Flip 'em first

In the discussions in the online Heroscape tournament, I've realized that there are a bunch of different interpretations floating around about when we are supposed to reveal random power glyphs. Obviously, this is something that gets handled differently in different places. I have a strong preference for how to handle it, but rather than launch into a long diatribe there, I'd like to explain it in a blog entry.

Let's start by listing the options for how to handle the placement of random power glyphs on a map:

1. 1. Power glyphs are placed power-side up before sides are picked or armies are set up.
   2. Power glyphs are revealed after sides are picked but before armies are set up.
2. Power glyphs are revealed after armies are set up but before the game is played.
3. Power glyphs are left symbol-side up and only revealed when a figure lands on them. (This assumes that Kelda is not in the random glyph pool; otherwise it breaks the rules, since only a wounded hero can land on Kelda.)

(1a) is the way every Colorado event is run, and I know many other events are run this way. In fact, we usually decide all the glyphs ahead of time for each map, and just leave them face-up and fixed in place all day long.

I've never heard of an event using (1b), but I include it here for completeness. On a reasonably symmetrical map, this is the same as (1a). Given that most maps are pretty symmetrical, this ends up not really being so different. I'm just going to refer to "1" in the aggregate from here on out.

(2) is how events are run at Gencon as well as in Texas, and I assume many other places.

(3) is used as well... I know from battle reports that it is used at Tree Town Open, and I assume that some other midwest tournaments follow their lead.

Before I get into my preferences (although the blog title is a spoiler), I'd like to note that most good map designs that include random glyphs balance the access to both random glyphs from both sides fairly well. Of course, it's not perfect, and depending on the army matchup and the glyphs I would probably prefer to have a certain glyph on my left or my right. But most maps these days try to make it so that both sides have nearly equal access to both glyphs and a nearly equal ability to attack the glyph-holder.

Anyway, my contention is that option 1 is better than option 2, and option 2 is much better than option 3.

Basically, this comes down to reducing the impact of random, uncontrollable elements in the game. Heroscape is inherently a game of chance, and there will always be some games that come down to a roll of the dice that you don't have control over. However, the more the game is about player skill, the more interesting it is to me. I don't see the point in making things any more random than they have to be, and that's what delaying the glyph flip does.

Whether the glyphs are power-side up or not, they are what they are. If what the glyphs are and where they are is going to be beneficial to one army over the other, then hiding them doesn't change that. If a dud glyph is concealed, all this does is potentially cause a player to extend their army in the wrong direction, thus creating an extra disadvantage for that player that was caused by a random factor.

The same is true, albeit to a lesser extent, if you wait until after setting up the armies to reveal glyphs. Take the common case of a map with two random glyphs, one on each side. An army is often oriented primarily towards one glyph or another in setup. If one army in a matchup is oriented towards a valuable glyph, while the other is oriented towards one that won't be heavily contested, that first army will have an unearned, random structural advantage.

Contrast that to what happens if the glyphs are flipped before armies are placed. In that case, both players know in advance which parts of the map will be most important, and both of them can plan their army setup accordingly. Since most maps give both players a fair shake at both glyphs, this will result in a situation where the random distribution of the two glyphs will have had as little of an impact on the game as is possible.

Now, if the glyphs are flipped before armies are placed, then there will be cases where a player will prefer one side to another. Although maps try to be balanced, some armies will have an easier time contesting a certain glyph from one side or the other. As I explained above, concealing which side is better for each army until after armies are placed doesn't "solve" this problem. Hiding the glyphs won't make it more fair - it just makes it more random.

But there will be times when the players decide to dice off for sides. That's fine. One mitigating factor you can use to offset the luck of that die, though, is to force the player who wins choice of side to place their army first. After all, placing your army second is a small advantage in itself. So, the winner of the roll off picks a side and places their army, and the loser of the roll places their army second, in the other startzone.