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Licoriceshell1

The Liquorice Shell, formerly Popcorn, is one of the blockers in Candy Crush Saga. It is released and officially introduced at the 55th episode, Caramel Clearing in level 801. (Formerly level 543 in Sticky Savannah.)

This blocker can only be hit by special effects, and it blocks special effects from proceeding further. This blocker requires three hits to be removed; and if so, it turns into a Colour Bomb.

This blocker is renamed and reskinned from Popcorn to Licorice Shell (note it is American spelling) in October 2020 by a community vote. [1]

Appearances[]

For the list of levels with this blocker, see here.

It formerly made an unofficial appearance in Sticky Savannah, the 37th episode.

Properties[]

Liquorice shell is a stationary blocker occupying one space that takes three hits to clear. When it is hit by the effects of a special candy, the liquorice shell grows larger on the square upon which it sits. When it is hit a second time, it grows even larger and starts flashing. When it is hit a third time, it pops and turns into a colour bomb that can immediately be used by the player.

Note that unlike most blockers such as multilayered frosting, marmalade or liquorice swirls, it is immune to adjacent matches! Furthermore, liquorice shell blocks the effect of striped candies and their combinations, just like liquorice swirls, liquorice fence and liquorice curls. If a striped candy's effect hits a liquorice shell blocker, it will increase the size of the liquorice shell as described above, but the effect is blocked, so none of the candies beyond it are affected. Therefore, liquorice shell is possibly one of the strongest blockers in the game, considerably more so than the five-layered frosting.

Liquorice shells can be very difficult to handle. Large amounts of liquorice shells, may have to be dealt with the otherwise difficult colour bomb+colour bomb combo, which is now much easier to perform when properly timed.

  • If a liquorice shell is found inside a Sugar Chest, it keeps the resistance, but it cannot take damage before opening the chest.
    • However, there is a small difference between both versions. At the last stage, if a striped candy's effect hits liquorice shell, candies beyond it are also affected on Flash, but candies beyond are protected on HTML5.
  • A liquorice shell can appear under liquorice lock. This type of liquorice shell is even more durable, which can take four hits before destroyed.
  • Liquorice shell is a stationary blocker unless it is placed on the conveyor belt at the beginning. In this case, the liquorice shell moves along the belt.
  • If a lucky candy on a conveyor belt turns into liquorice shell, it will be eliminated immediately and collected as an order. However, adding lucky candies to levels require liquorice shell orders as a booster is not recommended due to the strength of the blocker.
  • Since Citrus County, the 409th episode, liquorice shell with lower durability appear from the starting board.
    • The first level to have 2/3 durability shells is Level 6188.
    • The first level to have 1/3 durability shells is Level 6120.
    • Nerfs were subsequently made on earlier levels, on HTML5 to feature later stage liquorice shells.
      • level 773 also featured reduced durability shells via a nerf.
      • The Flash edition is spared from these nerfs due to its discontinuation

Notable levels[]

  • Level 543 - Former first appearance.
  • Level 801 - Current first appearance
  • Level 832 - 30th level
  • Level 875 - 40th level
  • Level 917 - 50th level
  • Level 950 - 60th level
  • Level 1000 - First four-digit level with liquorice shells.
  • Level 1016 - 70th level
  • Level 1074 - 80th level
  • Level 1128 - 90th level
  • Level 1157 - 100th level
  • Level 1187 - Unofficially the first level with liquorice shell order, due to redesigning.
  • Level 1230 - The level with the most liquorice shell, which is 36
  • Level 1401 - Episode opener of the New Year's Day-themed episode, Peppermint Party, which has 25 liquorice shells on the board.
  • Level 1454 - Officially the first level in which liquorice shell is required as part of a candy order.
  • Level 1700 - The first mixed level with liquorice shell.
  • Level 1805 - The first level in which liquorice shell doesn't appear on the board but it is required as part of a candy order, meaning that the player must rely on lucky candies.
  • Level 2776 - The first level with locked liquorice shell.
  • Level 2788 - Last candy order level which requires popcorn (on Flash version).
  • Level 2820 - Last level with liquorice shell (on Flash version).
  • Level 2881 - The first level with chested liquorice shell.
  • Level 3163 - The first level with marmalade-covered liquorice shell.
  • Level 3942 - The first jelly-order mixed level with liquorice shell order.
  • Level 4608 - The first level with liquorice shell in crystals.
  • Level 5107 - The first level with liquorice shell on conveyor belt.
  • Level 5240 - The first level with locked liquorice shell on conveyor belt.
  • Level 5877 - The first ingredient-order mixed level with liquorice shell order.
  • Level 6118 - Officially the first level with liquorice shell starting with 2/3 durability.
  • Level 6120 - Officially the first level with liquorice shell starting with 1/3 durability.
  • Level 7130 - The first rainbow rapids level with liquorice shell.
  • Level 7961 - First level where liquorice shell order is required to unlock order locks.
  • Level 8245 - The first level with liquorice shell in skull pedestals.
  • Level 9026 - First level with a different colour scheme where liquorice shells appear.
  • Level 9630 - First rainbow rapids mixed level with liquorice shell order.
  • Level 10020 - First five-digit level with liquorice shells.

