Spark Run!

[GrimLockdown]

@datguygamer The number of columns in the table have nothing to do with the number of segments in the Spark Run. I just picked four round numbers (which happen to appear quite often in the Spark Run — especially at later levels).

To keep the size of the table small I ignored Spark Run levels and segments.

[ramonpontes]

@grimlockdown

Is this table based on level 160 of the Spark Run?

[GrimLockdown]

@ramonpontes No, it’s omnilevel (and omnisegment), e.g. at level 25 completing segment 4 requires 50,000 points. Similarly at level 50 to complete segment 3 requires 50,000 points. For both of these examples you select the 50,000 column from the table and the appropriate promotion row to see the required amount of points (before promotion).

With this omnilevel style the table is more compact but somewhat harder to interpret.

[datguygamer]

@grimlockdown. Ah, okay then. I misunderstood. Thanks.

[indead]

I don’t know if its my device or not but Spark Run just ran on fast forward the entire

run

[MillForce2k]

@indead Did you have Cobalt Valley that ended in fast mode? There’s a glitch a number of people have reported that if you end CV in fast or slow mode, you’ll continue that way throughout the rest of the spark run, or get another CV segment.

[Optimus_Pig]

Does it seem like the Sparkrun has become more difficult lately?

Yesterday I experienced a total wipeout of all my TFs.

And today I just barely made it into Astrotrain on my fourth TF and he was all but a smoldering wreck by that point.

The number of missiles and flying pigs seems to have gone up as well.

[Laogalaxy]

I have notice that there are more pigs to kill, so I’ve been getting a ton of points. My last run got 287k in points. I have an overpowered lv 16 Deadend, so the runs are pretty easy.

[datguygamer]

Today I almost died with a swarm of flying pigs. It was not a swarm TBH, a whole army.

[SnTrooper]

No, I haven’t noticed it being any harder. I have noticed that they have vastly improved it by making it so that when you are killed the bot that comes in is immune to all damage for a few seconds.

[Anonymous]

I’m with @sntrooper. I haven’t noticed any increased difficulty. I mean, there’s some fluctuation from day to day (primarily depending on how many heli-pigs show up), but nothing consistent. And if you use the right TFs, even huge heli-pig swarms are survivable. (Blaster, Deadend, any of the EMP weapon bots, Ultimate Megatron with Armada, Dark Megatron with Armada, and probably also Trypticon with his new +25% gravity accessory, although I don’t have it and haven’t promoted him at all.)

[Optimus_Pig]

I’m still having trouble getting EWB’s shots to fire upward into the pig swarms, but you’re right that her EMP should make short work of them.

Once I have enough sparks I’m going to finish promoting Dead End to +140%, and swap him with GSG.

[Optimus_Pig]

Does it feel like UM’s acid rounds got nerfed again?

Might be time to take him out of the rotation.

[Laogalaxy]

I am officially in the big boy club! I finally got max sparks! I got 302k points in the spark run. What was weird was that I didn’t get any cave levels with more than 3 gold blocks. I just got levels that were filled with pigs.

[datguygamer]

@optimuspig How many times are they gonna nerf the same bot before they think, “Okay, it’s enough.”

[Optimus_Pig]

@datguygamer

Until enough of us have rage-quit to make the game unprofitable.

[ramonpontes]

@datguygamer
There is really no limit for this. They will sometimes even un-nerf those bots, just to nerf them again.

[datguygamer]

@optimuspig @ramonpontes yeah, no kidding. And now that I have reached max 160 level, and also have everything from the comp. I am taking a break from Transformers. Just daily Shockwave’s Spire and Crates and then done. No missions, no nodes, no events, no Spark Run, nothing.

[Optimus_Pig]

I just reached L160 yesterday.

Huzzah!

[datguygamer]

Good for ya.

[Optimus_Pig]

So how are you guys ordering your group of TFs for the Spark Run?

Where (1) is most effective and (4) is least effective:

A: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4, or

B: 1 – 3- 4- 2

Or something else entirely?

My reasoning behind (A) is that you want your best up front so that you can hopefully clear the Spark Run without even getting to the last TF.

My reasoning behind (B) is that you want a good TF in the last spot as the “anchor” like in a relay race, so if you’re down to the last TF you have a good shot of making a run to the finish without a total group wipe-out.

Thoughts?

[ramonpontes]

I have 4 fully promoted bots, and my effectiveness rank is the following:

1 – Dead End
2 – Ultimate Megatron
3 – Energon Grimlock
4 – Soundwave

Dead End is really effective in the spark run because he can be assaulted by many groups of flying pigs and survive. If the flying pigs don’t appear, he can almost finish the run alone.

Between UM and EGL, I prefer UM, even after the nerfing, because he can kill the majority of the blocks without too much effort, and while shooting a WMT he can cause damage to near blocks/enemies. He also can take down flying pigs more effectively. With EGL we have to constantly aim for the targets.

I use my bots in the exact order above, the most effective first, and the least effective at the end. My target is scoring. If I use a weak bot first, I will not be able to kill some enemies, and I will not reach a good scoring. If the run is an easy one (without too many flying pigs), I will not be able to use the last and most efficient bot.

Also, on level 160 there is no point boarding the astrotrain. There is no extra bonus for reaching the end of the run, so I just care about scores.

[FortressMaximus]

@optimuspig

Sometimes I have been experimenting with 1-3-2-4, because of a number of frustrating runs where your 1 goes down to an army of flying pigs or a falling tower, and then your 2 is instantly also killed. That doesnt happen to me as often as maybe it used to, but when it does, it’s frustrating and leaves you with a lower chance to score well.  My idea here is to sacrifice a weaker bot in that situation and then usually finish the run with my 2nd best.   I’ve gone back and forth with 1234 or 1324, and have not seen any real difference in my scores.  also, I can’t remember the last time I had to use my 4th bot in a spark run, so I always put my 4th best last, rather than the anchor concept.

[platium]

Can I ask for spark run. The first character that is shown in the selection page, is it a buff up character? or recommended character?

 

What is the advantage of using that character?

 

Thanks!

[Optimus_Pig]

@ramonpontes

“Also, on level 160 there is no point boarding the astrotrain. There is no extra bonus for reaching the end of the run, so I just care about scores.”

That is a very good point.  I can see how the ordering strategy changes depending on whether your objective is to grind levels or if it’s to max out points.