Star Wars: The Mandalorian

***The Mandalorian*** is one of the two Star Wars pinball tables originally released as an exclusive for *Star Wars Pinball VR*, later ported into the *Pinball FX* reboot in March 2022. The table retells the events of season 1 of the eponymous series.

Stern Pinball put out a physical pinball machine based on the series in 2021. The games have no relation to each other outside of theme.

## Chapters

The journey of the Mandalorian is split into eight chapter missions. These behave similarly to the chapters in *Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens*, where chapters are largely "on-rails" and present scoring opportunities to the player for a limited time. Only a few shots in each chapter have to be made to complete it properly, but timing out the chapter also means far less points will be scored.

Chapters are started by shooting the left ramp 3 times + 1 time per chapter started on the same ball, are typically split into 30-second sections unless otherwise noted, and remain active until completed even if the ball drains. The first two chapters, **The Mandalorian** and **The Child**, must be played in order at the start of each new session - and completing these will light an **extra ball** as well. Chapters 3 to 7 can be selected using the flippers and launch button after completing the first two chapters, and chapter 8, **Redemption**, is always the final chapter to be played, making it a "wizard mode" of sorts.

**Contracts** can still be advanced towards during chapters, but other side objectives are disabled until the chapter ends.

* **Chapter 1 - The Mandalorian**:
	+ 30 seconds. Defeat 15 bounty hunter standup targets. Each target scores a hurry-up value starting at 1M.
	+ 30 seconds. Get the door open by collecting 15 bumper hits. A hurry-up value starting at 10M points is scored on the final, 15th bumper hit as the Mandalorian finds the Child.
* **Chapter 2 - The Child**:
	+ 30 seconds. The Mudhorn spawns as a giant standup target, and must be hit 10 times - 5 at each position - to move onto the next phase. Hurry-up value starts at 1M points and resets when it moves position.
	+ 30 seconds. The Mudhorn must be defeated by shooting the jump ramp to hit the airborne target. Hurry-up value starts at 5M.
	+ 10 seconds. Lock a ball at the IG-11 saucer to collect the egg for the Jawas. Hurry-up starts at 10M.
	+ 30 seconds. Make five shots with the egg ball. Collecting them all scores a hurry-up starting at 10M.
	+ 30 seconds. Assemble the ship parts by rolling over them with the ball. Hurry-up value for each part starts at 1M.
* **Chapter 3 - The Sin**:
	+ 60 seconds. 7 Stormtroopers spawn on the playfield - 6 standup targets, and 1 large figure at the back of the game that can be hit with the jump ramp. Collect 10 hits on any combination of the 7 Stormtroopers to score hurry-ups starting at 1M. Targets gradually disappear over time.
	+ 30 seconds. Defeat the large Stormtrooper figure with three shots for a hurry-up starting at 3M.
	+ 30 seconds. Make 5 flashing shots to escape. Collecting them all scores a hurry-up starting at 10M.
* **Chapter 4 - Sanctuary**:
	+ 60 seconds. Chapter starts out as a 6-ball multiball! Defeat 20 standup targets. The hurry-up value for each starts at 1M.
	+ 60 seconds. After making all 20 target shots, the AT-ST will walk onto the playfield, and must be hit via the jump ramp. Each of the 5 hits required scores a hurry-up value starting at 5M.
* **Chapter 5 - The Gunslinger**:
	+ 60 seconds. All flashing shots get the Razor Crest closer to its destination and score hurry-up values starting at 2M. The first shot can be made anywhere, but subsequent shots have 10-second timers and must be made on either the right, center, or left areas of the playfield. Making these shots will complete the phase quicker.
	+ 30 seconds. Shoot any of the flashing shots up the center to win the chapter for a hurry-up value starting at 4M.
* **Chapter 6 - The Prisoner**:
	+ 60 seconds. The hurry-up value starts at 2M, and can be collected at any lit shot, but once certain shots are made, the Mandalorian will be ambushed and two standup targets must be made to continue clearing out the shots. 10 seconds are added to the chapter, subsequently increasing the hurry-up value, for each ambush. The chapter ends once all lit shots have been cleared.
* **Chapter 7 - The Reckoning**:
	+ 60 seconds. Shoot the airborne Reptavian targets by sending balls up the jump ramp. Each target scores hurry-up values starting at 1M.
	+ 30 seconds. Fill the progress gauge to 100% by shooting the flamethrower target, the spinner, or the IG-11 saucer. 1/4 of the hurry-up value, which starts at 10M, is scored with each shot, with the final value being awarded once the gauge is full or the 30 second timer ends.
* **Chapter 8 - Redemption**:
	+ 60 seconds. Another 6-ball multiball - the goal here is to simply defeat as many Stormtrooper targets as possible to score hurry-up values starting at 5M.
	+ 60 seconds. With the remaining balls, the player must shoot every lit shot. Each lit shot scores a hurry-up value starting at 10M and can only be collected once. Once the timer expires, the chapter will end, and the player will only be able to access chapters 3 through 7 for the remainder of the game.

