ARV Contest Thread

[Yodaking]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

VS files were included in my submission posts.

 

[Cleon]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Aaaaaaand we're closed! What a turnout at the end there! Thanks everyone for participating. It was a slow start there, but we ended up finishing with 19 submissions!!! That may be one of our largest contests yet! Thanks to all who jumped on this contest...cause it will well be worth it for the winner.

Next Steps:

• Judges will score each map individually.
• Top 10 scored maps will be posted in a public poll by Saturday and it will last for 1 week for the community to vote on the best map!
• Contest winner will be sent a custom set of ARV Dice
• The Top 10 maps will be "accepted" for review by the ARV judges who will playtest them for balance and tournament worthiness. Maps that pass will be inducted into the ARV Archive
• Maps that do not get selected in the top 10 or don't make it past the playtesting phase are encouraged to be workshopped in the ARV Workshop thread if the designer would like feedback and assistance in getting the map tournament ready.

All designers please PM me your .hsc Virtualscape build files so I can generate an HD image for each map for the final Top 10 selection if you are selected. @WarBeast @heroscaper2010 @Leaf_It @All Your Pie @Yodaking @superfrog @Owlman @NecroBlade @wumpis @Ulysses @Cleon @Herofly @Longy418

thanks to all! stay tuned!!

Yeah that was awesome to see a bunch of maps come in at the end. This was a lot of fun and got me back on virtualscape regularly. Stoked to see the reviews!

PM sent with the downloads.

 

[Flash_19]

That was awesome to see all those maps fly in at the end! Thanks so much everyone for the effort you put into designing them!

 

[Ulysses]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Oooft, I do not envy the judges! There are so many fun maps here!

 

[Sir Heroscape]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Top 10 are posted... go and VOTE!

 

[Flash_19]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Triple-Play Frenzy Results​

We recognize that these results from our previous contest have been a long time coming, and appreciate your patient anticipation. Two of the maps submitted have been added to our ARV Repository Thread - a thread dedicated to maps that typically won't be used in tournaments, but that we have playtested and found to be balanced. That thread can be found here.

Once again, we want to thank all those who participated in this contest: @Leaf_It, @Br1an, @Ulysses, @JaesShurrig, and @Yodaking

Accepted Maps​

The Cirdan Garden by Leaf_It
Requires 1x RotV, 2x TJ, 2x RttFF

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

BiggaBullfrog:

The Cirdan Garden

This map is a great example of what you generally want out of a multiplayer map: cool looks/theme, lots of options, and no benefit over either your right or left opponent. This is another garden map, which I’m cool with, and it makes for a cool thematic experience when fighting your opponents in the general frenzy of multiplayer games.

Probably the biggest strength of the map is the multitude of options when playing on it. You can perform just about any kind of strategy that you want on it. The road will lead you straight to your opponent if you desire an aggressive play, or you can take it slow and defensive, utilizing the jungle pieces to climb to the high ground on top in a long-term strategy. It’s open enough that going for one opponent doesn’t shut you off to retreat/redirection, and if one player gets stronger the other players can easily turn on them without being bogged down in previous developments. The high ground in the middle of the map is very attractive and the strongest point of the map, but it’s also limited and the road will allow enemies to cut off reinforcements.

The fact that each player is always relevant while playing on this map is also big. It’s impossible for one player to sit back while the other two duke it out without giving up long game position, since the only “safe” place is right in the start zone. You need to be moving to keep your position, which makes for interactive and dynamic gameplay between players.

I will say I hate the start zones. It would be a huge benefit to this map if they were more easily defined without needing a picture/instructions, and even with a picture it’s a bit of a challenge to figure out where exactly they are. However, that’s not a disqualifying feature by itself.

I vote to The Cirdan Garden.

I really like the map. The three 2-hex spots with height was enough of a draw to the middle. Access on the road with coverage was decent to attack ranged units. Yes, it would be nice if the start zone was clearly defined, but this was easy to deal with. Cirdan Garden is a nice looking map on the table. I confidently vote

Really like this one. I see no issues with it. It's simple, development is clean. Everyone can get engaged fairly quickly (and road helps a ton with that). I only wish there were some stronger pulls for conflict in the middle...or anywhere really on this map (notice no glyphs). Even still I'm an

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The Cursed Stone Table by Br1an
Requires 1x RotV, 2x FoA, 2x RttFF

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

Flash_19's:

The Cursed Stone Table by Br1an
This map was my favorite of all the three player maps that were submitted. It’s a very well-designed map overall, and is a lot of fun to play on.

