Well, I tried multiple times to get the 4x4 grid to work and failed miserably. Usually, when ferrying stars along the grid, I'd create a combo somewhere and take a chunk of the grid with it. Before reading the guide on the grid here, I was able to get the three black pearl combo. I considered myself lucky to manage to get 3 pearls together before a random bomb ending my game. I knew I'd have to try something like the grid system if I wanted the poobah. I found some youtube videos on making a master's grid, which blew me away. Unlike the 4x4 grid, there were no little corners for accidental combos. But I didn't think there was any way I could learn to make this grid by following the video and the grid I did have a guide for didn't seem to be panning out. I was often destroying the grid as fast as I could build it back up.
Then one night it hit me: can I convert one grid into the other?
It worked like a charm. I was able to build most of the grid from the bottom up. I have trouble with the very top row, where I have little room to starwalk without interfering with other stars in the grid or the top of the screen. But with a little luck on bombs (I haven't really learned to build much of a defense), I was able to get the poobah.
Obviously, I haven't perfected this yet, but I can try explaining it for the benefit of others. First, let's get into more detail of how starwalking with 3 stars works. The 3 stars should form an arrow. Rotate this arrow to point in the direction opposite where you wish to move the stars. For example, if you want to move the cluster up, the arrow should point down. Then rotate around one of the endpieces to move the centerpiece and invert the arrow.
Now, let's say we've got 7 stars to start with. Using the methods shown in this guide, convert this into a grid of 2 rows by 3 columns in the lower left corner with one extra star. Now to convert this into a mini-master's grid, we want to move the top row down and to the left. Take the free-floating star and move it to the lower right of the upper-right star. You should know have a downward facing arrow. The objective now is to move the 2 endpieces of this arrow into place in the master's grid. To do so, we will want to move the centerpiece of this arrow up and to the left. So rotate the arrow counterclockwise (arrow should now be pointing down and to the right), then rotate the top endpiece clockwise to set the centerpiece into position. Now rotate the arrow clockwise to get the endpieces into proper position. Now we have another downward facing arrow in the upper left, which will be handled in the exact same way. Now rotate the extra star somewhere away from where you plan to make your next star. You now have a mini-master's grid that can be built on. Let's say the middle star of the top row looks like a good location to make a new star. A new star will drop down from the top (no need to hasten its descent) and the top middle star will be dislocated from the grid. We now have 8 stars. One near the top, 5 in proper positions, and 2 that can be ferried around. Time to patch the hole. Rotate one of the free stars above the upper right star. Now use the lower row to move the other free star above the lower middle grid piece. This should form an arrow pointing down and right centered around the upper right grid piece. Two rotations and the grid has been repaired.
Growing the grid is the step I haven't completely mastered. Let's say one of the stars from the top has drifted down far enough where it might get in the way. Time to incorporate it into the grid. I'd like to put the next piece in the bottom row. I attempt to make another arrow at the bottom right of the grid. But I can't rotate the top endpiece because I'll mess up a gridpiece and I can't rotate the bottom one because it's at the bottom of the screen. So instead, I form my arrow around the top right grid piece and set a new gridpiece temporarily in the top row, creating a little overhang. But this new piece doesn't need to stay here. So I now rotate the free star in between the 2 rightmost gridpieces. Now I starwalk these 3 so both end pieces are in the bottom row. I'm often starwalking 3 at a time to get new pieces into position. Whenever I have more than one free star, it's my first priority. I think about where in the grid I want the 2 endpieces of the arrow to go, figure out where the final position of the centerpiece must go (usually one space away), then rotate appropriately. Eventually, I'll get to a point where I've got one grid piece in the top row and all the other rows below it completed. Now I'm in shape to make pearls. When ferrying pieces around, try to use the lower rows whenever possible to avoid combos up top. It shouldn't damage the grid, but it may mess up the star making attempt. The top left is where I make new stars now. At this point, I no longer need to repair the grid when making a star: the new star becomes the new gridpiece while the old gridpiece drops down and can be ferried away to the upper right to start making a pearl. If I can manage to get a second gridpiece in that top row to the right of the first, I'll be all set. I'll be able to make new stars there without having to worry about accidental combos. Otherwise, I need to watch the color of one of the pieces to the right, the one that could potentially combo with whatever I'm rotating, and make sure I choose a different color.
I hope that was at least somewhat comprehensible. I'd take and post pictures if I could I guess. In the meantime, I guess I'll work on perfecting the method, including getting the top row formed.