## Side modes

* **Contracts**: Every shot to the right ramp when Travel is lit progresses towards lighting Contracts, which can be started at the sinkhole above the upper left flipper. During Contracts, shoot the flashing shots to move towards and increase the value of the bounty, which starts at 10M and constantly decreases over time. Completing 5 contracts during a game lights the **extra ball**.
* **Flamethrower**: During normal play, shots to the flamethrower target send the ball clockwise around the funnel - each spin adds 5% fuel. Once the fuel reaches 100%, the next shot to the flamethrower target will begin a third-person video mode. Use the flippers to activate the flamethrower and keep the ball alive. Each hit with the flamethrower scores 50k (+10k per shot to the flamethrower target when the ramp isn't available).
* **Thruster**: Pushing the thruster target to its furthest location with strong shots begins a hurry-up mode where shots to the thruster target, followed by the sinkhole above the upper left flipper, score big points.

### Multiball modes

There are three different types of multiball modes in *The Mandalorian*, all of which are mutually exclusive and unable to stack with each other, and can only be started when modes or other features aren't active (with a few exceptions). Playing all three multiball modes in a single game lights the **extra ball**.

* **IG-11 Multiball**: This multiball can be played with up to 6 balls - it starts as a 2-ball multiball, and each time it is activated during a game, an additional ball must be locked. Hitting the target in front of IG-11 during normal play increases the jackpot value, which starts at 250k, by 10k - up to 1M points.
	+ Balls can be locked for this multiball by completing the IG-11 return lanes once (+1 completion per subsequent multiball), which cycle with the flippers, and then shooting the IG-11 saucer to start a mini-game where the player must use the flippers to make sure the ball doesn't escape the spinning disc. Lock is lit at IG-11 after 10 spins + 10 spins per mini-game attempt. The spins carry over between attempts and the highest number of spins in one attempt is recorded.
	+ After the required balls have been locked, multiball will begin. Shoot the standup targets to score jackpots worth 1M. Shoot the IG-11 saucer at any time to score a super jackpot worth the jackpot total.
* **Child Multiball**: After 10 shots to the center target bank (+5 per multiball), the two targets on the right side of it will lower for 30 seconds and allow a ball to be locked there. Locking at least 2 balls will enable Child Multiball when either the current ball drains, time runs out, or all 5 balls have been locked. Shoot balls up the jump ramp to score jackpots worth 500k (10k per center target bank hit prior) and cause them to float, enabling super jackpots (jackpot x the number of locked balls) at the flamethrower and IG-11 targets for a limited time. Locking all active balls scores a "release jackpot" worth the standard value and releases the balls again.
* **Razor Crest Multiball**: Complete all 10 of the RAZOR CREST drop targets on the mini-playfield by using the flipper magnets to light the lock for this multiball, hidden behind the two center drop targets. This process has to be completed for each lock. Once 2 balls have been locked (4 for subsequent attempts), Razor Crest Multiball will begin, where jackpots worth 100k + (10k per upper playfield target hit) can be scored by sending the ball into the moving Razor Crest, and super jackpots can be scored by sending the ball into the hidden lock on the upper playfield - requiring a shot to the Razor Crest to set up.

