Map Editor

Accessing the Map Editor

From the main game lobby:

Click the Map Editor button
The editor interface will load
You’ll see a blank hex grid ready for customization

Map Editor Interface

Edit Modes

The map editor has three main modes, accessible via buttons in the sidebar:

🗺️ Terrain Mode - Paint terrain types on hexes
🏢 Buildings Mode - Place buildings with ownership
📍 Spawns Mode - Set starting unit positions

Tool Selection

Switch between drawing and erasing:

✏️ Draw - Left-click paints/places items
🗑️ Erase - Left-click removes items
Right-click always erases, regardless of tool

Keyboard shortcuts: Press D for Draw, E for Erase

Terrain Palette (Terrain Mode)

Available terrain types:

Grass - Default open terrain
Forest - Slows movement, blocks vision
Mountain - Infantry only, extended vision
Road - Fast movement corridors
Shallow Water - Infantry crossing points
Deep Water - Impassable barriers

Buildings Palette (Buildings Mode)

Place strategic structures with ownership:

Building Types:

Base (B) - 200 gold income, can produce units
HQ (H) - 500 gold income, can produce units
City (C) - 100 gold income, no production
Factory (F) - 300 gold income, can produce units

Building Ownership:

Select Neutral for unowned buildings (grey)
Select Player 1-8 to assign starting ownership
Player-owned buildings show the owner’s color

Spawn Points (Spawns Mode)

Set where units appear at game start:

Select a player (1-8)
Click hexes to place spawn points
Units spawn as Infantry by default
Place spawn points on or near owned buildings

The Hex Grid

The center of the screen shows the hex grid battlefield:

Default starts as deep water
Each hex can be painted with terrain
Visual cursor highlight shows exact hex being edited
Grid lines help with hex selection

Controls Panel

Located on the right side:

Clear Map: Reset entire map to deep water
Save Map: Save your creation
Map Name: Set a name for your map
Map Dimensions: Adjust map size (if available)

Creating Your First Map

Step 1: Plan Your Layout

Before placing terrain, consider:

Symmetry: Balanced maps give both sides equal opportunity
Choke Points: Narrow passages create tactical decisions
Open Areas: Large grass areas favor vehicles
Terrain Mix: Variety creates interesting gameplay

Step 2: Lay the Foundation

Start with the basic terrain:

Select Grass from the palette (usually default)
Fill your desired map area
This creates your base layer

Step 3: Add Strategic Features

Place Buildings

Switch to 🏢 Buildings mode
Select a building type (Base, HQ, City, Factory)
Select ownership (Neutral or Player 1-8)
Click hexes to place buildings
Typical maps have 4-10 buildings

Building Placement Tips:

Give each player at least one Base or HQ to start
Add neutral buildings in contested areas
HQ should be placed strategically (high income = high value)
Factories provide good income and unit production
Cities work well as secondary objectives

Set Spawn Points

Switch to 📍 Spawns mode
Select the player number (1-8)
Click near buildings to place starting units
Each player needs at least one spawn point

Spawn Point Tips:

Place spawn points on or adjacent to owned buildings
Give equal starting units to each player
Starting units are Infantry by default

Create Movement Networks

Select Road from the palette
Draw road networks connecting key areas
Roads enable vehicle mobility
Connect bases and strategic points

Road Design Tips:

Don’t make roads too long or vehicles become overpowered
Create multiple routes for tactical variety
Roads through open terrain work best
Consider placing forests near roads for ambush potential

Step 4: Add Tactical Terrain

Forests

Select Forest from the palette
Place forest groups near roads and key points
Create infantry routes separate from vehicle paths
Use forests to create ambush opportunities

Forest Placement Tips:

Groups of 3-5 hexes work well
Place near but not blocking roads
Create flanking routes through forests
Don’t overuse - too much forest slows gameplay

Mountains

Select Mountain from the palette
Place mountain ranges to create boundaries
Add individual mountains as observation points
Use mountains to channel movement

Mountain Placement Tips:

Mountain ranges create natural borders
Single mountains make good defensive positions
Place near important areas for vision control
Remember: mountains slow infantry significantly

Water Features

Select Shallow Water for crossable rivers
Select Deep Water for impassable lakes/seas
Create water barriers to shape movement
Use water to create distinct map regions

Water Placement Tips:

Rivers (shallow water) create vehicle barriers
Lakes (deep water) divide the map
Leave crossing points for infantry
Water at map edges creates natural boundaries

Step 5: Balance Check

Review your map for balance:

Symmetry: Both sides have equal opportunities?
Variety: Mix of terrain types present?
Mobility: Multiple paths to objectives?
Cover: Enough terrain for tactical play?
Bases: Fair distribution of capture points?

