The Book of Dark Dimension

[Taeblewalker]

Originally Posted by johnny139

As for the last point, I kind of like the peak being on lava; I found that it made for an interesting choice, particularly at the end of a round, between giving up height and risking lava damage. I'll see what others think, though.

I've made that choice many times on tournament maps.

[IAmBatman]

I'm always a fan of risk/reward.

[omael]

Originally Posted by johnny139

Awesome. I am a bit concerned about the Ants having trouble, but I figure that Tiny figures have that sort of limitation built into their cost. So I'm not too worried.

As for the last point, I kind of like the peak being on lava; I found that it made for an interesting choice, particularly at the end of a round, between giving up height and risking lava damage. I'll see what others think, though.

i concur in this point, but it really gets interesting playing king of the hill in just one hex with all the superstrength going around knocking over everything. This could be the particularity of this map.

Also, i would have like to see hawkeye or green arrow sniping from the volcanic terrain hills, but i don't have this and my figures didn't have enough range to be of any use, can someone try this? those are really advantageous positions but risky ones.

[quozl]

I like swapping out the dungeon 7-hexer for a lava field (or just adding on top of the dungeon).

[Red Eyed Jedi]

I played three games on Dark Design for my test
The armies I played with are

Spoiler Alert!

Game 1 was.
Team 1 Ronan, Captain Mar-Vell, Kree scout (x5) 960
Team 2 Skrull Warriors, (x3) Super Skrull, (both FF and X) 950
Highlights are.
Kree with their bonding and telport move in quick kill a couple warriors. Skrull Warriors shoot off Lava Rock hill then flee off in turn 3, Blow back from Ronan's SA puts Super Skrull into Molten Lava for no effect. Kree Scout can't see Skrull Warrior behind a Rock outcropping. Super Skrull (Ff) gets bounce back into Molten Lava on Mar-vell.
Team 2 wins a close one Super Skrull (FF) survives with 5 wounds.

Game 2 was.
Team 1 Prof X, Jean Grey, Iceman, Cyclops, Angel, Beast 1000
Team 2 Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Thing, Human Torch 1000.
Highlights are.
Thing uses Clobberin Time on Cyclops into Molten Lava for death, Torch uses his Lava resist in this game stands in Molten Lava and gets in attacks before going Supernova and dealing wounds to several X-men including Prof. X. Jean throws Thing into Lava twice and Mr. Fantastic once, but never got the instant kill the d20 was hot for both teams through out this game.
Team 1 won with Jean Grey Surviving with 3 wounds in another close game.

Game 3 was the two winning teams with Atom added to team 2
Team 1 Prof. X, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, Angel, Cyclops, Angel 1000
Team 2 Skrull Warriors, (x3) Super Skrull, (both FF and X) Atom 990
Highlights are more of Jean throwing but the Super Skrulls don't mind the Lava. Super Skrull (x) moves in and destroys Prof X early in the game. Skrull Warrios and Super Skrull (X) are to much for the mutants once Prof X is gone and win an easy one.
Team 2 wins with Super Skrull (x) with 3 wounds, Skrull Warriors, (x1) Super Skrull, (FF) and Atom no Wounds.

I didn't note the wounds taken from the Lava Rock in these games, but it was on the fairly low side, the Lava Rock hill saw some action but mostly it was the center Lava Rock Hex, doing the most

First off Dark Design is symetrical, an easy build, has a low build cost ( not many sets used) pretty long about 4 feet though, and is a pretty cool looking map. There are lots of points to make choices at, (which side to move out from from, to keep the height and risk the Lava Rock damage or not, try to set up Knockback into Molten Lava is always fun, the decision to move near Molten Lava and risk the Knockback is good as well). From the front of starting zones Its 14 spaces one way to the center Lava Rock hex walking and 15 the other way. 9 for the flyers. Nice and even map.
There is a rock space 5 spaces from the front of the starting zone around the back of the Lava Rock hill that is nice to land on as a lot of figures have the 5 movement. You could move the 2 hex Lava rock up and the single rock space back so figures would end on the Lava rock space to make it more risky. Going that way isn't that risky except you have a height disadvantage and the risk of KB into the Molten Lava is low until you step up to the 24 Hex Dungeon space, which by the way would be good spots for an optional random glyph. The rock 3 hex and dungeon 3 hex on the 24 hex dungeon space are placed well, lots of good options to move around there and take height, looks better like that as well. The shadow spaces were never used in all my games, the Lava Rock hill was used some but not as much as I would have liked. Its just so far back from the opponent. The most action was on the 24 Hex dungeon space one side or the other and the 7 hex dungeon spot in the middle with the Lava rock on top makes a nice King of the Hill feel.

I would suggest moving a 7 hex Lava Rock off the hill and put it under the 3 hex rock on the 24 hex dungeon space this would make the 3 hex rock equal to the 7 hex dungeon hex in the middle, and make for some more options in the middle where most of the action is at. Looks better like this I think as well. You could then put the 2 hex Lava rock over the exposed grass on the hill, and put the single hex Lava Rock on the corner of the hill, keeping a space between the two. I played a couple games with these modifications after my tests and I found that help enhance the game play, buy giving you more options where most the most of action is at.

