Stern · 2012 · LE
Finish every hero challenge for Danger Room and every villain challenge for Dark Phoenix. Magneto Multiball gives you several balls for safer progress.
Enter the Danger Room →The whole game
Repeated character shots start hero challenges. The Blackbird hole starts a ready villain challenge. Capture four balls at Magneto to start Magneto Multiball.
Read the mansion
A major hero and mode shot with a controlled return. Use it to regain control and keep the ball moving between shots.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim through the two posts at the bottom of Left ramp and use a firm forehand so the ball climbs the ramp. If it starts up and rolls back, let it reach a flipper before shooting again.
Hit Magneto and the green-lit capture shots. Four captures start Magneto Multiball.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim into the opening at Magneto, avoiding its rim and nearby posts. Watch where the machine kicks the ball back and regain control.
Starts a ready villain mode and awards Mystery. Read the display before committing.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the right lower flipper. Aim into the opening at Blackbird, avoiding its rim and nearby posts. Watch where the machine kicks the ball back and regain control.
A broad scoring lane used by several hero and villain arrows.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the left lower flipper. Aim through the two posts at the bottom of Right ramp and use a firm forehand so the ball climbs the ramp. If it starts up and rolls back, let it reach a flipper before shooting again.
Start Wolverine, finish his lit shots, then return here for Weapon X Multiball.
How to try it: Hold the ball still on the left lower flipper. Aim into the opening at Wolverine, avoiding its rim and nearby posts. Watch where the machine kicks the ball back and regain control.
Cradle after the fast ejects. The table rewards deliberate character shots, not random speed.
How to try it: This is a status area, not a shot. Read its lamps while the ball is held on a flipper, then aim for the named shot whose lamp is still dark.
Choose the upper lane
A clean plunge avoids the Phoenix switch and sends the ball to the upper flipper. Shoot the Storm/Rogue lane for the normal skill shot; Xavier is the harder super skill shot.
If the ball reaches the upper flipper too late to aim, let the ball pass. A controlled lower-flipper return is worth more than a desperate super skill shot.
A workable opening
Recruit the team
Most heroes start after two shots to their character lane on default settings. A hero mode normally begins with two lit shots. Make either one, then follow the new lit pair until the mode is complete.
Only one hero mode normally runs at a time. Some installations enable Hero playing two features at the same time, so trust the display if a second hero starts. Complete all hero modes to prepare Danger Room.
Choose the threat
Hellfire Club, Brotherhood and Sentinels are selected and started at the Blackbird. Each uses flashing attack shots and a final boss phase. Recheck the playfield after every hit because the next attack can move.
Deadpool is different: he remains active until the villain is beaten or the ball drains. Start him when a multiball is nearly ready so the extra balls can attack his changing shots.
Magnetic cover
Hit the targets beside Magneto to light Lock, then capture balls at Phoenix, Rogue, or Magneto while their Lock lamps flash. Four captures start the full multiball. After the first capture, seven captive-ball hits can start a smaller version early.
Started hero modes make their matching Magneto shots more valuable. Hit lit green shots to wear down Magneto, then shoot the Magneto lock for the Super Jackpot. A Magneto hit can recharge the active hero shots.
Start Wolverine, follow the faster flashing red routes, defeat the called bosses, then return to Wolverine. Weapon X can run with villain modes. Use the extra balls to finish shared attack shots.
Bring work into multiball
Hero modes, villain modes, and multiballs do not all follow the same start rules. The reliable plan is to start the chosen villain before the fourth Magneto capture, then use multiball on its lit shots.
Extend the attempt
The first Blackbird Mystery during a mode can add a ball rather than a normal single-ball award. Use it after a multiball begins if the display offers it. Extra-ball and add-a-ball behavior can change with operator settings.
Endgame
Complete every hero mode. When Danger Room prepares, enter it and follow the called character shots. Do not start it with another unfinished setup competing for the same lanes.
Complete the full villain set. Follow the lit attack shots through each phase. Protect control after Blackbird ejects and fast orbit returns; a safe catch is better than repeating an arrow blind.
Catch before choosing
Blackbird and character ejects can return the ball quickly. Watch where the ball returns and hold it still on a flipper before choosing the next hero. Magneto misses can rebound toward the middle, so hit him from control and keep the opposite flipper ready.
During multiball, clear broad ramp and orbit jackpots first. Save narrow character shots for the ball save or for a moment when another ball is safely trapped.
Make progress overlap
If Weapon X is closer than Magneto, finish Wolverine first. The better route is the one that starts a multiball while useful hero or villain arrows are already lit.
Make the call
Choose your next shot.
Installed edition
This guide follows X-Men LE, Stern 2012, installed as VPW 1.0. Operator settings can change hero-start counts, playing two features at the same time and extra balls.
Rules checked against the Stern instruction card and current community LE rulesheet. The playfield image is a fresh cabinet capture.