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 Titles: Okaara
Dimensions: 24" x 36" (16x24 squares)
Set: DC HeroClix- War of Light Fast Forces
Status: Active

Sometimes you just want a place to call your own. Superman has a Fortress of Solitude. Batman has a Batcave. Even Ra's al Ghul has a Lazarus Pit. Larfleeze, the sole member of the Orange Lantern Corps, has a sealed-off temple on a remote planet.



Divided into two clear sections, playing on this map gives decided roles to each team, from a story perspective. Team 1 calls this map home, and begins inside the temple. The temple is predominantly a wide open space 7x12 squares wide, with two sideline elevated areas and a wall protecting the starting area. Team 2 is the visiting team, and has a hindering terrain maze to pass thru before reaching the choke point. Team 1 could rush outdoors and fight there, but in most games players will be compeled to take the fight indoors.

The dominant gameplay element here is definitely the narrow opening at the middle of the map. Walls 3 squares thick dissuade alternate paths in. Confusion arose from the way Blocking terrain interacts with Indoor designation, and for a few months it was completely legal to fly over the walls and into the chamber. A player's guide entry cleared up the confusion, and in turn made this map operate how is appears it should. For those interested in the exact wording of the rules change:
"If a square of outdoor blocking terrain shares an edge with a yellow terrain line, treat that edge as an indoor wall for movement and line of fire purposes."

So when do you want to use a map like Okaara? When you've got a team of close combatants who need cover while they close the gap. Likewise, a hypersonic speed centerpiece can retreat to safety turn after turn. There are plenty of ways to play this map, but the most effective way is to take advantage of the narrow lines of fire while getting close to your target. And packing a Barrier figure can be nice too; a 2x2 plug in the gap will keep anyone from coming in - or out!

This map has no special rules, though maybe it should have. The War of Light fast forces comes with 4 Barrier tokens that make the seal on Larfleeze's blocked-up door. WizKids missed a cool opportunity to put orange terrain there and begin the game with the seal in place, to be destroyed as one attack. You're welcome to institute this comic-accurate variant in home games.

Is this a house you shouldn't knock at?

Theme: 5/5
It looks, plays, and feels like the home planet of Agent Orange. That's all we can ask from a HeroClix map!
Clarity: 2/5
The grass is level 2. The blocking, level 1. But the Indoor section hits just after the blocking terrain... This map required a Player's Guide change to how adjacent map elements operate. I'd say that makes it unclear. Thankfully, I can say to you, "play it how you'd expect", and it works.
Tactical Impact: 5/5
Choke point maps are always interesting, especially when they go to such great lengths to ensure you HAVE to play that way. Each end of the map has different strategic options. And the fun part is, when you choose to play here, you let your opponent decide which way they want to play...
Balance: 3/5
It's not often you can say, "Range is really at a disadvantage here," but it's absolutely true on Okaara. To get a line of fire, you either need to get past whatever choke-point security your opponent sets up or have your opponent come out to you. The pendulum swings almost too far the other way, setting up brutal beatdowns from figures like Worldbreaker and Red King, who already have 'advantages' given to them to compensate for their small threat radius.
Terrain Diversity: 4/5
Blocking, hindering, elevation changes, indoor and outdoor, walls. If Larfleeze had put in a pool, we'd have a 5 here.

Overall: 3.8/5
Fun, unique, and comic-based, Okaara is a great addition to a map collection- but only for certain teams!

That's it for this week! Until next time, enjoy the scenery!

Nice review.

I should get some of these FF packs for some more maps.

I find that the majority of the time, the most competitive piece in a Fast Forces pack is the map. Of course, there are exceptions (Blackest Night's map was useless; Scarlet Witch outclasses any map), but they just prove the rule.

Good review... I have the map, and agree especially with this line of text:

I traded for this map, but the 4 barrier tokens were never mentioned. Could you post of a picture of them?

I really like the look of this map. It looks like a ton of fun to play on.

to clarify: It may not be tactically sound, but you could break through the wall sections to make your own entrance in, right? Three attacks to "break on through to the other side."

I get all confused with the outdoor/indoor shenanigans that mired this map's entrance onto the scene.

Sorry, I don't own them. Traded for the map too, and as the Barrier tokens were more associated with the figures than the map, there's no reason to include them.

You certainly could, but you'd need to A- stand on the edge of elevation 2 (so right next to the blocks) to hit them; B- have a way to go down that level of elevation after breaking the blocking; and C- have enough time to make all those attacks, movements, and stopping in rubble. Probably not worth it, but for someone like Sentroid, it might be a viable option.

Juggernaut thinks that way takes too long.

Does Juggernaut ignore elevation changes?

Great review. Awesome!

If Congorilla carries a stepladder over for him?

And the map is now available for PbP play at HCUtils here.