Most of the time we either use BoV maps or we create them "on the fly." So, a lot of our maps really aren't "share with the world" quality maps. But I'll use this post to highlight some that we did like, and that we did make VS versions of for future use.
Spoiler Alert!
The first is "Forgotten Highway" -- it uses:
1 - SotM
1 - RttFF
1 - TJ
The glyph "pool" we use is: +1 Defense, +8 Iniative, +1 Common Attack, and +1 Unique Attack. Two of the glyphs were selected randomly and placed face down on the map.
We also like "stories" behind the maps -- that is a reason for the battle, so for this map it is:
The swamps and jungle have over taken an old highway. Parts of the highway may still be usable, but other parts have sunken into the swampy water, been overgrown by plants, or covered by sand and silt in the recent flooding. Your troops have been assigned the honor of scouting the old highway and to determine if it is usable. Little do you know that the same assignment was given to your enemy's troops. The two of you meet in the middle of nowhere with only two options -- fight or fail.
We've played a lot of games on this map (3 just yesterday), and it seems to play a little different each time. Usually we play 450pt armies, but 500pt would probably also work. While the roadway running diagonally down the middle helps speed up slower units plus the trees and bushes help with the +1 defense from ranged attack, the higher ground and glyphs at the edges make them desirable as well.
A couple of comments on the "design considerations" that were put into this map (it has gone through several modifications over time).
The shape of the starting zones, road, and bushes/trees tend to direct you to the middle and left side of the map from your starting zone; however, there are "gaps" to get to the high ground to the right of the starting zone (one through water which will slow most down, and the other a one space route that can be a bottleneck if you're not careful)
The walls along the edges of the middle make getting to the high ground from the center a little more difficult
While only 2 levels high in VS, the map is really 3 levels due to the zero height swamp water and water. This allows for more "space" on the map and still having some height bonus.
Closest points in start zones are 14 spaces apart, but due to "ups and downs" in the terrain, it is hard to get within range of the other start zone on the first turn without the benefit of frenzy or other similar special.
Trees/bushes along the road help defend against range attacks from the higher ground at the edges -- effectively eliminating height bonus if you place your figures right.
The glyphs are on swamp water (lowest level), so holding them pretty much ensures an attacking enemy will have height advantage.
With the exception of the center tree, the map is symeterical (center tree is one space closer to one starting zone than the other due to even number of hexes between start zones).
Let me know what you think of it:
Link to pdf version: Forgotten Highway
Quote:
From the BOV discusision thread - posted by RevDyer
With Velenne's NO vote, Forgotten Highway by Retlaw, will not be reviewed. That being the case, I do want to report that I've played over a dozen games on this map and throughly enjoyed it. The simplicity of the build and the fine looking design made it a joy to play on. It is a nice size and battles were both quick and varied. With just two levels (three, counting the zero level of swamp and water) I expected the map to be boring when it came to height, but nothing could be further from the truth. I found it subtle and exciting in the use of height and plants. The road, and especially the tree coming out of the middle of it, were especially fun features.
So, while this map won't be reviewed for the Battlefields of Valhalla, I want to recommend it for a fun playing field and thank Retlaw for allowing it to be submitted to us.
Thanks to Rev for the nice words -- I hope others who play the map also enjoy it.
Added: 08/04/08
Spoiler Alert!
Dark Forest Paths
1 - RofV masterset
2 - RttFF expansions
"Story" There are many old paths leading through the Dark Forest and some seem to just go in circles while others lead to springs -- according to legend, some of these springs have magical powers that can help you in battle (of course they can also help your opponent). There have been reports of enemy troop build ups near the forest - probably looking for the springs. Your job is to use the old paths to find the springs and secure their powers for your army.
We've had fun playing on this map. It has had a couple of minor changes since we first created it (this past spring), but not too many. We added the "capture the glyph" scenario after playing several "kill them all games." Obviously the roads help slower moving figures, and the narrow battlefield (only 8 hexes wide) does lead to some confined battles, but tree LOS blocks help offset the narrow battlefield and make it play like a wider map.
