Dr.Goomonkey's Battlefields of Valor

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Hello all, I'm making a map thread. Really I've never kept track of any of the maps I have built, and I've probably built 200 or so maps, maybe more.

So, I'm gonna start documenting them, the nicer ones at least. I'll also get virtualscape files up for some at some point (I swear). Right now I just have one built, but it's a beauty.

Here are a few maps I put together for the ARV Landmarks contest.

Quilato Pass


I've played it with Defense +1 in the center, which feels very powerful on this map (I suppose it feels powerful on most maps). Range can pod up somewhat easily on the 7 hexers near the center.

This one probably won't be submitted, but it is a fun map to play on. I was trying to see about making a swampy mountain, but at the time I made it the rules hadn't changed so you could only use RotV in one set, and making a mountainous map without that would just be too hard (and I really wanted to use RotV for the Kyrien map).

Kyrien Plateau


Glyphs are seven spaces flying from each start zone and 10/11 spaces walking. I don't love that 6 space figures can reach the glyphs on move 2 and 5 move have to take 3 move. I'm also considering taking off the highest single spaces.

Background:

Spoiler Alert!

From Compendium: Jagged peaks where the battle-hardened Minions of Utgar dwell.

Desperate for time, Sergeant Drake and his men cut through the treacherous Kyrien Mountains in order to reach Utgar's stronghold in the heart of Bleakwoode by the time the assault begun. Hopefully that would be the last battle in this seemingly endless war; however, with the Minions of Utgar hot on their tail, they knew they would have to find a flat enough patch of ground to engage the Kyrie, else they would face certain death among Kyrien's jagged peaks. Just as they found a small plateau to brace for the combat that was to come, Sergeant Drake's scouts informed him that Taelord had been spotted among their hunters. Marshaling his courage, Alexander prepared for the worst and gave a final speech of encouragement to his men. This would be the last battle for him or Taelord, and who survived could determine the fate of all of Valhalla.

Tealeron Ten Years After


The top glyph is 10 move away from both start zones, 8 move flying. The bottom one is 7 move from both start zones, 6 flying. This map hasn't been played, but it is my favorite of the bunch.

Background:

Spoiler Alert!

From Compendium: Peaceful village that was the hometown of Thormun. Thormun’s brother, his brother’s wife and kids lived there until it was reduced to a burning heap by Utgar’s armies. Thormun recalls his brother’s stonework house with a garden and a large tree growing right in front on which the kyrie children would play.

After being forgotten for nearly a decade, rumors of a great source of power in Tealeron have reached the Allied Generals. The sources for this information are uncertain, but at this stage of the war an opportunity like this is nigh impossible to pass on. Valkrill has been wreaking havoc throughout Valhalla, while Utgar's strength has continued to grow. There hasn't been a truly successful campaign by the Allies in over a year, and morale has never been lower.

Arriving at the ruined city did little to raise their spirits, and seeing Thormun's brother's garden overgrown and overflowing with filth only worsened the pessimism that had permeated the army during their march. If this mission did not turn out successful, it would be unlikely that the mismatched army could hold together much longer. Just when it seemed that there was no power source and hope might be lost, the band of soldiers searching Tealeron were ambushed by Utgar's wretched forces. While the army could soon dissolve into deserters, none could desert now. When the choices are either to die together or die alone, soldiers always die together.

Rebel Bridge

Spoiler Alert!

Valkrill's Wellspring

Spoiler Alert!

Frozen Sea Wall

Spoiler Alert!

Wasted Swampland
Link to file

Spoiler Alert!

Slippery Spring
Link to file

Spoiler Alert!

...except for this bit, which cases it to use too much water (when if I make a VirtualScape file I'll make it "legitimate").

[Sir Heroscape]

Cool! I like the Star Wars terrain!

Don't forget to add your map submission to the Wilds of Valhalla contest here.

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Well, I've made a few maps since last I posted one, but they probably weren't worth posting, and now there is no record of them except some memories. Here are a couple that (I think) are worth posting. Generally I'm not one to make symmetrical maps, but here're two.

Valkrill's Wellspring

Spoiler Alert!