Game play felt very balanced on this map. It didn’t feel like any specific units had a distinct advantage (unless you count Zelrig fire bombing start zones – but he loves 3+ player maps in general because the start zones are usually closer together than typical 1v1 maps). In addition to the map’s balance, I love the crisp and clear start zones (it is so nice to play on maps with intuitive or easily distinguishable start zones), the map is beautiful on the table, and I really like the use of line of sight blockers.

Usually glyphs on height make a map unbalanced, but in this circumstance, I think it works. The use of Wannok and height in the middle helps drive conflict to the middle instead of limiting skirmishes to the outer edges of the map. Certainly, the giant walls help bring conflict to the middle as well.

There is one main thing that I would love to see tweaked, but I don’t think that change is necessary in order to make the map balanced enough for more competitve play. Movement flowed well across most of the map, though sometimes it felt a little clunky to move out of certain parts of the start zone. The left side especially is a bit difficult to get out of, (especially if Thorgrim can’t roll enough skulls to kill one measly Marro Drone) and that difficulty is only exacerbated when using double based figures. I think it might be nice if a double based figure could get onto the road easier. Thankfully the right side is easy to develop through with the help of road tiles.

I vote to induct The Cursed Stone Table.

Easily one of the - if not THE - favorite of mine of the all the submissions. It's a strong map with an abundance of road that doesn't give any sort of advantage to very many unit types. Wannock is a beautiful motivator for some carnage in the middle, and the road just really springboards everything. Very fun map here.

We got in a few games on The Cursed Stone Table. In my opinion, this map is well-balanced and fun for a multi-player map given the terrain restrictions. I would easily set this one up again at future events. I vote

Maps That Were Not Accepted​

We appreciate the effort that was put into creating these maps, but we didn't find that they were balanced enough to be accepted into the repository. Please feel free to utilize our workshop thread located here. We would love to help you improve your map and then reconsider it for addition to the repository once it is more polished!

Spoiler Alert!

Sunken Outpost by Leaf_It

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

Sir Heroscape's:

It's fun and all, but really can't be played in any type of "balanced" format. ANY flying army will have an advantage for far too long before they're engaged and killed, and even then it's likely the damage has been done and no coming back from it.

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Scoria Tribunal by Br1an

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

While I don't like how quickly an army can skirt along the side easily to attack their neighbor, it is a low ground spot and would be a significant disadvantage. So It's smarter to go through the center. And I LOVE the center. Very fun map and has a spice to it that speaks for the strong map build here. This one gives armies a lot of options and none are easy to make or obvious.

I enjoyed playing on Scoria Tribunal much more than I thought I would. There are a lot of things that this map does well, though it definitely has some notable weaknesses.

Starting off with some good things - this map has very nice, clear start zones (which is always a big plus in my book). I also really like the placement of line of sight blockers throughout the map. Overall, the sets used in the design were used well, with only a few exceptions.

My biggest trouble spot on this map is the 7-hex swamp tiles on the highest level. On every other part of the map, that highest level consists of lava field tiles, but on the outside edges where most of the early conflict tended to start, those 7-hex pieces were prime real estate for setting up shop. A few other small parts of the design contributed to this area of the being exploited by the army coming from the sand side of the hill. Armies that are approaching that 7-hex hill from the wall side of the hill have to struggle taking the hill while worrying about getting roasted by that 7-hex lava field tile at the end of the round. Moving around the opposite side of the wall is made more difficult by the dip down to level 0 swamp water. I also don’t love that a jungle piece covers a hex of that 7-hex, though that one isn’t nearly as game breaking to me as the 7-hex lava field tile. Fortunately, I think there’s a very easy solution to the power level of that spot. Simply switching those two 7-hexes will go a long way to reduce the podding capability of that hill.

There are a few unused terrain pieces that might be useful for smoothing out some portions of the map that are a touch choppy – like the road around the middle. And there are a handful of pieces that could be used a little more effectively (e.g. the single hex grass pieces under the outside long walls – the ARV does not require that castle walls have terrain pieces underneath them). I think those pieces would be better utilized bringing up a couple pieces of the level 0 swamp water on the outsides.

