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Stern Venom

I wasn’t interested when it was first announced and playing the Pro didn’t do much to change my mind.

Getting some time in on a couple of LEs completely changed my opinion on it and I ended up with a NIB Premium - absolutely love the game now. Easily the fastest playing Stern out there.
Played the pro in Rotterdam and it didn't do much for me but it did feel like there was a good game in there wanting to break out, hopefully we get to play a Premium at Pinfest
 
Played the pro in Rotterdam and it didn't do much for me but it did feel like there was a good game in there wanting to break out, hopefully we get to play a Premium at Pinfest
The Pro feels like one of the barest Pins I've ever played. That may be an illusion with nearly everything at the top of the playfield, and other Pros may have the same amount of hardware/shots, but visually it was a bit shocking how bare it was when I first saw it in person.

I wouldn't mind flipping a Premium/LE though.
 
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The Pro feels like one of the barest Pins I've ever played. That may be an illusion with nearly everything at the top of the playfield, and other Pros may have the same amount of hardware/shots, but visually it was a bit shocking how bare it was when I first saw it in person.

I wouldn't mind flipping a Premium/LE though.

Don’t even bother playing the pro it sets a negative review for the game. The prem/le are the only versions you should judge
 
Thank you, ideally looking for a home owner to test the fitment of a mod.
 
Just played this for the first time on location, the Pro. First game walked up, no idea what I was doing, 275 million! Great stuff, I am a pinball God. Played another seven games and only broke 100m one more time. It’s so brutal when you miss!
 
Okay. Having played the Pro in Funland solidly for a couple of hours to learn the rules, Venom's weirdly compulsive and may - for a certain audience - be better than AFM.

However, despite being highly levelled (and watching a tutorial video), I'm embarrassed to say I still don't know how to start a battle. I've completed loads of mini-modes (according to Stern Insider), and it tells me I can fight a boss on Eddy Brock or Peter Parker when I choose them at the beginning of the game, but - after the plunge - it doesn't seem to light anything that could start a boss battle.

Also, the only thing that seems to get significant points in the early game is Carnage multiball.

Any advice? I've read Dwight's tips for people new to the game, but to no avail...
 
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Okay. Having played the Pro in Funland solidly for a couple of hours to learn the rules, Venom's weirdly compulsive and may - for a certain audience - be better than AFM.

However, despite being highly levelled (and watching a tutorial video), I'm embarrassed to say I still don't know how to start a battle. I've completed loads of mini-modes (according to Stern Insider), and it tells me I can fight a boss on Eddy Brock or Peter Parker when I choose them at the beginning of the game, but - after the plunge - it doesn't seem to light anything that could start a boss battle.

Also, the only thing that seems to get significant points in the early game is Carnage multiball.

Any advice? I've read Dwight's tips for people new to the game, but to no avail...
See “Mini Modes and the Grid” http://tiltforums.com/t/venom-rulesheet/8503#heading--minimodes
 
Just to clarify, I have to complete the three (white, blue and yellow) mini-modes each game to qualify the battle? And, if I don't do that (e.g. I just shoot the Peter Parker combo over-and-over for web multipliers), I won't get the option to start a new battle on the centre ramp - regardless of my level or what I did in a previous game?

I'd assumed, if I'd qualified the mini-modes in a previous game, they would remain qualified and, once a battle was qualified, I could launch straight into it on the next game, as if the new game was an extra ball...

Hmmmm, otherwise that's pretty grindy, because you have to make the same compulsory six timed shots before you do anything more interesting. Usually Spike 2 Sterns have a compulsory 2-shot qualifier on modes, and you can do them at any time 😒
 
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Just to clarify, I have to complete the three (white, blue and yellow) mini-modes each game to qualify the battle? And, if I don't do that (e.g. I just shoot the Peter Parker combo over-and-over for web multipliers), I won't get the option to start a new battle on the centre ramp - regardless of my level or what I did in a previous game?

I'd assumed, if I'd qualified the mini-modes in a previous game, they would remain qualified and, once a battle was qualified, I could launch straight into it on the next game, as if the new game was an extra ball...

Hmmmm, otherwise that's pretty grindy, because you have to make the same compulsory six timed shots before you do anything more interesting. Usually Spike 2 Sterns have a compulsory 2-shot qualifier on modes, and you can do them at any time 😒
I think one of the skill shots (can’t remember which) spots a mini mode so if you make that you only need to complete two others. But yes, I think mini mode progress carries over ball-to-ball but not game-to-game.
 
Just to clarify, I have to complete the three (white, blue and yellow) mini-modes each game to qualify the battle? And, if I don't do that (e.g. I just shoot the Peter Parker combo over-and-over for web multipliers), I won't get the option to start a new battle on the centre ramp - regardless of my level or what I did in a previous game?

I'd assumed, if I'd qualified the mini-modes in a previous game, they would remain qualified and, once a battle was qualified, I could launch straight into it on the next game, as if the new game was an extra ball...

Hmmmm, otherwise that's pretty grindy, because you have to make the same compulsory six timed shots before you do anything more interesting. Usually Spike 2 Sterns have a compulsory 2-shot qualifier on modes, and you can do them at any time 😒

Yes, you have to complete the three mini modes of whichever character you choose to light the battle at the ramp. As @Taxiturn says though, mini mode progress carries over ball to ball, and there’s a skill shot for each character that spots one - you use the left flipper to cycle through them before launching the ball after you’ve selected your character with the right flipper - so even if you can’t complete a single mini mode, if you get the skill shot on every ball you’ll qualify a battle by ball three.

Also, once you complete the battle, the next time you play that character you won’t have to qualify and play the same battle again. Instead, once you’ve completed the three mini modes, you’ll light the Grendel battle instead. Then, once you beat Grendel, the next time you qualify a battle it will be Knull.

Then again, for the later battles you probably want to be completing items on the grid - so you’d want to pick a character, complete the three mini modes, then instead of going for battle at the centre ramp, you’d want to hit the left ramp to switch character to continue filling the grid. So you may play the mini modes of two of three characters before going for the battle.
 
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