Risk Assessment
Creator: Tolbby || First Published: 02/04/2026 || Players: 2 || Size: 30x20
Categories: None
Rating: 7.00 in 1 rating
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Comments:
Tolbby (02/04/2026 06:39pm | Edited: 03/02/2026 12:47am):
Standard Funding map.

Made in Dual Strike. While the map editing tools of AWBW would make balancing this map better, this was originally
made in Dual Strike, and I plan on keeping this map fully Dual Strike compatable. If I cannot use in game tricks to
make it on the game, then it will not be included for this map.

This map offers multiple possible opening plays! How long will you ignore potential air strikes from behind?
Fastest way to secure your flank is to build a Missle, but doing so makes your fronts weaker temporarily. Perhaps
turn 1 recon to deny the corner base capture? But doing so drastically slows down your early economy! Maybe
instead of 12000 for a missle, just delay the problem with Infantry and Anti-Air? Doing so costs a LOT more than a
single missile! It is up to you to balance risk vs reward as the front of the battles changes frequently!

"The opponent can build a recon to deny the opponent's base." -CORRECT!!! When I was first making my first map, I
realized this problem. But as I was removing the roads with plains to remove it, I asked myself, "What if the players
COULD, as an option?" So that is this maps goal! Balancing the early game has been a massive challenge I have been
tweaking daily to find that perfect balance where I want the players to open how they see fit, either with an early
recon, full infantry, early tanks, or even battlecopters for potential early game harassment. I currently feel like the
goal is obtainable, I will keep fixing the map until that goal is met. Even if the map is not S-Tier or never ends up on
the competitive ladder, I still want players to enjoy the change of pace as they should always feel they have a new
opener available to them on this new kind of complex map.

(I am a new AW player, so I have only recently learned how to play. But I have learned a lot in the 6 weeks it took to
make this map!)
Tolbby (02/28/2026 01:17am | Edited: 03/30/2026 09:10pm):
WHAT IS LEFT TO PERFECT THE MAP:
- Find solution to minimize map chokepoints, as I feel the map has a few too many. Currently trying to identify any
major problem points, and am looking for solutions.
- Improve late game East vs West matchup. Currently like the current layout, but need more test games to make sure
map feels good in late game.
- Make sure all main openers feel viable for maximum strategic diversity.
- Make sure FTA doesn't feel overwhelming. While Blue gains a minor production advantage by turns 5+, and a minor
economic advantage, it never truely hit the half turn and is short by a tiny tiny tiny amount. Only time will tell... :(

Balance changes:

(Made before I started logging changes)
- Made the Airports easier to escape from, allowing Battlecopters to actually be invested into early to allow
counterplay, early harassment, and the ability to flee single early AA.
- Removed the Com-towers in the center of the map. The player who tends to control the center of the map already
tends to win the game, this map does not need that much of a win more setup.
- Made the infantry only zones smaller. While some games do end up having infantry skirmishes in these zones, they
really don't add much when taking up too much space, so allowing the more central contested barracks more space
for combat.
- Reworked the center of the map. While I want Battleships to be a way to help players close out games, I don't want
first to build a Battleship to just win, and allow the opposing player to respond.

(2/27/2026)
Fixed a couple problems I been trying to fix.

- Starting flippable city to further slow down players not going infantry, and rushing Recons to deny the contested
bases. Rushing Recons should deny production, but reduce economy making you less flexible. Now the city can be
rushed by infantry rushing players which cannot be denied by any players rushing recons.
- Reworked the starting base layout making bursting open the pipe by the command center more appealing. Now
tanks and other tracker units will be able to reinforce the front line by half a turn or better.

(2/28/2026)
- Removed dead space between both contested barracks and made the 3 wide area on the outside where most early
fights occur now 4 wide, so less likely to lead to a very quick deadlock. And if a wall occurs, more likely to let players
maneuver to turn a breakthrough to their advantage.

(3/8/2026)
- Re-added 3rd & 4th com towers to the map, in locations potentially target-able in a North Vs South situation. The
center of the map would feel barren, and this should incentivize players to send towards the center once again.
- Moved the original com towers further away, so requires 4 turns of movement and has them a tad further apart.
- Found no way to deny Artillery D3 for an unstoppable breakage to flip the airport immediately at the start of the
game, but since this map also allows D1-D3 Recon rush to deny a base, I see no issues with it currently, as it leads to
dynamic games. Will keep my eyes on the opener.

(3/16/2026)
- Swapped locations of 2 com towers, and player HQs, and both adjustable accordingly. This helps add more action
to the central column of the map, as many games would devolve into North vs South, with the entire central column
of the map left uncontested.
- Adjusted starting base layout and re-added another p2 infantry to try to balance FTA, without giving p2 an
enormous economic advantage. This almost perfectly fixes the economy, but due to currently having 5 possible
starting sequences, should be good enough.

(3/30/2026)
- Added an opening alone the east/west river to allow another path to maneuver in a North vs South game. Nothing
broken in the process, will keep eye on how North vs South games flow.
- Modified the bases so Rushed Battlecopters could escape at least South, at least if the AA was built in the North to
cutoff Copter harassment to the north.
- Extended the North/South ocean escape path for the airports. Copters rushed D3 & D4 should be able to escape.
These tiles were never used anyways by units except to block D3 copter from escaping.
Tolbby (03/03/2026 02:59pm | Edited: 03/30/2026 11:46pm):
Special thanks to the following people!!!

- Azarel : Helped advice for the center of the map, and helping with balancing the multiple opening economies.
- orange_star : Helped shape the corner airports allowing early battlecopter investment not to be wasted.
- Faerulian : Helped experiment with multiple openings to help verify openings and counter for any gaps in balance.



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