My pile is empty, his is full after ante.

1 Like
10

Interesting! Huh. I wouldn’t have thought of that.

11

Solution meta-talk:

There is a lot of flexibility with the buy because buying A and option selecting B is roughly equivalent to the other way around. It matters if you run out of colored arrows, but Bang then Fizzle and Combine are fine enough washers.

2 Likes
12

I did notice that as I wrote my solution,
but that’s the order that I used the first time I figured it out. In a real game swapping which I bought and which I option-selected would probably be better.