Devising a New Strategy

My game play strategy on LOTR is taking a new direction from today.  

Apologies if you already have  this down cold.  But you still might learn something...

It's based on deferring DTR while you go back to stack a mode and a multiballs together. Seems to get you closer to Valinor (the wizard mode) or at least  gets you higher scores without even breaking a sweat.   But I'll get to that in a minute. 

First strategy is to forget about shots that get the Movie multiballs running in the early part of the game.  At the start of ball #1,  concentrate on defeating  modes.   You will qualify for the Movie MBs along the way, collecting K-E-E-P letters from lanes, fellowship characters and POTD souls. 

If I have a chance to get Boromir from the Palantir, early then I do that.  It's usually the first award offered. Not worrying about the Pop Bumper nest means more control using ramps and less randomness.   You are trying to eliminate variation and not take shots that are risky at this point (early 1st ball).

I usually get modes out of the way that I don't like or that don't combine with other things.  As an example, 

defeating Shelob is hard, because you have to remember the left/right/left/right alternate shots without any clues, and remember which shots you already made on that side.  Not easy juggling 3 or 4 balls.


Another trick is that if you have FOTR qualified and want to start a mode and stack with FOTR, then don't choose a mode that needs a ring shot as part of it.   Why? Because once the Cave troll sequence is over (if you even bother to set that in the settings) then the Balrog comes out and blocks the ring shot.    e.g. Don't start a ring frenzy (or super ring frenzy) and then start FOTR MB either.  You won't be able to score the ring frenzy total.   Unless you can defeat the Balrog and then score the ring frenzy total.  So you stop yourself from gaining the bonus points you worked for so hard.

You set up Gollum Multiball by collecting 9 Man-rings.  A shot to the Gimli hole would activate it, but don't use it just Before DTR, as that's a complete waste of it's power.   You need to activate it right after completing all three Movie MBs, so you want to light it during or just after the last of the 3.

I go in the order (usually) of FOTR MB, then ROTK, then TTT.  That's my preferred order, but sometimes the last two are swapped. 

Completion of the last one with Gollum Multiball lit is perfect.  Then DTR will be  lit, but don’t shoot that ring!  Instead start up the Gollum MB, which lets you go back and start another mode, putting you further towards TABA*

Having  Gollum MB running defers DTR and lets light the Mode Inset, and then you start one of the modes by shooting the ring.  Once you have both Gollum MB and a mode running, then try and qualify and re-start a Movie Multiball if you can. One you didn't beat on the way to DTR is a good choice to make.

Gollum either Hurts (halves) or Smeagol Helps (Doubles) your score.  Just listen for the words 'always helps' and you know it's double score time.  So now If you have the mode running, along with the already running Gollum MB, and a  Movie MB started.  "Stacking" like this can be very beneficial to your scores. 

It’s killer, especially with the x2 as well. 

DTR lights and becomes available again after Gollum MB (and any other MB running) ends.  Made 64Mil without really ever breaking a sweat, and that was without completing DTR.  I drained during the DTR, before making all four “qualification” lanes.  I could easily do 100Mil every time, if I could work out how to beat all the Movie MBs and be able to do the “deferred DTR” trick in every game. 

I suspect the secret is stacking like this: start a mode, then start Gollum MB, and then the right Movie MB for that mode on top each time  If you can.  Some modes work better with some Movie MBs stacked on top.  Some are mutually exclusive! 

My fav combo right now is Gandalf vs. Saruman mode and then TTT MB  you can usually finish the mode when trying to “stay alive” long enough to win TTT.  It’s a “war of attrition”, but the MB is not really that objective based.  So you concentrate on just the Legolas Shot and the Aragorn Shot to the Sword, nothing else,  until the gate opens to Orthanc.   Shoot that, then go crazy hitting as many shots on the game as you know blindly until you drain or win the mode.  I think Gandalf says “I was delayed” if you beat the mode.  If you are still alive, concentrate on finishing the shots to win the TTT MB.  I think you will get two “gifts of the elves” for doing that as well, a  MB win and a mode win.  Same  goes for Warg Battle or Ringraith mode and ROTK MB.  Except the lanes are more defined for ROTK.  You have to know the modes and keep the shots to do next in your head!  But it's not easy. The shots aren't indicated, as the multiball shots are the ones the inserts are showing.  Sometimes you get sound bites that will help, in the case of 'Gandalf vs. Saruman' and the 'War of the Ents' you get the diverter to orthanc opening with a snap.

*You get "There And Back Again" by completing all the modes and then shooting the ring, a great mode.  Scoring is potentially very big as you can earn back the total you made on each of the modes, if you are successful.  


I used to think that DTR was a main objective, and it is in a way if the game is short.  But if you can keep things going, it's just a stop on the way to Valinor.  Here's hoping you (and I) will get there one day.