Battlefields of Valhalla Discussion Thread

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by Kahrma

Thanks everyone! It's truly an honor to see "Turret Rocks" admitted into the Battlefields of Valhalla. I hope it serves our community well, and look forward to the occasional battle report!

On a side note - With the judging complete I feel more comfortable saying - Congratulations Jexik on your recent appointment to the BoV panel!

Thanks! I still feel that Turret Rocks is a very good map. It is by far the most double-space friendly map that I have ever played. I was a little worried about what I felt were some balance issues, but I found the map very fun in my games on it. I can't say the same for the Q9/rats/Raelin/4th Mass armies that I beat handily on it though. This map alone might do a lot to shake up the accepted tried and true metagame for tournaments. It forces players into the middle, and many of the typical common squad based armies are less potent than they usually are. My 'no' vote came pretty reluctantly.

Now, my review of Embattled Fen by Gamebear

This is an interesting map. It's the first map that I've seen using only one Fortress of the Archkyrie and one Swarm of the Marro. Instead of using the towers and ladders to create unscalable heights, this map makes excellent use of the battlements and wall-walk tiles as roads.

The battlements are strewn about the map, but not haphazardly. They help to slow access to the high points on the map as well as make it more difficult to leave the high points on the map. Krav Maga Agents or other range units who get cornered in one of their little defensive bunkers will not get too far, opening themselves up to a sword in their face, or at the very least giving up their precious height advantage.

Additonally, even with the high bunkers, almost any figure with a height of 4 is able to engage figures leaning over the edge, or able to climb up if figures retreat further. In short, the battlements offer strategic options, but they don't make it impossible for any one kind of figure to gain access.

In my games, almost all of the map saw use, except for the starting zones. Much like Turret Rocks, this map offers no benefit to a turtling player who stays in his starting area, so combat is quick and fierce. The two-hex wide road on the north side of the map will be one hotspot for action, but the southern road will also likely see use as players try to take control of the central watery glyph.

The flat terrain and extensive well-placed road at an equal height to most of the 'sniping spots' make this map favorable to melee units. This is quite an accomplishment for a map that does not have the luxury of the trees from RttFF or the Ruins from Rise of the Valkyrie. Flight, water suit, water-clone, drudge, and phantom walkers, and even the unpopular Dumutef will all get a chance to use their special powers here, without being necessary.

All of these factors combined with the fact that the required sets don't really step on the toes of many of the other existing maps in the BoV, make this map a winner. I give Embattled Fen by Gamebear a YES.

[Revdyer]

It is the curve, not the road itself that gets you, in Road Rampage by Ch1cano/Messenger. There are plenty of maps with a road up the middle, some of them, like Marr Highway, that are excellent and have become classics. In playing Road Rampage, I get that same classic feel. There are no imbalances here, not range vs. melee, not squad vs. hero; not flier vs. walkers. This is a balanced map, a reasonable sized map, a good map, and one which invites the players to think and then think again. The two glyphs are placed exactly where they need to be. The water is a beautiful thing to see. The bridge, with it's grass and road construction (I was afraid it would be unstable, but it was not) is a battle delight. My only (small) wish was there there were some reasonable way to get under that central bridge.

I, personally, liked the quandary about which figures to place on the road hexes.

So, I like this map and applaud it in creation and modification. My vote is yes to accept it for entry in the Battlefields of Valhalla.

[Riggler]

Playtest report for Embattled Fen by GameBear

There's a hair's difference between a Yes and No vote for me on this one. I've reread other judges reviews of this map and it seems several others have had trouble deciding how to vote also.

I think using ladders, ramparts and columns as spice to the dish that is a HS map is dead on. The way the ramparts are used on this map is excellent.

The map presents choices. Go for the road, go for the "old" road, or head for the glyph. Start zones are deep and can be cramped, so the beginning rounds can be a chess match as you and your opponent try to keep from leaving things far in the back of the start zone and away from the action. Take too long at the beginning moving your back units up and you could find a destructive opponent army in your stuff.

This map does punish 4 ht. figures. But since the tournament dominating blastatrons are one of those, I don't feel so bad about it.

The designer suggested a Glyph of Wannock may be used instead of a random glyph. But that's not the way the map was nominated. I would suggest random glyphs are fine. I would suggest glyphs NOT be revealed at the start of the game. I would suggest the glyph pool include a couple of enticing glyphs, a couple of lamer glyphs, and a pit trap. Keep the glyph small to keep the chance of a pit trap higher.

My vote is ... YES.

Welcome to the BOV, Gamebear.

Embattled Fen is IN.

[Revdyer]

Riggler, I think your suggestion for a small, unrevealed, random glyph pool including Pit Trap is excellent. That gets the most out of this map.

GameBear, congratulations!

[ThrasherDarkrai]

YAY! Not only is Turret Rocks in, but one of my favorite maps, Embattled Fen, is in! Congratulations, Gamebear and Kahrma!

