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

[Typhon2222]

Originally Posted by Killometer

....if Groks and Templars ever shift to the front of the metagame it might need a revisit, but in the meantime it just adds a little flavor.

Hey baby, Groks and Templars will dominate at the upcoming Legacy Tournament in April.

[Killometer]

We'll see.

[1Mmirg]

I've printed it up. Once we get past our (late) NHSD, I'll be putting this one together. Thanks for working on it, Killo.

[Killometer]

And thank you for giving me the push to correct that weakness, 1Mmirg (I had a brief moment of doubt about the original glyph locations, but I ended up pushing it down-it's helpful to hear stuff from an outside party). I'm looking forward to hearing anything else you have to say about it.

[Killometer]

I realized that recently I've been building a lot of maps that require VW, TJ and other expensive, rare sets, so I decided to try to design something that is made with more readily available sets, and came up with Barren Marsh. I derived some inspiration from Panopticon's Dragon Spine, on which I played a particularly exciting final match against Typhon2222 at VWI this summer.





It requires 1 SotM, 1 BftU and 1 FotA, and supports 2 random power glyphs and 2 random treasure glyphs.

The build instructions include a Salt Spray trap:

As you reach for the treasure an errant missle stikes the water next to you sending a brackish spray into your eyes, temporarily blinding you.
The figure may not attack this turn, and may only attack adjacent figures for the rest of this round.

This trap encourages sending melee heroes after unrevealed treasure glyphs, since they aren't affected by the secondary effect of the trap.

I'll be passing this map Robber's way, to his Maps for Noobs collection, after it has a chance to get some feedback.

[Typhon2222]

I've just spent some time looking over Barren Marsh. Gorgeous thing, Killo. Very ingenious in its covering up of sand and rock.

You know you're going to get the question, so may as well be me.... why the asymmetry? The spread of the single-hex outcrops is interesting (though my rigid side desperately wants them to be clumped into a cluster to match their pendent big outcrop). But add that double-hex of dungeon on level 5, on one side only, and I start to worry.

I so want to take that single hex of dungeon on level 4, the one adjacent to the seven-hexer, and swap it out for the single-hex rock on level 3, so those two are symmetrical. And then use your other unused seven-hex dungeon for level 4, so they match. And stick all 3 outcrops in a clump. Must...resist....urge....

[Killometer]

I prefer the slight visual and tactical variety that minor asymetry like this affords. Barren Marsh would be incredibly easy to symetry-ize, if one were so inclined, but that's just not how I roll.

Regarding the double-hexer you're worried about, it is basically equidistant from each SZ, and the single outcrop doesn't provide a whole lot of cover to units that have made it there. I put it there to help balance the superior cover offered by the 3-hex outcrop on the far side of the other hill. Finally, for anyone concerned about dragon perches, with the release of Moltenclaw any 1-hex hill can now become a dragon perch, so I've become less worried about 2-hex high points.

[Typhon2222]

Have you gotten any games in on Barren Marsh, Killo? How's it turning out?

We'll have to make sure it features at the April tourney.

[Killometer]

I don't post any maps until I've playtested them a lot (1-2 months, usually). So yeah, I like it.

[Killometer]

From Typhon2222's 1x BftU Challenge

Subterranean Oasis




Requires 1 BftU and supports 1 fixed glyph.

Design notes, for anyone interested:

• I sacrificed elevation variety for broad paths across the map to improve mobility.
• Slightly non-traditional Start Zones easily recognized as all level 1 sand/rock (plus 1 fairly intuitive dungeon space).
• The Glyph of Wannok is 7 walking spaces away from the primary Start Zones (for single-hex, non-Slither units), and it's nearer proximity to the satellite Start Zone spaces is nullified by the fact that it doesn't affect anything until Turn 3.
• The Hive only fits in 1 spot in the Start Zone, but from that spot it can activate a Marro on any space.

[Killometer]

I've updated the trap for Mauna Killa to make it a little more tactically interesting, and I'd like to see if it makes sense to anyone besides me, and/or is too complicated:

Hotfoot

As you reach for the sparkling item the thin shell of cooled lava underfoot cracks, releasing a blast of super-heated air, burning you and forcing you to spring away.

All figures vulnerable to lava damage that are standing on lava must either roll for lava damage or move to an adjacent empty non-lava space. All normal rules apply to figures that move, and any figure not able to move completely off lava is subject to this trap's lava damage roll. If more than 1 player has figures on lava they rotate resolving 1 figure they control of their choosing at a time, starting with the player that triggered the trap and moving to the left.

I made sure to include resolution for any conflict about the order of operations. Hopefully that helps.

Pic of Mauna Killa, just for fun:

[Shedim Kabal]

Hotfoot is funny and thematic, but does it cross the line from being tactical to just difficult? Hard for me to say. It takes a couple reads to really understand the text, but you get the gist easily enough.