I do think you’ve done a pretty good job of trying to balance that 7-hex hill by making it harder for the sand side army to get to the top with how you’ve placed the water tiles, but from my experience with the map, it wasn’t enough. Once a Nilheim/Greenscales build or a Raelin-backed 10th Regiment of Foot build took control of that hill, there was no reclaiming that position for the wall side army.

This one is so close, but I want to see the rough edges smoothed out a bit before giving it an upvote.

I vote to induct Scoria Tribunal.

I see potential with Scoria Tribunal, but I am going to give it a vote. My hope is that Br1an does a few tweaks to in the workshop and then I think it would be a very good 3-player map. I would swap out the 7-hex swamp-grass tiles with Lava-field. Flash_19 pretty much highlighted my thoughts for improvement.

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Sullen Garden by JaesShurrig

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

I'm going to go ahead and give this an

While a little large, I think it will lend itself to allowing all 3 armies to get in the conflict fast and furious. The road is plentiful and there aren't many height spots that can't be engaged from road. I also think that range on this will have a hard time running away...which I like. I'm not sure how "balanced" it is overall, but I'm not seeing any glaring issues that would make an army with Raelin, or a Dragon to be overpowered. Rats, would probably clog this map up nicely...but then again...it's rats.

This map isn't perfect, but for a three-player map it isn't bad. Action was furious starting with OM2 on the first round. The battle was over pretty quickly given the size of the map. The treasure glyphs aren't perfectly placed, but did come into play for armies that had bonding with a unique figure. There were no glaring issues that made me think that I wouldn't set it up again. I am going to give Sullen Garden an vote.

Sullen Garden

Sullen Garden is a bit on the longer side, but it has a bunch of road leading all around the map to make development easier. It’s got some good symmetry between each start zone meaning that no army is going to be benefited more by going to the left or right, which is a good touch for a 3-player map. I really like the aesthetics and thematic feel of a garden that players are fighting their way through (I’ve been noticing a lot of garden maps in general lately, which is an interesting trend in theme — I’m not complaining, it’s a cool theme). 

While a solid and well-designed map, there are a few spots where it falls short for me. One is all of the “turrets” of height throughout the map. Turrets in general are one of my least favorite features a map can have, but they can be counteracted. The problem here is that, though the road does lead to engage much of the height on the map, the amount of turrets leads to really defensive play in general as players grab one turret and then ferry figures over to the next one. Attacks on the road are possible to intercept, but that’s where you run into problem number two: the length of the map. The road helps with movement, but the map is pretty long in general still, so aggressive plays are more difficult in general and less rewarding, and figures are more likely to get strung out and picked off by a more defensive player. It also means that when you go to fight one player, you’re committed and can’t easily back out if the other player starts getting a better position.

There’s also an issue of neglected space on the sides of the map where the treasure glyphs are. While seemingly nice in concept, the pathways are too out of the way and Treasure Glyphs not rewarding enough for players to want to take that path, leading to it being a redundancy in the design. This isn’t a disqualifying feature in and of itself, but as one master map-maker (GameBear, I believe) once noted, there shouldn’t be any wasted hexes on a good map. I feel that a redesign of these flanks would be beneficial.

I do like this map and think it could be reworked into something great. The main concern is the turrets of height, which the length compounds (and it’s not terribly long, objectively — it’s the addition of turreted height that really punishes it). A bit of a redesign would turn this into a really good map that I’d be happy to use, as it’s close as-is. For now though, I vote for Sullen Garden.

Sullen Garden by Jaes Shurrig
I have spent more time thinking about this map by far than any other map that was submitted. This one was close, but after all that time I feel good about my final vote.

There are some things that this map does very well – the road tiles are used very well overall and help get figures into action relatively quickly (though I would love to see a single road tile connect the two roads out of the start zone right by the wall at the front of the start zone). With how large the map is, it is also nice to have some start zone spaces be road tiles. I also really like the look of the map – it has beautiful aesthetics. However, there are some issues with the map.

