Patterns to trigger critical / extra turn:

Marvel Puzzle Quest MPQ Tips and Guides
1

The log:

* O O O O O *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *

______________________________________

The tall man:

O * * * * * * *
O * * * * * * *
O * * * * * * *
O * * * * * * *
O * * * * * * *

______________________________________

The Eiffel Tower:

* * * * * * * *
* * O * * * *
* * O * * * *
*O O O * * *

______________________________________

The boot:

* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O O O * *
* * * * * * * *

______________________________________

The the:

* * * * * * * *
* * O O O * *
* * * * O O O *
* * * * * * * *

______________________________________

The blob:

* * * * * * * *
* * * O O O *
* * * O O O *
* * * * * * * *

______________________________________

The star:

      • O * * * *
    • O O O * *
      • O * * * *

______________________________________

I made this for a friend who just started playing.
What did I miss?

2

There are two variations of ‘the the’, one where one point intersect and another where 2 do.

000*
000
&
000*
**000

Now of course when you’re talking about these and the blob they are match 6s instead of match 5s, The theoretical number of combos to get a crit is insanely high if you open it past matching 5 to matching 6s, 7s, 8s, etc. You got all the 5s I can think of those are the most imporant/likely.

3

If we’re being pedantic, he’s either counting the 5-in-a-row twice (horizontal and vertical) or he needs to rotate the other shapes as well. :stuck_out_tongue:

4

There’s a rare pattern you are missing:

* * * * * * *
* * O * * * *

* * O * * * *
* * O * * * *
* * O * * * *
* * O * * * *
O O O O

I call that the “you are comfortably in the lead and the CPU makes a vertical match 4 which turns into a 7+ or more match of the color that will make you use a health pack” (Phoenix team, CPU got 14 purple in one turn (true story (parenthesis()))).

5

My absolute favorite is when you complete this one:

O #

O #

O # O O

O #

O #

6

I call them by their Tetris equivalent;

  1. Line (Log & Tall Man)
  2. T (Eiffel Tower)
  3. L (Boot)
  4. Z
  5. Square (Blob, I realize it’s not a square)
  6. Plus (Star)
7

That’s true, although the “the” pattern is not just another match-5 with extras added on (as opposed to a six-in-a-row, for example, which is simply a line +1)

8

One thing you should tell your friend:

The first 4 (Log, Tall Man, Eiffel Tower and Boot) are natural patterns found in the wild. It’s possible for them to be on the board waiting for you at the start of your turn to complete the pattern by moving a tile.

The others are all man made in that they require a cascade or placement of tiles to achieve.

KGB

9

Very rare, but this has happened… there’s the do a match-four horizontal, and this drops onto the top row:

O O O O O O O O
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * *

Or a match-four on any vertical, and this happens:

* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *
* * O * * * * *

10

As this has turned into a Guide of sorts, I’m going to move it over to Tips and Guides so other players can benefit from it

11

There are two that aren’t on this list:

  1. The one the opponent has available after a reshuffle of the board because there are no moves.
  2. The one on the board you didn’t spot when you made your move.
12

AKA The “Charles”. Man, this one is the worst.