Official Map: Desolate

[Kyyborg]

[quauru]

Maybe the worst map in the pool.

[Buki]

The future may prove me wrong, but I think Vril will have an advantage on this map (I mean bigger advantage than normally:-)). While other races need the resource locations badly, Vril can generate its own * and rush for the portals instead and then flood the opponent.

[quauru]

If Vril gets an early zeppelin it's very hard to retake the deployment tiles due tue the cheap but powerful defence possibility. Btw. Baba Yaga is a strong hero on this map.

[Qvaak]

I love to have new battlegrounds in the mix, and I love it, that they are strategically so different from the old ones. This is probably the most on-the-edge, complex, intensive map of the set. A bit like Squared, this has very crucial and active fight for middle field portals while the resources have clearly a designated owner, but resources aren't as scarce as in Squared and distances are shorter.

If the game isn't decided by one player getting immediately a good hold of the both portals, the resulting fight can be difficult and confusing. I had a game where I initially owned both portals, but lost both +2 tiles, then captured both +2 tiles and lost both portals in the process. While most maps have a clear direction of movement, here almost every direction matters. Harder decicions, more fun.

I haven't yet seen strong Vril play on this map, though I'm sure that can be a horror to behold. I'd still imagine Danann can more or less match the challenge. And I'm pretty sure the new improved Bearclaw is the greatest threat. This is the first map that offers +2 tiles that aren't disputed in the middle field, but close to stronghold and easily owned. That makes Domovoi a really nasty unit. Combine that with an even nastier fact: as the +2 tile isn't diagonal, but straight two steps away, Infest Minds and Underworld Strokes manage painfully often to deny the access to the opponent's +2 tile.

[Void]

And the fact that you don't need so many units out early to get your ressorces helps yellow.

So in short all the cabals are overpowered on this map.

[tatterdemalion]

Snow playing Vril beat me in something like four turns on this map yesterday, utterly brutal!

[Rarak]

I think Bearclaw is pretty good on this map but the other cabals seem relatively ok.

I don't mind it.

[Acid25]

Rusalka here is very useful, if you get a portal you can block the other one in the same turn. And if you add a shapechanger the portal is your

[Mip]

The second turn assassin on this map is really annoying if you're playing against yellow, since they'll kill your weenie going for the +2 tile.
Basically first turn: beggar to the +1 resource tile, next turn assassin, kill the one going for the +2 tile and then move assassin to your own +2 tile, and beggar towards portal

Almost instant GG.