## Perks

* **Skill Shot**: Plunge the ball onto the mini-playfield and shoot the lock behind the center RAZOR CREST drop targets to score a skill shot worth 500k + 10k per target hit. The skill shot value is maintained for the entire game.
* **Ball Save**: 15 seconds of ball save are given at the start of each new ball and multiball mode. It can also be reactivated as a **clan award**, in which case it will save all balls that drain until time runs out and last longer.
* **Kickbacks**: Shooting the upper right saucer once (+1 time per kickback activation) gives the player 10 seconds to determine whether they want to activate the left or right kickback using the flippers and launch button. After the first kickback has been lit, the next shot will automatically light the kickback that hasn't been lit. Further shots to the saucer while both kickbacks are lit count down towards increasing the kickback value by 100k.
* **Bonus Multiplier**: Complete the top lanes, which cycle with the flippers, to light one of 5 randomly determined major shots to increase the bonus multiplier by +2x, to a maximum of 10x. Advancing the bonus multiplier once it has been maxed lights an **extra ball**.
* **Playfield Multiplier**: Completing the BESKAR targets at any time during play advances the playfield multiplier by .1x to a max of 2x. The playfield multiplier affects all game scoring, and is reset at the end of each ball.
* **Clan Award**: Shooting the spinner 30 times lights an award that can be collected by shooting the sinkhole behind the upper right flipper, indicated by a sparkle effect above the flipper. Further shots to the spinner while clan award is already lit randomize the lit award. Awards include:
	+ Light **contract**
	+ Instant multiball (either **IG-11**, **Child** (with all 5 balls locked), or **Razor Crest** at current difficulty)
	+ **Ball save** (for 30 seconds)
	+ Light **kickback**
	+ **+2x bonus X**
	+ Beskar steel (+0.1x **playfield multiplier**)
	+ Light **extra ball**
* **Extra Balls**: Extra balls can be lit at the sinkhole behind the upper right flipper in 5 different ways, each of which can only be achieved once per game:
	+ Complete the first two **chapters**
	+ Complete five **Contracts**
	+ Start all 3 **multiball modes** in a single game
	+ Max out the **bonus multiplier**
	+ **Clan award**

## Tips

* At the start of each new ball, prioritize lighting the kickbacks, as this is a drain-heavy table thanks to the emphasis on shooting standup targets. Similarly, weigh your options accordingly. It's not worth it to make a dangerous target shot for a low hurry-up value when you could hold the ball on a flipper and wait until the next phase starts.
* Going for the three multiball modes is a viable early-game strategy - particularly Child Multiball, as the ball save can help prevent drains from the center targets. These multiball modes also help advance the playfield multiplier, which adds up to huge points during a long game.
* Out of the five chapters available after winning the first two, Sanctuary is the most lucrative, but can be made even more so if you complete the BESKAR targets several times before starting it. Play this chapter early on if you want guaranteed points, but if you want even more points, wait until later in the game to start it.
* Keep an eye on that upper right flipper! The sinkhole behind it is a tough shot, but exceptionally rewarding as it scores lit extra balls and awards the lucrative clan award.

## Easter Eggs

* The Razor Crest playfield is a mix of the Powerfield magnetic playfield from Bally's 1993 *Twilight Zone* pinball machine, and the Battlefield playfield from the following year's *The Shadow*.
* The game's reliance on two upper flippers, down to having a sinkhole behind one of the upper flippers, is also quite similar to *Twilight Zone*.