Design considerations:
Long/narrow map "forces" battles with multiple figures
Roads help slower moving figures, but numerous trees may mean longer paths
Glyphs are near middle of map and on lower ground than hexes next to them (makes them harder to hold)
High ground at ends (but not in starting zones) with lower middle part of map
Lots of trees/LOS blockers
Scenario:
2 player
450pt or 500pt armies
Glyph pool: +1 Attack, +1 Defense, +8 Iniative, +2 Move (note this is incorrect in the PDF file as the last glyph listed there is Heal - didn't notice this until I uploaded it this morning)
Shuffle glyphs - eacy player selects one and places on glyph location. After armies are placed on the board and before the 1st iniative roll, turn the glyphs face up.
Victory conditions: (updated slightly from the PDF)
1) hold both glyphs at the end of a round with no opponents figures adjacent to your figures holding the glyphs, or
2) destroy all of your opponents figures
Of course, you can always just ignore the glyphs and play, destroy the enemy.
Glyph of Astrid from RotV Masterset (you can use one of the Marvel Glyphs instead -- just have it add +1 to attacks)
The Story
The plains of the Fire River valley have always been difficult to traverse because of all the hot springs and thermal activity in the area, but it is shortest route to send reinforcements and supplies to your forces. Recently the thermal activity has increased and even small volcanoes have appeared. The Fire River has been replaced by a "river" of lava making the crossing of the valley even harder. Your goal is to secure the few remaining paths across the valley for your troops.
Comments on Map
I got my son a couple of Marvel Master sets for Christmas (KBToys sale) and we have been trying out the set. After playing several Marvel games, we decided to try to incorporate the Marvel tiles in a "regular" map for Heroscape. Since the black tiles seemed to go well with the lava tiles and we have wanted to make a "playable" lava map for a while, we put the two together.
The map has gone through several iterations and we have played probably half a dozen or more games on this "final" version (including a couple of quick 200-225 point games just for fun). Here are the design considerations:
By using only 2 Marvel sets and 1 Volcarren set, this map can be used in tournaments and not use up the normal master set and expansions used in most tournament maps. Of course it is also good for "just for fun" games as well.
The high ground is all lava tiles and the one glyph also is on a lava tile -- making these harder to hold between rounds.
The three places to cross the molten lava river are also lava tiles, so it also makes it harder to "park" a figure on the "bridges" to stop your opponent from crossings on the map.
Like most maps with molten lava, it does tend to favor flying and ranged units a little more than non-flying and melee units, but with the three "bridges" it does allow non-fliers easy crossing (especially the lowest path).
We also played a "special scenario" (see scenario 2 below) using the Obsidian Guards as "neutral" figures that players can use based on the 20d roll at the end of a round. It is a fun little twist for non-tournament games.
Special Build Instructions:
The "Sand tiles" on levels 1 and 2 of the map should be replaced with the base to the destructable wall (sand tiles were used on the build instructions because using the destructable wall would result in the walls showing up in the 3-D view.
Scenarios:
1) 2-player, 450 (or 500) point armies fight to the finish.
2) 2-player, 450 (or 500) point armies. Place the 3 Obsidian Guards on the center molten lava tiles (yellow markers on build instructions) -- neither player's army may include Obsidian Guards. The Obsidian Guards cannot be attacked or destroyed using any attacks or specials. The Obsidian Guards are considered enemy figures for movement and disengagement (i.e., figures cannot move through them and figures take disengagement swipes if leaving engagement). The only exception is when a player is attacking, using a range attack he may ignore adjacent Obsidian Guards and target non-adjacent figures. At the end of each round, each player rolls the 20d. If the player(s) roll a 19 or 20, then they can take a turn with the Obsidian Guards. If both players roll a 19 or 20, they roll the 20d again to see which player takes the first turn with the Obsidian Guard.
Here are a couple of pictures from a large map I built for my son's birthday party (his birthday was earlier this week, but he is having his friends over tonight (01/02/09) for the party and games).
The map uses pieces from:
2 SotM master sets
2 Marvel master sets
3 TJ sets
4 RttFF sets
4 TT sets (one of them repainted)
3 FotA
3 VW sets
and some RotV sets (at least 2)
Sorry there is no PDF for building the map -- there was no real planning involved, just some ideas for having different "lands" (jungle/swamp, volcano/lava, glacier/snow, and hilly/forrest) and a connecting road running through it all. They'll probably play 2v2 with 1000pt armies, but it may be 3v3.
