Fear Itself is included in the Marvel Avengers Chronicles pack. Magnets are featured throughout this table which include a Magna Save, an outer magnetic loop, and random magnets that deflect balls during missions and multiball modes. The table flows very well but it can be challenging to trap balls at times.

The goal of this table is to defeat the Worthy. They include Kuurth, Mokk, Nerkkod, Greithoth, Skirn, Angrir, and Nul. After defeating them, you will have to fight one last batlle against Skadi. Upon defeating her you will start the wizard mode which is a 4-ball Frenzy multiball where every ramp, orbit, and target will score huge jackpots.

MAGNA SAVE
Unlike most of Zen's tables, Fear Itself has no kickbacks. Instead it features a magna save, a ball saving mechanic which features powerful magnets that can be activated to save a ball from draining down the outlanes and sometimes a center drain if you act quickly and get a little lucky. The magna save is activated by hitting the autolaunch button/key. When you activate it, two powerful magnets located beneath the table above the left and right inlanes will charge for a few seconds. These magnets will attract any ball(s) heading out either the left or right outlane and will deposit the ball above the left or right inlane, thus saving you from a drain. There are 2 ways to collect magna saves: 1) By hitting the 2 spot targets located on the left side of the table below the rotating "Uncertainty" gate or 2) by collecting it as random reward (discussed later in this section). You can stack magna saves and ball drains will NOT reset your collected magna saves. The first thing I do when starting a game is to collect at least one magna save. This will help prevent unlucky outlane drains.

BANG BACK
The unique rounded curvature of the outlane walls combined with the strong nudge mechanic for this table allows you to peform bang backs easily. Fear Itself is a great table to practice bang backs. Below is a video demonstrating a bang back. You can see that as the ball drains down the left outlane, it can be saved by giving the table a strong nudge in the 1-2 o'clock direction (up/right nudge). This is a good last ditch effort to prevent a drain if you are out of magna saves or to save a magna save if you think you can perform a successful bangback.

Youtube video by funwithbonusdotcom


EXTRA BALL
There are 3 ways to earn an extra ball:
1) Defeat 4 different Worthy modes.
2) Collect as a Random Reward (described below)
3) Maxing the bonus multiplier (you are a pin wizard if you can do this, as the max multiplier is 250X)

RANDOM REWARDS
The random reward sinkhole is located on the right side of the table, just below the top right flipper. Every time you hit this sinkhole, a random reward will be granted. These include:
Blitzkrieg USA- A hurry-up mode.
Quick lock- will lock a ball for Odin Sword Multiball.
Hold Multipliers- will prevent your end of ball bonus multiplier from resetting on your next ball
Magna Save- awards a magna save. It will stack with any MS you have already earned.
Extra Ball- awards an extra ball.
Super Jets- pop bumpers earn bonus points.
+5 Bonus X- advances your EOB bonus mulipler by 5X.
Points- awards 10,000 points. Every time you collect this reward 10,000 points will be added.

The Worthy fights are the main missions of Fear Itself and all of them must be completed to progress to the wizard mode. To start a worthy mission, hit the two drop targets located at the center of the table to reveal the reverse scoop. Then shoot the reverse scoop hard enough to eject the ball over the Thor hammer diverter and onto the center of the table. Look at the DMD or the ball on the center of the table to see which Worthy mission is selected. You can select different missions by hitting the left or right flipper. Wait till the timer runs out or hit the autolaunch button/key to start the selected mission. Note: you can reselect a completed mission as many times as you want. However, to earn an extra ball you must complete 4 different Worthy fights.

At the end of each worthy mission, the Worthy character will pop up from underneath the playfield and will slowly travel back and forth across the table stopping briefly at 6 different points represented by small green lamps with caret symbols. These lamps will flash rapidly. The lamp will turn solid green every time you hit the Worthy over one these spots. Every successful hit on the Worthy will activate a brief ball save. This is helpful because hitting the Worthy can cause deflections leading to drains. Pro tip: If you make a successful hit on a Worthy and the ball is deflected into an outlane, don't waste a magna save. Just let the ball save do it's thing. Lighting all 6 lamps will defeat the Worthy and complete the mission. This final Worthy battle is the same for every mission (except Skadi which is a little different and I will describe it later). So for the sake of brevity, I only described it here.

1) Shoot the ball into the Random Reward sinkhole beneath the top right flipper. This will turn the ball into a large stone. Be careful, the "stone" ball is not magnetic and will not respond to magna saves. If the stone ball drains down the left or right outlane you can only save the ball with a bang back.