The map is definitely on the larger side, but that’s not so much a concern to me as terrain that could be utilized more effectively. With a map as big as this one, the extra layer of terrain used to increase the height of the four plateaus spread throughout the map felt really unnecessary and cumbersome. The ladders on the sides of the three outermost plateaus were cool (and definitely helped) but the movement onto and between the plateaus still felt cumbersome. I think the terrain used to increase the height of the plateaus could be much better utilized. One of these ways might be to increase the height of the side paths where the treasure glyphs are, though admittedly, I’m not sure that that would be enough to redeem those side paths. Besides feeling too low, they generally felt out of the way. Even with treasure glyphs, those side paths often had a high opportunity cost (missed opportunities for attacks and better positioning). Another use for the excess terrain used on the plateaus would be to eliminate the water spaces in the start zone. With a map this large, every extra space you have to move is significant.

I wouldn’t mind seeing the map condensed very slightly, though I think most of that condensing should happen with the start zones being moved in instead of dramatically changing the middle section on the map.

This is a map with great potential, and I really hope to see it in the workshop. I think it’s close to where it should be. I vote to induct Sullen Garden.

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Toxic Trepidation by JaesShurrig

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

We got a few games in on Toxic Trepidation by six different players. Honestly, there was grumbling about the start zones by all before the armies were even set up. Questions like, "so, if I win initiative in the first round, I have a big advantage ... and if I am last, I could be decimated before I even get a turn." Participants also didn't care much for having their start zones split across the map. We went ahead and changed the start zones so that they were adjacent to each other instead. We gave it a whirl for a few games, but it still turned into a game of survival and who won initiative. Participants had the same general comment of "meh." The middle of the map didn't see much action. I am going to vote for Trepidation.

I find it concerning that 5 move non-flyers can attack on the first Order Marker - it is so close, and can have such a dramatic impact on the game - especially if someone ends up being the "Monkey in the Middle". This map really draws on that first turn tension in order to be successful, because honestly it felt pretty stale to play on without that tension between players at the very start of the game. The middle only got used at the very end of the game. So, it started fun, but then it went downhill from there.

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Ringstrasse by Ulysses

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

This map is SO easily choked up in the middle. ANY rat or strong screening army will have no trouble plugging each side between the trees and forcing a very slow and annoying game. If you additionally have range shooting over the top...it's a sure win... There's just not enough variety and game choices to be made on this one.

I like when 3-player maps draw sufficient conflict between players to the middle, but unfortunately this map draws the conflict towards the middle so much that it creates serious choke points in the middle of the map. Because of this, armies that combine screen units with range will have a huge advantage as they will be able to clog those choke points while having all day to shoot at opponents.

I really don’t think that very much needs to be changed here in order to make the map far more balanced. Removing parts of the walls alone might be enough to do the trick, though I would consider reworking the placement of the road tiles on level 4 (along with the swamp water tiles). There are probably better ways to utilize those road tiles as you work to open up the map a little more.

I really like the overall aesthetic of the map, and while the shape of the start zones is a little wonky, I love that they are easily defined by grass hexes. It’s definitely got potential, but until the choke point issues are resolved, I'll vote for Ringstrasse being a balanced map.

for Ringstrasse. When each army only has a handful of hexes to get their army out into a small middle section to do battle, I see a lack of enjoyment and variety in game development.

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Triptych by Ulysses

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

I think it's a unique design, but is very problematic. It's difficult to get around the center and traverse between regions and that will only give range more help. I also think Glyphs have poor placement.

This map has 3 big issues that prevent it from being balanced.

1) The road tiles are not used very effectively in this design. Road tiles should be used to enhance movement across the map and should be connected to get the greatest effect. This enhanced movement makes them valuable because they can reduce the inherent advantage of ranged units over melee units, but the road tiles as used in this design actually do the opposite. This design enhances ranged units by allowing ranged units to get to the highest level and best positions on the map very quickly – the bridges. The way the road is set up will promote ranged units getting more shots off at approaching melee units before those melee units are able to get to the ranged units on height.
2) Movement around and through the middle area of the map is extremely difficult. This is mostly due to the water tiles on the lowest level of the map being adjacent to a bridge with a wall on it that is positioned on the highest level of the map. The bridge walls here do a huge disservice to the balance of the map as they give ranged units on the bridge another solid advantage. Any unit size 5 or smaller will not be able to engage units on the bridge from the side with the water (not to mention the other downside - that they would have to drop down to level 0 to do it).
3) Glyph placement is tricky on a 3-player map because ideally each glyph would be contestable by each player (or the three glyphs should be balanced enough that one player isn’t at a disadvantage for not being able to access a certain glyph). Poor glyph placement can make 3-player games incredibly frustrating if a player has no shot at taking a powerful glyph that is only accessible to the other two players (trust me – not being able to claim Defense or Wannok when all you can access from your side is Lodin and a Pit Trap makes for a frustrating experience).

