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: Rooftops of Gotham City
Map on Reverse: Paradise Island
Dimensions: 24" x 36" (16x24 squares)
Set: Justice League (New 52) Fast Forces
Status: Active

Perhaps as a consequence of all superheroes operating in big cities, rooftops have become an expected locale for battles. For New York skyscrapers and the Gotham skyline, elevated terrain just doesn't achieve the right effect. Thankfully, the concept of 'long falls' was captured with an Orange terrain type back in the Coming of Galactus event, and has been reused many times since then. This marks the 4th time the open air/fall damage has been used on a map, and the first time that map has had enough Hindering terrain to actually consider using Batman on it.



The orange terrain on this map is really too significant to just mention in passing, so we're going to skip over the map discussion and get right to the strategic applications here. Leap/Climb, Phasing/Teleport, Flight, and Giant Size are immune to the fall. On this map, that won't keep any of your characters safe from adjacency, but it does make for 67 squares that can't be occupied by the majority of characters in this game. For those characters that do fall, the perks may be even more apparent: Charge now becomes an automatically-evacuating maneuver. If you've got a medic waiting back in your starting area, you've got a 1-2-3 with TK, Charge, and Support. On the other hand, you may find it pertinent to get rid of an annoying opponent; one bit of knockback (Quake, Force Blast, or other special powers) will send them back to the starting area.

Getting back to the map, one major change they did with this map is the inclusion of elevated terrain on their already-theoretical elevated map. The added dimensions showcase the ups and downs of rooftops and the differing heights of buildings, making for a really engaging and varied battlefield. The two most significant level-2 segments are only 8 squares apart, allowing the longer-range fighters in the game to exchange volleys over the top of their allies. The ladders are placed for easy elevation changes, which is becoming less common on modern maps. Grounded characters will be thankful for that.

Scattered hindering terrain is set up at all the right places, giving partial to full cover in all the right places. Blocking is likewise scattered around, but it's not in play most of the time. Still, it's prevalent enough for someone like Magneto to make good use of it.

In random trivia, this map may have the largest starting areas of any modern map. At 28 squares, this map is ideal for a large army (though you'll want that army to be comfortable with minding the gap).

Should you take the high road across Gotham, or stick to the streets?

Theme: 5/5
Beyond that rooftops are a comic book classic (and really a setting unique to that genre), the theme here is perfectly executed, from a solid representation of 2.5 dimensions to the details of the Bat Signal.
Clarity: 3/5
These are rooftops that are also level-1 terrain. And the gaps that are falling damage? Also level-1 terrain. It's a conceptual issue more than anything.
Tactical Impact: 5/5
I love when orange terrain markings are used on maps, just because they add a little something extra to the standard map concepts. Falling damage with a starting area respawn, however, is tactical gold.
Balance: 5/5
Characters that would take falling damage in the orange squares aren't at a disadvantage, nor are characters who can't deal with elevation. Really, this map is very manageable for most any team. No one strategy is really neutered by this map.
Terrain Diversity: 4/5
Hindering, Blocking, Elevated, Orange. There's no water, but this high up it'd have to be a water tower to manage that. For the use of special terrain, I'm rounding up to a 4.

Overall: 4.4/5
Galactus' rooftops were must-have material, and now this easier-to-afford alternative gives everyone the chance to play on the rooftops. Only this map is even better than that one. Really, they nailed it with Gotham here. This is more a thematic must-have than a competitive must-have, but it's a map that shouldn't be missed either way.

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

I would say that ranged teams have a real advantage on this map since they can threaten the no mans land you'll have to traverse each time you get sent back to your starting area.

BTW did your second post get clipped off? Did we lose anything important?

It will be fun force blasting and quaking figures off the buildings.

Force Blast can be tricky in this scenario; the rando factor could result in a character being thrown from one rooftop to the other.
Not that that wouldn't be loads of fun either.
I'm thinking that using TK on opposing figures would be rather entertaining. Just levitate them away from your own team and into oblivion.


...I'm suddenly nostalgic for the old Road Runner cartoons...

I've only played this map once so far. I'd written a scenario that required a nominated figure on the team to try and cross the map without being seen, and the nicely spaced, but small areas of Hindering were ideal for it. I think this has become my new favourite map.

looks like my new favourite map,allready preparing to use the special rules-'street terrain' for our 3D cityscape/buildings

Wow, I was literally at work today thinking to myself "Man, I love the Gotham City map in the New 52 Fast Forces, I really hope Saturnflight reviews it soon". Good to see you love it too! Every time someone pulls this map out during our Supremacy League, I get excited.

Yes, it WAS cut off. Fixed it.

I missed the pre-order for this at my LCBS and they sold out. Just one more thing to make me want to hunt one down.

And I love the fact that Giant Sized Stranger in an alley is OK, but Colossal Sized Stranger? Too big, back to the starting area!

I wish more maps were available for indivual sale, the only i can get is old tourney or OP kit ones.

Id love to pick this one up by its self.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but Colossal figures also technically have the ability "Giant Size". It works a little differently for them, but they wouldn't take the fall, so to speak.

But that would be funny if it worked your way.

I think it is because of certain characters specisl powers that include "elevated terrain". Having the gaps stay at level one represents that characters with those certain abilities can move back and forth across the gaps and wont fall down. Thats just how I interpreted it.

I don't think I ever commented on one of your map reviews, so I want to let you know that I think they rock. Very useful reviews and it also serves as a good inventory for maps until they get that part of the site up and running. Thanks!

Thank you for the review. Red Shift (GG021) is one of the characters that easily could take advantage of this map and deal one extra damage to non-flyers