Map Attack!
ColosseumThe Colosseum's layout is deceptively simple. Huge walls surround rough terrain that includes lava trenches, deep ravines, rock cliffs, and a heavy bridge. There's smoke and haze in the air, with plenty of natural rock to use as cover or sniper nests. The outer perimeter of the battleground is wide and open enough for huge 'Mechs to go head-to-head, while lighter 'Mechs can use the winding ravines and other geographical features to give a pursing enemy the slip.
FrostyThis map is cold! A "high road" bisects the area roughly east-west. The high road is broken up by three destructible ice bridges, while the bridges themselves create low ice tunnels that allow three key points for north-south movement. The collapsible bridges offer ample opportunity for destruction from above or below, and when they're knocked out, the high road becomes a chain of scattered plateaus that make excellent ambush perches. 'Mechs with jump-jets, NullSig, or both will enjoy this map.
IcepackIcepack and Frosty share a frozen climate and both play well with flyers and NullSig, but otherwise they're quite dissimilar. A high rock shelf rings a cluster of tall, frozen islands that stand amid thick (but not unbreakable) ice sheets. The shelf is broken up by a few gullies that make it an excellent ambush perch for flying 'Mechs, and a deadly trap for walkers. Non-flying 'Mechs can only get up to the shelf by spawning there or by heading up the slow grade at the southeast end of the map (look for a destructible glacier halfway up the slope). At ground level, a few missile shots will knock the ice sheet out from under a 'Mech, which can become temporarily trapped in the water.
The JunkyardThe high-walled Junkyard is always dark except for powerful searchlights that sweep across the twisted wreckage. A single large hill sits at the center of the map, surrounded by a valley filled with abandoned cranes, forklifts, and piles of scrap metal. The hill is crowned by four half-walls that create a small enclosure open at the corners. If you want to stay on top of the game, stay on top of this hill. There are only two land paths up (at the southeast and northwest), so once you take control of the hill, just watch your radar and exploit the advantage of higher ground.
Number 51Number 51 is set on and around an active volcano in mid-eruption. The central crater will heat up even the lightest 'Mech in no time, while destructible rocks and buildings provide ample opportunity to inflict heavy damage on enemies and the landscape. To the east, huge buildings sit next to some fresh lava domes that will explode with white-hot magma after a few machine gun strikes. To the southwest, you'll find a destructible bridge. All that heat and breakable terrain makes heavy 'Mechs both deadly and vulnerable on this map.
River CityThe eponymous river separates a modern townscape into two separate regions. Players will want to level as many towering buildings as possible, just to watch 'em fall (but show some restraint...you may need one or two for cover). Be sure to make a wish in a fountain before someone tramples it flat, and don't be afraid to saunter across one of the two bridges. There's no toll, but be alert for enemy 'Mechs. If they take out the bridge while you're on it or under it, you're dead meat.
By Wendell Scott and Ben Barker |