My recommendations would be to focus on smoothing out the middle first. I would get rid of the Glacier in the middle, find a way to make the roads connect, and reduce the power of the bridges. You also have more terrain that you can use if you so desire – I personally would utilize another TT for more snow and LOS blockers.

I vote to induct Triptych.

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Ice Pit of Kaazune by Yodaking

Reviews:

Spoiler Alert!

Official Review:

Unfortunately, there are some glaring problems that this map utilizes in the design that are problematic for any kind of competitive type game. Any kind of format that doesn’t require going down into the middle of the map in order to meet a win condition would be frustrating at best on this kind of map.

The problem of elevated start zones is the largest problem with this map that would prevent it from being used in any degree of competitive play. Elevated start zones (especially start zones that are on the highest level of the map) reduce the incentive for ranged armies to leave their start zone, leaving them with the ultimate podding location.

Because essentially all the middle region of the map is on the lowest level, that region would be virtually unused during the vast majority of the game (if it ended up being used at all). Unfortunately, the treasure glyphs and shadow tiles just aren’t incentive enough to risk being shot to pieces by ranged units. This means games consist of skirmishes on the sides – resulting in stale and repetitive game play.

I do believe that there would be some very fun scenario type games that you could use this map to play that require you to go down into the middle in order to meet some objective. But this map wouldn’t be able to deliver the kind of balance and experience for multiple formats (especially typical tournament formats) that we are hoping to see in ARV approved 3-player maps.

I vote to induct Ice Pit of Kaazune.

Yeah, this one was pushing too far into the boundary. You really don't have to leave your startzone to have the best advantage. That and melee will really struggle developing through this map. Flyers and range will dominate.

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Lost City of Z

I was at first excited by this map with its split start zones and towers making for seemingly crazy and exciting gameplay. It wasn’t long, however, before I realized that unfortunately the Lost City of Z is, while crazy, also very punishing.

This map is a great example of a map that’s great if you’re drafting armies after seeing the map, but not great if players bring armies and then see the map they’re playing on. (There is some gray space in there of events where you know the map pool before an event and can design your army around it, but this map is still leaning too far towards individual unit bias in my opinion.) The main problem is the towers, as can be expected on a map with towered height. Although each player gets one tower to start on, it’s an obvious Raelin perch. This is compounded by the fact that you also get to put a figure in front of the ladder reaching the height, so enemy figures have to kill a Raelin-boosted blocker before climbing up to hit Raelin from even ground (and it’s incredibly difficult for a melee army). These towers completely dominate how the game is played, and whoever has the best tower army won every game on it. While I like the general concept, the practical application of the map is too punishing for too many armies, leading me to vote on Lost City of Z.[/quote]

Before I say anything else, I must say that I enjoyed playing on this map! It looked like a fun map from the beginning, and it definitely delivered an enjoyable experience for me. Having said that, not every map that is enjoyable is balanced – which is the case with Lost City of Z.

1) The biggest offenders for negatively influencing the balance of this map are the towers. Towers are problematic on tournament style maps because of the advantage that they offer to both flying and ranged figures, which was certainly the case when I played this map. In addition, towers are only accessible to single base figures (and ladders are only usable by small and medium figures). So, if a player brings an army that is comprised of melee figures that are double based or unable to use the ladders, the situation may arise in which they cannot win the game because they cannot get a figure on one of the towers. There are some ways to counter this – like building up a terrain spot next to the tower that allows double based figures, etc. to engage a figure on the tower (the tower would need to lose a battlement or two – and I would try to use road tiles to do this so it’s easier for those figures to get up there). However, with the limited terrain in the sets you chose, this kind of fix wouldn’t be possible without changing the map dramatically. Wannok could be useful to counter the power of the towers, but it would need to be placed in a spot where it couldn’t be shot by the towers in order to effectively balance the map. The map would still need a bit of redesigning before Wannok could be used to balance it.

2) While the start zones make for a fun “heat of the battle” type game, I don’t feel like that kind of stipulation should be required for every game. They create the potential for significant Turn 1 power plays that can devastate your opponent’s army (been there, done that). Also, having a start zone spot on top of the towers with a “guard position” protecting the ladder up enhanced the power of the towers in a negative way.