Trivia[]

  • The liquorice shell was released prematurely. For one week, popcorn (the appearance at that time) could be found in mystery candies in far greater frequencies than even striped candies and chocolate in Dreamworld levels.
    • This glitch never applied on Reality levels. It is a proof that Mystery Candies follow a different probability algorithm across levels.
    • It is ironic that popcorn never made an official appearance in Dreamworld, however, due to it ending at level 665.
    • Popcorn later made unofficial Dreamworld appearances since Hoax Hollow. This is due to subsequent redesigns after the Toffee Tornado was removed.
      • Only three DW levels all found in one episode featured liquorice shell: 414, 415, 424.
      • These updates were made six months after the release of Dozy Dawn.
      • These were also the last known major Dreamworld updates before its demise upon the release of Watermelon Waves.
    • After its intended release, they also have an occasional chance of coming out of a mystery candy.
      • Levels 766 and before with liquorice shell coming out of mystery candy is rare.
      • 778 and beyond can occasionally spawn liquorice shell out of a mystery candy.
  • This is the third blocker that takes exactly three hits to destroy - the first two being three-layered frosting and three-layered sugar chests. The blocker's invulnerability to adjacent matches still makes this blocker much more difficult than the aforementioned blockers.
    • While taking the third hit will turn liquorice shell into a colour bomb, this hit was not resisted in the web version, and will go through candies behind. On mobile, however, this hit was absorbed and anything behind stays unaffected.
  • This blocker is not immune to colour bomb + colour bomb combinations. As a result of its initial release, the double colour bomb combination may have been updated to target all blockers.
  • Formerly, jelly fish avoids liquorice shell, even when there is jelly underneath it. This has changed in a later update, presumably when shells are now vulnerable to the Lollipop Hammer, so that jelly fish could hit liquorice shell with high priority.
  • This is the first blocker which turns into a special candy when it is destroyed.
  • For a long time, cake bombs could not affect liquorice shell well after other vulnerabilies were applied. An update in November 2019 has changed this behavior, such that each cake bomb explosion can damage each liquorice shell by one layer.
  • Liquorice shell is currently one of the more common blockers of the game, as well as being one of very few elements which have appeared in at least one level in every episode since its debut, except in Sweet Skies.
  • This was the last original blocker officially introduced, until the release of the magic mixer. Speaking of which, the magic mixer has yet to spawn liquorice shell and it is unknown if it ever will, due to the power of this blocker.
  • In chronological order, this is the fourth blocker used as a candy order.
    • Unlike those three which are worth 100 points each, it is worth 10,000 points, even more than combination orders, and the same score as ingredients.
    • Furthermore, the order is counted by shells removed as a whole, not individual layers removed, unlike most multilayer blockers. Thus, hitting a single liquorice shell thrice only counts once towards the order.
    • The order icon for the liquorice shell is full durability.
    • However it was glitched on mobile v1.70, where the points will show up, but it was not truly added. This glitch still exists.
  • Liquorice shells received several subtle redesigns and element interactions since its release:
    • Before the release of Delicious Dynasty, popcorn could not be targeted by a lollipop hammer.
    • After the said episode was released that changed so hitting a liquorice shell with a lollipop hammer would damage it. A tutorial is even provided to show that this blocker can now be eliminated this way. This applies since Mobile v1.67.
    • However, after the release of Watermelon Waves, on Flash, the changes were reverted, meaning you can't hit it with a lollipop hammer again. The vulnerability is kept on HTML5. However, jelly fish still can't damage liquorice shell or target jelly that is under liquorice shell even if it is the only jelly left on the board.
  • There has never been a level requiring more than 100 of this blocker in a candy order level likely due to its strength.
  • Much like liquorice swirls, liquorice shell blocks the effect of striped candies when locked, in marmalade or sugar chests.
  • Liquorice shell has the tilemap code 054 (in its first stage). Liquorice shell in its second stage has the tilemap code 158 and liquorice shell in its third stage has the tilemap code 157.
  • Liquorice shell has the order number "18". Popcorn had the same order number before it was replaced.
  • The first HTML5 exclusive blocker combination involves liquorice shell (specifically, liquorice shell in sugar chests, in Syrup Square). Chocolate in sugar chests is officially introduced in the previous episode, although chocolate in sugar chests can appear on Flash version as well (in level 2391), while liquorice shell in sugar chests can only appear on HTML5.
  • Liquorice shell appears on the board has already taken some damage (with 2/3 or 1/3 durability) officially in level 6118 and level 6120, respectively. The liquorice shell gives a colour bomb when popped, regardless of which stage it's at the start of a level.
    • Coincidentally, those levels are part of an episode that was released on Christmas Day on Windows 10. Liquorice shell itself was officially introduced in Eggnog Emporium, which is also a Christmas-themed episode.
    • Both types of liquorice shell with less durability are unofficially introduced in level 6107, due to redesigning. Since they appear in crystal candies in this level, it is proven that liquorice shell with less durability can still appear in encasing blockers. 1/3 durability liquorice shell appears in level 773 after another redesign.
  • Popcorn was reskinned to liquorice shells on 17 December 2020.
    • Popcorn was released in 2014 (3/3 durability) and 2019 (1/3 durability and 2/3 durability).
    • Liquorice shell is the last element that was released in 2020 if simple reskinnings count.
    • Popcorn orders will still be counted when Liquorice Shells are fully cleared. The icon for popcorn orders will also be that of liquorice shells.
    • The first order element to be actually removed is mystery candies, which are not required for candy orders in any levels in the game.
  • It is possible that King will add variants of the liquorice shell that reveal other special candies when opened, or allow them to have more than 3 layers.
    • Since this blocker has been present for years and no such variants have been added, it is unlikely.
    • Due to the strength of liquorice shells, it is also improbable that liquorice shells with more layers will be introduced.

