Faerie Fragments: Tower Mode

     Welcome back! In this article, I’ll go beyond the basics in Faerie Fragments to cover everything you need to know about the Tower Challenge! Check out my previous articles if you are new to the game itself.

     The Tower is a side mode that allows you to replay a randomised assortment of fifteen levels that correspond with previously played main story levels. It is broken up into three tiers of five levels each. Each day features the same combination of levels for all players, so you can compare notes with friends! Just be aware of the reset time - see the counter on the path screen to determine the exact time, as it happens a little after midnight NST.

     What else is different about Tower mode? You don't have to worry about Lives, but you still get rewards from playing! You receive Gold Coins and Closet Tokens as normal for completing levels the first time, and also receive credit for general achievements and Quest Log tasks. During events, you get a modest amount of Bronze Coins (10 by default, or 15 if you've activated a Bronze Coin Booster) and credit for daily event tasks.

     Now, while you don't have to worry about Lives, you do want to succeed in order to make progress. Completing a tier will earn you a bonus reward and save your progress in the next tier, but failing a level will send you back to the beginning of your current tier. Tower levels are labelled by their tier in sets of five. So 1-1 through 1-5 for Tier 1, 2-1 through 2-5, and 3-1 through 3-5.

Tier 1

     Unlocked at level 50
22 possible options ranging from levels 26 to 50.
Reward: Two random power-up items.
By far the easiest, as it only features levels from the very early game.

Tier 2

     Unlocked at level 150
86 possible options ranging from levels 52 to 150.
Reward: Two random power-up items and 250 Gold Coins.
This tier includes trickier levels and has more variety.

Tier 3

     Unlocked at level 250
92 possible options ranging from levels 151 to 250.
Reward: Two random power-up items and 500 Gold Coins. Plus, credit towards Tier 3 achievements!
Tier 3 has some seriously hard levels mixed in, and is sure to challenge you.

     There are some exciting, exclusive prizes for the Tier 3 achievements, such as Master of the Tower Stamp (80 days), Lumidrax (100 days), and Tower Conqueror avatar (150 days). Days do not have to be completed consecutively - the achievement system will track all your progress.

     In total, you can earn up to six power-up items and about 1,000 Gold Coins (including the ones from individual levels) each day, so playing Tower mode is an excellent way to stockpile resources for hard levels in the main game. On the other hand, if you prefer a more casual approach to events, you can still earn a decent number of Bronze Coins just by playing Tower mode and collecting up to 100 from the daily tasks - that's up to 250 Bronze Coins per day.

     Now, how do you conquer the Tower? Most levels in Tower mode aren’t particularly hard, but any loss can set you back, and you want to keep most of the resources you earn. Buying moves once or using one or two power-up items is generally worth it in my book - ideally only in the last or second-to-last levels in a given tier. There is nothing to lose when you fail the first level of each tier, so go ahead and just try, try again!

     A common trait in many Tower levels is that the starting tiles are the same every time, usually in a checkerboard pattern of two different colours. Some are set up so you can make a power-up or two in the first move! It's helpful to recognise these patterns and use them strategically. Got a column of Boxes to contend with? It's usually best to match at the top first, as you can end up fighting gravity trying to clear them later.

     For the final section of this guide, I've put together tips for the toughest levels you'll encounter. Tower levels are always presented in chronological order based on their main story level counterpart, but it's still tricky to identify them since Tower numbering is variable. Thus, I've listed the objectives and their quantities for identification purposes, as the quantities are effectively unique. For instance, searching for "24-243-14" will lead to level 125 with its 24 Colored Boxes, 243 Lawn Rolls, and 14 Faeries.

Tier 1

     39
Boxes-Hearts-Ukuleles 48-48-80

     
Seems simple enough, but the trickiest part is actually the humble Ukuleles. You’ll need to trigger them twenty times. I recommend swiping a Missile or bigger combo above them whenever possible… and a Nova+Butterfly combo is a good idea towards the end!

     49
Boxes-Paintings-Jetsams 34-2-8

     
This level is straightforward, but every Box is triple strength. Centrally located Missile+Bomb combos will go a long way. Because it’s the second-to-last possible level in Tier 1, it almost always shows up as 1-5.

Tier 2

     59
Jetsams-Boxes-Chocolates 16-24-8

     
This is one of the roughest in Tier 2! Because it’s early chronologically, it will usually show up as 2-1 or 2-2, which makes it a little less frustrating to attempt. Missile+Butterfly is a helpful combo, as the big challenge is trying to reach the far edges from a small working area.

     69
Hearts-Faeries-Ukuleles 27-33-54

     
Take care with your first moves, as the Hearts will fall down and reduce your working area temporarily. If you manage to clear the Hearts quickly, it makes it a lot easier to power through the Faeries.

     75
Paintings-Faeries-Lawn Rolls 2-28-234

     
While you should chip away at the Faeries when you can, I recommend making a focused effort to clear the Lawn Rolls and Paintings so you have more space to work with. More space = more power-ups for combos!

     89
Jetsams-Wheat-Hearts 8-58-90

     
This level is tricky simply because there are so many layers to get through. Big combos are your friend, like Nova+Missile and Missile+Bomb.

     95
Boxes-Chocolates-Constellations 33-25-2

     
Focus on making a beeline for the Chocolate Boxes so you can clear the Clouds underneath them. There you’ll find a couple 2x2 square Constellations. By then, you’ll hopefully be mostly done with the rest of the objectives. Butterfly combos can be helpful to get a head start on opening the Chocolate Boxes.

     119
Faeries-Jetsams-Lawn Rolls 16-24-360

     
This looks easy enough at first… until you realize there are more Lawn Rolls above the Jetsams. Focus on clearing the topmost Jetsam Ponds first so there’s space for the additional Lawn Rolls to fall into play.

