EPT
After much deliberation, we have decided on the sixteen finalists for the 15th edition of the TL.net Map Contest. Judging was especially difficult this time around, with 176(!) individual maps submitted in one of the highest turnouts in contest history. Each iteration of TLMC has seen the average quality of maps increase, and this was most certainly one of the strongest TLMC fields ever.
Now that the Judging Phase comes to an end, the Tournament and Public Voting Phase is set to begin. We've decided to adjust the period of public voting by a few days from the initial schedule, and will now run from July 3rd to July 12th (ends on July 12th 23:59 PDT). As in previous tournaments, fan voting decides the winners of the TLMC and the payouts, but the actual maps selected for the competitive ladder may differ.
The TL.net Map Contest Tournament itself will be hosted thanks to the ever-loving grace of WardiTV, and will run from July 6th-12th. While voting will open before the tournament concludes, we recommend that you watch the maps in action before voting, if you have the time.
Some notes before we unveil the maps:
Alright, enough preamble! Let's get on to our sixteen finalists!
A standard map with 7 bases per player. The 4 closest expansions are relatively easy to hold. The other 2 expansions are further away, with one of which has double rich gas.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
A winding low-ground path through the middle holds an aggressive attack route and vulnerable expansion. Hold either stretch of high ground for positional advantage and use the winding low-ground paths along the side to flank. Rocks divide up attack lanes.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
A standard map that features thousand years old Protoss aqueducts. The first few bases are easy to take but taking additional bases during the late game will require good army presence in the middle.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
4 starting positions, 16 bases, and no starting position restrictions. Destructible rocks play an important role as they even out the rush distances between starting positions while also giving the low ground 3rd base a layer of early protection. Depending on the starting location, one might want to take a 3rd base in the other direction, which is a bit more exposed, but doesn't suffer from being low ground. Breaking the rocks near the center allows one to move more freely and opens up for faster rotations between expansions as well as flanking. Besides the fact that it has 4 spawns, it's a fairly standard map
Click to expand 
A 4 player map with a rotational layout. All spawns are enabled. Initial rush paths on vertical/horizontal-start games involve high ground paths that are narrowed by rocks. Destroying the rocks opens up those paths, and also grants additional access to the center.
Shortest rush paths on diagonal-start games involve a small 4x4 rock with Line of Sight blockers (2x2). The rocks help defense or ranged units in the early game. Thirds can be taken both clockwise & counterclockwise depending on the opponent's position. Players can mine mineral walls to open paths between the third and the fourth. Each chunk costs 10. Siege tanks cannot strike resources over mineral walls.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
A smaller map with major tension around 2 low ground expansions. Curious minds will try to control both Xel'Naga towers to prepare for incoming pressure. This small map has 3 linear expansions that have ramps and chokepoints to defend early on. There is an open low ground 4th that is closer to the enemy, focusing much of the action to that area.. With many different attacking paths and flanking angles, vision is the most important resource. Xel Naga towers are far away from expansions and aren't easy to secure.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
Iliad is a small rush map with 12 bases. There are 2 options for taking 3rd bases. The natural choke is slightly smaller than normal. The main base is not directly in the corner which also means there’s quite a bit of airspace between the main and the natural.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
The slightly below average size and distance to the enemy in combination with lowground 3rd base options favors aggressive play. Taking down the debris or mineral wall in front of the natural shortens the direct path to the enemy and weakens the defensive position in front of the natural. A debris-mineral wall combination in the front of the natural closes off a direct path towards the middle—when opened the rush distance is reduced.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
The shortest distance across runs through a low ground area with high ground paths on both sides. Either 3rd base has only 1 frontal entrance. Line of sight blockers are located down the center of each respective lane with blockades between them. Crush your opponents and then relax and enjoy the view.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
The high ground paths in the middle have long rocks placed on them, so there are divergent attack paths to the enemy third base. You can take the rocks down and let the strong highground act as a hub for launching attacks into the enemy bases, of which there are plenty on this large macro map. Despite its size the rush distance is surprisingly short. This offers a variety of options even in the early game, but you will have to deal with a lot of sight blockers in the middle crossing the map.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
A macro map where players expand diagonally. All bases are close to each other, strengthening defensive play in the early game, but destroying the rocks makes the map quite open.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
A slightly experimental 4 player map. The natural is non-standard, allowing a somewhat comparable but different third expansion in every spawn position.