3) I’d like to see the jungle pieces spread out more than they currently are. If they were spread out, more units across the board could benefit from the extra defense against range - which is a big deal with the towers of power. Running through no man’s land in the center of the map to try and get to an enemy unit on the tower at the other side of the map doesn’t typically end well for the guy on the ground.

Thanks so much for the fun map (again, I really did enjoy it), but it’s got some balance issues that need to be resolved before I give it my upvote.

I vote to induct Lost City of Z.

[/spoiler]

 

[Ulysses]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

I'm so glad these are up! Awesome work judges! I've used Cirdan Garden a couple times to show new players the game and it's played really well. I haven't had a chance to play Cursed Stone Table, but I have built the map. Br1an's build files are gorgeous with the attention to detail and classic rulebook scenario formatting.

I certainly agree with the reviews of my submissions and it's a little embarrassing looking back on them I had played Ringstrasse a handful of times when I was building it, but haven't come back to it after the competition due to the issues the judges have illustrated, though now with some more builds and many more games under my belt I may pull it up and tinker with it. Looking at it now, some things are so obviously broken that they look easy to fix.

Thanks for all the hard work everyone put into designing and testing these maps!

 

[Flash_19]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

I certainly agree with the reviews of my submissions and it's a little embarrassing looking back on them I had played Ringstrasse a handful of times when I was building it, but haven't come back to it after the competition due to the issues the judges have illustrated, though now with some more builds and many more games under my belt I may pull it up and tinker with it. Looking at it now, some things are so obviously broken that they look easy to fix.

Lol - I know exactly what you're talking about. Some of my old maps are shall we say... decent at best. So way to get better at map designing!

Please do! I don't think it would take too much to open things up a little more. When you're ready, just head on over to the workshop thread to get more feedback, and officially resubmit it when you're ready. And it usually helps if you tag us too.

Good luck!

 

[Leaf_It]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Ringstrasse is good, it just needs a 1 - 2 hex break in the middle of the wall and it would be much better.

 

[Brian]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Sorry I haven't been on here in so long, so I didn't see this until just now, but I am incredibly humbled that my first submission to a contest was accepted into the ARV. Thank you all for the kind words and I'm glad that you enjoyed the map!

 

[Ulysses]

Re: NEW CONTEST - The Spartan Scrolls

Thank you to all the judges who put so much time and effort playtesting and reviewing the submissions! I’ve had a lot of fun playing many of these maps and congrats to @Cleon for his induction with Parallel. I am very excited to see what the ARV cooks up next for all the cartographers out there.

 

[Sir Heroscape]

NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

NEW CONTEST:​

​

All right everyone, COVID threw things into whack, but we're back!! This time, with a fun twist. We’re calling on all map builders to come up with competitive, tournament worthy maps and to submit them here for scoring. In the end, 10 maps will be chosen as the best and of the 10, #1 will be given a very high quality prize. And believe me, you don't wanna miss out on this! We've designed and prepared custom ARV DICE for the winner! Here are the 2 options the winner will be able to choose from. The set will be a full set of 12, 6-sided dice.

Option #1:

Option #2:

Why are we doing this?
It's time to have another contest and keep the excitement going with new and fun maps. Specifically we want this contest to challenge map makers to be lean and deliberate with every terrain piece. Requiring one of your expansions to be a Marvel set can be quite difficult at times when trying to make a balanced map for tournament play, and we don't see the Marvel set used too often. Now, we will!

Submissions Accepted Starting...
October 4th, 2021
Submissions will be due...
November 1st, 2021 @11:59pm MST​

Guidelines

1. This map contest will have a few changes from our normal guidelines in the OP:
   • Map submissions MUST use the Marvel set (either as an expansion, master set or the extra one). Your submission can contain 1 EXTRA Marvel set.
     ex. BftU (MS), RttFF (Exp), Marvel (Exp), Marvel (Extra)
   • Submissions can be previous maps you've built
   • Maps MUST have a backstory as you submit the map. Help us envision being there, and the story behind it. It can be as simple as a couple sentences or much longer, but we want to see more than just the map itself.
   • Remember to keep map design focused on the theme. This theme is fairly vague because we'd like to see some unique creativity with this one.