     125
Colored Boxes-Lawn Rolls-Faeries 24-243-14

     
Make sure to target the Faeries on the leftmost side as soon as you can. Big combos are great, but a Missile+Butterfly combo is also a good option.

Tier 3

     159
Boxes-Chocolates-Hearts 15-8-77

     
With any luck, this level will show up as 3-1 because it's particularly tough. The layout is a little challenging, but that isn't the real issue… instead, it’s the intermittent stream of Hearts that fall after clearing the Curtains. Focus on making lots of combos to clear the board repeatedly.

     165
Chocolates-Curtains-Acorns 16-3-33

     
Missiles are a good staple here, as you’ll want to focus on clearing the Curtains quickly to uncover the Acorns beneath them. The Chocolates will try to thwart your ability to make power-ups, so don’t neglect clearing those, too!

     179
Paintings-Acorns-Wheat 2-34-42

     
There are three holes in the centre of this level, which make it difficult to form combos. Big combos like Missile+Bomb can help you clear the left and right side, but more targeted ones like Bomb+Butterfly or Nova+Butterfly are more likely to help you finish off the Acorns at the bottom.

     185
Puzzles-Faeries-Hearts 4-24-24

     
This level is pretty straightforward once you clear the Puzzles. Far-reaching combos like Nova+Missile will do the most good.

     189
Acorns-Jetsams-Constellations 54-20-2

     
Make a note of where the Constellations are in this level - they’re large 4x2 rectangles under the Puzzles to the left and right of the centre.

     195
Chocolates-Curtains-Hearts 18-5-60

     
Raising the Curtains and clearing Chocolates can be fun at first, but don’t be caught off guard by the Hearts. Some are in the centre after you clear the other objectives, but the Curtains in the outside columns hide two more streams of Hearts. Big combos never hurt, but Missile+Butterfly can be very useful, too!

     199
Puzzles-Faeries-Hearts 6-12-66

     
This level definitely keeps you on your toes. The central area is peppered with Hearts, making combos difficult to form. I always try to focus a bit on the Faeries under the bottom two Puzzles, and aim for big combos to clear the Hearts.

     209
Colored Boxes-Fortune Cookies-Ukuleles 20-30-170

     
Getting through the Red Boxes is challenging, but if you can do so quickly, the rest of the level is not too bad.

     219
Faeries-Fortune Cookies-Ukuleles 8-27-60

     
This level is extra hard! Start with clearing the first Curtain, as that allows Neopets to fall from the top row directly, giving you more space to work with. You’ll also want to reveal all the Fortune Cookies by clearing the rest of the Curtains before too long. To top things off, those Faeries on the far left are a real challenge! Missile+Butterfly combos are great towards the end, but otherwise, Butterflies tend to focus on the Ukuleles.

     220
Colored Boxes-Hearts-Acorns 71-39-71

     
This level is more of an honorable mention… It’s actually pretty fun to play, and not especially hard… but it is quite important that you double-tap one of the Butterflies at the beginning. This ensures they all trigger at the same time, causing a cascade of match-4s!

     225
Chocolates-Bottled Butterflies-Ukuleles 24-4-300

     
Fending off Chocolates is a priority so you can make power-ups to throw at the Ukuleles. Missiles in the bottom half are really handy. Towards the end, Nova+Butterfly is an excellent combo to finish off any remaining objectives.

     229
Lawn Rolls-Fortune Cookies-Faeries 189-21-30

     
This level is notorious. There’s not a lot you can do to make it easier! I try to focus on the Lawn Rolls first, as they are the easiest to clear, and you’ll need space to make as many combos as possible. Missile+Butterfly can be nice against the Faeries… if there aren’t too many other objectives drawing their attention.

     235
Chocolates-Toy Boxes-Ukuleles 32-20-72

     
I always make a beeline to open the Chocolate Boxes on the bottom. Ideally, so the Toy Boxes fall to the bottom simultaneously, which helps to clear the resultant Unis.

     239
Hearts-Paintings-Faeries 70-4-18

     
This level is infamous! With any luck, the Toy Boxes will create some power-ups, because you're gonna need them, and it’s very challenging to make more tiers. Bomb+Butterfly is nice to get a head start on the Faeries in the upper half of the board. The checkerboard pattern between the Faeries can make Nova combos particularly effective - after most of the Hearts have been cleared, that is.

     242
Toy Boxes-Boxes 20-24 (Wind flows in a U-shape.)

     
You’ll want to clear at least one row of Boxes so that tiles can flow to the right side, but after that the bottom row of Boxes will be a top priority to move the outermost Toy Box along. However, if you can manage it, swapping Toy Boxes with a power-up can be an easy way to make them flow on an inside path instead.

     245
Faeries-Toy Boxes-Hearts 22-20-22 (Wind that flows in a C-shape.)

     
The checkerboard pattern of Faeries and Hearts can be quite tricky, as Toy Boxes may flow through or get hung up along the way. Big combos are your friend, here.

     246
Toy Boxes-Chocolates-Hearts 40-54-200

     
This level is deceptively tough. The first two objectives nearly take care of themselves, but the never-ending streams of Hearts are the real issue. Wherever possible, you’re going to want to swipe Missiles into the columns of Hearts. Whether or not that will be enough will mostly come down to luck.

     249
Toy Boxes-Ukuleles-Colored Boxes 15-42-24 (Wind flows in an upside-down U-shape.)

     
The leftmost column of Red Boxes are an early priority here - although if you can swipe the outermost Toy Box to the middle path, that will buy you a lot of time. Otherwise, the Ukuleles need to be triggered fourteen times, so a Nova+Butterfly combo comes in really handy towards the end.

     Good luck ascending the Tower. As always, happy matching!