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: Let Them In
Environment: Outdoor
Map on Reverse: None
Dimensions: 24" x 36" (16x24 squares)
Set: ROC 2018
Status: ROC Legal

Today, we’ve got a special preview lined up that’s taking the place of my normal article. Howard Brock gave me a sneak peek of the ROC map for his upcoming States competition, and he wanted me to share it with all of you. While we’ve had a lot of maps from the 2017 superhero cinematics, we’ve had a lot of cool films this year, and probably none more iconic than

Deadpool 2!

Avengers: Infinity War!!

This map is called “Let Them In,” and is centered around the big moment in the film when T’Challa and Steve Rogers decided that the best way to keep Thanos’ army from flanking them and finding another way in was to open gaps in the barrier around Wakanda, and face the enemies through the choke points as they try to enter. It's the setup for the big "everybody in the pool" fight scene, but I'm going to stop myself there for those of you who haven't seen the film. So let's jump in to the map review!

Making Yourself At Home:

It’s important to note that the center of the map has thick stretches of Blocking terrain that divide the map in two. Now, that Blocking terrain has several openings for characters on one side to cross in to the other, creating multiple choke points for anyone feeling brave enough to move through them. You could have done a similar effect by simply using Wall terrain, but it’s important to note that while the force field doesn’t close itself the way it does in the film, the fact that Blocking terrain was used and that it was made several squares thick make it very difficult/tedious to shoot through, meaning that more characters will have an easier time simply going around it, just like the film. The terrain in the center can kind of blend in with the force field itself, and while the force field is gorgeous, it can be a little distracting, so I took the liberty of highlighting some of the terrain here:


The Blocking terrain makes the center of the map easy to rush without worrying about being left out in the open. That said, crossing from one side to the other might be tricky, as there is a limited amount of cover directly around the wall, except for some foliage on the Southeastern side of the map or one of the transports on the north edge of the barrier near the middle. There’s more cover further back near each of the starting zones, which makes this an excellent map for turtling teams with low mobility and perhaps high Range. If you can set up on the Southern treeline or the Northern hillside, it’s very easy to draw long lines of fire at anyone trying to move through the Barrier, and deal heavy damage while they try to cross. Couple that with some pog generators or characters who get more powerful over time, and you can force your enemies to come to you even through the terrible choke points. In order to really make it work, however, you’ll want some cheap tie-ups near the center (and Plasticity is great), and having a firing range that can Ignore Characters for line of fire will really help out (and it might not be a terrible idea to find characters who can ignore Blocking or Hindering while you’re at it). Another thought is that because the terrain is Outdoor, your characters can fly over the Barriers, which is certainly something I think Thanos' minions would have preferred. This means that if you choose to take advantage of that, it becomes even easier to cross from one side to the other and flank your opponents. Another thing to consider is that with all of the Colossal Retaliators and colossals in general running around, it's important to pay attention to the fact that the Barrier doesn't do anything to or for them when it comes to line of fire, so if you have a way to abuse that, use it.

The main problem with the choke points is that there’s three of them, and that they’re spaced apart just enough that blocking off one makes it more difficult to block off the others. It’ll take more than a simple Sidestep to move from one to another, and if you don’t set up adequate defenses, your opponent might just decide to go around whatever road blocks you set up. Barrier has a lot of the same problems, and while it’s very good at plugging the holes in the map, it will only be able to plug one at a time. Smoke Cloud is a little better off, and you could feasibly use it to Block one area of the map and a little of another one. This is one of the reasons I’d recommend having a dedicated back line for your more valuable pieces, because it should give you more time to react to enemies who are trying to slip through. Another approach would be to have a character or even a group of characters with Hypersonic Speed on this map. Placing them near the center of the map enables them to run to the other side of the barrier, hit opposing characters, and then escape through the multitude of choke points to safety back on your side. And while they can’t provide a static defense of multiple choke points, they can move from one to another very easily, harassing your opponents and making them more cautious about simply breezing through.

Contrary to the film, this isn’t always a map that benefits a large team, and you might find yourself with more success if you have a smaller team of a tentpole with a small support staff that can easily be toted around. I mentioned the Hypersonic characters, but even if you don’t have quite that much mobility, you can still use the multiple choke points to pop out and attack with Charge or Running Shot, and force your opponent to split up their forces to try and pin you down. It's very easy here to separate characters' line of sight, and a small, mobile team can harass enemies just as easily as a larger, less mobile team can snipe them from a distance. Because you'll have the first opportunity to move, it's also good for moving anyone up that you want, and finding cover on your side of the Barrier to jump out at opponents who try to do the same down the road, just keep in mind that you have the option of setting the pace of this map either way.

