Cannot wait for the IG8 event, sounds like so much fun.

If you're playing the game where your opponent's Ventry can sit at the middle of the map, fly over into your half, and still your figures are 6 squares away, then yeah, he'll use range. I imagine that most players, however, will start a match against Ventry by heading for the staircase, meaning that he won't have a shot of more than 2 or 3 squares.

That's how I read it. Had a judge try telling me it would still be blocking.

Wait, I'm confused on this. Which player won initiative? (1 or 2)

I understand how normal tournament initiative works (with the roll loser getting to pick the side), but for these events I think we let the winner pick the side and go first. Makes sense because the map choice advantage is gone when there's only one option.

If you win the roll, you can choose to go second and pick your starting area. You can't pick starting area AND go first.

Ah, gotcha. In other words, the same rules apply but it's probably more advantageous to defer.

The options still are (winner chooses first):
-Map choice and going 1st
-Side choice and goind 2nd

This map is unforgiving for the player at the bottom of the stairs.

I cannot tell by looking at the image, are the squares of blocking surrounded by walls?

Walls make it harder to blow-through the blocking, but have the added benefit of spilling rubble into adjacent squares creating more square of hindering.

I'm actually excited to use this map after the event, running some scenarios with a Thanos on the shaded area around the throne!!

How so?

No, no walls. Just Blocking.

Is there a better scan of this map somewhere? It's hard to see what's blocking and I can't tell if the shrine is the higher or lower elevation.

The problem here is if the blocking terrain is also considered elevated in this sense. I'm rule lawyering just to clarify but if it's not determined as being elevated it wouldn't necessarily be affected by the wordage of the power.

Cool map, but any venue that does NOT run a sealed event for the finale is ludicrous!! you are setting yourself up for the ULTIMATE CHEESE FEST!!!

Is leaving it up to the luck of the draw any better?

There is probably no better scan in all the world.

I can assure you that the shrine is raised, and that the only walls are blocking terrain, and go everywhere it looks like they should.