Heroscapers - The Scroll of Valledonn Fortress

COMPETITIVE MAP
By antmarchingroves

http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/257...jxh8d68zzg.jpg
Download, (Online Game)
Required sets:RotV, FotA, TT

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Map Bio -

What was once a mighty stronghold, now overrun by a merciless force. Valledonn Fortress has remained desolate and empty for more than a century. Many spirits still roam the quiet, abandoned halls of the now broken down fortress. Outsiders will ever be drawn to this place, in search of the Imperial Staff of Valledonn once wielded by the Great Valledonn Wizard. Many armies inhabit regions of the southernmost part of the Tahelenk Tundra, keeping a close eye on the deserted fortress for fear of someone entering its open door and finding that coveted staff!

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Reviews-
•Sir Heroscape
The original version I gave an :up: and here was my review...

Quote:

I do agree there are a couple choke points, but I'm not seeing them as overly imbalanced. I like how there are multiple ways to route an opponent by running around walls or ice and the road makes lateral movement very easy. I kinda wish there were a little more height spattered throughout, as it seems a little flat, but there's enough that those positions become very heavily contested and really draw in the conflict. I think development out of the startzone was smooth and natural and I think there are good angles that can be used to hide behind castle to leap on range figures trying to camp. I don't see any major issues with it at the moment, and I think it's worthy of a spot in our selection. It was a fun map to play on.

Valledonn 2.0 does a great job of improving upon the last version and making this map even more fun and exciting to play. I was happy with it before, and after playing on this version, I'm even more happy with the way it plays. The whole map gets used and I love the different routes you can take to get at an opponent. I happily vote :up:

•Biggabullfrog
My concerns with the original version of Valledon Fortress had to do with the yours/mine height in the snow area of the map, and the chokepoints surrounding it. The area was the strongest part of the map and the focus of every battle.

This new version is much more open in the right spots, while still retaining the excellent Line of Sight blocking available to it with the castle pillars. It still has zones for armies to fight over, but they work together much more now as they feed into each other. Figures are also able to move around the map more easily, and the pathing of the map as a whole flows really well. Each game I played on it had a lot of back and forth as figures used the whole map to their advantage, and it made for great gameplay.

All the while, Valledon Fortress 2.0 keeps all the strengths it had. Great aesthetics and theme, and great use of terrain and height. The glyph location are still strong, and the preset glyph choice makes the battle over them even more interesting -- they're well-chosen and impact the battle without dominating it.

I will nitpick the start zones, because they're not super intuitive and don't have a visual cue to know where they are. Happily, that is just that: a nitpick.

I vote :up: to accept Valledon Fortress.

•Nomad

Quote:

I like the concept, I like the look, it is unique, the map played well, and my initial concerns were overcome. I do believe that the map could be improved with a few tweaks, perhaps making this map very, very good, but not enough to sway my opinion. As is, the map is well-done and could be included in tournament settings.

I voted a thumbs up for this map then, and I vote :up: again as tournament worthy, but with a higher recommendation. After building the revised Valledon Fortress and giving it a few tests (the battles were entertaining and balanced), my areas of concern with the first rendition were more than addressed – getting out of the start zone is easier and the narrow path between the wall and glacier is two hexes wide now. The other changes that were made have improved the map a great deal as well. The two powerful glyphs on the map are balanced and side to side pathing is quick on the road. There are still plenty of LoS blockers and the addition of height around the castle arch has created a new area of contention. Again, I really like the uniqueness and creative design of this map. Well done Antmarchingoves!