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: Gotham City Power Plant
Map on Reverse: Gotham City Power Plant (Post-Quake)
Dimensions: 24" x 36" (16x24 squares)
Set: DC HeroClix- No Man's Land
Status: Active

The maps of No Man's Land have been getting plenty of coverage, and by now most players have held their Month 3 event, so this week's look at the Gotham City Power Plant isn't covering new ground. And yet, it's a review I'm excited to write, because the Power Plant, believe it or not, is one of those maps that will have a big meta impact. Maybe you've already seen it. Maybe you, like me, got crushed by this map in No Man's 3. Maybe you noticed it when the map was previewed. If not, take a peek at it below.



Mechanically, the Power Plant has a lot in common with a map from the last tournament event series.
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379418
Half of the map is ground level. Half elevated. The player who chooses to use this map will never get the side he wants. Only that, on the Shrine, the higher ground advantage is mitigated by a narrow opening to ground level; here, the rooftop is wide open, giving the swampside no safe approach. Topside, in contrast, has ten rows that are completely safe. You can nearly cross the board before a line of fire can be drawn. This also means that, at midfield, you're easily within range of an extremely safe retreat.

"At least there aren't walls to protect your retreat," you might say. But with half the stairs and a bonus 3rd elevation, your flying Hypersonic figure can easily evade pursuit. And if elevation isn't providing safety enough, the left side offers a level 1 Blocking terrain bunker that an opponent can't get a line on without being adjacent.

The redemptive element here is that those who choose this map won't get to choose their side. Therefore it's important to be aware of just how critical your starting area choice is.

Best for:
Flying Hypersonic, a firing squad of ranged attackers, & Colossals (the only figures that succeed in either starting area)
Best against:
Grounded figures without long range or high mobility (but you'll hardly ever want to pick this map unless your team is made to utilize the swamp side)

How does the Power Plant rate?

Theme: 4/5
Great looking and a truly unique locale, the power plant is extremely cool.
Clarity: 4/5
You could run into trouble with the power poles on the left, as they occupy level 1 terrain and therefore do nothing to block level 2 shots. Everything else functions as it appears.
Tactical Impact: 4/5
Major impact on strategy, as the higher ground player takes a huge chunk of the map for their own.
Balance: 1/5
The best figures in the game are made even better here.
Terrain Diversity: 4/5
Water, hindering, blocking, elevated, and if you're playing No Man's Land a map-flipping earthquake.

Overall: 4.2/5
Showing how overall ratings don't tell the whole story, this map is a potent tool under the right circumstances and a death sentence in most others. I'd definitely recommend owning one, but not making regular use of it outside of home games.

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

As always, I love your reviews. Maps, terrain, and knowing the battlefield are things that too frequently get lost or forgotten about in strategizing and team building. Howbout the flipside though? I found in NML games that used the 'Aftershock' feature the major changes in elevation had a HUGE impact. My opponents several times had to reposition a vehicle after the quake and actually had to take that 1 click of damage. In fact, considering how many batmobiles and cop cars were running around the venues I frequent I was counting on it, and it worked.

As those are actually tournament rules and have no impact on standard use of the map, I'll leave those observations to the comments section.

Are you serious....?
The blocking on level 1 does not stop shooting from the higher elevations? i thought outside blocking was 'infinately' high, therefor blocking all lines of fire? Can you tell me the rule where this is covered?
Thanks
~Mad

Outdoor blocking is only as tall as the next highest elevation.

So a character on elevation 2 could target an opponent on elevation 2 if the blocking terrain between them was on elevation 1. However, a character on elevation 1 would have his LoF blocked to an opponent on elevation 2 if there was blocking terrain between them on elevations 1 or 2.

Nice review of an important map.

interesting... not sure if it would have mattered in my NML 3rd month, but I never knew that... ty for the rules heads up.
~Mad

Clarity of this statement: 2/5
While the blocking on level 1 won't block line of fire between level 2+ and level 2+, it will block line of fire beween level 1 and level 2+.

Ha ha! To be fair, there are like 4 squares that's possible from.

How would 053b Caped Crusader fare on the power plant?

Compared to the Shrine to Death map, it's those extra 4 squares your starting zone is further away from the stairs that make me REALLY hate this map. Especially if your venue doesn't follow every single specific start of the match rule... I've been to lots of places where you just sit down and that's the map you get and the side you get.

Your opponent can move up Ultimate Clayface (or the equivalent bruiser) to square E15 and suddenly the game is 2/3 in his pocket. It's a real disadvantage if you're on the wrong side of this map with no flying characters.

Good review and all, but it's like a review of a scoop of mud in an ice cream cone... still unpleasant.

This is one of those maps where I don't know if I would play it without the tournament "earthquake" rules. All of the other NML maps don't have a lot of difference between the sides, but the opposite side of this map plays very differently.

When we played this for NML, I only flipped it once out of three games. This map does require thought and can be very entertaining. The level differences certainly have to be taken into account. Thanks for a very well presented write up, wish I'd had it before the match!