To beat Level 586 in Magic Sort!, preserve your two empty buffer tubes and consolidate matching top-layer colors across partially filled tubes before committing liquids to empty slots. Moving colors into empty tubes without an immediate plan to clear them causes deadlocks. You clear this stage by maintaining board flexibility, uncovering buried base segments, and assembling full four-unit vials one color at a time.
Opening Strategy: Consolidate Exposed Top Layers
Level 586 starts with fragmented color units across crowded four-capacity vials and two empty buffer tubes. Your first priority is to create space without sacrificing empty tubes.
- Scan the board for duplicate surface colors: Locate colors that appear on top of two or more partially filled tubes.
- Pour between partially filled tubes first: Merge matching top segments whenever the receiving tube has room. This uncovers the layer underneath without using an empty tube.
- Prioritize three-unit stacks: If a transfer builds three matching units in an existing tube, make that move. It leaves only one unit left to fill later.
- Avoid unassisted single transfers: Do not pour a color into an empty tube unless that move directly lets you clear another tube entirely.
Managing Buffer Tubes and Preventing Deadlocks
The two empty buffer tubes are essential for routing. If both are occupied by mismatched colors before you complete a single four-unit vial, your available moves drop to zero, causing a soft deadlock.
Follow the net-zero rule when using open slots: only transfer liquid into an empty tube if the sequence completely empties a donor tube. For example, if you pour two units of a color into an empty tube, immediately pour the remaining matching units from another tube into that same slot. This empties the donor tube, keeping your total count of available buffer tubes at two.
If an opening sequence leaves you with no open tubes and no completed sets, avoid that line of moves.
Mid-Game Routing: Uncovering Foundation Layers
Once you assemble your first solid four-unit tube, that slot is permanently finished, and the donor tube becomes a reusable routing lane. Shift your focus from surface consolidation to digging out bottom-tier foundation colors.
| Color Layer Position | Priority Level | Tactical Routing Action |
|---|---|---|
| Surface (Top) | High | Consolidate onto matching stacks to reveal lower layers. |
| Intermediate (Middle) | Conditional | Hold in place until an open tube or matching stack is available. |
| Foundation (Base) | High | Shift upper layers into buffer lanes to free the bottom color. |
Base colors are frequently shared across multiple mixed tubes. Work on one mixed vial at a time, moving its upper and middle layers into temporary holding stacks to expose the base liquid. Once the base color is exposed, route it into an open buffer lane to establish a new single-color foundation.
Endgame Cleanup
When half the vials are organized and three or more tubes are fully sorted, available board space expands significantly:
- Lock finished tubes: Leave completed four-unit tubes untouched so you do not accidentally misplace intermediate colors.
- Consolidate remaining mid-layers: Shift remaining surface units directly onto matching partial tubes to strip donor vials down to their base colors.
- Cascade the base colors: Transfer identical base segments together. With upper layers cleared, emptying one vial will unlock the next matching color in sequence until every bottle is organized.
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154 players commented on this guide.
This helped me understand strategy much better.
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Can you add more details about strategy in a future update?
I wish I had read this before upgrading the wrong thing.