Knockout pinball rules and strategy

The Strategy

In Knockout, plunge the winding center alley into the saucer, then shoot either spinner back to the top. Build Bonus to 15,000 to alternate the lit Special and Extra Ball lanes. The center saucer rises from 30 to 300, then 3,000 for every later visit that ball. Favor the spinners unless the saucer feed is proven safe.

The goal

Use either spinner as the repeatable route to the top and Move the cabinet briefly so the playfield shifts under the ball, changing its speed or path after contact with a post, rubber, or wall. toward the winding alley or outside lit lanes. Let the saucer’s value mature through natural visits; shoot it directly only if its rebound and adjacent posts are safe on that machine.

  1. Plunge the winding center alley toward the saucer, Move the cabinet briefly so the playfield shifts under the ball, changing its speed or path after contact with a post, rubber, or wall. only enough to avoid the adjacent posts.

  2. From either flipper, shoot the corresponding spinner to send the ball back to the upper playfield.

  3. Move the cabinet briefly so the playfield shifts under the ball, changing its speed or path after contact with a post, rubber, or wall. upper action toward the winding alley when its useful Bonus or Double Bonus step is lit.

  4. At 15,000 Bonus, track which top award lane is lit and guide the next upper feed toward it.

  5. Repeat the spinner route; shoot the saucer directly only when its 3,000 value and kickout justify the risk.

Need to know
Center winding alley
Advance Bonus and feed the center saucer; one cycling step awards Double Bonus.
Center saucer
Score 30, then 300, then 3,000 on the third and later visits that ball.
15,000 Bonus
Alternately light the top Special and Extra Ball lanes.

Machine setup

  • Confirm three- or five-ball play, Extra Ball and Special conversion, the switch cycle for the winding alley awards, and whether tournament settings suppress either top award.
  • Test both spinners and their feeds, every winding-alley switch, Bonus to 15,000, alternating award lamps, center saucer value progression and kickout, both top award lanes, and slingshot interaction below the spinner returns.
Sources and references4 source links and outbound references.
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Playbooks

Knockout playfield

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