Stuck in a Lease:

This is a good map to get stuck on from the standpoint that it provides clear options on starting zones. This map is centralled focused on the Blocking terrain near the center, so it's important to try and figure that out first. The map largely benefits either stationary long range/turtle teams or mobile, small teams who can bounce around the terrain and pick off your members as they move through, so the first thing you should do is identify what scenario this is. After that, when it comes to choosing starting zones, I'd say it comes down to how comfortable you are in a firefight. The Northern starting zone has literally all of the Elevated terrain, making it a good place to set up snipers. The Southern starting zone has almost all of the usable Hindering terrain, which is important if you're using it for cover if you feel like you're at a disadvantage in a firefight. Now, if you think you can draw your opponent in, pick the Starting zone with the terrain that benefits your team the most. If it looks like the enemy team is dead set on hanging out in their own starting zone, pick the zone that you want to have to invade the least. For example, if they were playing a turtle team with long range options, and I didn't like my chances, I might take the Northern Starting Zone so that when I rushed them, they'd be more accessible. Alternatively, if I thought they were coming to me, and I wanted to cut range out of the game a bit (or I just liked the idea of being in the only Water terrain on the map), I might want to use the Southern Starting Zone to reinforce my ranged defense. One last thing to note here is that the barrier doesn't quite cut the map down the middle, but rather pushes a little closer to the Southern Starting Zone meaning the South side of the map is a little more closed in.


Once play starts, take care to spot traps and ambushes, and use the multiple chokes to move around them when possible. This is a map where you might have to sacrifice a bit and play a game of cat and mouse, but as long as you're clear about what you're sacrificing and what you're gaining in return, you can mitigate that a bit. Another thing to consider is that because this is Outdoor terrain, a lot of road blocks can be overcome with Fliers and the like simply choosing to move over the barrier instead of having to go through it. You might consider, however, that your opponent can do the same, and that they chose this map, AND they got to move first, so, again, keep an eye out.

Vacation Spots:

No, but seriously, why would you NOT want this map for casual play? It's a really epic looking map, and it does a really good job of encapsulating that moment in the film really well. Moreover, this is a great map for long, grueling matches, and there's plenty to do here for a lot of different characters. Recreate your own siege of Wakanda, or do whatever you want. I mentioned not to try larger teams in the tactics portion of the article, but when it comes to casual play, I wouldn't recommend anything less. Just, super cool.

It’s Getting Kinda Crowded:

When it comes to having more than 2 players on this map, I'd recommend placing them closer to the center of the map rather than the corners. If you place everyone in a corner, what will likely happen is that the North and South teams will hit each other hard before trying to cross over to the other side. If you start everyone closer to the Barrier, what should happen instead is that everyone will be in range of getting hit through those choke points, and you'll have a more balanced game. If you want to throw balance out the window, consider literally having the entire battle inside or outside the barrier, and then cutting off the rest of the map. What this will do is create a very small map that will either be dominated by Elevated or Hindering, and then start everyone in the corners of that space to figure it out for themselves. Sadly this map doesn't connect to anything by virtue of art alone. The arc in the bubble makes it dubious to just snap side to side, and the lake means that the Southern potion of the map doesn't connect to anything. You could flip a second map upside down and then connect it by Northern starting zones perhaps, and then you could have a sort of long, double sided siege going on.

I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here:



Come on, how can you resist? Actually, besides being a large beatstick, I'd like to point out that Thanos' optional 25pt Trait doesn't need line of fire or range, making him a good character to affect the map from anywhere. Actually, while we're on that line of thought, either of the Galactic Guardians Thanoses would do well here for similar reasons. And what's Thanos without a little dxf052 Mistress Death. Great low mobility sniper, and she has plenty of tricks in the meantime. Conversely, aou045 Black Panther can be a really good tie-up piece for the barrier, even without the Wakanda keyword. He's got Sidestep, Charge, AND he's practically impossible to draw a line of fire to while he's near the force field. If you'd like a hulkbuster to make an appearance, nfaosG001 Hulkbuster Mark II has a lot going for him. He can use his size to completely wall off one of the choke points, his line of fire isn't blocked by the Barrier, and his knockout punch has a lot of extra damage potential if you...say....want to ricochet someone across the barrier. Want to give Thanos a little competition? jlsg005 Darkseid is also great here. Not only can he make range attacks through the Barrier, he can make minions the whole time to force your opponent to want to push through and take him. Speaking of cheap minions to flood the choke points though, Serpent Spider-Man is only 15 points, he's annoying to hit, AND he's got that Hypersonic Speed to move through choke point to choke point, hitting anyone along the way. Great choice there. Side note, if you just want to see how much damage you can do to Wakanda, wxm058 Namor also has that Hypersonic speed brick thing I was talking about, and he'd be a lot of hassle for an enemy team, especially since he can flood the map at will.

