Ways to build maps using the castle?

[Hogg]

I'm trying to get new ideas of how to use the castle to build a map.

So far I've come up with two variations. I call one "castle in corner" and the other "castle in the middle."

"Castle in the corner" (CITC) is like the map provided with the castle set, of course you could make any variation you want but the castle would always be against the border of the map. The play type would be a siege/defend scenario. I've thought about starting both armies outside and racing to the fortifications.

"Castle in the middle" (CITM) usually requires more than one castle set. I have built several versions of this and it seems more versitile. Basically there is a courtyard area in the center of the map with castle walls on both sides with doors and usually a ladder over the wall or some other way of entering to prevent bottlenecking in the doors. The armies start outside on opposite sides of the map. The battle usually takes place in the center of the map in the courtyard area, as that's where the armies meet.

Sometimes it's more one sided though, like if you rush a unit 3/4 of the way across the board at the start of the game and shut the door on your opponents figures. I've also done a "Great wall of China" version where I build two long walls similar to a variant shown on the castle box with only a few spaces between them and tiles on top connecting them in several places, ladders in and out on both sides and door catty-corner from each other to create a hallway of sorts.

One of the other ideas I've come up with is scattering small pieces of castle here and there on the map, but they're so tall as to be prohibitive to climb on for height advantage.

I suppose you could do a "Castle on Each Side" map where they're basically the starting zones but I don't forsee the castles being a part of the action with this set-up.

You could maybe use the glyphs as transporter tiles to get in or out of the castle. Maybe even a one-way transporter tile?

How are you guys incorporating castles int your maps? Any other ideas or scenarios would be appreciated.

[Hogg]

Wow. Just saw this link
http://heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=5370
Again, Wow.

[Billtog]

For "Castle in the Middle," I wouldn't suggest using an actual castle, but just using the castle pieces to create a cool battlefield. Of course, this won't look very natural, but it will be a lot more fun to play.

[naps420]

Originally Posted by Hogg

Wow. Just saw this link
http://heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?t=5370
Again, Wow.

Thanks, I was actually going to post some of the ways I've used castles but got caught up playing some heroscape. We tend to almost always use the castle pieces one way or another. The link Hogg posted is to my map thread.

The first map is one of my favorates (Which I am trying to recreate on VirtualScape as we speak). I only used the 4 end pieces for 2 side-by-side towers on the one roadway. The rest I used to make the middle island, where I played battlements along the edge and we played it out as it was a ruined castle that once stood there long ago. Placed a bridge linking the "ruined castle" to the roadway along the side. It was a blast to play, wish we actually played more games on it.

My roomy absolutely LOVES using the castle walls to build large "mountain" like maps. He will usually use 2 24-hex pices to form a rectangle and use the walls as the supporting pillers for them. He'll then usually add a few towers around his maps. He usually uses the same formula for all his maps.

I tend to do the same at times, but I usually like to build 2 small keeps, I really feel like adding a second castle set to my collection cause I feel like I could do so much more with another one. Rarely will I build two castles for starting zones, but I've used it before.

I have been tinkering with the idea of using the castle pieces to make a royal waterfall. Make it look like a man-made waterfall....even had a few ideas of making a damn with the walls.

[auralerogeny]

Hey Hogg, also check out my map thread, (click the pictures in my sig). I've used the castle sets more as a "castle battleground" rather than a fortress a lot of the time, and I also have a couple maps that I've used the "Crumbled Castle" idea. You should check it out.