Raven (Premier Gottlieb, 1986)

Quick strategy synopsis

Early in the game, pick up bonus multipliers from the top lanes. The top lanes or a completion of the top standup targets will lower the left ramp for another bonus multiplier chance. Bonus X carries from ball to ball, but base bonus does not. In lanes light the right spinner for 10,000 points per spin; a left in lane should always be followed by a spinner shot, and players good at alley passing/shatzing should consider a right trap -> left in lane -> spinner combo. Snipers are started by completing lower standup targets then hitting whichever drop target pops up: this is only for extra balls and specials, but those are both worth 500,000 points in competition play.


Shots and table features

Top lanes

Lit lanes score 5,000 points and a bonus advance. Unlit lanes only score 1,000 points. Roll through an lit lane to unlight it. Lane change is available from the right flipper only. The lane change is significantly slower on this game than on other games such as those by Bally and Williams, so proper use of lane change requires some anticipation rather than just reflexes. Unlighting all 3 lanes increases the bonus multiplier by 1 and lowers the left ramp. The top lanes can be accessed during gameplay via the right orbit at any time, or via the left orbit when the ramp is up; however, a left orbit shot is more likely to choke up and fall into the bumpers than make it back to the top lanes, so right orbits are usually preferable.

Lower standup targets and Snipers

For the two lower 3-banks of standup targets. Flashing standup targets score 10,000 points and a bonus advance. Unlit standup targets score 1,000 points. There are 3 parts to the Sniper sequence:

  1. Hit all 3 targets in either one of the two 3-banks of standup targets.
  2. One of the four Sniper drop targets around the table will pop up, changing every few seconds. Their locations are left orbit, right orbit, lower right, and near-center-left. The selected target is random, and the game can pick the same target multiple times in a row. If the raised drop target is at the left orbit, it will not be able to be shot if the left ramp is down. There is no time limit for the Sniper, it just needs to be hit before the ball drains. This scores 50,000 points.
  3. One light will rapidly scan between the 6 targets in the two lower 3-banks. Hit a target when it is lit to finish the kill and restart the sequence. Every 2 kills over the course of the game scores an extra ball, or 500,000 points in competition play.

Hitting a sniper will solidly light the arrow pointing to the location of the hit drop target. It is possible to kill another sniper at a location that was already lit. Killing snipers at any 3 of the 4 possible drop target positions will qualify the Special sequence at the upper standup targets.

Upper standup targets

There is a 4-bank of standup targets near the back of the table, above the bumpers. Like the lower standups, a lit or flashing target scores 10,000 points and a bonus advance, and an unlit target scores 1,000 points. After hitting all 4 flashing targets, one target will be lit at a time in a rapidly scanning fashion. Hit the moving light to lower the left ramp. If at least 3 of the 4 Sniper locations have been lit when the 4 flashing targets are completed, the ensuing moving light will also score a Special when hit, which scores 500,000 points in competition play. Collecting the special unlights all sniper locations.

Left orbit

The star rollover in the left orbit scores 3,000 points. When the ramp is up, a shot to this orbit goes back to the top of the table and can access the secret passage back to the bumpers (3,000 points) or the top lanes. When the ramp is up, it will follow the clear plastic trail above the playfield, where it eventually reaches a fork. Both paths lead to secret lanes that feed the in lanes at playfield level. One of the two is always lit, alternating with bumper and slingshot hits. Both sides score 50,000 points. The lit side advances the bonus multiplier, but raises the left ramp. The unlit side does not give anything aside from the 50,000 points, but keeps the ramp down for another shot.

Right orbit

The shot you should be making the most during the game. The spinner scores 1,000 points per spin or 10,000 per spin when lit, and is lit for a few seconds after going through either in lane. Additionally, the right orbit is the most reliable way back to the top lanes, which is in turn the most reliable way to build bonus multipliers.

Bottom of the table

Raven has a conventional in/out lane setup. In lanes score 1,000 points and light the right spinner for a few seconds. Out lanes do nothing but score points (5,000?).

Bonus and bonus multiplier

Any lit or flashing standup target and any lit top lane increases the base bonus. Bonus multiplier is advanced by completing the top lanes, or going up the left ramp and coming down the lit side. Max bonus is 15x 39,000 = 585,000 points, which is a significant part of scoring, but it can take quite a while to build both sides of that bonus calculation up to their maximums. Base bonus is never carried from ball to ball, but bonus multiplier always is carried. There is no mid-ball bonus collect. Note that unlike many tables from the alphanumeric era onward, there are no visible tilt warnings on Raven, so you won't know how close you are to tilting until it happens.

Settings and miscellanea

In competition/novelty play, extra balls and specials both score 500,000 points.

Qualifying the special at the upper standup targets can require killing snipers in all 4 positions, rather than just any three.

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