We played several games using the "War of the Worlds" criteria on this map and it worked quite well.
Games results:
1) The first two games were Icaria vs Earth. The dragons didn't do too well -- they really need support armies to work well. Icaria was Zelrig and Braxas, and Earth was Sacred Band, 10th Reg. of Foot, and Marcus. Zelrig was able to take out some squadies, but never his point total before falling. Braxas did a little better, but using the sacred band to "hold" him down, the 10th Reg was able to work him over.
2) The next game was Earth vs Marr. Same Earth army vs Torky, drudge, and stingers. This played very even and came down to 1 stinger vs 1 10th Foot. The stinger won initiative and the game.
3) Then it was Marr vs Alpha Prime. Same Marr army vs Q9, lots of Rats, and Robodogs. Marr couldn't get good dice rolls the whole game (Torky only got stomp to work twice, so the rats could hold him down while Q9 shot at him). This was probably the first game I've played where the stingers "failed." Even the rats took out a couple of stingers. The Robodogs never entered the battle -- it was that lopsided.
4) The last game was Alpha Prime vs Feylund. Same Alpha Prime army vs vampires and zombies. We didn't have time to complete this game, but it was playing fairly even as far as we got.
Obviously the battle moved originally to the bridge, but with the +1 attack glyph under the bridge, there was also fights there as well. When the bridge got congested, armies made an end run around the sides. After the first couple of games, end run around the bridge became as much the focus as the bridge.
There is one downside -- if you count the spaces it is possible for Zelrig to get hit a small portion (3 hexes) the opposing start zone on the first turn. Obviously you can avoid this by smart placement of your army at the start of the game. With the small footprint limits of the Gencon Contest maps, it is hard to make start zones without this happening unless you just have straight line start zones at the far ends of the map -- which can get boring in my opinion.
Version 2: The addition of two single hex tiles on the hills next to the bridge and next to the hill prevents Zelrig from being able to attack the opponents start zone on the first turn of the game
Please let me know you thoughts/comments on this map. I'll probably be adding a second one in the next week or so. We have two more designed, but not play tested yet.
The map is "semi-symmetrical" -- that is, it is similar on each side, but not identical. I have tried to balance the glyph placement, "water hazards", access to high ground, etc. between the two start zones. This is at least the third version of trying to get a map like this to work. A couple never made it past the VS version. Even after I had a VS version that looked good, when I built it, I ended up making several changes (they have been incorporated into the image above). Some of these were minor, but I think they will make the map play better.
We got in a few games last night and based on those we made a few changes:
Glyphs switched positions (+1 attack on ice, +2 move on island).
Changed placement of ruin walls for better balance.
Eliminated some of the "up/down" in the snow -- heavy snow is slow enough without having to do a lot of up and down climbing.
Changed to normal ice (originally planed on slippery ice) -- snow stays heavy snow.
Lowered the glyph on the island one level (now level 0 instead of 1)
Changed position of one of the glaciers.
Let me know what you think.
Game Night map 06/25/09:
Spoiler Alert!
Last Thursday (06/25/09) my son had six of his friends over for a 4v4 battle (six friends + son = 7 = Dad gets to play )
Here are some picts I took during a break about 1/2 way through the game. It was fun with lots of back and forth turns in the tide of the game. It finally got too late to finish -- high school kids do have curfews. Maybe next time smaller point armies. (click image for larger picture)
The map used parts from 2 SotM, 3 FotA, 4 RttFF, 2 Marvel, 3 or 4 RotV, 4 TJ and filled our kitchen table.
Game Night 12-04-09:
Some pictures from a map I made for my son last week.
Spoiler Alert!
The picture above is a long angle shot. The start zones were just off the top and bottom of the picture. It was 2v2 game with 1000 point armies (2000 pts per team). The game lasted most of the night (I found 3 of the 4 of them asleep in the family room the next morning -- one left when the finished the game at 5:00a)
Here are a few more pictures:
A little closer picture of the main bridge in the middle of the map. They told me a lot of the action happened on the bridge.
