The impact a map can have on a game is often overlooked. A good strategy incorporates a tactically-sound map choice. But when it comes to locale, sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees. We're here to help you make smart decisions when it comes to Heroclix real estate.

Official Title: Krakoa
Commonly Known As: The Living Island
Map on Reverse: Madripoor
Dimensions: 24" x 36" (16x24 squares)
Set: Giant-Size X-Men
Status: Active

Official Title: Krakoa
Commonly Known As: The Living Island
Map on Reverse: Madripoor
Dimensions: 24" x 36" (16x24 squares)
Set: Giant-Size X-Men
Status: Active
Availability: Krakoa is currently available at a tournament scene near you! Ask your local gaming store about this map.

The Marvel universe is full of peculiar things, and we love it. We also love when Heroclix embraces the absurdity and provides us with those ridiculous comic characters like Howard the Duck, Nextwave, and now the living island Krakoa.

Krakoa first appeared in the comics as the location of the missing original X-Men. When that island turned out to be sentient, the X-Men found themselves in a preposterous battle where their opponent had- and was- the higher ground.

In Heroclix terms, that translates to a map where the terrain is just as much an obstacle as the opponent is. A maze-like layout of hindering, a central block of shallow elevated terrain, and of course the nerve center's rules make for a unique experience where map choice can literally kick your butt.

Let's start with the simple part: the layout. Hindering Terrain is definitely the predominant terrain type, but Krakoa utilizes them all. From your starting area, you'll have to wind your way through the twisting squares of clear terrain if you're a ground-based figure. Most likely your path will open up to the central area, where the Nerve Center is located. This arena should be your battleground of last resort, and it's where the unfortunates of your team will likely wind up; here, Krakoa has no trouble reaching you, and any ranged attacker will likely find themselves uncomfortably close to the hand-to-hand figures they'd like to target.


Perhaps the better location is atop the mountain. Here, you can ignore the bonuses of hindering terrain while you shoot at figures wandering through the maze. And with only one way up on either side, you can easily restrict your opponent's access.

Water-based figures may not see much combat in the long oceanic strip on the P-side of the map. But they will find that their swimming capabilities allow them much more freedom of movement. Consider it the expressway of the aquatic element: you can't get exactly where you want to go, but you can get close fast.

Now, Krakoa is a battleground in every sense of the word, and as your turn ends, Krakoa will take his. Check out the special rules for this map:
The odds are 50% that Krakoa will choose to pass, but it never seems like that happens. When he does act, he can really impact your strategy. Turning Hindering to Blocking can obstruct your ranged combat attacks, and the mere potential that this result may get rolled should keep most figures from risking a position in the trees. The earthquakes can really mess up a swarm team, and if you're not careful, a poorly chosen centerpiece as well. Perhaps the most advantageous roll is the island's attack, when you can target a specific opposing piece with a damaging free attack.

Tip: Set a physical reminder on the table so you don't forget to roll at the end of your turn! You don't want your opponent to have sole control of the island's attacks! I recomment a small stone, obnoxiously placed where you feel compelled to move it out of the way- so as to constantly remind you of its presence!


Considering an island getaway? Be sure you pack the following:

-Characters who ignore terrain. This comes up a lot, but the main advantage of a highly-interfering map goes to a team who ignores the features of the map. That means Leap/Climb, Phasing, Flight, Giant status, Ultimates team ability, or the Superman team ability. Aquatic can work in a pinch. The Carry ability is especially helpful to haul the less mobile of your team.

-Energy Explosion can prove effective here. This map often filters figures toward the same location, and a smart opponent will lead with the guy they can afford to sacrifice. If you want to get damage delivered to that one figure in particular, the easiest way might be to splash it to them (while weakening anyone around at the same time).

-Telekinesis is like your band-aid for unprepared team builds. Toss your ground-based attacker right over the hindering and into your opponent's forces. Just be sure your backup can keep up.

-Smoke Cloud may prove more useful than Barrier here; it's certainly more versatile. As the map's natural hindering is unsafe, generating your own is about the only way for your Stealthed figure to have that 100% safety. Put it under your own Charge figure to let them cross the natural landscape (albeit slowly). And of course, you can obstruct your opponent's already winding open paths.


-Quake and Force Blast. Whenever a map has unsafe squares, these two powers should spring to mind. Knock opponents into Krakoa's radius, or into the dangerous and obstructive Hindering. Or, if your opponent just rolled that wall-building island effect, send them flying for the extra knockback damage!

