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View Full Version : Taco Meadow - Levels 343 - 348 (Region 58)



Phaedrakiki
09-03-13, 03:53 PM
From the TL Blog (http://blog.teamlava.com/), posted Aug. 6 (http://blog.teamlava.com/post/57549819488/new-content-august-5-8-2013):

http://media.tumblr.com/c397064d1265c78b725440ac806ec679/tumblr_inline_mr4gwrhvlJ1qz4rgp.png

All of this adventure is making Bean Dog hungry! Look! There seems to be food growing on the new island! Help Bean Dog satisfy his hunger by visiting Taco Meadow in Jewel Mania (https://www.facebook.com/JewelManiaGame)!

~*~*~
I just reached this island, and I'm suddenly hungry for Mexican food myself, lol. Not to mention more fun playing new JM levels! There wasn't a thread to post info, etc. for Taco Meadow, though...so I'm giving it a try. If I made a mistake here (e.g., not sure the blog links will go through for me,) I'm sorry! Please "fix me," Aileeniweeni! ;)

Phaedrakiki
09-03-13, 04:54 PM
Level 343: 14 fire in 35 moves (5JC.) There are unbreakable/stone jewels, and little windows & cut-outs to add to the difficulty.

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/f4dbe770-3c40-40e7-8c2c-58e54a643a86_zps12a82917.jpg

Only played once so far, but this looks like it will depend on getting the right combo opportunities (the "good"/powerful ones--diamond + blaster or blaster + bomb.) Those hard-to-reach areas between windows will be the tricky part. If you can blast into the fire below and get a blaster + bomb combo in there, it should do the trick! Yep, I'll be trying for a blaster + bomb in the sweet spot*... ;)

Phaedrakiki
09-03-13, 05:29 PM
*The "sweet spot" in this case (in the above photo...with fire in the bottom 3 rows,) would be a blaster & bomb side-by-side in the 2nd row from the bottom. That would blast the row the special jewels are in, and the rows above and below them. OR, if the blaster & bomb are one atop the other, you'd need a blaster or bomb in the 2nd row from the bottom, and the other (bomb or blaster) below it on the bottom row, or above it in the 3rd row from the bottom. Then just make sure to swipe the jewels in the right direction...crucial in order to get the correct "3rd row" blasted.

I just recently discovered that the direction you swap the special jewels in the combo dictates the way the blast goes. Not sure if this is common knowledge--but I wish I had known sooner! I always wondered why sometimes my combo didn't work as expected...leaving fire in areas I thought it would clear, for example. Now I know what I was doing wrong!

You probably already knew this, but JIK, I'll explain what I mean. If you have a blaster (or bomb) on the bottom row, and a bomb (or blaster) above it in the next row, be sure to swipe up to get that 3rd row from the bottom blasted, too. The special jewel rows are automatically part of the combo's blast, but you want the best choice for your 3rd row (especially in this case, when you have that difficult row with the flames between the windows!) If you swipe down, the blast is directed down, as well. With no row underneath, the blast is "wasted". However, if your blaster + bomb was in the 2nd & 3rd rows from the bottom, then you would swipe downwards...and it would blast the bottom row, too.

Btw, this works the same way with the 3-wide vertical part of the blast. The column(s) with the special jewels in it is (are) automatically blasted. If your blaster + bomb are side-by-side, the 3rd column that gets cleared is decided by whether you swipe right or left. If you swipe to the right, the column to the right of the special jewel on the right gets blasted. (Swipe left, it's the one on the left.) And, of course, if your blaster & bomb are one above the other, the column the jewels are in gets cleared, as are the ones on either side of it.

Phaedrakiki
09-03-13, 06:29 PM
Passed 343, with 2 diamond + blaster combos (funny, after ALL my blaster + bomb talk above, lol.) ;) The 2nd diamond & blaster was my very last move--it was a close one! I made lots of vertical blasters during my attempts, trying to blast the fire below to get a combo down there, but didn't have a lot of luck with it (but it would work great if you get the opportunity!) I can't believe I got so lucky with the diamond/blaster combos...I was on my very last energy when I started the round. Ended up with 3 stars, too (so excited!) :D

Forgot to mention, it looks like Bean Dog has a "special friend" here in Taco Meadow. I don't know the nature of their relationship (maybe they're just hangin' out, and like tacos. Or maybe it's more than that...? ;)

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/3dd7bff6-d07a-4188-b751-48d28936d746_zpsb669ba6c.jpg

