The Holocron of Death Star Throne Room

[TREX]

The Holocron of Death Star Throne Room

Small Expansion 5: Reinforcements for the Battlefront

A HOSS Competitive Map
A HOSS BATTLEFRONT Map

Original design by TREX

VS FILE

PRINTABLE PDF FILE (includes Reactor Shafts)

Required sets: 2 Castle, 2 marvel
*This map uses an optional FX-7 Medical Droid or Bacta Tank

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Map Bio- The Emperor prefers to take his meetings with subordinates and rivals alike while sitting upon a throne, from which he can look down upon them. For this purpose he has built many throne rooms across the galaxy in civilian and military installations that he uses when receiving reports and petitions. It is also rumored that these throne rooms serve as the location of the Emperor's own private safes in which he stores valuable artifacts and deeply guarded secret files. Thieves, spies, rebels, and rivals all seek access to the Emperor's throne rooms to search, sabotage, or bug if the Emperor is not present, and to assassinate him if he is. The Emperor's Throne Room built on the Second Death Star was no different than the rest in that regard and served as the location of more than a few confrontations, including the confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker, which led to the Emperor's demise.
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-Special rules and Clarifications-
• Castle Doors are not used on this map.

• This HoSS map incorporates some HoSS Destructible Objects. Their location is marked on the map by different colored start zone dots.

•Figures are not allowed to stop movement on void spaces (Reactor Shaft spaces). Figures may fly, leap and shoot over void spaces. Squad figures may be placed on void spaces by special abilities. Figures placed on a void space are destroyed.


•Void Space (Reactor Shaft) Inserts downloadable pdf
•This map uses BoSS Battlefront rules system.

Green Dots = Place for FX-7 Medical Droid or Bacta Tank.
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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-
• TBA
-Heroscapers Community Contributions-
• First playtest: YODAKING
• Second playtest: YODAKING
• Void Inserts: mac122

-PDF created by: TREX

[Yodaking]

I was thinking about trying to set this map up in addition to my Scarif map next Friday but I don't have 3 marvel sets wroth of tiles. Maybe I can see what all I'm missing and use some other tiles to fill the gaps. I wasn't going to try and use the Battlefront rules on this map though, instead just have a hero focused showdown between the Emperor and some Rebels.

[TREX]

This map does beg to have a scenario made for it though doesn't it. I actually haven't built this one in RL yet. I may do that sometime in the next few days. I've been tuning up one of my motorcycles the last day or so because I'm going to sell it tomorrow.

[Yodaking]

Just a heads up, I took a look at the VS file and noticed that one of the start zones isn't complete. I updated it easily enough in the file I downloaded but it will need to be updated here before getting turned into a set of build directions.

A few other thoughts, as much as I like the theme and look of this map, I'm not sure it would be the best use of the Battlefront rules system. I think I'd rather just see it as a non-battlefront casual or even a scenario specific map. The reason for this position is due to the fact that really only 1 of the control point glyphs (the middle one) is in a contestable position. The ones right in front of each start zone are going to be pretty difficult for the other team to ever take and hold, then the one up on the throne and in the hall by the healing chamber look pretty easy to hold once you have them. The throne has high ground on the only path from which it can be assaulted and the other one also can't be flanked at all. It only takes one good defensive figure to hold that gate. Plus whoever holds it has exclusive access to the Bacta Tank/FX-7 droid which could give that one team a pretty big advantage. The battlefront specific maps should feature control points that are a little more open and easy to contest such that their is a chance to change momentum back and forth as the game goes on.

[Yodaking]

I'm prepping a hero heavy game for this board this coming Friday since I'm setting aside all my squads for the Scarif Battlefront tests. The two armies look like this:

Obi-Wan
Padawan Luke
Yoda
Chewbacca
4-LOM
Zuckuss .......680 points

vs.

