Battlefields of Valhalla Discussion Thread

[marroking1]

I would like to nominate one of new favorite maps
Hellsgate


I have played about twenty games on it so far and it has not let me down. Range is not over powerful. Melee stands a good chance against range. It looks awesome. What more could you want in a map.

[NecroBlade]

Originally Posted by marroking1

Range is over powerful. Melee stands a good chance against range. It looks awesome. What more could you want in a map.

Range is not over powerful, maybe?

[marroking1]

Originally Posted by NecroBlade

Range is not over powerful, maybe?

Sorry about that. I get so excited about posting that, that I forgot to put that in.

[Dignan]

Maps pending acceptance for review:

Hellsgate by mad_wookie

I figured we'd see this one nominated pretty soon. I think it looks pretty solid. YES to review.

[1Mmirg]

Hellsgate is interesting. I worry a bit about Raelin and about just how well melee will be able to do. But I'm game to try this map and see how it plays out.

YES to review Hellsgate.

[1Mmirg]

Bad Moon Rising by Gamebear is one that I’ve been eyeing ever since I first saw it. If it hadn’t been nominated by someone else, I would have myself. I have thoroughly enjoyed every game I’ve played on this map.

Like nyys, I don’t have any major issues with this map. It is a bit flat, but the shadow and battlements and stalagmites and road give it plenty of choices and options and the flatness actually helps it to play nicely for a wide range of units. Even for its flatness, the Airborne and others are able to do plenty of damage and the entire board really does tend to see play in most games.

One drawback I'll point out is the use of the castle base pieces as filler pieces at the bottom level—not that they are an issue in concept (I actually like the idea quite a bit), but for players like me, putting on tourneys and constantly moving maps around, those pieces are a pain. Since I rarely have time to make all the maps the morning of an event, I spend a fair amount of time sliding maps from a piece of reinforced cardboard to a table top (or in reverse). And, sadly, those little pieces don’t slide/transfer so well. They tend to slip out of place during transfer and it can get ugly.

Oh well, that’s a sad side effect of a great idea that, like many of Gamebear’s ideas, tend to use pieces in novel ways—and it is nothing I can take out on the map itself. I just have to remember that Bad Moon is better off being one of the maps I make at the event, rather than transferring there. (Or I may have to choose to build and play it while it’s still on its cardboard transfer piece.)

But back to the map itself (and its use in most gaming settings): I find Bad Moon Rising a fair, elegant, very attractive map that tends to support solid and thoughtful play. At every event I've seen it at, players have drifted toward it: I’ve never seen it ever be the idle map that no one is using and I think there is good reason for that. This is a solid map that I am happy to see moving toward induction into the Battlefields of Valhalla.

I vote YES to induct Bad Moon Rising into the BoV.

[dok]

Originally Posted by 1Mmirg

Hellsgate is interesting. I worry a bit about Raelin and about just how well melee will be able to do.

I don't think it's too friendly to Raelin now that the highest perches have been moved 7 hexes from the startzones. Yes, it's a bit narrow, and Raelin can cover quite a lot of key terrain, but she can't cover both ends of the board at once.

The tightness of the map does make it a bit less melee-friendly than some offerings we've seen, but this is offset by the very strong LoS blocking. All in all I think it strikes a nice balance.

I'll also add that I think Hellsgate has the most elegant handling of the asymmetry between the long and short ruins of any map I've ever seen.

Originally Posted by 1Mmirg

One drawback I'll point out is the use of the castle base pieces as filler pieces at the bottom level—not that they are an issue in concept (I actually like the idea quite a bit), but for players like me, putting on tourneys and constantly moving maps around, those pieces are a pain. Since I rarely have time to make all the maps the morning of an event, I spend a fair amount of time sliding maps from a piece of reinforced cardboard to a table top (or in reverse). And, sadly, those little pieces don’t slide/transfer so well. They tend to slip out of place during transfer and it can get ugly.

Oh well, that’s a sad side effect of a great idea that, like many of Gamebear’s ideas, tend to use pieces in novel ways—and it is nothing I can take out on the map itself. I just have to remember that Bad Moon is better off being one of the maps I make at the event, rather than transferring there. (Or I may have to choose to build and play it while it’s still on its cardboard transfer piece.)

One other alternative that may be worth mentioning is that, in stead of using those base pieces in construction, you could use, say, some of those snow tiles you have lying around from booster packs. Gamebear was restricted to the sets themselves by BoV requirements, but a real life tournament director has no such restrictions.

[1Mmirg]

Yup, I'm glad that he made those improvements to the more serious Raelin perches, but I'm still curious to see just how effective she can be, esp. with some solid ranged units around her. I definitely look forward to testing the map--and you're absolutely right about the ruins--very smart building there, no question.

Good point, dok, on the base pieces. I have my sets all grouped as sets, but you're right that I could toss in a few extras for situations like this one.

Mostly, I wanted to let any other TDs out there know that while this is a map I hope joins the BoV that it has a tourney-unfriendly side effect that they'll want to prepare for. There are a few options. (And, I have successfully transferred it as well, with no special help, but it isn't something that I can consistently do, yet.)

[dok]

I'd like to nominate Blacktop for the BoV.



Requirements are D&D + Marvel + RttFF. The startzones are the rock and grass (the only visible rock and grass on the map). I'm suggesting power glyphs for this map, although treasure glyphs are OK depending on the format (we used T-glyphs this weekend when we played heroes only).

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

[Dignan]

Maps pending acceptance for review:

Blacktop by dok

This map looks pretty cool. YES to review.

[Matthias Maccabeus]

Yes to review Hellsgate and Blacktop

[nyys]

Scavenger's Folly by GameBear

Originally Posted by Dignan

My biggest complaint (and the deal breaker for me) are the two Raelin perches created by the ruin placement. On the end of each ruin, directly after the 90 degree turn, there is a high ground rock hex surrounded by lower ground. This hex is impossible to engage in melee on even ground and has limited paths to any engagement. Any ranged shots that can draw line of sight will be at even ground or worse. Both of these perches are very secure, offer a large central aura placement, and, worst of all, they are asymmetrical. One of the perches is within 4 hexes of the power glyph on that side granting a huge advantage to that player in controlling that glyph.

I'm going to be a bit lazy on my review of Savenger's Folly since the above describes what broke the map for me as well. The ease in which Raelin can take the perch and then protect a power glyph proved to be too much for the opposition to punch through in my games, especially if it was a more powerful glyph being protected, like attack or defense.

I vote NO to induct Scavenger's Folly.

--

Hellsgate
Yes to review.

Blacktop
Yes to review.