Shakras
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Description[edit]
Shakras is a four player "reverse" (low ground mains, high ground natural) map. It was BWMN's Map of the Month for December 2007.
"The map is fairly simple with mains in the corners, regular 9 block main, gas expo nat, min only, then another expo with gas. However the execution of this familiar theme is unique. The mains are on lowground with the nats on highground, something rarely seen in maps like Requiem or Reverse LT. The mineral only is on the main layer of the middle of the map, are large lowground plain which encircles a large highground plateau with ramps for easy mobile-access, like the middle of longinus. The mineral only expo is close to the nat, but is certainly not a "free" expansion site. Past the mineral onlys are highground plateau expos, lead-to by 2 seperate large ramps, one larger than the other.
The smooth expo layout of the map is fairly standard and supportive of the common macro-oriented play. The expo layout favours a push or creeping style expansion, taking one base at a time as you head towards your opponent, but fluidly allows players to pick one expo over another. While perhaps not the most exciting and strategically oriented expo layout ever, it certainly is player-friendly, and makes scouting quite imperative, with expos so easy to "hide" in.
A smooth transition from open to tight exists in this map, with the open not being too large, and the tight not being too constricting. Many chokes and ramps allow for strategic play without disrupting unit movement in any manner. Your armies can easily march around, with players flanking eachother and cornering eachother, without getting lost in space.
With a very for-the-player expo layout, large but not vacuous mains which allow players to comfortably fit their buildings in the space without feeling as though they have to be master architects to fit everything and still have room to breathe but without making the players feel agoraphobic, and a familiar but still unique execution of the map's placement and altitude variation, Crackling and Testbug's Shakras is a great map, well worthy of the title: Map of the Month."
-Nightmarjoo
Notable Features[edit]
- The natural cliffs - Both a drop spot for the mineral only and a possible proxy location.
- Third gas expansion - Doesn't 'belong' to any player. Relatively difficult to secure. The only gas bases on the map other than the mains and naturals.
- High ground middle - Essential for cutting off enemy attacks, as well as an important location for cross-positional games.