One of the tips that aren’t explained in-depth during the tutorial phase of Cradle of Empire Egypt Match 3 is how special tiles work. Special tiles or special chips, as the game calls them, are formed when matching five or more tiles together. Once special tiles are created, players can match them again to activate a special effect that will help players accomplish their tasks a lot faster. Many people don’t understand how they work, which is why we’ve prepared a guide to help players learn more about them.

Before we get to explaining how special tiles work, it’s a good idea to learn how all the other tiles and pieces work in Cradle of Empire Egypt Match 3. The game introduces a lot of different pieces that each have their purpose when playing the game, so players should get an idea of how they work before diving into the more complicated stuff. We’ll also include some of the best ways to use all the tile pieces so that you can get a better grasp on how to play the game.

Basic Tiles

Basic tiles are the ones that you normally see in any standard puzzle. The tiles that you see inside a puzzle depend on the theme of the building that you’re playing it in. For example, playing puzzles from the Pottery will naturally include clay bricks as an additional piece. Playing inside the hut will include Gold pieces while playing in the Farm will include Food pieces. Resource tiles like Gold, Bricks, and Food can be collected to increase your village’s resource count.

When creating special tiles, basic tiles are the key to making them happen. As you already know, the game allows you to match at least 3 of the same pieces to collect them. Nothing happens when you match four tiles together, but special tiles appear once the player matches five or more tiles together. It’s a good idea to study the board and figure out which basic tiles will make the most impact in the game.

Goal Pieces

Goal pieces are different from basic tiles because they can’t be matched together, but can still be destroyed or collected via other means. An example of a goal piece is the Flower Bubble in the Pottery stages. These can be moved around, but they can’t actually leave their current position. The only way to move them around is to either match a basic tile in their current position to move sideways or collect the tiles under them to drop them down.

There are also bonus goal pieces that aren’t necessarily the tiles that are needed to be collected but they help players reach their goals faster. An example is the rockets, which require players to break or collect tiles beside them to ignite the fuse. However, players may need to do break blocks beside them multiple times, depending on the length of the fuse.

Special Tiles

Next off, we’re finally going to talk about Special Tiles. As mentioned before, special tiles are formed when matching five or more pieces together, but the result depends on the orientation and number of tiles being matched. Players may want to look at our Tools & Bonus Guide because it can help players when using these special tiles. 

• Bomb Piece

The Bomb Piece is the most basic special tile in the game and can be identified by the fire-like comets that swirl around it. To create a bomb piece, players simply need to combine five tiles in an L-shape. Players will still need to match the bomb piece with two other pieces of the same tile so that players can activate it. Once combined, the bomb piece will destroy all adjacent blocks, forming a square shape around the tile that’s detonated.

Play on BlueStacks

Play on BlueStacks

This piece is extremely easy to use because players simply need to use it in any situation but preferably in areas near goal pieces. The bomb piece is great because it often triggers unexpected combo chains that help the player get out of a sticky situation. Of course, it’s not recommended to detonate a bomb piece if the result will not affect a relevant side of the board where your goal pieces are placed.

• Line Piece

The Line Piece is another special tile identified by the two blue beams that connect in-between the tile piece. This special tile has two orientations that indicate which direction the explosion will occur. Upon explosion, this tile will destroy all tiles in a row or column, depending on its orientation. The lining piece can be formed by combining five tiles in a straight line, with the direction of the basic tile inserted being followed as the orientation.

There’s also the double line piece which forms a plus-sign. It is formed when the player connects a semi T-shape, an L-shape with one tile on the other side. When this piece is detonated, it will detonate all tiles in the same column and row. This is also a very powerful tile that can be very impactful when used in the right situation. You can use this piece at any time because its effect is powerful enough to create an impact across the board.

• Rainbow Piece

The Rainbow Piece is the most powerful tile in the game and is the only piece with its form. The rainbow piece will detonate all tiles depending on which piece it’s matched with. Unlike other special tiles, the rainbow piece doesn’t need to be matched with two other similar pieces, only one tile adjacent. The rainbow piece can be created by matching seven tiles in a T-shape.

Another powerful usage of the rainbow piece is matching it with another rainbow piece. If you match it this way, it will detonate the entire board once. The rainbow piece is very impactful, so it’s recommended that you use it every time it appears. Choose a tile that’s close to goal pieces or obstructions so that you’ll have an easier time clearing your tasks.