Connect Master Level 173 Solution Walkthrough & Answer

Connect Master Level 173 Pattern Overview

The Overall Theme and Structure

Connect Master Level 173 is a vibrant, activity-themed puzzle that brings together six distinct categories of visual elements. You're looking at 24 tiles spread across six separate groups, and each group represents a clear thematic area: protective headgear, ignition tools, competitive animals in boxing gloves, Norse warriors, spirited performers, and sports infrastructure. The puzzle's charm comes from how each category feels immediately recognizable once you lock onto it, yet the visual details can easily trip you up if you're not paying close attention to subtle differences in color, costume, and accessories.

The Six Category Sets

Helmets ties together four different head protections: a sleek red cycling helmet, a futuristic ski helmet with white and yellow accents, a baseball-style hard hat with red and navy tones, and a polished blue American football helmet. Each one is purpose-built for a different sport or activity, but they all serve the same protective function.

Fire Starters groups four distinct tools for creating flame: a bold red dragon breathing fire, a wooden matchstick with a glowing tip, a metallic lighter with a red body, and a full matchbox of wooden sticks. The thread binding them together is that they're all implements you'd use to ignite fire.

Boxer Animals showcases four creatures fitted with red boxing gloves: a brown rabbit with prominent ears, a white and orange cat, a tan horse, and a golden hamster or similar rodent. What makes this set tricky is that they're all animals, but specifically ones wearing pugilistic gear.

Vikings assembles four Norse-themed figures wearing horned helmets: a mature man with a beard and armor, a white dog or husky in full Viking regalia, a stern warrior with red and gold accents, and a blonde-bearded man with traditional Norse styling. These are historical or fantasy warriors unified by their Viking aesthetic.

Cheerleaders brings together four performers with pom-poms: a girl with colorful afro puffs and pink pom-poms, a blonde girl with blue and red pom-poms, a brunette girl with blue and magenta pom-poms, and a dark-skinned girl with purple and pink pom-poms. Each cheerleader holds their signature pom-poms in an uplifted, celebratory pose.

Football combines four soccer or American football–related images: a goal net with a soccer ball, a black and white soccer ball, a packed sports stadium with a green field, and a red flag (likely a corner flag or field marker). These tiles represent the infrastructure and equipment of football rather than individual people.

Why Connect Master Level 173 Feels So Tricky

The Deceptive Cheerleaders Set

I'll be honest—the Cheerleaders set almost fooled me the first time because I was initially drawn to counting the pom-poms rather than recognizing the humans holding them. Every single cheerleader tile has pom-poms, but the trick is that you're not grouping by pom-poms alone; you're grouping by the fact that all four figures are cheerleaders. The tile showing just the pom-poms—oh wait, there aren't any loose pom-poms here—but if there were, that's exactly where players would get tangled up. Instead, the real gotcha is ensuring you don't accidentally pair cheerleaders with Vikings or other costumed figures just because they look "celebratory." The Cheerleaders are unmistakably human performers in athletic wear with pom-poms; the Vikings are warriors in historical armor.

Overlapping Details: Helmets vs. Fire Starters

Here's where I needed two retries: the baseball helmet in the Helmets set has a red and navy color scheme that almost echoes the red dragon and red lighter in the Fire Starters set. My brain kept trying to create a "red things" category instead of focusing on what each object actually does. The key detail I missed initially was that helmets are worn on your head, while fire starters are handheld tools you use to create flame. Once I separated "protective gear you wear" from "objects that generate fire," the confusion dissolved instantly.

Boxer Animals vs. Just Animals

Another layer of complexity comes from the fact that the Boxer Animals set contains actual animals—rabbits, cats, horses, and hamsters—but not all animals in Connect Master Level 173 are in this set. The Vikings include a dog, but that dog is a Viking warrior, not a boxer. This is where you absolutely must zoom in (mentally) on the specific costume or accessory. Does the animal have red boxing gloves? If yes, it belongs to Boxer Animals. If it's wearing a horned helmet instead, it's a Viking. It's a small but critical distinction that prevents you from over-grouping and accidentally leaving a tile orphaned.

Step-by-Step Solution for Connect Master Level 173

Opening: Lock In the Obvious Anchors

Start with Football because it's the easiest set to spot. The goal net, soccer ball, stadium, and field flag are all unmistakably sports-related infrastructure that doesn't overlap with any other category. By securing Football first, you remove four tiles from contention and simplify your mental load immediately.

Next, tackle Helmets. All four helmets are distinctly different in color and style (red cycle helmet, white ski helmet, navy baseball helmet, blue football helmet), but they share the clear purpose of head protection. This set has virtually no decoys because no other category involves wearing things on your head.

Mid-Game: Process of Elimination with Visual Details

Once you've locked Football and Helmets, move to Fire Starters. The dragon, matchstick, lighter, and matchbox form a tight group around the concept of ignition. Here's where you lean on color and form: the dragon is animate and red; the lighter is metallic and red; the matchstick is wooden and yellow-tipped; the matchbox is cardboard and holds sticks. They're visually diverse but functionally unified.

Now for Boxer Animals: examine each creature and confirm it's wearing red boxing gloves. Don't let the fact that they're animals distract you; the boxing gloves are the unifying trait. Compare them carefully to the Vikings set (which also contains an animal) to ensure you're not mixing them up. The boxing gloves are the tell.

End-Game: Separating Cheerleaders and Vikings

This is where Connect Master Level 173 becomes a real puzzle. You have two remaining sets, and both contain humanoid or animal figures in costumes. The Cheerleaders are always human children or young people wearing athletic outfits and holding pom-poms aloft. The Vikings are adult warriors, fantasy soldiers, or historical figures decked out in horned helmets, armor, and Norse regalia. The cheerleaders are performers; the Vikings are warriors. One is celebratory and athletic; the other is martial and historical. Once you nail down this distinction—which admittedly requires you to look at the entire figure, not just one detail—the remaining four tiles for each set snap into place.

The Logic Behind This Connect Master Level 173 Solution

Moving from Broad to Granular

The systematic approach that makes Connect Master Level 173 solvable is starting with the broadest, most obvious categories (sports equipment, head protection) and then drilling down into more specific details. When you begin by asking "What is this tile's primary function?" (protection, ignition, sport, costume), you eliminate noise. Then you ask "What specific form does it take?" (helmet type, fire tool type, animal species with boxing gloves, warrior style). This two-step mental process ensures you don't confuse a Viking dog with a Boxer Animal or a cheerleader with a dancer.

Naming Your Sets Prevents Tile Duplication

Here's the game-changer: by mentally naming each group (Helmets, Fire Starters, Boxer Animals, Vikings, Cheerleaders, Football), you create cognitive anchors that stop you from accidentally assigning the same tile to two different sets. When you see the dog tile, you instantly ask yourself, "Is this a Boxer Animal or a Viking?" rather than letting it float between categories. The name forces you to commit, which is exactly what you need in Connect Master Level 173 to avoid logical dead-ends.

You've got this. Go lock in those tiles and own Connect Master Level 173!