2) Now with the stone ball you must hit 4 different spot targets: 1 on the center of the Uncertainty gate on the left side of the table, the Dark Asgard target located to the right of the left ramp, and the 2 mission targets located below the Thor hammer diverter. You start with 6 stone balls. Every time you hit a target the stone ball will explode whether you hit the correct target or not. Therefore, you can explode 2 stone balls and still complete the mission. If you hit 3 more unlit targets, you will fail the mission. This is a timed mode. You have 90 seconds to complete step 1 and 2.

3) Defeat Kuurth.

1) The ball will turn to stone when starting this mission. You must shoot the flashing lanes which inlcude the left orbit, left ramp, right ramp, and right orbit. Try to avoid hitting spot targets. Hitting them will damage your stone ball. Hitting around 3 or 4 spot targets will destroy the stone ball and you will have to restart the mission. Remember, the magna save will not work on the stone ball so be careful.

2) After hitting the four lanes, you must hit the stone ball into into the outer magnetic loop. The easiest way to do this is to shoot the right orbit. Pro tip: During step 1, if you save the right orbit shot for last, it will automatically be diverted into the magnetic loop. One less shot you have to make. This is a timed mode. You have around 90 seconds to complete steps 1 and 2.

3) Fight Mokk.

The Nerkkod mode is an untimed 2-ball multiball. I believe this is the toughest mission in the game. It requires percise ball control and the ability to get cradle separation (i.e. one ball on each flipper). You will fail the mission if you lose a ball. One ball is a regular steel ball and the other is a "neutral" ball, as in magnetically neutral and will not be affected by the magnets on the table. There are 2 parts to this mode:

1) You must first hit the steel ball into the magnetic loop where it will do one complete loop and then it will be kicked back out onto the regular playfield. The easiest way to do this is to trap the steel ball in the left flipper and then shoot the right orbit. However, if you have neutral ball trapped in the right flipper it might be difficult to hit that shot. So first try to get the neutral ball out of the way by shooting the center lock lane. This will give you time to make an accurate right orbit shot with the left flipper. When the neutral ball gets ejected from the lock saucer, you should be able to make a simple catch and hold with the right flipper.

2) After shooting the steel ball into the magnetic loop, the left and right ramps will be lit. You must shoot one of these lanes with the NEUTRAL ball. Be careful though, if you shoot the steel ball during this phase a strong magnet will stop the steel ball very quickly and it might drain down the center if you are not careful.

3) Now repeat steps 1 and 2 except now during step 2 you must shoot the other lit lane with the Neutral ball, either the left or right ramp.

4) Lastly, you must hit the steel ball into the outer magnetic loop one last time and then shoot the NEUTRAL ball into the center lock lane.

5) Fight Nerkkod.

Greithoth is another 2-ball multiball and can be challenging though it is not as difficult as Nerkkod. The 2 balls are both steel. This is also a timed mode in that there is a Greithoth Power meter that is displayed on the DMD. If the meter completely fills up you will fail the mission. If you lose a ball you will fail the mission.

1) When this mode starts, one of the balls will be trapped on the center of the table. To release it you must hit it with the other steel ball. Be quick, if you don't hit it soon the mode will end prematurely.

2) Once you release the second ball, all 5 lanes will start flashing. You must shoot all the lanes with either ball. When you make a successful shot the lane will stop flashing. Be careful, a powerful magnet activate every 7 seconds or so. You will see a countdown timer in the DMD which will show you when the magnet will activate. This magnet can cause erratic deflections of your balls. It can even trap one or both of your balls in the center of the table. If it traps both of your balls in the center you will fail the mission. Pro tip: If you think your second ball is about be trapped, you might want to consider activating your magna save if you are close to defeating the level. If you activate the magna save quick enough you can prevent your second ball from being trapped and continue the mode.

3) Lastly, you must hit one of the balls into the random reward sinkhole which is located beneath the top right flipper. You can't backhand this shot so you must hit a ball with the left flipper. However, it is impossible to make that shot if your right flipper is up (i.e. you have a cradled ball in that flipper). Pro tip: Letting the one of the balls get trapped in the center of the table is not necessarily a bad thing during this last phase. It will give you and unobstructed shot on that right sinkhole.

4) Defeat Greithoth.

1) When this mode starts, the Uncertainty gate on the left side of the table will rotate 90 degrees. First trap the ball with your right flipper. Then hit the spot target on the center of the gate. If you hit the target, the gate will rotate 180 degrees. Now you have 20 seconds to hit the spot target on the other side of the gate. If you fail to hit it within that 20 seconds, the gate will rotate 180 degrees again and you must start over.

2) Repeat step 1 another 2 times. This is another timed mode. You have 90 seconds to complete steps 1 and 2.

3) Defeat Skirn.

1) The objective of this mode is get a total of 100 pop bumper hits. Shoot the left or right orbit to hit the pop bumpers. You can apply a multiplier that multiplies the value of each pop bumber hit. Each hit to either the left ramp, right ramp or center ramp will raise this hit multiplier by x1. For example if you shoot the left ramp twice, each pop bumper activation will register 3 hits. However, this multiplier will reset after the ball leaves the bumper area. You have 90 seconds to complete this mode.

