Featured Map of the Month!
February 2019
Snow Fields KPUD (aka KaliSnowFields)
This is one of the better known of the 20 year old KPUD map collection.
We learned the hard way that the middle isn't a great place to run at the beginning of the game lol. I'll add the replay below.
The ice patches are clearly designed to make sealing your base less easy, but the bases are protected by trees on most sides, so it would just take more buildings and you'd have to find the best spots. Building space is a bit limited in many areas.
I've played this map so little that I haven't developed any familiarity with it yet, but it looks like one that would be enjoyable to get to know a little better.
Navigation might take a bit of effort since there are places where your units can easily get stuck when trying to cross the map, but not on a "maze" level, just enough that if you're hiding a barely surviving expansion, you're happy about it.
The exps in the corners add an interesting layer if it goes to late game. It reminds me a bit of an XBremer1 map, Dangerous Territory, which also has similar but slightly more accessible corner expansions to chop to.
Of course the map is slightly reminiscent of POS, as a great many maps are, in the sense that you have gold spots in big indents in the trees around the edges of the map, but it's also very different in many ways.
One of the great pleasures of Warcraft 2 is the great variety of maps available, that give such great variety of experience to the game. It's beyond me how so many people can play the same map over and over and over again (GOW, even though it's a fine map, it's...just another human concoction like all the others) and be afraid to play other maps or look down on other maps as if the single map they repetitively play is coated in gold or something.
I'm gonna try to get in some more games on Snow Fields KPUD (aka Kali Snow Fields) and maybe write a bit more about it once I've got in more experience with it.
Here's last night's Snow Fields replay...and yes, I accidentally left the game in a panic button mash when my exp was discovered but it really was time to leave anyway lol.
Another Snow Fields KPUD (aka Kali Snow Fields) replay:
March 2019
Woodland Warlords
A map this good does not come along every day.
This is my favorite XBremer1 map of all his great maps that I enjoy, and it's one of my favorite maps of all time, along with other spectacular productions of genius like Mr. Bean, Rose Petal, and All You Need, although I like so many that it's hard to narrow things down to a small number of worthy mentions!
It's funny that this map is in some ways what the baby of two of my other favorite maps might look like. Woodland Warlords could be the baby of Rose Petal and All You Need with its paths somewhat heading towards the center of the map like AYN and its pathway that goes all around the map like Rose.
Like other maps that I really enjoy, it allows for variation in approach. You can wall or rush or dual or neighbor war. I've seen every non-sea unit on this map.
The map plays amazingly well. It's neither too complex for first-timers, nor too simple for those who've played it numerous times. It's just perfect for both pathing and secret expansions. It's perfect for gold amount, as I've never yet seen every mine mined out with the game running out of gold before its natural conclusion, nor is there an over-abundance that makes expanding redundant.
It's perfect for visual beauty as a map picture, as you can see.
All of the elements in map making came together just right to produce what is, in my mind, one of the best maps ever made. There is a reason why it grew on me. It's fantastically fun to play on, week after week!
The two openings to each base require players to be on their toes for backdooring, which admittedly I'm a fan of and is a common theme in the vids I've added below.
If you haven't tried Woodland Warlords yet, come on in and let's have some fun with it!
Wowww, I have been loving on this map lol. There's lots more on this one.
July 2019
Clash KPUD
Clash KPUD has quickly become a War2USA fan favorite. It's open concept and spacious, easy to get around, and is pretty symmetrical to make it an easy map for new players so they don't feel lost or get stuck in the trees as much.
It has expansions that are both easy to access and easy to attack, leading to dynamic and exciting games.
If you have a full game, there are likely to be some neighbor wars, as each spot has another spot next to it.
We get a lot of new players joining USA server and trying Warcraft 2 for the first time in ages, and a map like this that feels easy to them yet still fun for the old timers is ideal as a stomping grounds for everyone.
The author of this map was a "MogKupo" from about 2 decades ago, so thank you to MogKupo for making us this fun map.
