Strategy for END of a CCFS game

UncleBob2

When you get down to just a few moves, you might shift to TARGETED DESTRUCTION to ensure a successful completion of that level with the moves you have left. For example, on this level I had only 3 moves left and 2 octopuses that still had to be completely freed. Since each octopus just needed 1 level of destruction, I had to find a way to hit each one exactly one time. I first saw a way to hit the octopus at the bottom by using that striped cyan candy in the column above it. The first move was to shift one cyan candy to the left by matching the 3 orange candies in the column next to it.

The next move was to complete the pattern to make a new cyan striped candy, which had the side-effect of setting off the existing striped cyan candy and blasting downward.

To free the last octopus on the last move, I simply matched the 3 red candies that included the red fish, because that activated the fish, which then swam over to hit the final octopus.

So when you just have limited moves together with just a few things to complete that level, try to carefully target the destruction of your moves to guarantee successfully completing that level.

UncleBob2

In a multi-screen level of CCFS, the Targeted Destruction strategy usually has to be used on the final screen. In this example, the final screen was getting fairly clear when 10 moves remained. I first cleared the outlying octopuses by combining the Color Bomb+Orange Striped Candy for Maximum Destruction, …

but then had just the 3 octopuses clustered around the Smash Octopus. Then I shifted to Targeted Destruction of the Smash Octopus, because when activated it would then hit the remaining octopuses and also set off that Orange Wrapped candy. The first hit was moving in the yellow candy to match 3 yellows right next to it.

The second hit was by matching the 3 cyan candies that also touched it.

The lashing of the Smash Octopus plus the double explosion of the Orange Wrapped candy freed all 3 of the remaining octopuses.

So near the end of each level , the strategy should shift from Maximum Destruction to a carefully planned Targeted Destruction of exactly what you need to do in order to successfully complete that level.

Hope this helps, folks!

playgowomen18

wery smart!

UncleBob2

The last 5 moves of any CCFS level are critical to successfully completing that level. Although you should still LOOK at the suggested/recommended move highlighted by the algorithm, those moves are almost never your best moves. Instead , for the last 5 moves in particular you should “Keep Your Eye On The Ball”, which is to say you should focus on exactly the goal for completing that level. The example below is the very last move of a “Free Octopuses” level, and the suggested move was matching orange candies in the upper left corner, but that would have no effect on the final, unfreed octopus at the lower right. Instead, you need to find a single, final move that will free that octopus. I found two such moves, and you might find more than that if you carefully look at the playing grid:

UncleBob2

In a multi-screen level of CCFS, the Targeted Destruction strategy usually has to be used on the final screen. In this example, the final screen was getting fairly clear when 10 moves remained. I first cleared the outlying octopuses by combining the Color Bomb+Orange Striped Candy for Maximum Destruction, …

but then had just the 3 octopuses clustered around the Smash Octopus. Then I shifted to Targeted Destruction of the Smash Octopus, then hit the remaining octopuses and also set off that Orange Wrapped candy. The first hit was moving in the yellow candy to match 3 yellows right next to it.

The second hit was by matching the 3 cyan candies that also touched it.

The lashing of the Smash Octopus plus the double explosion of the Orange Wrapped candy freed all 3 of the remaining octopuses.

So near the end of each level , the strategy should shift from Maximum Destruction to a carefully planned Targeted Destruction of exactly what you need to do in order to successfully complete that level.

Hope this helps, folks!

UncleBob2

Like an “end game” in Chess, you should look for the solutions to that level with minimal moves. In this case there are at least two distinct approaches to releasing the final two octopuses.

The orange fish released by the blast of the purple striped candy, chose to hit the lower octopus. So now the situation was:

Again one solution was a simple match of the red candies, but I chose to make the orange candies to make a Color Bomb and release another orange fish, which hit the final octopus and completed the game.

So practice looking for all possible ways to make the final moves in the End Game part of a CCFS level so that skill becomes second nature to you. Having that skill well-learned is particularly important when you must play CCFS under time pressure like the 30-minute boosters and thus have to make playing moves cery quickly. Cheers!

UncleBob2

The End Game often involves the hitting difficult-to-reach places on the playing grid. The Suggested/Recommended Move is almost always a distraction from the very goal-focused moves you need to do in order to successfully complete that level. Herr is a FreeThe Octopuses example where I had to hit the final 3 octopuses located at the very bottom of the grid twice. As that was an awkward place to reach it took six moves to do so:

So Keep Focused in the End Game, everyone! Cheers!

AkumaXX

These are the rare cases where you have more than enough moves and a vast opening board. Most of the time the moves are wasted in restrained space without chance to touch any blocker.

Take the 4531 example. What will you do if you only have 2 moves or fewer? We have to hope for cascades so that making a yellow fish on the left may help, because the red fish is a safe move unlikely to be ruined by unexpected cascades.

There are some moves which shall be taken with high priority, like mixing color bomb with special candies. If this would rip off many marmalade layers or deal heavy damage to heart locks or even crunches, why not?