Where are the start zones, you ask? I was thinking the lower corners, off of the lava but including the raised dungeon 7-hexes. 24 spaces outline themselves somewhat naturally, I think.

Frozen Sea Wall

Spoiler Alert!

Where are th- actually, I think you can figure this one out. Also, I'm sure glyphs could be thrown on. On the ice 2 out from the edge of the wall is probably where I would (follow the right wall out two and then come down one, I think you figured this out, too). Ooh, or maybe on the ice in the doorway, making that little area even more bunchy.

[TheEpicAlpaca]

Nice maps @Dr.Goomonkey

The first one looks really amazing, the start zones at the bottom corners are interesting to see a unique gameplay turn out with the rush towards the glyphs.

Nice work thanks for posting

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Thanks! That's what I had in mind while making it, you could also start on the sand 7-hex instead of the dungeon, but you might move the glyphs.

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Here's a couple of maps I have set up. The first one is my submission for the Uncharted Wellsprings Contest (and you can vote for it here ).

Wasted Swampland
Link to file




If you are allowed to use two of the same glyph, this one also follows the ARV guidelines...

Slippery Spring
Link to file




...except for this bit, which cases it to use too much water (when if I make a VirtualScape file I'll make it "legitimate").

[TREX]

Wasted Swampland won one of my personal votes. Great looking map. I can't wait to get some play time on it. Thanks again for entering the contest.

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Well, Wasted Swampland is still set up in my house, and it turns out to be a decent map. If you've seen the online file I made for it, I switched out the level 1 swamp water tiles with a couple of the water tiles around the glyph, making them accessible to non-flying figures. Unfortunately the lava field and whatnot on the sides of the maps don't see very much action.

Slippery Spring is almost impossible for melee to beat range... That's all I have to say.

...and here are a couple of maps I've built more recently. Both are designed to be multiplayer maps. When I started this thread I said I didn't build that many symmetrical maps, but now I can't stop...

Three-Way Bridge-Way




The start zones are the two rows on the side that the second picture is from, not counting the road. The Glyph of Brandar places the bridge on any of the lakes. Both three- and two-player games seem to work out pretty well on this map. The bridge I made out of popsicle sticks, a while ago. The little posts are from a Megablox set I cannibalized for terrain.

QuaTrauma in the Tundra






This one actually hasn't seen any action yet, but I'm pretty proud of it already. The glyphs are pretty much just thrown on, but they are placed evenly, I think.

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Hey folks, the last couple of days have seen me make a couple of maps. And now you get to see them!

Shady Splits




Herbert's Castle





One question I have for the community: what are your recommendations for castle siege scenarios? I've heard of people setting up two on one battles, which the map is somewhat set up for, but I still wonder about the points. Would each sieging army be half of the points of the castle army? That still seems like the castle would win. What if I take off the doors? Would 600 in the castle and two 400 point armies sieging be fair? Thanks in advance!

[rednax]

Castle scenarios are always difficult to coordinate. It depends on a number of factors. First of all, are you playing a traditional "kill your opponent(s)" game or are you playing capture the flag? I've also played scenarios where the person protecting the castle has to start everyone on the ground and then climb up to get into position. That seems to offer a bit of strategy to that player so it's not just sit up there and shoot. Another alternative I like is putting a bunch of glyphs outside the castle, so the castle player is encouraged to leave the castle at points.

Overall, I'm not the biggest fan of the door. I find that in most cases, it is so hard to kill that it's always better to use fliers instead. If I'm playing a castle siege scenario and there's a door involved, I'll be drafting almost all fliers since that's the only chance you have of winning.

One idea I've had that I've yet to test is trying a castle siege scenario without the door, but using a glyph of Rannveig relatively accessible to the castle player. That way, it's not as simple as just draft a bunch of dragons and call it a day. With this scenario, walking figures have a chance, which I think makes for more a interesting game than just fly over the wall.

[Dr.Goomonkey]

Thanks! Those are all good ideas. Rannveig is a super neat idea, without the doors. The door definitely is an annoying feature, the only map I've ever liked having the door was my Frozen Sea Wall, but that's not really a castle map at all.

[rednax]

Let me know how it goes! I'm interested to hear about what you chose and how it worked.