Since the forum feature have been activated, the pud is now available to download in this post for your viewing or playing pleasure!
Uploaded files:
March 2020
Mr. Bean
It's hard to know where to start with things I love about Mr. Bean. Mr. Bean is another of my favorite Warcraft 2 maps of all time.
The first basic thing is that it's fun. I mean, that's the whole point of it all, right? It 100% fulfills this in the maximum way a Warcraft 2 map can.
It fits 8, which is ideal since we often have 4s at War2USA and the 8 player maps get played by far the most.
It allows for every unit in the game to be used, although admittedly the Juggernaught and sub are rarely seen here. The variety it gives the player in how to play is what makes each game fresher and more exciting than on a map where players follow cookbook methology.
Neighbor wars are one of W2's most exciting aspects for me, and this map is generous towards that.
Secret expansions are another one of my favorite things in a map, and this one has the stealth expo across the sea in top left that is rarely found in maps, as well as the semi-secret 9 o'clock nook.
Gameplay on this map tends towards W2 perfection.
The map is not the largest size possible, pushing all the players a little closer together, intensifying the action and making things start happening sooner.
Nedro is the creator of this masterpiece, and I was just reminded of this map since it was played yesterday a fair bit at War2USA and I realized, wow, I miss this this map.
Uploaded files:
Thank you for the kind words. There are neat things you can do on this map.
Rivers BNE is a 7-player sea map that is an updated version of Rivers, a map released in the Beyond the Dark Portal expansion pack. Rivers BNE was created in 2016. A considerable facelift was given to the older version Rivers. Cosmetic changes can be viewed in the GIF below. The BNE version has a mine at 1:00. For the sake of comparison I've changed Rivers BNE to Wasteland tileset.
This map has a 29% downgrade in gold from the original, particularly glaring in the 50% starting mine decrease. There has also been a 10% upgrade in lumber.
At 15 mines @ 30k each, Rivers BNE offers something completely different from High Seas Combat (8 mines @ 75k) and Fierce Ocean Combat (8 mines @ 50k.) Getting off your island in a timely manner becomes important.
Most of the islands have their flaws. One of the worst expansions is centrally-located northeast of center. It does not have much lumber and can be heavily jugged.
Despite it's central location, the centermost mine can be defended with towers. It cannot be jugged yet is vulnerable to DKs from all angles.
Every starting location has it's choice of at least two nearby oil patches. Certain starts have the option to choose a third patch.
Make full use of foundries by placing them such that it blocks enemy juggernauts from blasting your vital buildings.
Blue and Purple players have strong starting spots. Although I wouldn't say spawning either place is much of an edge. They both can wall in well and mostly avoid juggs. Regardless of your start position, be thoughtful about your building placements to minimize being unnecessarily jugged. Often the best defense to being jugged is to jugg yourself.
Using six peons, Red can hop to the bottom left mine, albeit impractically.
A few hidden rax strategies can be used at the start of the game. With the use of a transport one or two peons can leave their island and build on the nearby foe's island. This is a suboptimal strategy for the map but feel free to experiment with them.
Strategically I'd recommend duals and 3-halls or the aforementioned juggs. A two-peon four-grunt rush fortified by a jugging ally is quite effective. Lastly, one cat firing at the enemy peon line from the backside is excellent. Provided two conditions are met, your team has control of the rivers and the cat is bookended by grunts.
Rivers BNE will play well on any setting including free-for-alls and low resources. This map is the Forest Trails BNE of water due to it's slew of smaller-sized mines and second chances. Thanks to the layout of the originally-designed Rivers nearly 25 years ago, Rivers BNE is as superb as any water map in the game.
Uploaded files:Fantastic write up. Thanks, Nedro.
Yes, great article and very nicely presented.
Sadly this pud combines everything lazy players like me hate in a map... water... low gold... too much actual thinking lol, but it is certainly an excellent example of the genre that I'm sure the water crew will have lots of fun with.
I'd rate it 4/5 juggs but only 1/5 lambs 😉
🙂
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