Level 181/Dreamworld

Difficulty

 * This main difficulty in this level is that like its counterpart in Reality, the only way to remove the icing and let the ingredients drop is with horizontal-striped candies or any of the striped-candy combinations. Setting off any of these special candies (especially the latter) can easily unbalance the moon scale and must be done with caution. The multi-layered icing also requires a number of hits to get rid of.
 * Unlike its counterpart in Reality, all of the icings have an additional layer.
 * However, due to moon struck, it is easier than the past version of its reality counterpart. It should be noted that moon struck may activate special candies required to clear the icings or create less useful special candies such as colour bombs (which may be marginally or extremely useful if combined with striped candies).
 * The ingredients are worth 20,000 points . Hence, an additional 10,000 points is required to earn one star.

Moon Struck

 * 1st Start: moves left.
 * 1st End:  moves left.
 * 2nd Start: moves left.
 * 2nd End:  moves left.

Part 1: Regular moves

 * You start with only one potential match on the board. The rest of the board is entirely blockaded by icing, preventing any other possible actions. Break through the icing as quickly as possible.
 * Once the icing is cleared, use the same strategy as in the reality version of this level - keep on blasting horizontal stripes into the icing. Wrapped candies are useful, as they can be mixed with striped candies, including the vertical ones, which help significantly in this level. A colour bomb only helps indirectly in terms of reducing colours for a better chance to create special candies, or creating a colour bomb + striped candy combination. However, that is not recommended as the striped candies created from the combination may be too low, too high, or have stripes in the wrong direction.
 * In short, assuming all horizontal striped candies are placed correctly and set off, there are a total of fourteen hits needed to bring down the ingredients. If wrapped candy + striped candy combinations are used, placed correctly and set off, there are a total of six hits needed to bring down the ingredients: three must be centered around the second square of multi-layered icing in the column; three must be centered around the third. This will deliver a total of six hits to the two middle squares of four-layered icing, and three hits to the upper and lower square, which is three-layered icing.
 * You have 15 regular moves to destroy as much as icing as possible before each moon struck.
 * A way to sort of cheat the level is to get 28 lollipop hammers and destroy all the icing.

Part 2: The Moon Scale

 * Since this is a Dreamworld level, the moon scale is obviously present. While the moon scale is extremely stable, occasionally pay attention to it and if it is tilting too dangerously, quickly make matches of candies whose colours match the other side of the moon scale. This is quite important since special candies are required to destroy the icing which in turn may dangerously tilt the moon scale.

Part 3: The Moon Struck

 * When there is a moon scale, there is a moon struck. As this board has five colours, moon struck will remove candies matching the colour on the left side of the moon scale when it occurs. Hence, it may interfere with the creation of special candies on the turn before, or it may detonate special candies intended for use in combinations.
 * With fewer colours on the board after moon struck, special candies may be more easily created, but these may also be detonated accidentally. In addition, colour bombs may be created, which is not too useful (which may be marginally or extremely useful if combined with striped candies).
 * Taking the above mentioned points into consideration, pay attention to making moves and plan ahead during moon struck to maximize its benefits.

Difficulty

 * The presence of five colours makes it easy to create special candies, and is essential as special candies must be used to drop the ingredients.
 * The ingredients are worth 20,000 points. Hence, an additional 35,000 points for two stars and an additional 45,000 points for three stars have to be earned through matching of candies.
 * The two star score requirement is decreased by 15.38% compared to its Reality counterpart which is the three star target score in this level.
 * The three star score requirement is decreased by 35.00% compared to its Reality counterpart.
 * The player is required to earn an additional 840 points per move for two stars and an additional 1,080 points per move for three stars. However, the regular icings at the start of the level means that players will only earn points in the low hundreds for at least the first five moves.
 * The regular icings at the start of the level mean that a good number of moves have to wasted to clear them and increase the space on the board. Despite this, special candies can be created after the first two to three moves.
 * Since the cherries are on the isolated sides of the board, the most effective way to clear them is to use wrapped candy + striped candy combinations, reducing the number of moves left for sugar crush. This combination has to be done multiple times, further reducing the number of remaining moves.
 * If done correctly, the player would only need six combinations to complete the level: three must be centered around the second square of multi-layered icing in the column; three must be centered around the third. This will deliver a total of six hits to the two middle squares of four-layered icing, and three hits to the upper and lower square, which is three-layered icing.
 * Although using the above combination more than the minimum number of times can give thousands of points, optimally placed wrapped candy + striped candy combinations can allow the player to finish this level in as few moves as possible, thus earning a huge number of points due to sugar crush.
 * Moon struck removes candies matching the colour on the left side of the moon scale, lasts for five moves, and occurs twice. This makes it much easier to create special candies. However, it can cause of creation of unwanted colour bombs because striped candies, wrapped candies or their combinations are the only useful special candies which must be used to drop the ingredients. Hence, moon struck may actually cause more moves to be wasted, insofar as bringing the ingredients down.
 * Even after each moon struck ends, it is not much harder to create special candies.