I won't chant, "Bean Dog has a girl-friend, Bean Dog has a girl-friend," though. Because 1., I'm much too mature for that. 2. I also don't know if it's true or not. 3. Plus, I don't even know if Bean Dog's "friend" is a girl... :confused: 4. And mostly, it's none of my bees-wax. ;)

Phaedrakiki
09-03-13, 06:55 PM
Level 344: 20 glass in 2:40 (5JC.) This level is kinda cool. Don't think I've seen such a large group of restricted jewels bunched together like this so far. There are 3 rows of them at the bottom, completely separated from the main board above (except for a small 2-column thru-way.) You have to "unrestrict" the jewels in order get access to the glass underneath them. There are also some unbreakable/stone jewels that will fall into the bottom area (onto the glass) as you began "prying the jewels from their settings." ;)

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/9ac7647b-3e27-4f88-81d9-96cc3170bd84_zpsbf802b90.jpg

I hadn't planned on playing the round from the photo above (was just going to take a screenshot, then restart.) But when I saw the yellow "diamond match," I decided to play. I was hoping to swap the diamond with a blaster, or at least a purple jewel (to unrestrict the majority of the jewels on the bottom.) But neither opportunity presented itself, and I didn't really have any good moves. So I just made as many special jewels as I could, trying to blast some open space in the area below. Once you have a decent opening, you can make regular matches to keep unlocking jewels and/or break glass. Ideally, you want to use some good combos, and the more diamonds the better (always awesome for glass levels!) Only tried this once...awaiting energy.

Phaedrakiki
09-04-13, 01:16 AM
Hmmm...saw something strange while working on level 344. Not sure if this is a glitch or what. I swapped a green jewel with a yellow stone jewel (pink arrow in 1st photo below.) The swap released a green restricted jewel, as well as two yellow ones. As you can see in the 2nd photo, though, the "un-restricted" yellow jewels remained next to the stone jewel, even though they now form a 3-in-a-row match. The rest of the round seemed to work as normal (me not doing well in a timed level...yep, pretty normal, haha. But seriously...) Still, I'm not sure if the released yellow jewels' behavior was "proper," so I thought I'd post it JIK... ;)

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/04d87c80-8572-47d0-ba8e-74999b5e08bb_zps3dab6f93.jpg http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/43687e75-5c39-4dd2-a0f5-67bfd054103c_zpscd82d5ac.jpg

Phaedrakiki
09-05-13, 02:36 AM
Yowza, 344 was/is a tough level! The restricted jewels were a little hard to get used to (for me, anyway) in this level. After playing JM all this time, I think our eyes get used to all the patterns, and we automatically know what to do with different jewels & barriers. I'm not there yet with the restricteds, though, especially in this configuration. It's like I don't quite "see" them yet/can't think what to do with them as quickly. So, in order to get some extra planning time, I actually took a couple screenshots during the round to help. I'd take one when I felt stuck, then pause the level & close the game. Then I'd open the photo & study it...to look for good moves & see which restricted jewels (if any) I might free. Then I'd go back to JM & play some more.

But the restricted jewels weren't even the hardest part of this level; it was those unbreakable/stone jewels on each side! When you release the restricted's below them, the stone jewels fall down onto the glass. Those corners are so difficult to get to; makes it practically impossible to clear or move the stone jewels to get to the glass in time. The screenshot below shows a slightly more promising example. (Kinda reminds me of a previous level I recently re-played--114. Had a similar shape & the same stone jewel problem. But it was moves-based, so there was time to strategize--unlike this one!) During my many attempts, I was able to clear the bottom area quite often--except for a few stone jewels in the corners...

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/9277bc21-51ae-48ac-a36f-812bb182c4d5_zps2adc0e56.jpg

When I finally passed, I had a really lucky round. I had several diamond + blaster & blaster + bomb combos. The board reshuffled soon after beginning, which moved some of the stone jewels away from the sides. A huge benefit, allowing me to clear some of them before they could fall to the bottom. After awhile, I was down to just 1 glass left in the corner...with a red stone jewel on top of it (Darn, missed one! ;)) I thought I had another loser round on my hands, but kept trying. I made yet another blaster + bomb combo & detonated it in that bottom area. Well, 3 red jewels must've fallen right next to the stone jewel--cuz it was suddenly gone! Success, with just 3 seconds left!

Not sure how I would've passed without the reshuffle, though. Doesn't seem like there's enough time to clear all the side stone jewels and release all the restricted jewels (leaving enough time to break the double-glass, too, I mean.) If you have an effective strategy, please do share it!

