Map Analysis Series: Carnage Corners [Gearbox]

The instructive images in this article are captured from the free Tabletop Simulator mod by Tekk which you can subscribe to here.

Hello again and welcome.  I’m Gearbox and I’m here to help you go from casually tossing monsters around the board to playing MonPoc competitively.  This is the fourth article in a series analyzing all the maps released for Monsterpocalypse.  In today’s article I’m going to walk through an analysis of the Monsterpocalypse map Carnage Corners.  I recommend reading my articles on Power Bases and Vectors before you dive into this article.

Released in November 2019 as a neoprene-fabric map, Carnage Corners instantly became my favorite map.  I’ll try not to gush too much about it but be warned that the article you’re about to read is incredibly biased and I’m not ashamed of my favoritism.

I think this map is really good and really fun to play on.  It’s brimming with buildings, but not overly crowded.  It’s got lots of interesting secures and some great middle zones to fight over.  There are lots of tricky spots to set up screens in the middle.  Even though monsters without high mobility (pedestrians) can maneuver around the map reasonably well, there’s still an advantage to be had for high mobility monsters that jump over buildings.

Foundations, Clutter, and Spawn Points

With 22 foundations littered about the board, you’d expect Carnage Corners to be difficult to navigate, but due to the monster sized lanes down the middle, it’s actually quite easy to cross the board.  Pedestrians may not be able to hop from lane to lane, but the only things in their way are two central green foundations.  I don’t recommend taking a pedestrian around the edge of the map, however.

There are some nice screening pockets in the middle of the map for those willing to claim them, just beware of your monster’s screen being Rammed on top of the monster.  You can also, early on, body block any pedestrians with some clever maneuvering.

The 6 spawn points are nicely situated across the board and far enough forward to make each one useful.  The neutral spawn points are within 5 squares of 3 Middle power zones.

Potential Power Bases

On the left side we have the Carnage Corner Case I covered in my Power Bases article.  The Safe power zone here is usually very key to a successful game on this map.  Beware of having the unit on the power zone swatted into one of the two repair trucks in the below example.

In the middle we have a vertically situated Aligned Double.  While not as powerful as the Carnage Corner Case, if you can secure these buildings in the middle to late game, they will pay dividends.

To the right of the Aligned Double we have a single foundation with many spawn points around it, and another building with very few spawn points around it.  Neither of these buildings come into play too often, except as collision damage sources.

In the center of the map we have 2 Middle negative zones and 4 Middle power zones.  While relatively easy to take, remember that every Middle power zone is within Swat range of another Middle power zone.  The negative zones are worth taking in the mid-game, since attacks tend to focus on the nearby power zone.  You’ll likely be taking the ones to the right, since those zones are closer to your spawn points.

While it is possible to secure the Offset Double in the middle of the board, I do not recommend it.  If your opponent’s monsters are clear across the board on the other side, maybe it’s worth two action dice to upgrade 2 power zone secures to include 2 buildings, but usually it’s not worth the effort.

Alley-Oop Vectors

Remember that anything done on your side of the map can be done on your opponent’s side and vice versa.  Also remember that Vectors can be reversed, if done properly.  In the examples below, Red Goghadra will be where the enemy lands from the initial attack, Defender X will be where you can position your second monster, and Orange Gorghadra will be where the enemy finally lands.  There are at least four key Alley-Oop Vectors to discuss on this map:

The Big One:  If you can drop your opponent’s monster onto the building in front of the triple foundation, you can then Throw that monster onto the triple foundation itself with only 4 power dice.

The Usual:  If you can drop your opponent’s monster onto the building in front of the vertically situated Aligned Double, you can Throw that monster with 5 power dice onto the double foundation.

Midfield Massacre:  If you can drop your opponent’s monster onto the building in front of the vertically situated Aligned Double, you can then Throw them in the Offset Double with 5 power dice.

Power Base Destruction:  Drop a monster onto the center right single building, then you can throw it onto the vertically situated Aligned Double with only 3 power dice.

And More:  The great thing about the layout of Carnage Corners is that it forms a grid of useful Alley-Oop Vectors.  I tried to convey most of them in the image below.  Simply place a monster’s center at any point on any line where the monster overlaps a foundation, and you’ll find at least 2 foundations you can Alley-Oop that monster into; usually at the same time.  And this quick diagram is just Throws.  

Is it not beautiful?

Final Thoughts

COMPETITIVE PLAYERS MUST BE COMFORTABLE ON ALL MAPS. Half the time, your opponent is going to choose the map, so you need to be ready to play on all of them. Everything after this line is just Gearbox's opinion, and should not be taken as the last word. In fact, many competitive players vehemently disagree with the below opinion.

I love this map.  It’s crowded without being cluttered.  Safe while being open.  Just the right length for unit maneuvers.  Full of great power attack potential, while being relatively difficult to generate power dice on.

Carnage Corners rewards good play.  It rewards aggression and tempo management.  It rewards tactical play while not feeling too open or too cramped.  22 buildings are on the table and each of them is relevant.  The middle is hotly contested and full of unit action.  Monsters regularly land huge hits only to get smashed back for the same amount.  

If you leave a monster out to dry on this map without a screen, it will be Alley-Ooped.  This tends to create a tense, positional early game; a brutal, destructive middle game; and a tactical, one on one late game.

Carnage Corners is great and I highly recommend you pick it up and practice on it.

Have fun!

-Gearbox