[Rÿchean]

Turret Rocks and Embattled Fen have been posted in the display thread. Congratulations to Kahrma and Gamebear.

first page updated

Updated 1/17/2008:

Maps pending acceptance for review:

None

Maps currently being reviewed:

Ayrwode's Bluff by GameBear
YES = 1 (Riggler); NO = 1 (Revdyer); Pending = 4 (Rÿchean, Elstree, Velenne, Jexik)

Foxtrot by Nadi
YES = 0 ; NO = 0 ; Pending = 6 (Rÿchean, Revdyer, Jexik, Riggler, Elstree, Velenne)

Road Rampage by Ch1can0, modified by Messenger
YES = 1 (Revdyer); NO = 0 ; Pending = 5 (Rÿchean, Jexik, Riggler, Elstree, Velenne)

Ice Blossom by STAROCEAN980
YES = 0 ; NO = 0 ; Pending = 6 (Rÿchean, Revdyer, Jexik, Riggler, Elstree, Velenne)

[Jexik]

Congratulations, Kahrma and Gamebear! Both maps are excellent additions to the Battlefields of Valhalla, which now has 11 maps!

I've been fortunate enough to get in a lot of games of Heroscape this week, and I was able to play both Road Rampage by Ch1can0 (mod. by Messenger), and Foxtrot by Nadi quite a bit.

First up: Road Rampage.

I was prepared to vote "no" on this map because I've seen and played enough 1 RttFF-road-down-the-middle maps to last me awhile. I was prepared to vote "no" on this map because I thought the trees and ruins wouldn't effectively block LoS to anything important. I was prepared to vote "no" on this map because I thought that the central road would become too much of a focal point and would completely dominate the game. I was prepared to vote "no" on this map because I was worried that the hills just outside the starting zone would be too effective for a certain soulborg we all love to hate.

But I'm not voting "no" on this map.

The road and bridge down the middle are important, but not always necessary for victory. The entire central plateau is at the same height as the two satellite hills, so all three spots became rather important in different games on it. The bridge construction is creative and sturdy, and the 3-wide lane allows jockeying for position that the typical 'bridge down the middle' does not.

I found that the trees did block LoS effectively for players wishing to assault either the main bridge, or the small satelllite hills. At the very least, I was able to fit one figure at a time behind those trees. The ruins in the starting zones made great places to hide figures you want to protect, like Sonya Esenwein, Kaemon Awa, or that last Grut that you want to use for bonding.

YES to Ch1can0's Road Rampage. It surprised me.

Now, my review of Foxtrot by Nadi.

Another 1 RttFF, 1 RotV map, and this one is by another well-respected mapmaker, Nadi.

There are a number of qualities in this map that I do enjoy. I like how it bucks the trend of 'long' footprints for maps and instead puts the starting zones the other way to decrease the distance required before players start shooting at each other. The pond in the middle with the trees is aesthetically pleasing and serves to help counterbalance the effect of the somewhat close starting zones. The roads were placed on low ground and on the side so that they wouldn't become too important. Unlike some other maps, this map has no glyph locations at all.

Ultimately, this one didn't quite hook me. The roads were almost too unimportant, and scarcely saw any use. The trees didn't serve as well for LoS blockers as they might have, largely because the plateaus along the sides make it easy for a player to strafe around and still keep their height advantage. The lack of glyphs also made it so that a player in a good defensive position (like the 3 hex pod near the starting zone) has no reason to leave.

The games I played on it were all close and pretty fun. It's a good, but not great map. I'm voting no on Foxtrot by Nadi.

[Retlaw]

On some of the BoV maps there are "unknown" glyphs (e.g., highways and dieways), but when I download the map PDF there is no documentation on what these glyphs should be. Sorry, I didn't read through 67 pages in this topic, but is there a list of a "glyph pool" to be used on BoV maps or are we just supposed to use what we want?

I am planning on using several BoV maps for the Indy Game day in March, so would like to be able to tell people before the game day what glyphs will be used on what maps.

Changing subjects only slightly, we did play several games on Highways and Dieways this weekend -- fun map to play. We used a 4 glyph pool of: +1 attack, +1 Defense, +8 initiative, and pit trap. The glyphs were mixed up face down and then each player picked one and placed it face down (with out looking at it) on the map.

[Velenne]

Glyphs are determined by the Tournament Director, or dictated by what kind of tournament you're playing. There's usually a pool of various glyphs and the players put them face down in their designated spots before they start playing. Sometimes you reveal before starting but after deploying, sometimes you leave them face down until a figure steps on them.

[Revdyer]

Velenne is exactly right, Retlaw.

When testing BoV maps, I usually use a glyph pool of:
+1 Attack (or +1 Common and +1 Unique)
+1 Defense
+8 Initiative
Lucky 20 sider
+2 Move

I prefer to reveal the glyph(s) immediately after movement markers have been placed. If you include a Kelda (Healing) this revelation is mandatory. But it can be fun to play them face-down as well.

[Supergeek]

I don't know how many maps you guys are reviewing right now but, I feel like throwing Hasbro a bone and nominate Searing Pass.
It's been a while since I've played on it but, it was at a couple of tournaments.

[Jexik]

Originally Posted by Supergeek

I don't know how many maps you guys are reviewing right now but, I feel like throwing Hasbro a bone and nominate Searing Pass.
It's been a while since I've played on it but, it was at a couple of tournaments.

Sure, Yes to review Searing Pass. It looks similar to Hot Heights, but still good and different enough to give it a try. And I really like Hot Heights.

Here's the download from Hasbro for the other judges' convenience.

http://www.hasbro.com/games/kid-game...ass_Master.pdf

It already has 24-hex starting zones, and we could probably keep the two glyph placements that are present on the wings in the 'Deadly Encounter' scenario. I'd suggest removing Brandar and the scenario-specific rules.