Special instruments give you ways to reach targets that an ordinary match cannot. This guide describes Chime Blast's own rules. Similar-looking power-ups in other match 3 games may work differently. If you are new to the board, start with the basic match 3 rules and controls.
How to create special instruments
A straight line of four matching pieces creates a Wave Capsule. Five or more matching pieces in a line creates a Prism. A horizontal and vertical match intersecting as a T or L creates a Bass Drum. Wind Chimes are placed by the level: a 2 × 2 square does not create one, and ordinary squares do not match.
An instrument can be activated by tapping it or swapping it with a neighboring piece. When adjacent instruments combine, use the table below to plan their effect. Position still matters: the board's shape limits the spaces that an effect can reach.
Two-instrument combinations
| Pair | Effect |
|---|---|
| Wave + Wave | A horizontal and vertical cross. |
| Bass Drum + Wave | Three parallel lines. |
| Bass Drum + Bass Drum | A 7 × 7 burst. |
| Wind Chime + Wave | Lines through three targets. |
| Wind Chime + Bass Drum | A 5 × 5 burst around three targets. |
| Wind Chime + Wind Chime | A 3 × 3 burst around five targets. |
Choose a pair based on the objective. A broad area burst can help in a dense patch of obstacles, while a line effect can reach across the board. A larger effect is useful only if it hits the places you still need to clear.
Prism combinations
Prism + ordinary piece: clears pieces of that ordinary piece's color. Look at both the goal colors and the positions of those pieces before choosing a neighbor.
Prism + Wave, Drum or Chime: turns up to six ordinary pieces of the most common color into that instrument and activates them. The conversion creates several effects around the board; it does not automatically qualify as a three-instrument line.
Prism + Prism: triggers a board-wide effect. Thick obstacles still lose a layer per impact, so a wide clear is not a promise that every layered target disappears immediately.
Three instruments in a straight line
To trigger a three-instrument line, tap or swap to activate an existing horizontal or vertical line containing at least three instruments. Simply catching unrelated instruments in an explosion does not create this combination.
- All Waves: a cross at each instrument position.
- All Bass Drums: a central 7 × 7 burst.
- All Wind Chimes: 3 × 3 bursts around six targets.
- All Prisms: a board-wide clear.
These matching-instrument lines have their own Maestro effects. They reward deliberate board planning, but you still need enough moves to finish the level goal.
Unison, Counterpoint and Triple Symphony
When a three-instrument line contains two instrument types, its original instruments activate. If the line is one color, it adds a central 5 × 5 Unison Chord. If its colors differ, it adds 3 × 3 bursts around three targets for Counterpoint.
A straight line containing at least three different instrument types creates Triple Symphony, a board-wide clear. Instruments newly converted by a Prism, or caught incidentally in an explosion, do not invent a qualifying line. The line has to exist as part of the activation.
Use combinations with a purpose
Before activating an instrument, check whether an ordinary move can place another instrument beside it. Waiting one move can improve a combination, but spending several moves to engineer an elaborate effect may leave too few moves for the objective.
Practice the pairings on an earlier level so you can recognize them without rushing. Our match 3 tips explain when to save an instrument and when to use it. Ready to try one? Return to Chime Blast.