The typical 3rd -> 4th - > 5th awkward expansion transition is eased by adding a possible 4th highground base, closer than usual. The middle of the map is raised and can be partially closed off. The natural wall-off is not standard, similar to Abyssal Reef. A full wall-off is possible with only 3 3x3 buildings + zealots, like this. Siege tanks can’t reach high ground 3rd base resources from the adjacent base.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
Finally, a map with speed zones that actually DO something. In the past the speed zones did not really have a strategic impact on gameplay and kind of were just decoration. The concept here is to address a symptom of this kind of rectangular symmetry: With symmetry like this you will always have a short and straight attack path between mains and a very long and distant path on the other side of the map. The use of acceleration zones and inhibitor zones counter this characteristic. They shorten the distant path on the upper side and extend the straight path through the bottom so the map gets a twist towards a rotational symmetry map. Only with still being a rectangular symmetry map!
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
This is a large sized map which is set to be part of one of the three ancient arkships: the Pride of Altaris. Its beautiful landscape restores the ship’s relaxing garden which consists of gold mines, plants and mild creatures. Through the glass floor in the middle of the map, it can be seen that the Spear of Adun cruises beside. This map utilizes up to four terrain height levels. The six expansion mines spot on the lower ground can be easily assaulted, especially the gold mines. However, it also possesses eight pieces of gold mineral patches that could be worth the risk. The gold mines consist of 8 mineral patches instead of six. The locations of gold mines are at the lowest level of terrain height, each location has a higher ground area at the back which can be easily attacked from. And because of the high risk of taking these mines, I hope that by increasing the amount of gold mineral, the high risk of mining these gold can be worthwhile.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
This map is an ancient Japanese kingdom theme, inspired by the Tomb Raider games. This map has a very unique layout even though it's freestyle, it possesses a lot of ramps and the cliff levels are switching all the way around. The map features a much more macro and defensive approach due to how many ramps this map has so positioning is of far bigger value than usual. These ramps can easily be turned against you should an enemy drop happen on the other side of the map or even if they are used as choke points with zoning units like Mines/Tanks/Liberators/Lurkers etc. The map promotes narrower paths because of its heavier reliance on ramps. Xel'Naga towers may not provide vision of the center path, but their role grows exponentially as the game goes on because the sides of the map will become far more important. Sorry for somewhat chaotic aesthetics, but at least they look awesome.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
At first all attacks lead through the middle. Use the mineral wall in your natural to expand away from your opponent.Taking down the rocks opens additional attack paths to the otherwise very well protected expansions. In the very middle there is a watchtower. Actually using the feature of a second mineral walled entrance in the natural helps the map counter the asymmetrical aspects of a close spawn on a 4 player rotational map. The single path through the middle keeps rush distances similar to each other and prevents close spawns hyper-aggressive by default.
Map FeaturesClick to expand 
Public voting via TL.net determines the final rankings in TLMC #15. All sixteen finalists, as selected by the judges, receive $200 per winning entry. The top five entrants, as determined by public vote, will be awarded additional winnings as follows:
Maps that place high in TLMC #15 are not guaranteed to be added to the competitive ladder. ESL and Blizzard will reference TLMC #15 and choose which maps to add at their own discretion.
Prize money has been provided by Shopify and ESL, and we thank them for their support of the map making community.
Voting closes in .
Now that the Judging Phase comes to an end, the Tournament and Public Voting Phase is set to begin. We've decided to adjust the period of public voting by a few days from the initial schedule, and will now run from July 3rd to July 12th (ends on July 12th 23:59 PDT). As in previous tournaments, fan voting decides the winners of the TLMC and the payouts, but the actual maps selected for the competitive ladder may differ.
The TL.net Map Contest Tournament itself will be hosted thanks to the ever-loving grace of WardiTV, and will run from July 6th-12th. While voting will open before the tournament concludes, we recommend that you watch the maps in action before voting, if you have the time.
Some notes before we unveil the maps:
- All maps are accompanied by comments from the map-maker.
- The maps are listed in random order, and do not reflect their score in judge voting.
- TLMC #15 sought to reintroduce maps with 3 or more starting positions, reserving four finalist spots for such maps. Maps in this sub-category have been noted.
- Voting is open until Tuesday, Jul 13 6:59am GMT (GMT+00:00)
Alright, enough preamble! Let's get on to our sixteen finalists!
Standard
The standard category is a staple of the TLMC, and is the most popular category by far. A standard map challenges a mapmaker to stand out without using any gimmicks or tricks. This is StarCraft at its most fundamental level, ensuring strong competition for both players and the mapmakers themselves.The Scavenger
By: volumin
A standard map with 7 bases per player. The 4 closest expansions are relatively easy to hold. The other 2 expansions are further away, with one of which has double rich gas. - The choke in the middle is a little twisted to elongate the rush distance, but it's 2 tiles wide allowing larger units to pass. Destroying 4x4 rocks shortens the middle path, but still leaves a relatively small choke.
