Marvelous Map Contest Round 1B

[MegaSilver]

Here is Quarterfinal votes for the Marvelous Map Contest! With 28 entries, There are 6 (A-F) polls, 4 polls with 5 maps and 2 polls with 4 maps. The Top 2 from each Poll will move on to the Semifinal polls.


Please vote for the maps which look the best competitively, not aesthetically. And feel free to discuss how you believe the map would play. You are allowed to vote for multiple maps.

The first set of maps for Round 1B are:

Turf War

Spoiler Alert!

Sokovian Aftermath

Spoiler Alert!

Winter is Here

Spoiler Alert!

Vulcan Ridge

Spoiler Alert!

Nightfall

Spoiler Alert!

 

[caps]

This is a very nice pool of maps to pick from. Gonna' be hard to pick the best one here...

I think Sokovian Aftermath may be out just because it is so *big* for a tournament map. Looks really fun for a casual game though. Very nice board appeal.

 

[superfrog]

Turf War looks very solid. Interesting road pathing and good lava spots. Got my vote.

Sokovian Aftermath is too long and wide for my tastes (and I know it's intended for C3G play so that probably makes a difference). Just looks like a slog to play classic scape on.

Winter is Here looks solid and I nearly voted for it. I think it ends up feeling a bit too bumpy for lateral movement.

Vulcan Ridge got my vote. I wish a bit more of the height was connected in the center but overall I like the concept and the shadow/lava interplay.

I think Nightfall might have a bit of a left/center pull but going right looks to be well-supported by shadow as well. I'm not sure the two parallel road spurs do anything of consequence but the road plays nicely with height. Got my vote.

 

[MegaSilver]

FYI Poll is Ending Friday at 11 PM Central Time!

 

[caps]

After further review I voted for Turf War and Vulcan Ridge.

Winter is Here is too much of a "two hill" map, which as I've said elsewhere I typically dislike.

Nightfall looks nice, but I don't like the way that there is level 3 height (the highest hexes on the map) so close to the start zones. Seems very easy to set up a Raelin+ranged pod without spending more than one OM per figure.

 

[Typhon2222]

After further review I voted for Turf War and Vulcan Ridge.

Winter is Here is too much of a "two hill" map, which as I've said elsewhere I typically dislike.

Nightfall looks nice, but I don't like the way that there is level 3 height (the highest hexes on the map) so close to the start zones. Seems very easy to set up a Raelin+ranged pod without spending more than one OM per figure.

Gah! @caps , that image is incorrect — it shows a faulty build.
The highest height is actually further away from the SZ on the right (closer) side, precisely to avoid the problem you mention.


Check out the other (correct) image. You'll see that that double-hex is further away. And ALL of the highest height on the map is adjacent to either road or shadow, or both, to ensure it's easily contestable and that ranged can't easily pod up on it.


@MegaSilver , can you please delete the display image for Nightfall, and also the middle (2nd) of the images in the spoilers. Both are wrong.

For the new display image, please go with the last (3rd) image in the spoilers. Thanks!

 

[caps]

Gah! @caps , that image is incorrect — it shows a faulty build.
The highest height is actually further away from the SZ on the right (closer) side, precisely to avoid the problem you mention.


Check out the other (correct) image. You'll see that that double-hex is further away. And ALL of the highest height on the map is adjacent to either road or shadow, or both, to ensure it's easily contestable and that ranged can't easily pod up on it.


@MegaSilver , can you please delete the display image for Nightfall, and also the middle (2nd) of the images in the spoilers. Both are wrong.

For the new display image, please go with the last (3rd) image in the spoilers. Thanks!

Hmm, I see a level 3 2-hexer on the right side of the start zone (4 hexes away from the start zone) in all four pictures. Perhaps one of them addresses a similar issue, but that one looks to me like it is in every version of the build.

 

[Typhon2222]

Gah! @caps , that image is incorrect — it shows a faulty build.
The highest height is actually further away from the SZ on the right (closer) side, precisely to avoid the problem you mention.


Check out the other (correct) image. You'll see that that double-hex is further away. And ALL of the highest height on the map is adjacent to either road or shadow, or both, to ensure it's easily contestable and that ranged can't easily pod up on it.


@MegaSilver , can you please delete the display image for Nightfall, and also the middle (2nd) of the images in the spoilers. Both are wrong.

For the new display image, please go with the last (3rd) image in the spoilers. Thanks!

Hmm, I see a level 3 2-hexer on the right side of the start zone (4 hexes away from the start zone) in all four pictures. Perhaps one of them addresses a similar issue, but that one looks to me like it is in every version of the build.

Oh, the LVL3 asphalt double-hexer between the road spurs?

