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Matt Francella (JediCartographer / ArmoredCartographers / Adventurers' Atlas) shipped Map Pack #7 a few weeks ago. Here are some opinions on the maps.
There are 10 maps in the map pack. 4 are reprints, 2 are first printings of maps that have been available for years as PDFs, and 4 are brand new.
Reprints:
1. Lava Processing Station. This was known as Mustafar in JC Map Pack #2. It's on the Open map list, and should stay there. Nice looking map, though, which is probably why people voted to have it reprinted.
2. Smuggler's Base. This was originally printed as a one-off known as Jedi Cartographer League Kit #1. It has spent time on the Restricted List in the past, and is a candidate to return, but probably not a leading candidate.
3. Outlaw City. This is currently on the Restricted list.
4. The Cantina. This has spent a lot of time on the Restricted list and could return.
Old PDFs printed for the first time:
1. Knight's Temple. This has been known as Jedi Temple for years, but has never been printed. There's a big open space for gambit, so it isn't likely to make the Restricted list, but should be Standard.
2. Rock Fortress. This has been known as Geonosis for years. Probably Standard, but has a better shot at Restricted than Knight's Temple. Decent protection around gambit, but not many doors. Still pretty shooty. Both starting zones, though, are pretty much completely unprotected, and that may be a dealbreaker.
New maps:
1. Royal Militia Headquarters. Looks like a Restricted map to me. Nearly terrainless fighting, along the lines of Bothan Spynet. Somehow it's huge-friendly without being a shooting range.
2. Swamp Outpost. Standard. Decent number of buildings to move through and fight in, but not enough of them in the starting zones.
3. Marooned Starship. Standard. Despite no doors from starting zone to starting zone, the path zigzags enough that the starting zones are probably okay. It's just a bit of a slog to the center of the map, with a buildup at a 1- or 2-wide door for main confrontation if players engage in gambit.
4. Knight's Outpost. Open. This will probably be commonly known as the "Grotto" since that's what is in the dead center of the map. Too bad about this one - it might have been a Restricted candidate, and certainly at least Standard, except for one broken square near gambit. There are beveled corners giving access to one square by the river so that if you get there, you can't be touched. Put someone with GMA/Flight in there and melee literally can't touch him at all and he can just fly out and shoot. Kind of a dumb ruling by WotC imo, that beveled corners only allow movement - not adjacency. But that's where we are.
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Also got the map pack recently and here are my thoughts on the new ones as the token speaker for the Huges haha.
1. Geonosis, decent movement for Huges though gambit is hard to access for them, and if you choose this map you are starting in the caves and your opponent gets the door protected hanger so I think it's a good, even if not the best, candidate for restricted. But man it's so Star Wars it needs to spend at least some time on the list.
2. Knights Temple, fantastic for Huges to move around, but starting zones are both fairly open. Standard is the obvious place for the map but man again another fantastic theme and for that alone I would support it on restricted but get why people may want it standard.
3. Royal Militia headquarters, good movement for Huges and a fine candidate for the restricted list, though not as awesome theme-wise as the two previous. Nice balanced map and good movement for Huges.
4. Swamp Outpost, this map should totally be restricted! It has at least a room to put the two most important commanders in safely and it's such a cool Nal Hutta slums theme it can't not make it in.
5. Marooned Starship, one of the most interesting maps in the set and I think a brand new map style, with a "Great Wall" barrier in the middle and tons of distance between starting zones and heavy protection from shooting lines. Huge movement is solid around the map but it is more difficult around the "gambit ship". If someone chooses this map the opponent would most likely set up in the centre of the caves if they want protection as it's around 40 squares to make it anywhere close to LOS for people hiding in the caves. All in all the style and design makes this a unique cool map that screams of KOTOR 1. I think it would do well on the restricted list and look forward to playing on it the most of the new batch.
6. Knight's Outpost, not sure what you were talking about with the broken square Flying, the river is difficult terrain not a pit so if someone ends in the beveled square between the trees and next to the river you just have to walk around the tree into the river and attack them. Anyways that aside Huge movement is poor to average as they can sort of get around but need lots of help with doors. I would say standard list for this one.
Overall this is the most Huge-friendly map pack we've probably ever had. And the most Star-Wars themed pack since WOTC days. Geonosis, Jedi Temple, Unknown World Beach from KOTOR and the Nal Hutta slums! All distinctive major locations from a mix of the movies and EU. For that alone we may have another tournament just using the new maps this fall. But some fantastic options I would like to see rotated through the restricted list. But Marooned Starship, Royal Headquarters and Swamp Outpost are the three that should for sure make it on. But Geonosis and Jedi Temple would make excellent additions for theme even though they are slightly weaker gameplay-wise.
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I'm hoping Knight's Outpost doesn't end up restricted, as our group order was missing a copy.
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General_Grievous wrote:
6. Knight's Outpost, not sure what you were talking about with the broken square Flying, the river is difficult terrain not a pit so if someone ends in the beveled square between the trees and next to the river you just have to walk around the tree into the river and attack them. Anyways that aside Huge movement is poor to average as they can sort of get around but need lots of help with doors. I would say standard list for this one.
I was totally reading the river as a pit, but you're right - it's difficult terrain. There are two pit squares at the waterfall by the overlook but the rest is difficult terrain. That makes it Standard instead of Open. It would be a stretch for Restricted, since both sides have such an easy, straight shot into a doorless gambit that's relatively shooty. Seems like every skirmish would go about the same way. I'd have to play some games on it first to say for sure, but definitely leaning Standard.
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Like...can't You just ask the guy who made Knight's Outpost to issue a printable errata tile?
I hate to hear that about the map...One tiny detail ruining the map.
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TheHutts wrote:I'm hoping Knight's Outpost doesn't end up restricted, as our group order was missing a copy. Hey, got your message. I'm going to send you the missing copy. I actually had to remove it. One map changed the price from 35 dollars to 55. I appreciate the offer to just not bother,but that's nonsense. You are going to get what you paid for.
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FlyingArrow wrote:General_Grievous wrote:
6. Knight's Outpost, not sure what you were talking about with the broken square Flying, the river is difficult terrain not a pit so if someone ends in the beveled square between the trees and next to the river you just have to walk around the tree into the river and attack them. Anyways that aside Huge movement is poor to average as they can sort of get around but need lots of help with doors. I would say standard list for this one.
I was totally reading the river as a pit, but you're right - it's difficult terrain. There are two pit squares at the waterfall by the overlook but the rest is difficult terrain. That makes it Standard instead of Open. It would be a stretch for Restricted, since both sides have such an easy, straight shot into a doorless gambit that's relatively shooty. Seems like every skirmish would go about the same way. I'd have to play some games on it first to say for sure, but definitely leaning Standard. The stream is difficult terrain, and beyond the waterfall is all pit. I have to disagree with the assessment overall. That map has a fast and dangerous approach, or a slower safer one. And there are rooms in north and south that would be heavily contested. Get some people to play test it thoroughly, and if there are some tweaks I can issue as a downloadable print and play errata, I will certainly do it.
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Cool. I'm looking forward to playing on it. With some plays, I could see myself coming around on it. It looks awesome, that's for sure.
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