Forgotten Forest Road by
@
JaesShurrig
Maps that feature big highways running through them are a Heroscape classic, and this map looks to use that feature to create a unique and fun map. The highway goes to one side of the map, rather than through the middle, to help balance the quick movement it will give to a lot of figures. It also has a glyph to help draw attention to its lower areas, while the defense glyph on the other side of the map looks to even out the attention and draw figures to all parts of the map.
Forgotten Forest Road is noticeably narrow, and narrow maps tend to struggle in the competitive arena. One reason for this struggle is a lack of strategic options, as there are only so many paths for figures to take and games tend to play out the same way. FFR tries to combat this with the highway allowing for a fast play across the map while the defense glyph offers a slower route, but still rewarding, route. The problem with the defense glyph, though, is that it's possibly too rewarding. The boost it gives to a large army is huge, and I always found action deviating that way. Taking the road could help get to an opponent, but if that opponent already had Gerda and figures were stringing themselves across the road, it was so much the better for the army going defensive.
Another problem narrow maps face is the power of Raelin, and Forgotten Forest Road is, unfortunately, no different, as Raelin can cover huge swaths of the map easily, including the defense glyph and pathways around it. This, coupled with the third problem of narrow maps -- grindy games when large armies are involved where figures just get stuck in the middle and roll dice -- really put the nail in the coffin for me. Armies with strong front line squads backed by Raelin (Rats, Knights, 'Trons, Heavy Gruts, etc.) dominated this map, and those armies with range podges behind them (Rats Raelin Range, 'Trons) were especially dominating.
Forgotten Forest Road makes a good attempt at this style of map, and I did enjoy the impact that the highway had in theory. I do think it could work out with some strong revision, but as-is it suffers from linear gameplay, encourages Raelin, and strengthens turtles too much for my taste, rather than encouraging a variety of strategies and armies.
I vote
to induce Forgotten Forest Road.