Scoring

ALL maps submitted will be revised and scored according to the following Rubric:

• Aesthetics/Creativity(originality of build/looks good): 10pts
• Balanced (doesn't favor one build over another): 20pts
  Maps should not heavily favor any one special ability to the point that it makes the map non-competitive if an army does not contain that ability (i.e. range, flying, etc.)
• Fits Theme & Good name: 10pts
  
  Total: 40pts

*The sitting judges scoring the maps:
@Sir Heroscape
@heroscaper2010
@Nomad
@Flash_19
@Robber
@TREX (Emeritus)
@Tiranx (Emeritus)
@BiggaBullfrog (Emeritus)

*Each map will have a rubric filled out, one from each judge. All the scores will then be averaged for one final score for that map.

*At the end of the deadline, the top 10 maps will be chosen and posted. A PUBLIC POLL will then be opened for the community to vote on the best map out of the top 10. The map winner will be posted after a week long poll and the prize awarded.

Map Building Tips for Competitive Design (from the judges)
1. avoid putting Power Glyphs on height (exceptions may be made depending on the build)
2. Double-spaced figures must be able to access all glyphs
3. Glyphs should not be able to be reached turn 1 by 5 or 6 move figures
4. avoid too much elevation close to the start zone (exceptions may be made depending on the build)

Map Building Checklist: For Competitive Balance
Take into consideration:

1. Does Raelin break this map?
   
   Look for spots she can fly to on turn 1. Can she get onto a single-hex height position? Can she get next to a jungle bush? Can she protect a glyph holder, or two glyph holders for that matter? Can she remain on height on an easily defendable position? These are types of things you want to look for​
2. Does a Dragon build break this map?
   
   Can a Dragon fly and turn 1 attack the opponents startzone? Not always unbalanced, but can be if the position is easily defendable or on height. You also have to consider how dragons fly and shoot. Could a dragon fly from perch to perch and remain unengaged while shooting an opponent?

   
   [*]Do rats break this map?
   

   Look for choke points. Are there any areas where 1 or 2 rats could block an oncoming army and virtually lock the board down without much of a contest? Are the glyphs too easily obtained/defended by rats?​

   
   [*]Is it impossible to place the hive in the start zone?
   [*]Is it too easy for pods to set up?
   

   There are many competitive builds that are played by finding a position and simply holding it while the opponent advances to attack. Consider finding areas where an army could easily set up their pod without being contested by an opponent, or where a position is too easily defendable from height.​

   
   [*]Is it too easy to defend/control glyphs?
   

   Generally speaking, you'll want at least 2-3 positions where an opponent can attack a glyph holder and even better if from height. Glyphs should be in a spot relatively equidistant from each startzone and in a fairly weak position. Glyph holders should be at a disadvantage.​

   [*]Is there elevation in the start zone?
   [*]Can move 5 or 6 figures reach glyphs on turn 1?
   [*]Are there too many choke points?
   

   Basically what was stated on the rats question. Look for too many narrow areas where map flow could get clogged down and hinder an army's ability to move and develop.​

   [*]Are you unable to develop armies quickly?
   

   This is harder to describe...but basically maps should allow your army to reach midmap at least by turn 3. Maps that hinder movement so much that fighting doesn't happen till Round 2 will make games slow and arduous. Develop maps that figures can move through without too much restriction. Too many elevation changes can cause problems with development.​

If you can answer yes to 2 or more of these questions, you’ll likely want to revise your map. For more details on the above list, refer to Biggabullfrog's recent article on 10 Tips for Map Building​

Prizes
ARV custom dice set (pick 1 option)!

Spoiler Alert!

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[Ulysses]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

I am very excited for a new ARV contest! I do have one small, not at all selfish, proposal. Would the judges allow 2 Marvel sets in lieu of of a master set? Hear me out, 2 Marvel sets combined still comprise of fewer terrain pieces than a single RotV and are nearly neck and neck with SotM. Also, if the goal is to dust off the old Marvel sets and get them on the tourney table, this doubles the fun (and the dusting, yay!). Okay, yes it is for selfish reasons . One map I'd like to submit is 2 Marvel, 1 BftU, and 1 TJ, so not too egregious, but I understand that the rules are there for a reason. I figured it never hurts to ask. Thank you judges!

 

[MegaSilver]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

The last time I tried to download VirtualScape (years ago) it wouldn't download for me. Has that been fixed? I'm a fan of the Marvel terrain set, since it's rarely used. Would we be able to use the Wall, but with the Roof removed?