Darth Vader II
Emperor Palpatine
Imperial Royal Guards
Bossk ........680 points

Pretty excited about how this will play as it looks like a great map for force users. Pushing people down the steps or out of the way so you can get over to the Bacta Tank. Just not sure what I should do to entice people up to the throne since I'm not going to using the Battlefront rules for this. Any ideas? Thought about having the Empire start on the Throne with his guards while Vader starts at the bottom as his protector. Maybe have Bossk in the medical bay? Then the Rebels can start with a few figures on each start zone and try to come at Vader from both sides. Once the Rebels dispatch Vader & Bossk, they can heal up in the Bacta Tank/next to the FX-7 Droid before trying to assault the throne from low ground. Any thoughts on which medical option is best here to counter the advantage of starting on high ground for the Emperor and his guard?

[Yodaking]

I started moving around the glyphs to different locations and I think I found a way to use it as a 3 control point board. One to each side of the stairwell and one in front of the gateway. The throne area would still be valuable to hold as it would give you high ground above two of the glyphs. I saw you mention having one control point in or in front of each start zone before, but I'm not sure if I see the point of that if they just cancel each other out and teleporting to that location doesn't really net you all that much.

[TREX]

Whatever tweaks you have in mind are good. I havent built this one yet in RL. I hear you on the ones near the sz. I placed those based on how the video game was.

[Yodaking]

I think I may just have the two armies face off starting in each start zone. I'll put a glyph on the throne like you have to give them a reason to go up there. I'm thinking +1 attack to reflect the fact it is a Sith throne.

[TREX]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

I think I may just have the two armies face off starting in each start zone. I'll put a glyph on the throne like you have to give them a reason to go up there. I'm thinking +1 attack to reflect the fact it is a Sith throne.

Attack on the highest space on the map may be unbalanced. I also didn't think about making that space usuable by a double hex figure? I may have to tweak that. I think I'll build this one next to double check my build instructions.

[Yodaking]

I did end up building this one but never managed to get any games in on it. Other players did though, it was a popular map and format to pick. I know the Empire won the first game with Vader & the Imperial Royal Guard just dominating the game. In the second go around I believe the Empire won a close one. Chewbacca apparently took Vader down and it came down to Chewbacca vs. the Emperor, each with a wound or two, and the Emperor won. Don't really know much beyond that as I was off playing my own games on different boards in different rooms.

Concerning the building of the map, it is a rather spread out and oddly shaped map. As such I had a hard time fitting it on my game table but was able to make it work. I had to angle is a certain way and even then a few hexes were hanging out over the table edge. I didn't see any way to make it smaller though, and it ended up working out fine in the end, so it is just something to keep in mind for those thinking about using it for a tournament or setting it up on a small table.

Then when building it the throne room area was one level too high, so I just removed that extra layer of tiles you had under the walls on level 2 and then everything worked just fine. I thought about what you said concerning double based figures and the throne and I don't think I would like it as much with a 2 hex wide throne. I think this is just a situation where theme should trump competitive concerns. There really isn't all that many HoSS units that are double based to begin with. If you are really worried about it I would just not put a glyph on it but rather somewhere behind the throne.

Last thing of note is that I found myself wondering it maybe we should swap out the concrete tiles on the steps up to the throne for road tiles. Then figures can use the road bonus to more quickly ascend the stairs.

[TREX]

I just cleared my game table so ill be putting it up next. After fixing anything that doesnt look right ill reload the hs file with the tweaks. Im glad your guys liked it. Ill have to see how the vision in my head turned out on the table. Thanks for the feedback yk. I wouldnt make a two spaced throne. Just wondering about moving the control glyph. Ill get back with you after building it.

[Yodaking]

I forgot to mention that one question did come up about the voids and whether you could shoot across them. Since the Emperor is thrown into an open shaft in the movie I told then they could shoot directly across the voids, just count the missing spaces for range rather than count around the edge like instructed in the RotV rules. I told them they could not force push figures into the void though, but I also had not added all the battlements. I believe the battlements would block you from force pushing anyone off the edge anyway but I'm not sure if that is clarified anywhere in our rules. I also had Yoda in play and he just picks up and moves figures around differently than how force push works (in a straight line and never up a hill) so I guess he can technically toss someone into the void. We should clarify some rules on how to handle the voids for this map as I do think they represent the open shafts seen in the movie well, which means you should be able to shoot across them or even have Boba Fett fly across a section with his jet pack if he wanted to. However, having Yoda just toss Vader into the shaft to auto-kill him makes for a quick and unfun game.