Hello !

I've just been asked a question about Galactus and the Prison map.
How do you place Galactus in that map at the beginning of the game ?
There is not a part in the two starting area where he can be placed, because of the walls inside them. And rule of occupancy say that you cannot place a character in a square of blocking terrain.
My answer was that Galactus must be placed in the three rows of clear terrain just in front of the official starting areas and that each starting area (for both players) are then extended by three rows (as it would have happen if the whole team couldn't be placed in the original starting area).
But was I right ?

and now for an actual answer. Multibase rules didn't have anything specific about starting area placement, but...

Blackest Night rule book page 5:

STEP 2: CHOOSE STARTING AREAS
all starting areas increase by one row toward the center of the
map. Starting areas can be extended until each player’s force will fit in their respective starting areas.

So you sort of didn't do the right thing. The starting area would have expanded for both players, letting the opponent place more freely as well.

But on the prison map, the walls prevent Big G from legally occupying those squares in the starting area.

I'd say he did the right thing.

Thanks for the answers, as usual

I know there was a ruling once that Galactus would start in the first three rows and that any walls he started the game on would be destroyed. Like many things Colossal, this was never added to the Player's Guide so you can do with it what you will. Harpua alternative is just as good as any.

At least it's not just me.
That sounds familiar and was something that I was looking for but could not find, either. I thought maybe I'd imagined it.

It's not a rule per se but I'd say he can go in the starting area and it's considered clear terrain. I based this on the ruling for using Skyscrapers BFC on the Telporter pad Legion Map

That ruling actually changed in June of last year. Now you can't play Skyscrapers if any starting area is exclusively elevated terrain (like on the Legion of Super Heroes starter map.)

From the Player's Guide:

well, good, I searched the players guide all the way through, I thought I had just missed it and went to the good book for that. Does that ruling only apply when based on the number of figures then?

Unless I'm reading Captain Krueger's post wrong, I think the two starting areas ended up being the same size.

arrrgh. i need to start going to bed earlier than 5 am. i completely missed that part.