2) Defeat Angrir.

Pro tip: I haven't talked about advancing the end of ball bonus multiplier. To advance the multiplier you must light up the 3 rollovers just above the pop bumpers. This will briefly light white lamps on the left and right orbits. Every shot to either orbit while they are lit will then raise the multiplier by 1x. The Angrir mission is the only consistent way to light up the rollovers so this mission can be used to raise the EOB multiplier. And because you can spam this mission (repeat it over and over again even if you beat it), you can use it to raise your EOB multiplier. However, this takes a lot patience and it is nearly impossible to max the multipliers at 250x.

1) The objective of the Nul mission is to extinguish the A-D-R-E-N-A-L-I-N-E lights located on the left side of the magnetic loop. Every rotation around the the loop will extinguish one letter. This mission is aided by the use of 2 player-controlled magnets located in the lower left and lower right corners of the table. To complete this mission first shoot the ball into the magnetic loop, which is most easily accomplished by shooting the right orbit. Then as the ball orbits the magnetic loop, you want to briefly activate the left magnet (via left flipper activation) as the ball reaches the Uncertainty gate on the left side of the table. Then briefly activate the right magnet when the ball just about reaches the nadir of the loop. This should give the ball enough momentum to shoot it up the right side of the magnetic loop. If you fail to make a complete loop, the ball will be ejected back on to the main playfield and you must renter the magnetic loop. Be careful when the ball is on the main playfield. The magnets are powerful enough to effect the motion of the ball and can lead to a center drain if you are not prepared for it. Once you extinguish all the ADRENALINE lights, the ball will be returned to the main playfield. You have 90 seconds to complete this mode.

2) Defeat Nul.

SKADI
The last Worthy character you have to defeat is Skadi. She is the one smashes the launcher with her hammer (the one with face that is redder than a baboon's a#$). You must defeat the other 7 Worthy before you can fight Skadi, A.K.A. monkey-butt face.

1) After starting this final mode, the ball will be held above the left inlane. The objective is to hit the 3 lit ramps. After you hit the first ramp a countdown timer will be displayed in the DMD, you will then have 20 seconds to hit the other 2 ramps. If you don't hit the other 2 ramps before the timer runs out, the ramps will begin to relight and you will have to shoot them again. Pro Tip: The best way to complete this mode is to get the difficult center ramp shot out of the way first. It is then relatively easy to make the left and right ramp shots. The easiest way to hit the center ramp is to shoot the center lock lane. Once the ball is ejected from the lock saucer, make a well timed cross shot with the top right flipper.

2) Defeat Monkey-Butt Face (MBF). This last battle is just like all the other Worthy fights except the Green Monster, Wally, will hop onto the table in front of MBF and screw up your mojo. The key to defeating this fight is to be patient and pick your shots wisely. Wait for Wally to move so that you have a clear shot on MBF. If you don't have a good shot with a particular flipper, do a nudge pass or a post transfer to get the ball on the other flipper.


BATTLE THE SERPENT- FRENZY WIZARD MODE
The wizard mode begins immediately after defeating Skadi. This is an untimed 4-ball multiball. All ramps, orbits and targets are lit for huge jackpots. The base value for each jackpot starts out at 1 million. If you complete the main Worthy missions well you can raise this base value by 500,000 points per mission for a max of 5 million per jackpot. I am not sure what constitutes completing a mission well. I think you have to minimize errors and/or completing missions quickly. Regardless, the wizard mode is a points frenzy and the best scoring opportunity in the game. Again, this is a 4-ball multiball with a pretty long ball save. There are 3 steel balls and 1 neutral ball. Every jackpot collected by the neutral ball will be doubled for even greater points. Try to keep this ball in play as long as possible. When you get down to 2 or 3 balls, try to slow down your play and make controlled shots to maximize your multiball play. The wizard mode will end when you drain 3 balls. The table will reset when the wizard mode ends.

Fear Itself is probably my favorite Zen table. I am not a huge marvel fan so I know nothing about the Fear Itself story. But the heavy use of magnets, the cool layout of the playfield and unique outlanes and magnetic loop, the challenging rule sets, the great artwork and soundtracks keeps me coming back to this table. There are a lot of things I did not include in this guide. I may do it later. But some of these include Chaos Multiball, Odin Sword multiball, Avengers multiball, and a Dark Asgard mini-game that is similar to pong or breakout. There are also a bunch of hurry-up modes. Some of these are Thunder God, Elven Forges, Spinner, Blitkrieg... I am sure I am missing one or two. Fear Itself has tons of replay value and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you Zen for making such a great table. I hope you enjoyed the guide.

Glottis.