An introduction to Massive Multiplier Combos (MMCs)

With the standard scoring method of surrounding a Black Pearl with multipliers of a single color, you could score a maximum of 1,120,000 points for each of these combinations. There is of course the "Grand Pearl Poo-bah," but that is a game-ending combo. Now with a single Massive Multiplier Combination (MMC) you can score in the hundreds of millions or even billions with a single combination. And you can repeat these MMCs as long as you can avoid having a bomb detonation end your game. How do MMCs work? Just like the standard scoring method the larger your cluster the more points you score. When you add multipliers any cluster (or combo) your score for each cluster increases exponentially. Your goal with MMCs is to make a single cluster with as many multipliers as possible. You won't get huge scores with a single cluster until you get close to 15 or 16 multipliers in the cluster. So when creating your MMC try having a minimum of 15 multipliers in the cluster. The trigger strategy The best strategy for creating a single massive cluster it to defuse a bomb with a multiplier and a normal piece of the same color. When you defuse a bomb with this method all the pieces that are the color of the bomb will disappear from the board, and this is the trigger for your MMC. The goal is to have all your pieces in place so that when you trigger the MMC the color that is removed will allow your pieces to drop into place creating the massive cluster. Make a plan and follow the rules. Your best bet for creating a MMC is to make a plan of what you want to do before you begin to build it. Qbix has created an online tool that can assist you in creating a Hexic board MMC plan. Resource: Qbix's Hexic board builder.

The MMC Rules

Now just like the "Pirates Code" some of these rules are more like guidelines. Some rules can, at times, be bent a little (for example rule number 5.) But to have a good MMC design that will reliably give you a high score you are going to want to follow these rules. Rules for creating a Massive Multiplier Combo All the pieces in the main cluster of a Massive Multiplier Combo must be of the same color. Combo pieces must fall the same distance to be counted in the MMC. The combo can't contain a cluster of same colored multipliers. A starflower created in the cluster will greatly reduce your score. To be included in the combo each piece must contact two other same colored pieces. Each column must contain 2 same colored pieces unless it is on the side of a cluster. MMC scoring formula Now the exciting part, how big will I score with these MMCs? There is a formula just for figuring this out. To make it easier to see just what scores you can expect visit the MMC calculation sheet and plug in your numbers. Here is the formula for how Hexic is going to calculate your cluster. MMC SCORE = 5 x (level) x (number of pieces-2) x 2^ (number of multipliers) Example: Level 7, 29 pieces, (21 of them multipliers) = (approx.) 2 billion 5 x 7 x (29 - 2) x 2^ (to the power of 21) = 1,981,808,640 Resource: GC Zombie's Excel MMC calculation sheet.

MMC plans that have been tested and work

We won't leave you on your own when coming up with working MMCs. They can be difficult to figure out when you have little practice with them. Here are some designs that have already been created and tested. Plans that don't require a bomb We didn't discuss it much but you don't need to have a “bomb and multiplier” combo to trigger an MMC. There are ways to set up your board to create a MMC without ever needing a bomb. Here is an example. Oldtaco's 22 piece combo (16 multipliers are used). Triggered this way. Score: 45,875,200 Plans that require a bomb + multiplier combo These following MMC examples are a few of the more basic designs and they do require a “bomb and multiplier” combo to trigger. fda4ever's 26 piece combo (18 multipliers are used) Score: 220,200,960 oldtaco's 26 piece combo (19 multipliers are used) Score: 440,401,920 fda4ever's 26 piece combo (19 multipliers are used) Score: 440,401,920 fda4ever's 28 piece combo (19 multipliers are used) Score: 477,102,080 fda4ever's 28 piece combo (20 multipliers are used) Score: 954,204,160 Bonus triangles: taking your scores to the next level again! YS23 AOKI made a discovery that made it possible to create even higher scores with a MMC. The revelation was that if in your massive cluster you had 2 multiplier pieces (the color of your combo) cluster with a multiplier piece of a different color it would increase your score dramatically. We call these bonus unique multiplier clusters "bonus triangles". They are almost like clusters within your MMC. The formula for calculating the additional score bonus triangles will give your MMC is: 2^(to the power of the number of multipliers in your massive cluster) x 700 You get this score for each bonus triangle you create within your MMC. So for example, if you had a massive cluster that used blue pieces... A massive cluster has 20 blue multipliers in it so you would receive 2^20 x 700 for each bonus triangle that you create. Don't worry if you don't understand this formula, we've included these on the MMC calculator. Here is an example to help you understand just how Hexic will count the number of bonus triangles in your MMC. If you have 5 (blue) multiplier pieces surrounding a different colored multiplier it actually creates 4 bonus triangles These following MMC examples are more advanced designs that utilize bonus triangles and they do require a “bomb and multiplier” combo to trigger. GC Zombie's 26 piece combo 19 multipliers + 1 off colored multiplier are used Score: approx. 1 billion fda4ever's 26 piece combo 18 multipliers + 4 off colored multipliers are used Score: approx. 1.3 (or 1.6) billion YS23 AOKI's 23 piece combo 18 multipliers + 5 off colored multipliers are used Score: approx. 1.8 billion YS23 AOKI's 26 piece combo 20 multipliers + 4 off colored multipliers are used Score: approx. 9 billion There have been larger MMCs created than the examples we have shown you here. These designs should be enough to get you started. If you want to be the top score on the Hexic leader board don't stop trying to create even larger MMCs. Don't even think that this is the best method: there may be better scoring methods out there. It's up to you to find them. Good luck on your new Hexic high score!