 

[Leaf_It]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

The last time I tried to download VirtualScape (years ago) it wouldn't download for me. Has that been fixed? I'm a fan of the Marvel terrain set, since it's rarely used. Would we be able to use the Wall, but with the Roof removed?

Yeah, just remove the roof/second floor. That's what I did for Ruined City, which is an ARV map that I submitted previously.

If you need build instructions made, just message me, and I'll make them for you. I'll just need a picture of the map.

 

[Sir Heroscape]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

The last time I tried to download VirtualScape (years ago) it wouldn't download for me. Has that been fixed? I'm a fan of the Marvel terrain set, since it's rarely used. Would we be able to use the Wall, but with the Roof removed?

I’ve never had any issues with it. I could probably just send you a copy of the files?

 

[MegaSilver]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

The last time I tried to download VirtualScape (years ago) it wouldn't download for me. Has that been fixed? I'm a fan of the Marvel terrain set, since it's rarely used. Would we be able to use the Wall, but with the Roof removed?

I’ve never had any issues with it. I could probably just send you a copy of the files?

Yes please!

 

[MegaSilver]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

I am very excited for a new ARV contest! I do have one small, not at all selfish, proposal. Would the judges allow 2 Marvel sets in lieu of of a master set? Hear me out, 2 Marvel sets combined still comprise of fewer terrain pieces than a single RotV and are nearly neck and neck with SotM. Also, if the goal is to dust off the old Marvel sets and get them on the tourney table, this doubles the fun (and the dusting, yay!). Okay, yes it is for selfish reasons . One map I'd like to submit is 2 Marvel, 1 BftU, and 1 TJ, so not too egregious, but I understand that the rules are there for a reason. I figured it never hurts to ask. Thank you judges!

Same! I wish Marvel could count as an expansion in the rules, due to it's small size (smaller than DnD).

 

[Sir Heroscape]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

We're discussing internally. We'll let you guys know soon.

 

[Leaf_It]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

I am very excited for a new ARV contest! I do have one small, not at all selfish, proposal. Would the judges allow 2 Marvel sets in lieu of of a master set? Hear me out, 2 Marvel sets combined still comprise of fewer terrain pieces than a single RotV and are nearly neck and neck with SotM. Also, if the goal is to dust off the old Marvel sets and get them on the tourney table, this doubles the fun (and the dusting, yay!). Okay, yes it is for selfish reasons . One map I'd like to submit is 2 Marvel, 1 BftU, and 1 TJ, so not too egregious, but I understand that the rules are there for a reason. I figured it never hurts to ask. Thank you judges!

Same! I wish Marvel could count as an expansion in the rules, due to it's small size (smaller than DnD).

Marvel can count as a small Expansion. Ulysses is asking if we can use 2 Marvel sets in place of a Master set.

 

[Sir Heroscape]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

Official Announcement
For this contest, your submission(s) you can use 1 FREE (extra) Marvel Set for building your maps.​

Since the marvel set is already considered a Hybrid set (can be used as a MS or Expansion in your submission), this new rule simply allows you 1 extra Marvel set if you want to use 2 in the same map build.

Example: You build a map with BftU (MS), RttFF (Exp), Marvel (Exp), Marvel (Extra)

 

[BiggaBullfrog]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

So to clarify, you can use an extra Marvel set, but only if you already have one in the build? So Marvel x2 Swamp Jungle works, but not Marvel Swamp Jungle Fortress?

 

[Sir Heroscape]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

So to clarify, you can use an extra Marvel set, but only if you already have one in the build? So Marvel x2 Swamp Jungle works, but not Marvel Swamp Jungle Fortress?

Nope.

+1 Extra Marvel Set.

Ex. SotM, TJ, FotA, Marvel = YES it's okay

So if you want to use 2 Marvel sets, you can, or you can just add 1 Marvel set into your other 2 expansions.

 

[Ulysses]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

This is great news! Thank you judges for considering this tweak and I can't wait to see the new maps trickle in.

 

[Sir Heroscape]

Re: NEW CONTEST - Marvel Scrolls

Just a few days left before we're taking Submissions. Still plenty of time to design, playtest and submit...but don't let that time pass you by either!

Also, feel free to post questions or ask for feedback and we'll be more than willing to participate!