Slightly different angle a little closer to one of the side bridges. My son said that when the main bridge got "bogged down" both sides starting using the "high road" around the sides.
Lower angle picture (similar to a line of sight check from a figure's point of view) from the side towards the main bridge (similar location to the prior picture, just lower angle). With all the trees (5x RttFF worth), the only open space for line of sight was on the bridge.
Sets/parts of sets used in the map:
5x RotV (didn't use all of each set, but most of the grass tiles from 5 sets)
5x RttFF (I think all but one tree was used - kept the map symetrical)
2x FofA (used the 9 hex pieces for the main bridge and the 7 hex pieces for the wide part of the road)
2x Marvel (used the asphalt and concrete tiles for start zones)
He says they want to play several games over Christmas break, so we'll see what happens. Too bad the DnD set won't be out until January.
It's been a while since I posted any pictures. We've had a couple of game nights the past few months. Both were 3v3 on large maps with large armies (1000pt armies = 3000 pts per team).
Game Night May 2010
Here are some pictures from May - we called it "Ice Mountain":
Picture 1 is from the "east"
Spoiler Alert!
Picture 2 is from the "west"
Picture 3 is from the top of the mountain looking down
And finally picture 4 is "under" the mountain
There were two levels under the mountain. The upper level was just a "ledge" that went around the edge of the large room. There were also two smaller rooms (one visible to the right) through castle doors. These rooms had treasure glyphs in them.
Game Night July 2010
The next map was just called "Wasteland" - it combines lava, asphalt (from Marvel sets), dungeaon, shadows, and rocks from DnD set, some road from RttFF sets, and rock tiles from about everything. The sand tiles are the start zones. This is a combination I've wanted to try since we the DnD set came out -- lava, dungeon, and asphalt seem to go together.
From the east looking west
Spoiler Alert!
From the south looking north
And a couple of closer picts:
At the start of the game, they tended to get bogged down on the bridges, but they soon realized that there was enough asphalt and shadow tiles mixed in the lava fields that you could easily make your way through them and not end up having to roll for damage at the end of the round. Also, the Obsidian Guards were drafted -- don't think that has happened in a long, long time.
Finally got around to posting another 1v1 map.
Spoiler Alert!
The Chardir Forest is known for the many springs that can be found through out the woods. Could one of these springs be a Well Spring? There
is only one way to find out -- and you've been given the job. Of course, you're not the only one in the forest. Do they know something? Like
maybe why all the roads seem to lead to one spring.
1x RotV Master Set
2x RttFF Expansions
2 player - 500 point armies
1 random glyph from: +1 Attack, +1 Defense, +8 Initiative
Victory conditions - last man standing
This map is fun for casual games. I'm not sure I'd use it in a tournament setting -- just because I haven't played a lot of games on it. Obviously the roads speed up the melee units and the trees give them some cover so they have a fighting chance against range. In our games, the only area that didn't see much use was the area directly to the left of the start zones. Origininally, I thought this might be used as "back door" way into or out of a start zone, but it takes too long compared to the two roads.
LAVA LEXAN MAP
This map is a VS version of Cavalier's example used for the Lava Lexan map. It uses tiles from 2x RotV (lots of rock tiles), 2x RttFF, 1x VW, 1x FotA, and obvioulsy 1x Lava lexan map. I've always liked the looks of this map since Cavalier originally posted it when he started selling the lexan mats, but I had never built it (probably because I don't have the lava lexan map - I do have others and they are nice, so if you are on the fence about getting one, I'd say go for it). Central Indiana has an inch of ice and now four inches of snow on top of it, so I wasn't going anywhere for a while and decided to finally built it -- at least in VS.
The battle continues between Utgar and the united forces of Jandar, Ullar, Einar, Vydar, and Aquilla. The united forces had been slowly pushing Utgar back from his earlier advances. But then the new General Valkrill appeared and at least for now is aligning himself with Utgar's forces. This change in events has tipped the scales back in Utgar's favor.
