Time was, we’d be lucky to even GET 10 maps in a year, much less be able to make a list of the 10 best. Look at 2006, for instance, when all players got were these, maybe: 

• Collateral Damage’s Junkyard
• Sinister’s Prison
• Danger Room’s Institute Grounds and Training Complex
• Days of Future Past’s School Ruins
• Supernova’s Deep Space

Just six maps TOTAL.

But this year alone has seen more than 40 maps enter circulation. 

So what are the best of the year? Here, in no particular order, is Heroclixin’s opinion.

 

The Kyln [Guardians of the Galaxy starter set]

This indoor map is a long range shooter’s dream on one half of it. The other half is walled-up to give non-ranged pieces some cover. It’s a good, neutral battlefield for most teams.

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Ryut [War of Light]

Though Heroclixin’ isn’t generally a fan of maps that screw over one or more types of teams as thoroughly as this one does non-flying/non-Phasing, L/C etc. and Stealthers, this field’s towering peaks of elevation make it an exceptional battlefield nonetheless. It also serves as a check to 6×3 colossals.

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Helicarrier [Captain America: The Winter Soldier starter set]

Though it’s sort of just another variation on the old helicarrier theme, this map succeeds due to the relatively narrow portion of elevated terrain in the center. Because they don’t have to traverse a wide field of open space, non-ranged pieces get a fair degree of cover from snipers while still allowing said shooters a fair degree of board control. 

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Flooded Wakanda [Avengers Vs. X-Men]

HeroClix had needed another mostly water map that wasn’t Fear Itself’s punishing Pacific Ocean. Though the map’s not great fun for regular boot speed characters lacking taxi help, the presence of walls on each of the land islands give them layers of cover from stationary shooters.

 

The Mall [Deadpool]

About 90 percent a square-for-square remix of the old Mall map from the earliest days of HeroClix, this map offers just enough cover for melee and just enough openness for shooters to get both into the action.

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Thunderbolts Sub [Deadpool Fast Forces]

Usually heavily walled-up maps like this one end up choking all the action in a narrow hallway, and this one’s no exception. What makes it interesting are the special rules that cause the edges of the map to start flooding with water upon misses from range attacks.

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Black Mercy [War of Light]

Hindering terrain-heavy maps can be terribly unfun for teams not ready for them, especially when there’s not much blocking terrain for cover against Stealthy shooters. But the Black Mercy map at least offers decent chunks of the brown squares. It’s really getting played for its special rules making Mind Control and Incap attacks easier to land. Thankfully, designers made sure starting areas did NOT include these squares.

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Ranx [War of Light Sinestro Corps War Scenario Pack]

There have been maps full of blocking terrain and walls before, but this one functions best because it doesn’t choke the action to one specific hall or room.

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Hall of Doom [Legion of Doom Fast Forces]

This is a rare map that has just about everything: indoor and outdoor terrain, water, walls, elevated and hindering terrain and squares of blocking. It’s not quite the PERFECT map that has everything, but it’s one of the very best in the game overall for just plain tactical fun.

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[tie] Keystone City and Central City [The Flash]

Though each looks like a mere street bracketed by elevated terrain a la Web of Spider-Man’s simplistic “The Bridge,” these maps are a world better. Multiple elevations on the edges help to cut down long lines of fire while the street remains an open lane for support pieces. Water terrain is safely located on the lowest level, functioning as a hidey hole of last — or first— resort. Best of all, two copies of these maps can be placed end-to-end for an extra-sized battlefield.

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Tomorrow, we’ll take a break from the looks back at 2014 to comment on the latest Watch List changes. Then, next week, Heroclixin begins tallying the sins of the game: The Top Ten WORST Clix of the year.