Phaedrakiki
09-05-13, 03:22 AM
Level 345: Dig 12 meters in 70 moves (5JC.) This level is lots of fun! So many special jewels and combos, and you need them to dig, dig, DIG! There are wooden walls & a few windows. The walls don't trip you up too badly, but they're actually embedded all the way down to the goal line. They don't appear properly in the screenshot below, because unfortunately, they don't show up on my screen until it finishes scrolling through. The super dirt & larger window at the bottom is a little tricky--that's where I keep getting held up. But it's really fun...awaiting energy to try again! :D

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/78ea239a-f623-4859-99db-5bb8fa6cd449_zpscc7c38ac.jpg
http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/404a86db-b87d-4cef-9e66-67857d5a7c70_zps10086a8b.jpg
http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/9b66d040-316e-4428-959a-acb33759bb07_zps94d8b698.jpg

Phaedrakiki
09-05-13, 05:51 PM
Yay, 345 was really fun and challenging! I've added the bottom 9 meters of the board (during one of my rounds) so you can see where the other walls are. Of course, in these screenshots some of the dirt & super dirt has been blasted, moved around, etc. But between the 2 groups of photos, you can see what you'll be up against as you dig down to the goal line.

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/a9ec32e9-e832-4aae-94ad-b9e21db51288_zps6f73df39.jpg
http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/b53693df-f1dd-4431-b599-0ff691ccfe56_zpsfb35aa4b.jpg

I got to the goal area nearly every round I played, but that's only part of the battle. It's difficult to make the right special jewels you need and combine them once you get there (and you have to punch through the super dirt to pass, of course.) The walls & windows make it very tricky to predict where the jewels will go, so planning is hard, too. I eventually got a diamond + blaster right there in the bottom area--followed by a second one! That was what I needed to get through that goal. I never could get a blaster + bomb together down there--in the right spot, anyway. When I could get those specials together, they were centered over that bottom window, and the blast range wouldn't reach the super dirt you need to target. Hopefully, you'll have better luck with that than me! Still, a fun level all around! :D

Phaedrakiki
09-05-13, 06:08 PM
Level 346: 20 fire in 1:30 (5JC.) Whoa, this one's fast! I couldn't take the screenshot fast enough for it to say "20 left" in the fire gauge window...the fire's already on the move. The windows, cutouts, and 4 unbreakable/stone jewels to add to the difficulty of this level, but it's still pretty straightforward fire-fighting.

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/405d7d11-51a6-4c38-a3f9-142af358eb9c_zps55f282a4.jpg

The first round I played, I combined a diamond + blaster, and then a 2nd one not long after. Got the fire down to just one or 2 flames, but they were between the wall & a window--very hard-to-reach. Didn't do as well my next 2 tries, so I'm still working on this. I'm basically trying to fight the fire back as quickly as possible, to get a larger board for making special jewels. In order to get "every last flame" at the bottom, a blaster + bomb in the right area is probably best. The timer goes by fast, too; so you have to hustle. Ugh, this one might take awhile!

Phaedrakiki
09-06-13, 08:12 PM
Yay, finally beat level 346 this morning! It was driving me crazy (as most timed fire levels do.) I was frantically swiping like usual, making special jewels and trying to keep the fire from taking over. I made a diamond, and was hoping to combine it with a blaster, but it wasn't happening. If I waited much longer I would lose control, so I swapped the diamond with a bomb*. Whoosh--all the fire went out! Whoo-hoo!!! I was so excited! :D

*I wish I knew exactly what the diamond + bomb combo does. Can someone please tell me? I guess I'm not observant enough, cuz I can't quite figure it out. :confused: I do know it's a 2-step process. It looks like at first, the diamond clears all the jewels on the board that are the same color as the bomb (at least, I think.) But then it does something else (there's a lot of twinkling afterwards, like more jewels clearing--maybe a 2nd color?) Please post, and tell me if you know!

Phaedrakiki
09-06-13, 09:01 PM
Level 347: 28 glass in 65 moves (5JC.) This is a very challenging level, with restricted jewels, stone jewels, and windows/cutouts.


http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/816577b3-ae80-4a81-be3f-d8ad721f7f53_zps27f02e63.jpg


They give you a decent amount of moves, but I still ran out many times before I finally passed. You really have to strategize carefully, and clear at least some ("most" or "all" is better!) of the stone jewels. There are quite a few, and they end up falling to the bottom of the board, getting "stuck" in that last row & in the corners. After that, it's practically impossible to even move them.