Not far from your encampment, in the remote hills near the old ruins of a long abondoned outpost, the water and wind have carved natural bridges into the rock. Legend says that the waters in the area hide ancient artifacts that when used correctly add strength to the holder's forces. Most people dismiss this type of talk as the foolish words of old men with too much drink in their bellies. Others say that even if the stories are true, the artifacts would be so old now that any powers they may have had have surely faded over the ages. There are even some who say that the ancient ones cursed the artifacts, and it is best to just leave them in their watery graves and not tempt fate. But given the times, you can't risk not checking out the stories. For if they are true and the artifacts fall into the enemy's hands ... well lets not think about that possibility.
Build requirements:
1x RofV master set
(optional - replace short ruin in red start zone with a second large ruin from a second RotV set)
Glyph Pool:
Gerda (+1 Defense)
Valda (+2 Move)
Dagmar (+8 Initiative)
Astrid (+1 Attack)
Mitonsoul (Massive Curse)
Brandar (nothing)
Randomly place 3 glyphs from the pool face down (symble side up) on the glyph spots marked on the map. Place the remaining three glyphs face down beside the map - they maybe needed later (see special rules). The Glyph of Brandar does nothing when turned up (i.e., an artifact thats powers have faded over time).
Special Rules:
If the glyph of Mitonsoul is turned over, proceed normally (i.e., both players would roll for the curse and the glyph would be removed from the map), but after the glyph of Mitonsoul is removed, randomly replace it with one of the three remaining glyphs from the glyph pool. The curse has run its course and now you can use the artifact's power.
The area under the bridges is only 3 levels high, so most figures cannot pass under the bridges; however, any figure with special abilities that allow them to move through water without stopping (e.g., slither, water suits, water tunnel, etc.) may "swim" under the natural bridges as long as they don't stop movement under the bridges.
The winds that helped create the natural bridges still blow strong in the area. No figures with flying or stealth flying may fly over any water spaces or the bridges over the water spaces. They may fly over any other terrain type as long as they aren't prohibited by another special (e.g., cyber claw, negation, etc.)
Armies:
500 point armies
Red Player - all figures must follow Utgar and/or Valkrill
Blue Player - all figures must follow Jandar, Einar, Aquilla, Vydar, and/or Ullar
Victory Conditions:
1) Destroy all of the enemy's army -- OR
2) Hold all glyphs at the end of a round with no enemy figures adjacent to the figures on the glyphs -- OR
3) At the end of 10 rounds, the player with the most points left (full card points for partial squads) is the winner.
ALTERNATIVE SCENARIO:
Only use center glyph and place Astrid (+1 attack) face up on the board
400 point armies (no restrictions on General)
Battle to the last man standing
Comments:
I wanted to create a map that only used one master set (RotV) and no add ons that was visually interesting and also fun to play on. Not sure why -- just saw it as a challenge. I think the bridges, high rocky ground, etc. do make the map visually interesting. We've had it up for a few weeks now and played a lot of games on it (lost count). It has had several minor revisions during that time as we found out some things didn't work (e.g., changed shape of start zone to make them farther apart - no Zelrig bomb, adding the "steps" in the center pit so figures could get out) and some were purely cosmetic (e.g., making the top two highest levels rock only). We also added some special rules (see above) that addressed a few issues. Is the map tournament worthy? Maybe, but it would need some more play testing and the special rules don't translate well to tourney settings. Hope you have fun playing on it.
And yes, the bridges are sturdy -- they hold up very well due to how they are built. They are two layers thick, the joints are overlapped (i.e., don't line up), and have other tiles holding them down in place (e.g., level 6 sits on top of part of level 5 that is on top of the ends of the bridge on level 4).
Once upon a time, this area was known as the swimmin' hole lake. The clear water of the lake was fed by two small streams and the favorite past times was to jump off the high cliffs into the cool water and then afterwards enjoy a picnic dinner on the sandy beaches. At least that is how it used to be.
Then one night something changed. No one is sure what happened, but a few say that Valkrill and his hoard were seen in the area the night it happened. All anyone is sure of is that in the middle of the night there was a thunderous roar and the sky was a bright orange as if it were on fire. Most people ran for cover and hid, but a few ventured out. When they got to the swimmin' hole they found most of the lake and beaches were gone -- replaced with barren rocks and a small volcano spewing out smoke and ash. Only the high cliffs and a small part of the lake where the two streams emptied into it were left.
