For those of you that missed a discussion, Nickname posed a question on wizards regarding using an optional restricted maplist for top level tournaments (essentially regionals, GenCon championship, etc.) <Link to that thread:
http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/ ... um=10&pg=1The "sure bets" on his maplist consisted of the following maps:
Chancellor's Starship (Throne Room)
Ravaged Base (Commander's Office)
Cloud City (Bespin)
Muunilinst Grand Plaza
Jedi Temple (Hall of Judgment)
Rancor PitI really liked this list the more I thought about it. I have played several games since this discussion specifically on these maps and once thing has become clear to me -
Games move much faster on these maps.I believe there are many factors to why slow play is prevalent. Maps are a huge contributing factor IMO.
Huge power output non-melee pieces with mobility (double-twin greater mobile, etc) and movement breakers (Swaps, high speed, etc) often make any minor placement mistake you might make fatal.
Couple this with out-activating an opponent (I'm looking at you three, San Hill, Ozzel and Dodanna), and you can always safely get a piece into gambit at the end of the round for an early point lead.
Using maps where there are large unprotected areas (Taris, New Muunulinst, Teth Monastery) - especially in gambit, often forces an opponent with this decision: Lose by a minor amount of points, or make a suicidal run across un-protective terrain to desperately (and usually unsuccessfully) attempt to win the game.
Here is how many GenCon matches went for many people:
-Bring a squad with mobile, non-melee high power output.
-Have a way to out-activate an opponent.
-Bring a map that strongly favors shooters.
-gain a lead early through sniping figs or out-activating and safely placing a fig in gambit at the end of the round.
-sit back and watch your opponent scratch their head and try and figure out what they heck they can do.
-winner is decided by only a few points scored(ie 10-5), or a slaughter if they make the suicidal run.
I think the new rules will combat some of this, but I think that losing bad maps will have a bigger effect.
If you look at the "Nickname 6" - all of these maps have relatively safe paths of advancement to gambit. They also have walls in gambit - so an opponent can just sit back in their starting area and shoot any square in gambit. This is a good thing - no both teams can and must advance.
Most of the games I've played and observed recently on these maps it goes something more like this:
-Bring any competitive squad you want
-Bring a "Nickname 6" map
-Both teams advance carefully but quickly to gambit or near gambit.
-a great battle takes place - with no easy way to predict it. Excellent play usually prevails.
-winner is decided by who emerges victorious by killing the entire other team.
Everyone of my games I've played on the "Nickname 6" (since this discussion started) has finished in 30-40 minutes. This was WITHOUT playing with the new DCI changes that are upcoming. Heck I've only seen one single match go to time since then on one of those maps, and it was a mostly melee anomaly between Jake and Deri this weekend.
Long story short - I really hope we do adopt the "Nickname 6" for high level competitions. Everyone seems focused on how to help stop slow play - and I think this would be a huge contributor.