You can try moving a couple stone jewels, if needed, so that they fall where there's no glass. But you have to make sure they're not going to get in the way of the restricted jewels at the bottom. I tried moving the stone jewels and blasting the glass on the sides, etc. But remember it's double glass. If there are any stone jewels above, they'll fall right back onto that other layer of glass. A reshuffle can be very helpful on this level! I tried to only play boards with good starting moves, like those that clear stone jewels, restricted jewels, etc. (e.g., the purple blaster match w/2-stone jewels at the top right in the screenshot.) If I didn't see moves like that, I restarted the level.

Took me quite a few attempts, but I finally passed a round where I'd cleared all but one of the stone jewels, and still had 19 moves left. Usually on glass levels, I try to make moves towards the bottom, since you often get "bonus" matches as the jewels fall in. But I ended up working from the top on this one (at first, anyway,) making sure to take care of the restricted jewels & stone jewels before worrying about glass. Especially those stone jewels--you really don't want them all falling down to the bottom! But...once you get the stone jewels cleared, the rest is cake~ ;) I really enjoyed this level--so much fun! (Though it made my brain hurt at first, trying to figure out the best moves, lol!)

Phaedrakiki
09-06-13, 09:46 PM
Level 348: Dig 10 meters in 2:05 (5JC.) A pretty straightforward digging level, but it has several barriers. Super dirt, a couple embedded windows, and wooden walls in a cool-looking pattern all the way down to the goal line.

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/436f922f-254c-4b64-baf1-9445d046e07f_zpsdccdc60e.jpg
http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/cc6310f6-de0b-47c3-911f-55c37bfca178_zps12f7e76c.jpg
http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag81/Beadsbykat/JMD%20175%20plus/c4c05cef-554e-400b-903e-c0216b8963fc_zps599acc15.jpg

The walls can be a real pain, and keep you from making the moves you want to make. Special jewels seem to come pretty easily, though. The furthest I've gotten is about halfway, in my attempts so far. I'm hoping that after more practice, I'll get a better "feel" for the level...and be able to dig thru much faster! Awaiting some energy for another round...

Phaedrakiki
09-07-13, 09:48 PM
Ugh, I hate timed levels! 348 would be challenging and fun as a moves level, but I'm finding it frustrating instead. The area under the window is quite tricky...another thing to slow you down (besides the walls.) You have to dig in from the sides to get that little area, or blast it from above while clearing super dirt--2 barriers w/ 1 blast, lol! ;) The bottom window is probably just like it, but I haven't gotten close yet to find out. Just can't seem to get much beyond the 5th meter...

If anyone has tips/strategy for this level--other than basic digging/use special jewels & combos--please post! Cuz I just don't see how to pass this in the time allowed!

Phaedrakiki
09-09-13, 10:50 PM
Ugh, I hate timed levels! 348 (...)
If anyone has tips/strategy for this level--other than basic digging/use special jewels & combos--please post! Cuz I just don't see how to pass this in the time allowed!
Since no one had any ideas....
JK, lol! ;) I wrote this yesterday:
I'm already so frustrated with this level, only getting to 5 or rarely, 6, meters. So when I made it to 8/10 meters for the first time, and had some bombs, blasters sitting there going to waste as time ran out...I decided to buy more time and get through the level however I could. I thought one press would do the trick, but I actually had to press it twice. So, once again, I had to buy my way through a level. (I've been doing so good lately, too...darn it!) Anyway, at least I'm done with this one for awhile. Only got one star, so I'll prob come back some day to improve it. The level itself isn't bad--I'd think it was really fun if it was moves. Hopefully TL will be kinder to the next person who comes along asking for more time on this level... ;) And I'm also hoping to get a new/better device someday, that allows me to be faster (my poor iPhone's getting old.) An iPad would be awesome; I've seen posts saying you can play faster, esp. w/a stylus? Anyway...I bid ye farewell, Taco Meadow. Ooops, I mean, Adios! And "Hello" to Gummy Garrison (http://forums.storm8.com/showthread.php?57327-Gummy-Garrison-levels-349-354), of course (mostly moves levels again--SO happy!) :D

VGailP
11-23-14, 10:32 AM
I am so frustrated with 348, sure doesn't seem as if it should be so hard. I have been stuck over a week on it. Always a few seconds short or can't dig deep enough sighhh