General description:
An excellent unique treasure that will allow you a chance at severely disrupting your opponent’s game. It provides a 33 percent chance of forcing one of your enemies ships into a move action, and then YOU (or the player to the right in a multiplayer game) get to move it. Hmmm, can anyone say “Ship Wreck?”
Uses:
With this being a fairly disruptive unique treasure, I would not suggest playing it if you intend to do any significant treasure hunting of your own. Check for these opportunities before moving your opponent’s ship.
Capable of disrupting another enemy ships actions, by blocking or pinning them.
Capable of moving the unlucky ship into harmful terrain.
Capable of moving the victim closer to your gunships or another opponent if in a multiplayer game.
Capable of moving the poor vessel away from you.
This is the order I go through this list.
Strategies and game play:
One strategy is to avoid exploring, which generally means you are floating a battle armada. When your opponent is cursed with the Maps of Hades avoid a ram or a boarding action if you can. Unless your opponent is using combo ships, the chances are a treasure runner will be getting the maps. Take advantage of the speed to bee line for the most disruptive choice of action. With only a 33 percent chance of getting the move, you cannot count on getting two moves in a row, so look for disruptions within the move radius before deciding where to move the boat.
Remember that this is a normal move, not a slide like you would see with Foul Winds; turns, galley, and schooner abilities allowing the stern turn are part of that move. Free actions are also still valid, and not under your control. If the ship has a captain, I wouldn’t suggest moving it within fire range of your vessels, but certainly may be nice if you move it within range of enemies in a multi player game.
Combos with other miniatures:
Including the Maps of Hades in a treasure mix is risky unless you don’t plan on exploring. Other treasures that it mixes well with is Plague (eliminate all crew when plagued); Natives (lose # of turns equal to the # of crew aboard); Missionary (Eliminate all crew); Volcano (Destroy random treasure and crew on docked ships).
Ways to counteract it:
Kharmic Idol wipes out all revealed unique treasures, another is the random treasure exchange ability. You could always hope to lose a boarding action, which would be a lot of fun if the ship carrying it has one mast, and it rammed a ship o’ the line.
Strengths/Pros:
Random disruptions to enemy strategy.
Unique Treasure has no fleet costs.
Demoralizes opponent.
Weaknesses/Cons:
Riskier treasure hunting for you.
May never be found.
Only works 33% of the time.
Artwork and aesthetics:
It displays three maps in various levels of abuse. Maybe that is why is only works 33% of the time. Now if you can only find the other 6........
Overall rating:
I will rate Maps of Hades a 9/10 for DJC, possibly the best UT of the set.
I will rate Maps of Hades a 7/10 overall, as it could be considered for every disruptive UT mix.
Miniature Trading
