[PapaBigBelly]

Yo guys, I was just wondering what everybody's thoughts are on the variety of ladder maps now.
So my question is, what is your favourite map and why?

For me, I love TAL DARIM ALTAR!!!

Pros: Somewhat far distance
Xelnaga Towers show the main attack routes
Easy to get 3rd expansion
Wide Central Area

Cons: Lots of places to hide pylons for 4 gating
Certain spawn positions make 3rd hard to defend

[TAhackdZ]

Not really a 1v1 map, but Shakuras is totally my favorite map. Just plays really nice, and I tend to get good games on it.

[Makra]

Shakuras is totally a 1v1 map :/

Mine used to be xel naga but I've played it so much in customs I'm kinda over it.

[PapaBigBelly]

Xelnaga caverns is kind of like of a "balanced" map as most people say.

but i actually disagree.

1. the natural is really wide with 4 entrances! 1 with rocks and 1 with tall bushes blocking vision of the other side.

2. Easy to hide pylons (for 4 gate) everywhere especially behind the tall bushes

3. Xelnaga towers have that high ground beside them for reapers to sit and pick off things trying to control the tower

4. Hard to secure 3rd on the crater expansion. High ground above the mineral line can be abused my tanks

[noobinater]

I liked Lost Temple
The single Xel Naga on ST just doesn't feel as warm as the old pair.

[cruxis]

Terminus Re.

Easiest 3 expos. Pretty big. And lots of variation.

[LaoRen]

Xel'Naga Cavern for me...

I play better in this map compare to others for the first reason... HaHa... Lame?

Beside that, I find this map a very competitive map... Fast respond, fast thinking, fast re-action...

Don't get me wrong though, I like Lost Temple, Shakuras, latest added Tal Darim... Just that these maps are bigger so tend to have a prolong game, more scouting heavy strategy needed...

Just my personal preference...

Any comment?

[Digby]

SHAAAAAAAAAAKURAS PLATEAU!!
Cos its imba for toss apparently!

[SayfT]

Tal'Darim altar, I prefer large maps because it lets me get to 30+ minute game easier, larger areas mean I can spread better vs T/P, harder for Zerg to defend multiple drops/attacks and easier to expand

[Meatex]

ladder map....
can't really think of any good ones - they all have some abusive aspects that get used on me with none in return for my race
If it was tournament and could choose any map to play on then probably XNC out of ladder maps

[dannnyds]

Delta Quadrant, as i won a game there

[PiG]

Why remove metal you evill evil bastardssss!!!!

[PapaBigBelly]

apparently they removed metal because zerg has a 60% win rate vs other races on that map
40% of those wins are from close spawn! :O

I actually think its kinda favored more to terran because they can abuse the ledge/high ground at the base and metal does not have the most widest area! lots of chokes!

I think my new favourite map now is Shakuras, its one of the most balanced maps imo.
My favourite map of the new season 3 maps is Nerazim Crypt

[Fourby]

what really made me QQ was that they left maps like backwater and typhon but REMOVED METALOPOLIS WTF!?!?!?

[AvPoker]

Belshir Beach as zerg
Any large macro GSL map as all races.

[LennX]

I curse you pokerface with getting protoss on Belshir Beach and see how you feel in a PvZ matchup :P

[Next_rim]

I love Desert Oasis, the most roflroll map ever. My best games were on it. Pity it's off the ladder now. I also love Scrap Station, very unusual map, idk why people dislike it so much. Also off ladder(

Out of what's available now, perhaps Shakuras for its awesome agressive 3rd and 4th. Yet to see new ladder maps, 6 hours till work over.

I dislike Tal'Darim for lack of a good 4th, totally hate Shattered and Metalopolis for very wide naturals, and generally dislike XNC for easy gold.

[SkyBreaker]

I've got a lot of love for Tal'Darim Alter LE these days, although I will forever love & miss Lost Temple

[ROOT`iaguz]

Incineration Zone. Dunno why they took that map out.

Removing metalopolis was strange, especially if they leave in shattered close spawns. I'm not too pissed they removed it, it just seems like a really strange decision. Perhaps it didn't have enough rocks?

As for the new maps, a brief rundown from the terran perspective.

Searing Crater: Thumbed down due to PvT imbalance. You cannot secure that natural against aggressive gateway play. Considering that all other TvP styles are weak, **** that map. Gonna 1 base hard if I have to play it.

Antiga Shipyards. Seems ok enough for TvZ. Natural is quite easy to hold in TvP and the additional bases seem within good reach. Yeah, interested to see how this map goes.

Nerazim Crypt. Thumbed it down due to this whole "LOL WE LIKE RUSH MAPS" mentality.

Abyssal caverns. Unsure about this map right now. Diagonal TvZ seems agonizing with how much room they have for backstabs, distant expansions, miles and miles of creep and how far away a potential 4th is. On the flip side we could spawn horizontal and it almost looks like the old shakuras plateau. Except balanced. Not sure if vertical positions are activated in that map but if they are that seems stupid. Free gold base for terrans along a push path to Zerg? YA HOOO!!!!!!!

For TvP I'm abit leery. The natural stays quite clogged up until just past the ramp where it opens up massively. That makes 6 gate stalker/sentry heavy aggression extremely difficult to deal with as your arc of fire is much smaller then his. Not sure. WE'll see how that plays out. Other then that I do despise diagonal spawns this huge but his 3rd is so far away from his natural I think it should be easy enough to pull him apart with multiple pronged aggression. We shall see.


All maps look ok for TvT I guess. I dunno.

[LennX]

What are your thoughts on expanding into the 3rd instead of the natural on Searing Crater? Or will the destructible rocks prove to be the 3rd downfall when they are taken down?