Rancho (Williams, 1976)


Quick strategy synopsis

Try to collect both the yellow and green lights from the center top lane: get back to the top lanes via the kicker lane in the upper right. Once those are lit, use the right flipper to collect 50,000s from the saucer at the end of the left spinner lane, and use the left flipper to build bonus at the upper right kicker lane or complete drop targets toward double bonus and lit spinner.


Shots and table features

Top lanes

All lanes initially score 1,000 points. The center lane will be lit either yellow or green, alternating on 10-point switch hits (which includes the rollover button just above said center lane). If the center lane is lit yellow, the right top lane will be lit for a bonus advance, and if the center lane is lit green, the left top lane will be lit for a bonus advance. If both yellow and green have already been collected, the center lane scores 10,000 points instead of 1,000.

Right kicker lane

Scores 1,000 points and a bonus advance once for free, and one additional team for each lit colour, for a maximum of 3,000 points and 3 bonus advance, before sending the ball back to the top lanes. This is the best way to build bonus, especially if you were successful in getting one of the two colours off the plunge, and is also the only real way back to the top of the table to get the other colour.

Left spinner lane

The spinner scores 100 points per spin, or 1,000/spin when lit, and is lit by completing the drop targets once. The saucer at the end of this lane scores 3,000 points, or 30,000 if the green is lit, before sending the ball back down to the flippers the way it came.

Left saucer

Scores 3,000 points when not lit, or 30,000 if the yellow has been collected. After two completions of the drop targets, this saucer is also lit for extra ball.

Drop targets

Each target down scores 1,000 points. Knocking down all three the first time spells R-A-N, which lights the left spinner for 1,000 points per spin and also instantly awards double bonus. Knocking down all three targets a second time on the same ball finishes the spelling of Rancho and lights the left saucer for an extra ball as well as the out lanes (alternately) for a special.

Bottom of the table

Rancho has no in lanes, with the flippers backing up to the slingshots directly. The out lanes score 10,000 points and a bonus advance, or instead, a Special when lit by completing the drop targets twice.

Bonus and bonus multiplier

Bonus is advanced by the lit outer top lanes, by the upper right kicker lane, by the standup target near the left bumper, by the rollover button in the center of the table when lit (alternates with 10 point switches), or by unlit out lanes. Notice that each bonus advance is worth 10,000 points instead of the usual 1,000. Bonus is doubled by hitting all three drop targets once. Base bonus and bonus multiplier are never carried from ball to ball, and there is no mid-ball bonus collect. Finally, notice that the first step of the bonus ladder is not given for free- it is possible to drain with 0 bonus, whereas most games would give the first 1,000 or 10,000 at the start of the player's turn.

Setting note

On 3-ball play, the bumpers score 1,000 points, but on 5-ball play, they score 100 points.

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