Rÿchean's Map Making Challenge: Win a NIB Jungle!!!

[Robber]

Ironclad Keep




(Please click on the picture above- it shows it in much better detail. Thank you).

I am submitting Ironclad Keep to Rÿchean’s Map contest. (Duh). I wanted this map to spit in the face of most of the reinforced map-making guidelines, while still being playable to the point of tournament-worthiness. First, it features road on height. This was the main focus on the map. I wanted highly-contested height points that were made of road.

To keep the map tournament-worthy, I focused my ruins as LOS blockers around the 2 points of height. The easiest to get to, on the left in the first picture, has less advantages from range. It is covered more by the large ruin. The one to the right is not as easy to get to, but can see out into the center of the map. It can’t see any major points, other than the second Lv. 4 space. But it does have a nice advantage over the road approaching it, so I added a wound glyph near the move +2 glyph to

-Draw more figures to the lower areas, spreading out the battle
-Keep figures (for the most part) from camping in the “keep.”

This worked in playtesting. Other small problems included rats, who were slightly annoying to face. However, the roads and the general lack of a lot of hills let melee engage any pods before a large screen could be 100% set up. I was happy with the results of the range pod/rats battle vs Melee, with about ¾ of the screening army destroyed before the melee fell. That’s about average when I compared it with BoV maps.

The rats did find one weakness in the map- the keep. It still is easy to block off, but I spaced the ruins out 1 more space in the final draft (shown on the PDF and in the picture) so that figures can get in more easily.
The asymmetry was hard to work with, and playtesting made this my most-tested map yet. But I really have gotten a kick out of this map, with lightning-fast gameplay and a rush for glyphs and height. And if you’re still around after reading this, I have some pictures.

Spoiler Alert!

The Glyphs- 1 Defense and 1 Wound. The defense alone draws enough figures to this area, and there wasn't an increase with the wound glyph. The wound glyph basically discourages podding, etc.

Spoiler Alert!

And the top view. I like this one the most, but I chose the other one to represent the map because it shows height and aesthetics nicely.

My second map is bland, so I decided not to enter it. Basically, it is a rectangular, symmetrical map with a road stretched out between a hill and a sandy glyph-infested section. Games were spread out and dull during playtesting. So I didn't like it as much as the fast-paced Ironclad Keep map, which featured neat choices for moves and a lot of different challenges in gameplay and in map design. Soon I'll submit this to Twamp-lite and put it in my map thread.

[nyys]

Blockage Download PDF
Requires RotV x1, FotA x1

Glyphs: Two random Normal Glyphs.

[Robber]

Very neat footprint. We're seeing a lot of innovative maps here, and I hope everyone who made a map for the contest makes their own thread and continues to do this.

But yeah, I'd offer a couple of figures/packs and host a map contest if I got this response... what- 43 maps? Jeez!

Spoiler Alert!

Not to be a nit-picker, but there are a few choke points around the edges...

[Parduz]

Originally Posted by Robber

We're seeing a lot of innovative maps here

I agree. Talking about myself, working with a so "tiny" set of piece forced me to doublethink on the feature i wanted to be prominent in my map and working hard to optimize what i have.
My feeling is that is valid also for the other submission, so i think that the quality/size ratio is very high on this maps.
I'd like a lot a contest using (as example) only one Marro set and a castle and/or a forest. They're common sets and i think there a lack of "cheap" maps using the Marro MS.

Originally Posted by Robber

But yeah, I'd offer a couple of figures/packs and host a map contest if I got this response...

Given my hungry of figures, you can count on me

[cmgames]

I know it doesn't exactly meet the requirements (needs extra tiles), but I thought I'd throw this out here for the giggles.

Highways & Dieways - FotA Edition



This requires 30 extra Wall Walk (or Road) hexes so technically (in sets), it requires 1 RotV and 3 FotA.*

~Z

* Or 1 RotV, 1 FotA, & 1 RttFF.

[Robber]

Originally Posted by Parduz

I agree. Talking about myself, working with a so "tiny" set of piece forced me to doublethink on the feature i wanted to be prominent in my map and working hard to optimize what i have.
My feeling is that is valid also for the other submission, so i think that the quality/size ratio is very high on this maps.
I'd like a lot a contest using (as example) only one Marro set and a castle and/or a forest. They're common sets and i think there a lack of "cheap" maps using the Marro MS.

That's exactly what I was working on with the Maps for Noobs project. Anyway, I'm hoping to get to do BftU x2 + expansion next year. Maps with those requirements are pretty popular at the moment, and they are awesome aesthetically.

Given my hungry of figures, you can count on me

I can ask Auggest to supply. Dignan also might be able to supply his x9 heavy gruts, seeing as he didn't give them to Devil's Advocate

[Bengi]

Here's mine. Sorry for the last minute entry.




Sidewalk Scuffle

[dok]

Originally Posted by Parduz

I'd like a lot a contest using (as example) only one Marro set and a castle and/or a forest. They're common sets and i think there a lack of "cheap" maps using the Marro MS.

If the goal is to make accessible maps for newbies, then there are four terrain set options: SotM, D&D, Marvel, and FotA. A contest allowing only the use of those terrain sets would be interesting.

[Dad_Scaper]

Fezzik: Inigo?
Inigo Montoya: What?
Fezzik: I hope we win.

[Taeblewalker]

Lonesome Keep!

All glyphs are treasure glyphs. The trap is 1 wound.

[Rÿchean]

I meant to post this last night:

Deadline for submissions has past. Please, no further edits to your entries.

Thanks everyone. I will have the voting threads up very soon.

[Rÿchean]

Double post - Ok I am counting 49 48 entries; thank you all so much.

I am going to set up 6 groupings for Round 1 voting. First round groupings will have 8 maps each. The top 3 maps from each group will advance to Round 2.

Round 2 will be 2 Groupings of 9 maps each. Top 3 maps from each round 2 grouping will advance to the Final Round.