Frontier pinball rules and strategy
The Strategy
In Frontier, hit the first left inline drop to light the right spinner and open the Frontier Bonus collect gate. Shoot the spinner, guide the upper-left rebound into the collect chute, and repeat because the collect does not reset the bonus. Complete horizontal animal rows to raise that bonus; use deeper inline drops for 2x and 3x, or Grizzly for 4x, only when their rebounds are controlled.
The goal
Hit the first left inline target to open the collect gate, shoot the right spinner, and guide its rebound into the collect chute. Repeat the same built Frontier Bonus without resetting it.
Open the collect route
From the right flipper, hit the first left inline drop target. This lights the right spinner and opens the collect gate.
Shoot and collect
Shoot the lit right spinner for 1,000 per spin, then guide the upper-left rebound into the collect chute. The chute scores the current Frontier Bonus and closes without resetting it.
Build and repeat
Complete A-B-C rows to add 10,000 to Frontier Bonus. Reopen the gate with an inline or Grizzly hit and repeat the collect. Take 2x, 3x, or 4x only when the deeper rebounds are controlled.
Alternative route: 1x Frontier collects
Use this when the second and third inline targets or Grizzly return dangerously.
- Use only the first inline target to light the spinner and open the gate.
- Repeat the spinner-to-rebound collect at 1x while the return stays controlled.
Need to know
- Main route
- Hit the first left inline drop target to light the right spinner and open the collect gate, then shoot through the spinner, guide the upper-left rebound into the collect Frontier bonus chute, and add 2x, 3x, or 4x only when the deeper target rebounds are controlled.
- Long goal
- Complete animal rows until Frontier Bonus reaches its 60,000 or 110,000 setting limit.
- Safer fallback
- First target and 1x collect: Use this plan when the deeper inline targets or Grizzly rebound toward the center.
In Frontier, the first left inline drop lights the right spinner and opens the Frontier Bonus collect gate, while completed horizontal animal rows raise the value being collected. Shoot through the spinner, guide the upper-left rebound into the collect chute, then reopen the gate with a left inline drop or Grizzly and repeat. Add 2x, 3x, or 4x only when the deeper targets remain controlled; build Predator Bonus through its right drop bank only after the repeatable Frontier collect is established.
The goal
Hit the first left inline drop target to light the right spinner and open the collect gate, then shoot through the spinner, guide the upper-left rebound into the collect Frontier bonus chute, and add 2x, 3x, or 4x only when the deeper target rebounds are controlled.
- Plunge for the least-complete A-B-C lane.
- From the right flipper, hit the first left inline drop target. It lights the right spinner and opens the collect Frontier bonus gate.
- Shoot the lit right spinner for 1,000 per spin, then guide the upper-left rebound into the collect Frontier bonus chute.
Shoot the lit right spinner for 1,000 per spin, then guid…
- The chute scores the current Frontier Bonus times its lit multiplier. Collecting closes the gate but does not reset the bonus.
- Hit a left inline drop target or the Grizzly stand-up to reopen the gate.
- Use the A-B-C lanes and the left, center, and right stand-up targets to complete horizontal rows of animals. Each row adds 10,000 to the Frontier Bonus.
- Hit the second left inline drop target for 2x, the third for 3x, and the Grizzly stand-up for 4x. Stop at the highest multiplier whose rebound remains controlled.
- Repeat the spinner shot and collect the Frontier Bonus at the collect chute. The separate Predator Bonus scores at the end of the ball.
Builds toward: Repeat Frontier collects and maximum Predator bonus
- Complete animal rows until Frontier Bonus reaches its 60,000 or 110,000 setting limit.
- Repeat the spinner-to-rebound route and collect at the chute. Collecting does not reset the value.
- After the first 15 animal lights turn off, light 14 more animals to reach the 87,000 Predator Bonus maximum.
- Complete the right drop bank three times for 4x Predator Bonus only when its rebounds remain controlled.
Sources and references15 references15 source links and outbound references.
- PinballCards
- Bob's Guide
- Original playfield image
- PAPA Frontier tutorial with Bowen Kerins
- Kineticist Frontier tournament rules
- Bally Frontier manual
- Bally Frontier technical chart
- Keith Elwin at PAPA Circuit Final 2012-13
- Drop catch technique reference
- Shatz pass technique reference
- Post pass technique reference
- Nudging technique reference
- Physical caution reference
- Physical caution reference
- Physical caution reference