Map Design Principles

Symmetry vs Asymmetry

Symmetrical Maps

Pros:

Guaranteed fair gameplay
Easy to balance
Competitive play friendly

Cons:

Can feel repetitive
Predictable strategies

When to Use: Competitive matches, tournaments, ranked play

Asymmetrical Maps

Pros:

Unique scenarios
Interesting challenges
Varied gameplay

Cons:

Harder to balance
May favor one side

When to Use: Casual play, story scenarios, variety

Size Considerations

Small Maps (Radius 5-7 hexes)

Duration: Quick games (10-20 turns)
Style: Aggressive, fast-paced
Players: Best for 1v1
Terrain: Every hex matters

Medium Maps (Radius 8-12 hexes)

Duration: Standard games (20-40 turns)
Style: Balanced tactical play
Players: 1v1 or 2v2
Terrain: Room for variety

Large Maps (Radius 13+ hexes)

Duration: Epic battles (40+ turns)
Style: Strategic, methodical
Players: 2v2 or more
Terrain: Multiple distinct regions

Terrain Ratios

For balanced maps, aim for roughly:

50-60% Grass: Open terrain for movement
15-20% Forest: Infantry tactical options
10-15% Mountain: Defensive positions
10-15% Water: Barriers and boundaries
5-10% Road: Movement corridors

Building Guidelines

4-10 buildings per map depending on size
At least 1 production building per player (Base, HQ, or Factory)
Neutral buildings in the center for competition
Mix building types for strategic variety

:::tip Design Philosophy “Easy to learn, hard to master” - Make the overall layout clear, but add details that reward careful observation. :::

Saving and Managing Maps

Saving Your Map

Click Save Map button
Enter a descriptive name
Map is saved to your account
Map appears in your maps list

Map Naming

Good map names are:

Descriptive: “Mountain Valley” tells you what to expect
Memorable: “The Gauntlet” is easy to remember
Appropriate: Keep it family-friendly

Accessing Saved Maps

From the main lobby, click My Maps
View all your created maps
Options to Edit or Delete each map
See if maps are currently in use

Using Custom Maps

In Custom Games

When creating a room:

Go to map selection
Choose from your created maps
Other players can use your maps if they’re public
Start the game on your custom battlefield

Currently, maps are available to players in your games. Future updates may include:

Public map gallery
Map sharing links
Map ratings and favorites
Featured maps showcase

Advanced Techniques

Chokepoint Design

Create narrow passages that force tactical decisions:

Single-hex passages between mountains
Bridges across water (road through shallow water)
Forest corridors for infantry
Contested crossroads

Multi-Region Maps

Divide large maps into distinct areas:

Use water or mountains as regional boundaries
Each region has its own character
Different regions favor different strategies
Creates sub-objectives

Asymmetric Scenarios

Design interesting imbalanced scenarios:

“King of the Hill” - One player starts on mountain
“River Crossing” - One side must cross water
“Forest Defense” - Defender in forests, attacker on plains
“Base Race” - Each side races to capture distant bases

Visual Design

Make your map look good:

Use terrain in natural patterns
Create visual landmarks
Avoid random placement
Think like a real landscape

Common Mistakes

Too Much Water

Makes maps feel disconnected
Limits tactical options
Can create unreachable areas

Fix: Use water sparingly for specific barriers

Road Overload

Makes vehicles too dominant
Reduces tactical depth
Makes infantry less valuable

Fix: Roads should connect, not cover everything

No Open Space

All forests/mountains slows gameplay
Vehicles become useless
Games drag on too long

Fix: Keep at least 50% open terrain

Poor Base Placement

Bases too close together
Bases too easy/hard to defend
Uneven base distribution

Fix: Test base positions for balance

Lack of Testing

Don’t know if map actually works
Balance issues only found in play
Frustrating for players

Fix: Playtest your maps!

Example Map Concepts

”The Crossroads”

Two major road intersections
Forests on the corners
Central base at the junction
Encourages fighting for the center

”Twin Peaks”

Two large mountains facing each other
Open valley between them
Roads around the mountains
Vision battles for mountain control

”Island Chain”

Multiple grass islands separated by water
Shallow water connections between islands
Bases on different islands
Infantry-focused gameplay

”Forest Fortress”

Large forest in the center with bases
Roads around the perimeter
Mountains at the corners
Defender-favored map

Next Steps

Design your first map with basic terrain
Create a second map using advanced techniques
Review Units Guide to understand unit needs
Study Terrain Guide for terrain effects
Learn Game Setup to use your maps

Create unique battlefields and share your tactical vision with the world!