Gallery[]

Please note that popcorn may never make an official or an early appearance in Dreamworld outside of the removal of toffee tornadoes.

References[]

Candy Crush Saga blockers
HTML5 and Flash Blockers
One-layered Icing new Two-layered Icing new Three-layered Icing new Four-layered Icing new Five-layered Icing new Marmalade mobile Liquorice Lock New swirl Candy Bomb Green Chocolate new Chocolate Spawner (new)
Cake Bomb new design 1-Layer MultiLock 2-Layer MultiLock 3-Layer MultiLock 4-Layer MultiLock 5-Layer MultiLock Licoriceshell1 Licoriceshell2 Licoriceshell3 MagicMixernew1 Bobber
HTML5-exclusive
Wall space One-layered Toffee Swirl Two-layered Toffee Swirl Three-layered Toffee Swirl Four-layered Toffee Swirl Five-layered Toffee Swirl One-layered Dark Chocolate Two-layered Dark Chocolate Three-layered Dark Chocolate One-layered Candy Cane Curls Two-layered Candy Cane Curls Three-layered Candy Cane Curls
One-layered Crystal Two-layered Crystal Three-layered Crystal Rainbow Twist 1 Rainbow Twist 2 Rainbow Twist 3 Rainbow Twist 4 Rainbow Twist 5 Sugar Coat 1 Sugar Coat 2 Sugar Coat 3
Bubblegum Pop 1 Bubblegum Pop 2 Bubblegum Pop 3 Bubblegum Pop 4 Bubblegum Pop 5 Rainbow Rapid's Mold Licorice curl 1 layer Licorice curl 2 layer Licorice curl 3 layer Licorice fence Order lock blocker One-layered Sour Skull
One-charged Color Bomb Bonbon Blitz Two-charged Color Bomb Bonbon Blitz Three-charged Color Bomb Bonbon Blitz Four-charged Color Bomb Bonbon Blitz One-charged Horizontal Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz Two-charged Horizontal Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz Three-charged Horizontal Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz Four-charged Horizontal Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz One-charged Vertical Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz Two-charged Vertical Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz Three-charged Vertical Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz Four-charged Vertical Striped Candy Bonbon Blitz
One-charged Jelly Fish Bonbon Blitz Two-charged Jelly Fish Bonbon Blitz Three-charged Jelly Fish Bonbon Blitz Four-charged Jelly Fish Bonbon Blitz One-charged Wrapped Candy Bonbon Blitz Two-charged Wrapped Candy Bonbon Blitz Three-charged Wrapped Candy Bonbon Blitz Four-charged Wrapped Candy Bonbon Blitz Dark Chocolate Fountain One-layered Jelly Jar Two-layered Jelly Jar
Cobra1 Cobra2 Cobra3 Cobra4 Cobra5 Wonderfulwrapperempty Gumball Machine
Discontinued
Regular Icing Toffee-Tornado
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