- Highground paths between the linear and triangular 3rd bases are blocked by huge rocks to limit early game aggression.
- There is a secondary Reaper path to the main that can be blocked by 1 Pylon/Supply Depot.
- There is a potential 3 Pylon-Cannon spot in the natural between minerals and mains cliff.
Map Features
Oblivion
By: themusic246
A winding low-ground path through the middle holds an aggressive attack route and vulnerable expansion. Hold either stretch of high ground for positional advantage and use the winding low-ground paths along the side to flank. Rocks divide up attack lanes.Map Features
Aqueducts
By: Superouman
A standard map that features thousand years old Protoss aqueducts. The first few bases are easy to take but taking additional bases during the late game will require good army presence in the middle.Map Features
Judges' picks/Designated 3+ starting position maps
Jacaranda
By: Agaton
4 starting positions, 16 bases, and no starting position restrictions. Destructible rocks play an important role as they even out the rush distances between starting positions while also giving the low ground 3rd base a layer of early protection. Depending on the starting location, one might want to take a 3rd base in the other direction, which is a bit more exposed, but doesn't suffer from being low ground. Breaking the rocks near the center allows one to move more freely and opens up for faster rotations between expansions as well as flanking. Besides the fact that it has 4 spawns, it's a fairly standard map- Destructible rocks lengthens the distance between players as well as rotations in the early game. They also help balance out close-spawn positions.
- Line of Sight blockers provide some flanking opportunities in the center.
Undercity
By: RQM
A 4 player map with a rotational layout. All spawns are enabled. Initial rush paths on vertical/horizontal-start games involve high ground paths that are narrowed by rocks. Destroying the rocks opens up those paths, and also grants additional access to the center.Shortest rush paths on diagonal-start games involve a small 4x4 rock with Line of Sight blockers (2x2). The rocks help defense or ranged units in the early game. Thirds can be taken both clockwise & counterclockwise depending on the opponent's position. Players can mine mineral walls to open paths between the third and the fourth. Each chunk costs 10. Siege tanks cannot strike resources over mineral walls.
Map Features
Rush
These maps with short rush distances and smaller overall area favor aggressive and cutthroat gameplay. Frantic early and mid-game activity is a hallmark of these maps.Curious Minds
By: MiloOnFire
A smaller map with major tension around 2 low ground expansions. Curious minds will try to control both Xel'Naga towers to prepare for incoming pressure. This small map has 3 linear expansions that have ramps and chokepoints to defend early on. There is an open low ground 4th that is closer to the enemy, focusing much of the action to that area.. With many different attacking paths and flanking angles, vision is the most important resource. Xel Naga towers are far away from expansions and aren't easy to secure.Map Features
Iliad
By: Marras
Iliad is a small rush map with 12 bases. There are 2 options for taking 3rd bases. The natural choke is slightly smaller than normal. The main base is not directly in the corner which also means there’s quite a bit of airspace between the main and the natural.Map Features
Berlingrad
By: Skypirinha1
The slightly below average size and distance to the enemy in combination with lowground 3rd base options favors aggressive play. Taking down the debris or mineral wall in front of the natural shortens the direct path to the enemy and weakens the defensive position in front of the natural. A debris-mineral wall combination in the front of the natural closes off a direct path towards the middle—when opened the rush distance is reduced.- There is a small Reaper ledge towards the main.
- The Overlord pillar a small distance away from the natural entrance.
- Air units are safe in the main base corner.
Map Features
Macro
While the macro category shares some similarities with the "Standard" category, we've challenged mapmakers to design a slower playing map where players feel safe to expand. This allows for a longer 'wind up time,' leading to more explosive late-games!Enchanted Isle
By: CharactR
The shortest distance across runs through a low ground area with high ground paths on both sides. Either 3rd base has only 1 frontal entrance. Line of sight blockers are located down the center of each respective lane with blockades between them. Crush your opponents and then relax and enjoy the view.Map Features
Fountainhead
By: KillerSmile
The high ground paths in the middle have long rocks placed on them, so there are divergent attack paths to the enemy third base. You can take the rocks down and let the strong highground act as a hub for launching attacks into the enemy bases, of which there are plenty on this large macro map. Despite its size the rush distance is surprisingly short. This offers a variety of options even in the early game, but you will have to deal with a lot of sight blockers in the middle crossing the map.Map Features
Sanguinite
By: volumin
A macro map where players expand diagonally. All bases are close to each other, strengthening defensive play in the early game, but destroying the rocks makes the map quite open.- Rocks on the natural ramp offer different wall-off possibilities.
- Destroying the rocks on the natural ramp allows easy access to linear 3rd.