Overall I think the Dark Design map is a good map, different from the other Lava maps we have in C3G, Lots of good options and a fun map to play on. I hope it passes.

It took me longer than what I would have liked to make this report but I was waiting on my friend with a camera to come over so I could better illustrate what I meant about moving some of the stuff, but he forgot it at home.

[johnny139]

Originally Posted by Red Eyed Jedi

There is a rock space 5 spaces from the front of the starting zone around the back of the Lava Rock hill that is nice to land on as a lot of figures have the 5 movement. You could move the 2 hex Lava rock up and the single rock space back so figures would end on the Lava rock space to make it more risky.

Alright, this is an interesting point that I could go either way on. Currently, we have it like THIS; the change would make it like THIS. Currently, most figures can bypass the lava and make it right to the rock; I feel like this makes the second route more appealing, but I agree it removes the risk, which would be good. I could go either way honestly. Thoughts?

I would suggest moving a 7 hex Lava Rock off the hill and put it under the 3 hex rock on the 24 hex dungeon space this would make the 3 hex rock equal to the 7 hex dungeon hex in the middle, and make for some more options in the middle where most of the action is at.

So, THIS is what it currently looks like, THIS is the proposed change. I'm not really in favor of it for reasons I can't pinpoint. Maybe because it crowds away a lot of the dungeon, which I, personally, really like. Thoughts?

You could then put the 2 hex Lava rock over the exposed grass on the hill, and put the single hex Lava Rock on the corner of the hill, keeping a space between the two.

Not sure what you mean by this, though. What exposed grass?

Originally Posted by quozl

I like swapping out the dungeon 7-hexer for a lava field (or just adding on top of the dungeon).

Oh, and also this, which I don't like as much, 'cause it would remove the risk of the single-hex height and make it aesthetically asymmetrical. Mostly the latter. I'm a stickler.

[quozl]

Originally Posted by johnny139

Oh, and also this, which I don't like as much, 'cause it would remove the risk of the single-hex height and make it aesthetically asymmetrical. Mostly the latter. I'm a stickler.

Huh? How does it remove risk and make it asymmetrical? I'm talking about the 7-hexer in the center, not the single-hex.

[Red Eyed Jedi]

You could then put the 2 hex Lava rock over the exposed grass on the hill, and put the single hex Lava Rock on the corner of the hill, keeping a space between the two.

Not sure what you mean by this, though. What exposed grass?

After you take off a Lava Rock 7 hex off the hill, you are left with a 2 hex Lava Rock, and a 1 hex Lava Rock that was either connected to or on top of the Lava Rock 7 Hex. Under the Lava Rock 1 hex that was connected to the removed 7 hex there is some exposed grass, I suggested putting the 2 hex Lava Rock over it and the 1 hex Lava Rock on the corner of the hill, keeping a space between the two.

I'm glad you we able to decipher my suggestions and was able to illustrate them for me. I need to learn how to add VS pictures, to my posts.

[A3n]

The first change seems, meh. So I can live without it.

The second one seems kind of interesting but I would love to see the whole map with the change to get an idea of how much it will alter the play giving it that extra height there.

[johnny139]

Originally Posted by quozl

Huh? How does it remove risk and make it asymmetrical? I'm talking about the 7-hexer in the center, not the single-hex.

Well, currently, the risk is more based around the single hex; you can gain peak height by being on the lava, or gain inferior height by staying on the dungeon. If it's all lava, than it's a risk to go anywhere up there - so there's no reason NOT to take the peak.

As-is, there are four lava 7-hexers. They're piled two-by-two on the two hills; if I were to take one off, it would mean one side has double lava and the other only had a single lava. It makes no gameplay difference but I personally just find it ugly.

Originally Posted by Red Eyed Jedi

After you take off a Lava Rock 7 hex off the hill, you are left with a 2 hex Lava Rock, and a 1 hex Lava Rock that was either connected to or on top of the Lava Rock 7 Hex. Under the Lava Rock 1 hex that was connected to the removed 7 hex there is some exposed grass, I suggested putting the 2 hex Lava Rock over it and the 1 hex Lava Rock on the corner of the hill, keeping a space between the two.

Oh, you mean chopping off a whole level of height? I assumed you meant removing a 7-hex lava and replacing with with, like, sand or something. Yeah, I'm definitely against that; it would lessen the advantage of staying on the start-zone lava.

And here's the map with that second proposed change.



HERE is a height-wise version. Looks off to me, personally. Might be the weird layering effect, though.

[A3n]

I actually like the look of that. It looks to add another element of careful use of terrain as you are more likely to end a turn near or on those lava fields & with the knockback rules you could be in for a lot of strife.

[Taeblewalker]

The more varied terrain does in fact add something.