-Damage Reducers can be critical for outliving your opponent on a map bend on dealing your figures free damage.

All this said and done, how does Krakoa rate?

Theme: 5/5
For a set named after the comic he first appeared in, Krakoa is thematically perfect. The special map effects are well chosen to represent the living island without needlessly complicating things, and the visual design is superb, given the difficult subject.
Clarity: 5/5
The map's special rules are easily understood, and the terrain is well marked. Usually a map with special rules is a real stumbling block playing on it for the first time in sealed, but from my experience and everything I've read it was perfectly clear how the whole thing worked.
Tactical Impact: 4/5
When playing on Krakoa, you really must think of the map as another character, an opponent that must be dealt with and planned around. That's incredibly cool, for a map. The layout of terrain is also tactically significant.
Balance: 2/5
This map would earn a 1, just because it is so obstructive to about half of team builds; however, a good number of those team builds are the most popular figures in the game, who could use a good neutralizing map. Ms. Skrull-Vel can't hide in the map's hindering, nor any Bat-members. Centerpieces like Cosmic Spider-Man, Magneto, and KC Superman can be targeted by the map's own attacks, letting you attack without getting close to the deadly opponent. Still, unfortunate dice rolls with the map's special rules can give an advantage to one player.
Terrain Diversity: 5/5
This map includes Hindering that turns to Blocking, Elevated, Blocking, Water, and a Special area that attacks you. It's got something for everyone, from Chase Batman to Attuma.

Overall: 4.2/5
This map ranks among the most unique, most creative, and possibly most fun maps in Heroclix, but has one major Achilles Heel in its decided lack of balance. With advance warning, this map can be a blast. When dropped on you in tournament play, it can blast you. Get Krakoa for your home games, but keep it in your tournament bag as a silver bullet.

Once again, I'm thrilled inform you that the folks at GridReality have teamed with Heroclix Map Reviews to provide the Realms with a chance to win one of GridReality's maps! All you need to do is be the first to post with the correct answer to the following question:

The figures used in this week's images are all from the Giant-Size X-Men set, and all have ties to the X-Men comics. But they also share something else in common. What is it?

The correct answer: They were all assigned rarities usually not given to units with that set number!

Disclaimers: There may be more than one correct answer, but I have an answer and I need you to match that. HCRealms Contributors are ineligible to win. I will not answer PMs concerning this contest.

Thanks for reading! Next week, we'll put four players on one map in a duel to the death! Until then, enjoy the scenery!

Can't see the images cause I'm at work

Can't see the images either. And I'm not. Must be a boo boo.

Cause I don't even see a sign of there being images anywhere in the posts. Other than the small description text beneath where I assume they'd likely be.

played on this map a couple times i like it. it is a little too random sometimes but i have always had fun with it. i think the evolution of maps in this game is really cool just as long as they keep printing basic maps too.

They all appeared in the fairly short lived "Wolverine and the X-men" Cartoon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...X-Men_episodes

Played on this map a couple of times as well. I really don't like it. I'm not a fan of maps hurting specific teams. This one can do that dramatically. One or two earthquake rolls and your support pieces can be crippled. Turning the hindering into blocking can destroy any strategies you might have planned out. Your opponent getting two or more attacks off of the island itself can be an insane advantage. For a fun map in a fun game sure. For a tournament where strategy should be the deciding factor, I do not like this map. Maybe if I see my opponent playing nightcrawler or con artists. Maybe Prof X and his researchers (even then you need 3 earthquakes to kill researchers). Its not a good tournament map when you can choose it and can plan on it actually damaging your opponent.

I'm also at work (and mobile to boot), but I PM'd Typhon to look into it. He's been prompt in the past, so apologies for the broken images but I assume they'll be up shortly.

And no, Wolverine and the X-Men is not the answer I'm looking for.

I also think this map is an unbalanced one, and gave it a low score in that.

But to be fair, you really can't plan on it damaging your opponent; you can only hope it doesn't damage you.

I've fixed the images.

Thanks for the fix, Typhon!

I like this map, but my friend didn't like the idea of us getting messed up before the fight even started. We took out the "Earthquake" (Roll of 4) and made it so that it couldn't do the Island attack (Roll of 6) two turns in a row. Worked out pretty well.