- There is a very close triangular 3rd, but with two entry ramps.
Map Features
Judges' pick/Designated 3+ player map
Bulwark
By: IeZaeL
A slightly experimental 4 player map. The natural is non-standard, allowing a somewhat comparable but different third expansion in every spawn position. The typical 3rd -> 4th - > 5th awkward expansion transition is eased by adding a possible 4th highground base, closer than usual. The middle of the map is raised and can be partially closed off. The natural wall-off is not standard, similar to Abyssal Reef. A full wall-off is possible with only 3 3x3 buildings + zealots, like this. Siege tanks can’t reach high ground 3rd base resources from the adjacent base.
Map Features
Freestyle
A new category to make use of the new Terrain Height features, alongside other new ideas for how StarCraft II can be played. This is a category which seeks unorthodox, outside-the-box maps!Treadmill
By: Zweck
Finally, a map with speed zones that actually DO something. In the past the speed zones did not really have a strategic impact on gameplay and kind of were just decoration. The concept here is to address a symptom of this kind of rectangular symmetry: With symmetry like this you will always have a short and straight attack path between mains and a very long and distant path on the other side of the map. The use of acceleration zones and inhibitor zones counter this characteristic. They shorten the distant path on the upper side and extend the straight path through the bottom so the map gets a twist towards a rotational symmetry map. Only with still being a rectangular symmetry map!Map Features
Pride of Altaris
By: 4096SP
This is a large sized map which is set to be part of one of the three ancient arkships: the Pride of Altaris. Its beautiful landscape restores the ship’s relaxing garden which consists of gold mines, plants and mild creatures. Through the glass floor in the middle of the map, it can be seen that the Spear of Adun cruises beside. This map utilizes up to four terrain height levels. The six expansion mines spot on the lower ground can be easily assaulted, especially the gold mines. However, it also possesses eight pieces of gold mineral patches that could be worth the risk. The gold mines consist of 8 mineral patches instead of six. The locations of gold mines are at the lowest level of terrain height, each location has a higher ground area at the back which can be easily attacked from. And because of the high risk of taking these mines, I hope that by increasing the amount of gold mineral, the high risk of mining these gold can be worthwhile.Map Features
Yamatai
By: qtsha1
This map is an ancient Japanese kingdom theme, inspired by the Tomb Raider games. This map has a very unique layout even though it's freestyle, it possesses a lot of ramps and the cliff levels are switching all the way around. The map features a much more macro and defensive approach due to how many ramps this map has so positioning is of far bigger value than usual. These ramps can easily be turned against you should an enemy drop happen on the other side of the map or even if they are used as choke points with zoning units like Mines/Tanks/Liberators/Lurkers etc. The map promotes narrower paths because of its heavier reliance on ramps. Xel'Naga towers may not provide vision of the center path, but their role grows exponentially as the game goes on because the sides of the map will become far more important. Sorry for somewhat chaotic aesthetics, but at least they look awesome.Map Features
Judges' pick/Designated 3+ player map
Tidehunter
By: KillerSmile
At first all attacks lead through the middle. Use the mineral wall in your natural to expand away from your opponent.Taking down the rocks opens additional attack paths to the otherwise very well protected expansions. In the very middle there is a watchtower. Actually using the feature of a second mineral walled entrance in the natural helps the map counter the asymmetrical aspects of a close spawn on a 4 player rotational map. The single path through the middle keeps rush distances similar to each other and prevents close spawns hyper-aggressive by default.Map Features
Voting
TLMC uses a voting system where voters assign points to their top five maps in order of preference. Please follow these instructions when voting:- You may only vote for a total of FIVE (5) maps.
- Among your top five maps picks, assign your points/votes as follows:
- Highest rated map: 5 points
- Second highest rated map: 4 points
- Third highest rated map: 3 points
- Fourth highest rated map: 2 points
- Fifth highest rated map: 1 point
- Highest rated map: 5 points
- You may only assign each specific point value once (only one map can be awarded 5 points, etc).
Vote Now
Public voting via TL.net determines the final rankings in TLMC #15. All sixteen finalists, as selected by the judges, receive $200 per winning entry. The top five entrants, as determined by public vote, will be awarded additional winnings as follows:
First - $800
Second - $500
Third - $250
Fourth - $150
Fifth - $100
Second - $500
Third - $250
Fourth - $150
Fifth - $100
Maps that place high in TLMC #15 are not guaranteed to be added to the competitive ladder. ESL and Blizzard will reference TLMC #15 and choose which maps to add at their own discretion.
Prize money has been provided by Shopify and ESL, and we thank them for their support of the map making community.
Voting closes in .