Did Valkrill do this? Has he found a way to summon the very molten earth itself? What if he has, could he do this to a town, one of your outposts, even your main camp? These questions and more have been asked, but no one has answers. Your group has been assigned the task of investigating the site to see if you can learn anything. As you approach the site, you can feel the heat (how could anyone survive here long?) and you smell the burnt grass and remains of the small buildings used for shelter. Even the once cool lake looks to be almost boiling. You tell your men to spread out and get this done quickly -- no sense in staying here too long. Just then someone yells "LOOK OUT -- THEY'RE BACK!" You don't have time to ask who's back as the volcano erupts with a loud roar and fills the area with smoke and ash. You send the first man you can find back to camp to get reinforcements and then ...
Build Requirements:
1x Rise of the Valkyrie
1x Volcarren Wasteland
Glyphs:
Astrid (+1 Attack)
Gerda (+1 Defense)
Valda (+2 Move)
Dagmar (+8 Initiative)
Place glyphs face up as indicated on build instructions.
Special Rules:
Smoke and Ash: After the initiative roll for each round, the player who won initiative rolls the 20 sided die. If an 11 or higher is rolled, the volcano erupts filling all the lava and rock tile areas with a dense layer of smoke and ash. All figures on these tiles do not have hit zones for the round (i.e., cannot be attacked with a range attack -- they can still be attacked by an adjacent figure). In addition, all figures on the rock or lava tiles have their range reduced to 1 for all attacks (normal and special). If a double spaced figure is on both a rock /lava space and a non-rock/lava space, the figure is NOT hidden by the smoke and has a normal hit zone and range. Grass, sand, and water areas are not affected by the smoke from the erruption.
Hot Water: At the end of every round, roll the 20 sided die for each figure you have on a water space. If you roll a 6 or higher, your figure is safe. If you roll a 1 through 5, the figure receives one wound.
All other terrain rules apply as normal.
Armies:
Blue Army: 400 points - All figures must be from Jandar, Ullar, Einar, Vydar and/or Aquilla
Red Army: 500 points - All figures must be from Utgar and/or Valkrill
Victory Conditions:
Red Army: Defeat all of the Blue army before their reinforcements arrive at the end of the 8th round.
Blue Army: Either defeat all of the Red army, or have at least one figure left at the end of the 8th round when your reinforcements arrive.
Alternate:
No restrictions on general and both armies at 500 points.
10 round limit (full card scoring).
Merango Cave
This map uses 1 Bftu and was designed as part of a BftU map contest. Click for download
Game Night January 1, 2013:
Haven't added pictures in quite a while. Here are a few from a recent "game night" we had on New Year's day.
Spoiler Alert!
It was 4v4 with 1000 point armies (4000 per team), so needless to say the game went into the wee hours of the next morning. They are already asking when the next game night will be (probably spring break as they are all college students and were home on Christmas break). They want a 3v3v3 next time.
I really need to get back to designing some maps. I enjoy the challenge of making a good map for two players (even though we usually play teams). I have a couple I designed a while back, but haven't been able to play test them.
Looks like a very well thought-out map (especially with the backstory and the design considerations). I love the winding path of the road so that is looks like a road someone might actually build through a swamp. The "bunkers" on either side are a nice feature, as well. Great stuff... I'll try to get a game in on this.
Dark Forest Paths is cool. I love maps that have a rectangular shape, as they're easier to transport, and I like the height away from the center. It seems to award the patient player over the aggressive, who would just rush into the center. The road goes past the glyphs with height, contributing to the difficulty of holding them.
I've been slow in posting additional maps, but I only want to post ones we have played a lot of games on and that I think others will enjoy. And this past month or so it has been hard to get any games in between my son's marching band and daughter's soccer.
I don't just want to throw something together in VS and post it here and expect others to test it, etc.
That said, I'm thinking about submitting one (or both) of the current maps to the BOV. I know several of you have downloaded the maps -- any comments/suggestions? Do you think they would have a chance as BOV maps?
The tree in the middle of Forgotten Highway gives a slight advantage to the blue side. Maybe take it out and put two RttFF trees in the middle instead? Other than that I like both maps.
September 2nd, 2008, 07:07 AM
Go me!
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