Sudoku Technique Frequency by Difficulty

Updated 15 October 2026

Which solving techniques does a Newbie puzzle need, and which does a Nightmare puzzle demand? This page answers with data: a fixed sample of 240 rated puzzles, 40 from each of the six rated tiers, each solved logically by the same technique detectors that grade the boards in the game.

How often each technique appears

Each cell counts the puzzles, out of 40 in that tier, whose logical solve used the technique at least once. A dash means none did. Read a row left to right to see where a technique enters the game, and a column top to bottom to see what a tier asks of you.

Puzzles out of 40 per tier that required each technique at least once. Every technique name links to its guide.
Technique	Newbie	Easy	Medium	Hard	Nightmare	Hell
Full House	40	40	40	40	40	40
Naked Single	40	40	40	40	40	40
Hidden Single	—	40	40	40	40	40
Pointing Pair	—	—	40	32	37	40
Pointing Triple	—	—	7	9	10	22
Box Line Reduction	—	—	12	13	29	29
Naked Pair	—	—	12	23	30	27
Naked Triple	—	—	3	10	17	27
Naked Quad	—	—	1	5	10	17
Hidden Pair	—	—	—	—	3	5
X-Wing	—	—	—	6	7	8
Swordfish	—	—	—	1	3	4
Jellyfish	—	—	—	—	—	1
Finned X-Wing	—	—	—	17	16	27
Finned Swordfish	—	—	—	10	9	18
Sashimi X-Wing	—	—	—	7	10	13
Sashimi Swordfish	—	—	—	1	2	1
XY-Wing	—	—	—	14	16	16
XYZ-Wing	—	—	—	2	9	10
W-Wing	—	—	—	8	16	20
X-Chain	—	—	—	—	5	5
XY-Chain	—	—	—	—	30	23
AIC	—	—	—	—	23	39
Unique Rectangle	—	—	—	—	—	3
Nishio Forcing Chain	—	—	—	—	—	40

The tiers side by side

Clues, the guaranteed technique band, the measured SE range and the hardest technique each tier needed, from the same 240 puzzles.
Tier	Clues	Guaranteed band	SE range	Singles only	Typical hardest step	Hardest step reached	Past our detectors
Newbie	37	up to Naked Single	1.5 to 2.3	40 of 40	Naked Single	Naked Single	0 of 40
Easy	31	past Naked Single, up to Hidden Single	1.5 to 2.3	40 of 40	Hidden Single	Hidden Single	0 of 40
Medium	27	past Hidden Single, up to Hidden Quad	2.6 to 3.4	0 of 40	Pointing Pair	Naked Quad	0 of 40
Hard	26	past Hidden Quad, up to W-Wing	3.2 to 4.4	0 of 40	XY-Wing	W-Wing	0 of 40
Nightmare	25	past W-Wing, up to AIC	4.5 to 7.2	0 of 40	AIC	AIC	0 of 40
Hell	17–26	past AIC, open ended	7.6 to 8.1	0 of 40	Nishio Forcing Chain	Nishio Forcing Chain	0 of 40

How to read the data

A count is a presence, not a total: a puzzle that uses a naked pair five times counts once. Techniques at the top of the table appear almost everywhere because every solve starts with singles, while the techniques at the bottom are reserved for the tiers whose contract demands them. The sample is frozen in source so every figure is deterministic, and the method is described in the sudoku difficulty rating guide. The clues versus difficulty guide shows why clue count alone does not predict the technique mix.

Using it to plan your practice

Learn the techniques in the order the tiers need them. Start with the habits on the sudoku tips page, pick up each new pattern from the technique library, and move up through the difficulty levels as the rows in this table stop surprising you.

Technique frequency FAQ

How was the sample chosen?

It is a fixed set of 40 puzzles per tier, generated with the game’s own puzzle forge and frozen in the repository. Freezing it keeps every published number identical from build to build.

Why is Infinity not in the table?

Infinity puzzles carry independently published ratings above what the technique ladder can finish, so they would put unmeasured numbers into a table that promises measured ones.

Does a technique in the table mean a puzzle needs it?

It means the logical solve used it. Some puzzles can be finished by more than one route, so use the table as a guide to what you are likely to meet, not as a strict requirement.