This Side Up:

Theme: 5/5

I love the details on this map, and the Barrier itself looks great, and the transports and hillsides are a really good touch. I'm pretty sure I even saw that pond next to one of the villains in the film, so it's just a great job. Someone noted to me that while we've gotten a few Wakanda maps in the past, but we haven't gotten one that really shows off their technological side, and that's a really cool element here.

Clarity: 2/5

I really like this map, but the first two or three times I looked at it, I couldn't even see the Blocking terrain, and I wasn't alone. The teal barrier kind of washes other colors (especially the green Hindering!) out, and 3d effect of the Barrier makes it more concentrated near where the force field meets the ground. It's one of the central features of the map, and it's difficult to make out. I'm sure it would be so bad in person, though I also don't think it'll be obvious at a glance.

Tactical Impact: 4/5

This is a great map that forces players through narrow, easily blockable corridors to the other side. It's great for ambushes, and a lot of different kinds of characters perform well here, and there's plenty of ways to force your opponent to fight you where those characters perform best.

Balance: 3/5

This map isn't super bad for balance, but a team well built for this map can really put other players to task on it. Start popping off pogs, and your opponent will want to rush through to stop it, and once you let the right one in (you have no idea how hard that joke was to resist), it's very easy to force them to walk the Gauntlet.

Terrain Diversity: 4/5

We have all of the basic forms of terrain, Elevation, Hindering, Water, and especially Blocking. That said, I marked it off just a bit because while the Blocking terrain is dominant and the Hindering terrain is present, the other two are only on one side of the map each, and make it difficult to influence things unless your team forces them to.

Overall: 4/5

A really stellar looking map that does it's job well, and recreates what I think the feel of that location is. More than that, it fills a tactical niche, and finds an excuse to use basically every type of basic terrain in an organic way. Awesome job, and I'm really stoked about the map.

In the Neighborhood:

Mount Olympus
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=559257

Shrine to Death
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379418

Gjallerbru
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=584562

You can nab this map for yourself at the upcoming States tournaments coming in July. For more information on the best place for you to compete, check out this page.

Shoutout to eMouse's Heroclix Atlas which is where I get the very easy to read map layouts, and to jaysol for taking the pictures for me this time around.

Infinity War Map?? Very cool!

This map is amazing!! However, I wish the blocking terrain was window style terrain. I may house rule that because this map is considered scooped already...just a matter of time.

Full Size the terrain colors shouldn't be an issue...small previews always wash the terrain lines away and make them blend into everything.

thanks

That's great to know. Awesome job on the map!

When I said window terrain, I was talking about blocking terrain that you can draw a line of fire through but must destroy to move into. Like the walls on the daily planet map.

I was thinking of something like that as well.... I haven't used any of the new terrain features on ROC maps yet, but I felt that would take away from the effect of the energy barrier. I actually played with the idea of labeling it an indoor map, so you can't fly over the blocking.

Labeling it indoor seemed a little silly though, but for "realism" would have perhaps worked better as far as the theme and the way the map is intended to work.

How can you win this map?

This map can be won by playing in States/Provincial Championships in July. Not all information has been received so keep checking back as updates are occurring daily:

State & Province Championships

I think what you did is the best out of the options. Drawing lines of fire through the barrier would make less sense since they couldn't shoot through it. And labeling it indoor would have worked a little better, but it would have felt strange.

I would love to see more windows and doors down the road though. I feel like WK set up some really cool terrain and then largely ignored it .

Thank you much!! I hope to win some other good stuff as well, if I go.

Couldn't it be made into an indoor/outdoor map?

Being able to draw a LoF through the barrier makes no sense to me...
No one on one side of the force field did anything that affected anyone on the other side of the field in the movie (unless you consider Cap to have "outwitted" the aliens when he suggested dropping the field), so blocking was the right choice.

I do think that an indoor map would have been better, though.
A giant can just attack over the blocking terrain, and giants, flyers, and leap/climbers can just move over the force field as well, and since it was a dome, that shouldn't be possible in keeping with the movie set-up.

All in all though, it looks like a good map.