Strategy Guide: Peter Und Vlad

Peter und Vlad: A Guide to Extreme Sheep Herding by Edward Abarilla

Herding the sheep: Controlling the flock

Sheep appear on two locations on the map, the upper left which we will call group 1 and group 2 at the upper right of the screen. Always start out gathering group 1 (upper left) , while working your way through the right side. Join the herd with group 2 (upper right). You will notice that there is a tree just a little off the middle of the map.

 The best way to herd group 1 to group 2 is to squeeze in the first group in between the the middle tree and the upper edge of the map. Now, why would you want to do that? With that little space? That’s the point, small space means more control for the group. And the middle  tree helps because the sheep will be forced to avoid that, they’re smart enough to know that they will hit that tree and unlike Peter, the sheep can’t pass through trees.

  You can use the much wider space at the bottom of the middle tree, but for beginners, it will take some work because it means Peter will have to run longer to manage the group.

 As soon as the first group clears the small space, make Peter run straight above group 2. This will scare off group 2 and they will run downwards towards the lower half of the screen. At the same time, group 1 will follow group 2, becoming one big herd! Now just make your way through the barn and repeat.

Here are some important pointers to remember if you are to become an extreme sheep herder:

- Get every mushroom with just one exception.

 There is one spawn area that is always too far from where you’d make Peter run – the bottom left area. You will rarely step-foot on that area because sheep do not appear there and it would take too much time to make the trip, even for a mushroom. The only time it makes sense to grab the mushroom there is after you flock a group into the barn.  If you see the weather indicator flashing on the left side then leave the mushroom. It will take to0 much time and you are better served concentrating on shepherding. The indicator flashing means the weather machine is about to appear.

- You can delay the machine from appearing if you constantly reduce the number of sheep on the map. Never ever try to group each and every sheep you see on the map!

Again, it’s too time consuming. Focus on herding smaller groups into the barn as fast as possible.

- Never run straight on a sheep.

This is a VERY common mistake and is how things get messy. If you run strait at a sheep, it will spin wildly, and run all over the place, and if that happens, the rest of the group will imitate. Messy. Uh-Uh!

- Ignore sassy or tempermental sheep

Sometimes a sheep or two can get moody and will be almost uncontrollable. It’s quite annoying. Instinct may tell you to chase after this sheep and get it back to the group. Wrong move! When you chase after a bum sheep, you will leave your main group of sheep behind and they will scatter all over the place. Ignore the sheep with tantrums and just concentrate on the group. You can always come back and form another group.

- Another common mistake: Do not draw long paths for Peter to follow. This is not Flight Control folks!

Draw short strokes so Peter can be controlled easily and he can control the sheep more easily.

- Always re-adjust Peter’s path.

Don’t leave a huge gap between him and the main group of sheep you are flocking. This will guarantee the group is always moving.

- If you contain enough sheep, the number of sheep eaten will decrease! Its kind of the equivilent of earnign extra lives.

After 15 sheep are eaten it’s game over. Sometimes you’ll have bad luck in a round, and will lose 10 sheep! You’re barely hanging on and you’ll lose hope! I say no! Just work hard on the next round and you’ll notice if you flock enough sheep, the number of sheep eaten will decrease.

- Use the panic button wisely.

It is ok to use it prematurely. Just use it when you feel like a lot of sheep will get eaten. Never feel guilty that you’ve used it so soon. It is not the end! You can still score 700,000 points even without that button!

-  Orange Double Score Mushroom + Panic Button = BIG COMBO SCORE!

 When you see an orange mushroom (double score) let the sheep populate the screen. This will make the machine come out sooner. Get that “double score” mushroom and hit the panic button and let Peter just sit around and rest for awhile. Yay!

- There will come a time that the weather indicator will break. Don’t panic.

Just because the waether indicator breaks does not mean it’s game over. You can still continue playing but it will be more challenging because you’ll never know when the machine will. The indicator will just spark, and that means the machine will come out in less than a second! Just continue to herd small groups and you’ll be fine.

- Never mistake a sheep for a cloud just because they have no feet. 

Closing comment: Remember, time is key. It doesn’t matter how large your group is, it’s how you constantly shepherd them to the barn. Be fast, keep them moving, cut off long and big spaces. Practice and master your herding technique. That’s all into it. And enjoy! BAAAAAH!  – Edward