Yes, but it's only 2 hexes, almost completely surrounded by road, and most importantly — I think you missed this (easily done!) — the highest heights on the map are all LVL4, not LVL3. So that asphalt double-hexer you're looking at can easily be gunned down from the higher LVL4 areas closer to the center.

 

[caps]

Oh, the LVL3 asphalt double-hexer between the road spurs?

Yes, but it's only 2 hexes, almost completely surrounded by road, and most importantly — I think you missed this (easily done!) — the highest heights on the map are all LVL4, not LVL3. So that asphalt double-hexer you're looking at can easily be gunned down from the higher LVL4 areas closer to the center.

I see what you're saying. The build issue is actually in every picture; one side has the tree and 2-hexer incorrectly places on the 7-hexer, and the other side has it correct.

Regardless, a melee army doesn't care much that there is level 4 height elsewhere on the map. My complaint remains: I don't like easy pod setup spots with relative height advantage to most of the map to be right outside the start zone, though I recognize that many map makers and map evaluators won't feel the same way that I do on this point. A fair amount of the map (over 20 hexes if I counted right) is on level 3, so it's not a particularly *egregious* instance.

EDIT: Actually I looked again and the spot I'm referring to *is* on level 4. It's the 2-hexer by the tree on the right side of each start zone. I don't think I see any level 5 hexes on the map that would be higher, so it is rather "egregious."

I thought the 2-hexer I was referring to was on level 3 because of a trick of the lighting (literally the nearby shadow tile hid the fact that the 7-hexer beneath it is at level 3).

 

[Typhon2222]

I see what you're saying. The build issue is actually in every picture; one side has the tree and 2-hexer incorrectly places on the 7-hexer, and the other side has it correct.

Gah, you're right. Every one is faulty.

@MegaSilver , sorry, but can you rephoto the map for the next bracket?

 

[Typhon2222]

Regardless, a melee army doesn't care much that there is level 4 height elsewhere on the map. My complaint remains: I don't like easy pod setup spots with relative height advantage to most of the map to be right outside the start zone, though I recognize that many map makers and map evaluators won't feel the same way that I do on this point. A fair amount of the map (over 20 hexes if I counted right) is on level 3, so it's not a particularly *egregious* instance.

Gotcha.

 

[Typhon2222]

EDIT: Actually I looked again and the spot I'm referring to *is* on level 4. It's the 2-hexer by the tree on the right side of each start zone. I don't think I see any level 5 hexes on the map that would be higher, so it is rather "egregious."

I thought the 2-hexer I was referring to was on level 3 because of a trick of the lighting (literally the nearby shadow tile hid the fact that the 7-hexer beneath it is at level 3).

Ah, okay that double-hexer!

Yes indeedy, it's on LVL4. But one of its spaces is 7 move from the SZ, the other is 8 move. So, phew, they can't be reached in 1 OM.

 

[Typhon2222]

I think Nightfall might have a bit of a left/center pull but going right looks to be well-supported by shadow as well. I'm not sure the two parallel road spurs do anything of consequence but the road plays nicely with height. Got my vote.

Thanks @superfrog!
You know, it was to counter a leftward pull that I made the LVL4 height on the right easier/faster to reach than the LVL4 on the left. Will be curious to see how it plays out.

 

[caps]

EDIT: Actually I looked again and the spot I'm referring to *is* on level 4. It's the 2-hexer by the tree on the right side of each start zone. I don't think I see any level 5 hexes on the map that would be higher, so it is rather "egregious."

I thought the 2-hexer I was referring to was on level 3 because of a trick of the lighting (literally the nearby shadow tile hid the fact that the 7-hexer beneath it is at level 3).

Ah, okay that double-hexer.

Yes indeedy, it's on LVL4. But one of its spaces is 7 move from the SZ, the other is 8 move. So they can't be reached in 1 OM.

It looks like 4 or 5 to me. Raelin can get there in 1 OM

 

[Typhon2222]

Yes indeedy, it's on LVL4. But one of its spaces is 7 move from the SZ, the other is 8 move. So they can't be reached in 1 OM.

It looks like 4 or 5 to me. Raelin can get there in 1 OM

Oh for a flyer, absolutely. I thought you were talking about podding up ranged units on that double-hexer, not Raelin.

Yesh, Raelin can reach there, but I don't know that I'd want to put her there. One same-level space beside her, and adjacent to shadow/road....

 

[MegaSilver]

I see what you're saying. The build issue is actually in every picture; one side has the tree and 2-hexer incorrectly places on the 7-hexer, and the other side has it correct.

Gah, you're right. Every one is faulty.

@MegaSilver , sorry, but can you rephoto the map for the next bracket?

My apologies for the error. I'll look into getting that fixed.

 

[Typhon2222]

My apologies for the error. I'll look into getting that fixed.

Thanks Mega! No worries at all. I don't know how you managed to make, and photograph, so many maps for this contest. So much to juggle.