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Cosmic Gunfight

Williams • 1982 • SS
Strategy updated: October 3, 2026

Cosmic Ball: Often disabled in tournament play, filling the complete A-B-C grid one time during the game qualifies a player to play a timed 2-ball MB after everyone has played their standard final ball. You should plunge both balls, as holding one in the shooter lane provides nothing. The timer is set to 30 seconds + 3 seconds for every drop bank completion during normal play.

Strategy

Shoot the right orbit, everything else pales in value to spamming this shot, to enable 2X playfield for the remainder of the ball. Then keep shooting the right orbit, as now completing the top lanes can be worth up to 300K.

Key Rules

Right Orbit

  • An unlit right orbit scores 10K

  • The lit right orbit scores and then advances its value as you shoot it (20K, 30K, 40K, 50K, 60K, then 2X playfield for remainder of the ball)

  • After achieving 2X playfield the right orbit resets to 20K, but it is, of course, now doubled, and will advance to a base of 60K again with repeated shots

  • The value of the right orbit carries from ball-to-ball, however the 2X playfield doesn't

  • Making an inlane will also light the right orbit for 10 seconds to increase Bonus X (max: 5X)

  • So this lane enables double scoring, increases Bonus X, and drops the ball into the top lanes for large completion values

Top Lanes

  • 1-2-3 lanes score 1K each, +1 bonus advance, and lights that number

  • Rotate the lights with the right flipper, any 1-2-3 completion scores and then advances the lit value in the inserts above the lanes (10K-150K, in increments of 10K)

  • Complete 1-2-3 once to light the top lock, complete again to light the left lock

X-Y Lanes

  • Each lane scores 1K, +1 bonus advance, and lights that letter

  • Rotate the lights with the left flipper, every X-Y completion advances the value of the top saucer as shown on the inserts to the right of the lanes (10K, 20K, 30K, 50K, 100K)

MB & Saucers

  • The top saucer scores 5K when not lit, when lit it locks a ball for MB and scores the indicated value from X-Y completions shown on the inserts

  • The top saucer is lit for a lock on the 1st completion of the 1-2-3 lanes

  • The left saucer scores 5K and is lit for a lock on the 2nd completion of the 1-2-3 lanes

  • An extra ball is awarded at the left saucer if the A-B-C grid is completed twice by hitting the bullseye standup targets above the grid during the game or by completing all drop banks once in a single ball

  • Locking the 2nd ball, regardless of which saucer, starts MB

  • During MB, each drop target hit scores 5K and hitting targets in the bank with a rotating green light scores 20K

Bonus

  • Base bonus max is 63K and earned from drop bank completion, right orbit, and the 1-2-3 & X-Y lanes

cosmic-gunfight-pf.jpg playfield
Playfield image by Ken (scottamus)