Killometer's maps ~ Vallum (single RotV) updated 3/1/15

[cmgames]

It looks problematic for the likes of Nilfheim with his wide wings (but that's definitely not a bad thing, in my book).

I really like the layout. It looks like it would feel like fighting through a dense forest where you can't see a long way in any direction.

~Z

[Killometer]

Yeah, Nilf's not really a fan of this map-too many one-lane roads.

Reaverjams are always a problem. They were the main reaon that I didn't feel ready to share this map until I added the peripheral shadow tiles to open another route around the high points of the map.

[Typhon2222]

Alright, time to use Stony Pass in our upcoming Legacy Tournament.

Sorry you can't make it, Killo. But here's hoping your map will channel your presence.

[Killometer]

I'm glad I can somehow be represented there, since I can't make it physically.

A slight on my part regarding Stony Pass-when I broke it down last week I realized that I used 4 too many shadow tiles; I think that some of Mika's must have fallen into the mix. When I get a chance to redesign it I'll update the build instructions and image, but for now it will just have to run a little heavy.

Thanks to everyone at Dad_Scaper's Not in Kansas tourney who's posted reports (or is going to post reports) on the maps of mine that made a showing (Rising Pressure and Horseshoe Hill).

[Dad_Scaper]

It was a terrific event, Killometer, and I have comments about your maps in this post where I look at some of the maps that had, going in, special interest.

Check my battle report thread for a more detailed discussion of the abatoir that was Rising Pressure.

I don't know if the bottom needs more help or if it was the matchup. I think better dice might have helped but I don't think the dice would have made a huge difference. Certainly the bottom of Rising Pressure does not get nearly the love that the bottom of Halfway Up the Downs gets.

[Typhon2222]

Man Killo, did your STONY PASS get polarized reactions at today's Legacy Tournament. People seem to have loved or hated this one, depending on the army they were playing. Guess that was to be expected, which is EXACTLY why I wanted to include it in the tourney. It's a radical map. As you so cunningly devised, trying to get LoS on this thing is fiendishly difficult; and the numerous choke-points make for some interesting decisions. Not a few bottle-necks, which I think is generally a bad thing, but a huge number of them, which I loved. But man alive, it's murder on swarm armies. Goblins, Zombies, and Spiders might as well give up from the first order marker.

If I have one reservation about it, it's that it's not particularly friendly to double-hex figures. But other than that, I think it's an inspired map.

[Serenity]

I posted my thoughts on this in the tournament folder. This map hated my goblins (couldn't get 3 adjacent for the entire game), Krug (couldn't reach archers on height, but they could stand there and shoot at me).

Looking at this picture, I am wondering if the shadow hexes on the side were there at the tournament? I didn't notice them as I was trying to get by on the side road and was forced to stop or take a disengage swipe. I could have just missed them, things were going very badly for me at the time.

[Typhon2222]

Originally Posted by Serenity

Looking at this picture, I am wondering if the shadow hexes on the side were there at the tournament? I didn't notice them as I was trying to get by on the side road and was forced to stop or take a disengage swipe. I could have just missed them, things were going very badly for me at the time.

They were there, Serenity. I just went over and confirmed (haven't yet broken it down). But like you, in the heat of battle I must have missed them, because I have no recollection of ever taking them into account. Weird.

[Serenity]

Thanks, Typhon. I too must have blocked them out somehow.

Maybe those shadow hexes should be moved to the same height as the road next to them? You're already going to be slowing down a lot by not taking the road, I don't think there needs to be climbing involved to get back up to the road as well.

[Killometer]

Thanks for the feedback guys (even the mean stuff ).

Stony Pass was a very challenging map to design, due to my self-imposed restriction of limiting the main battlefield to road tiles. I used the LoS blockers to try to boost the size of the playing area, but their heavy concentration does have the unfortunate side-effect of creating choke points. I tried to address that by using them intentionally to create lots of choke points, to try and make sure their were alternate routes available if (when) part of the map got locked down. Like I said in the Legacy thread, the absense of glyphs was an intentional decision-the map started with them, but they clogged it even more, and, besides, everyone's already getting +3 move.

When I get an opportunity to revisit this map I'll try to address the issues people experienced with double-hex units, and I'll see if I can raise the shadow tiles to improve movement along the periphery of the map (plus I'll fix the number of shadow tiles used). Unfortunately I think that swarm armies will never fare well on this map, due to its very nature.

[Serenity]

I actually like the idea of lots of choke points. I just think it moves the map more into the realm of casual map vs. tournament map. Thanks for listening to my ideas.

[Typhon2222]

Originally Posted by Killometer

Unfortunately I think that swarm armies will never fare well on this map, due to its very nature.

As long as Serenity continues to bring swarm armies and I don't, I LOVE this map.