I'm not a fan of Veramarth, but it has a one-of-a-kind layout that I haven't seen anywhere else. Rather than the usual square-like map dimensions with main bases tucked away in each corner, Veramarth takes place along the banks of a river, with the main bases directly opposite each-other.

There is little wasted space: the battlefield is large enough that the map doesn't feel cramped and that there is room between the lanes, but has no long walks or windy side-paths.

Rival Nations (MicrosoftXP, 2002-2004) is a well-established member of the 3v3v3 sub-genre of AoS maps. It has a couple of neat ideas that make it stand out from its peers, including the ability to control several heroes at once.

3v3v3 AoS maps have always been a popular choice among public players. They're easy to jump into, the small teams make it easy to bring a friend or two along, and they almost invariably have the familiar cast of Warcraft 3's default heroes available to choose from (sometimes supplemented with heroes of the developer's design, though usually they are low-effort

Ruiner's Domination is one of the most polished and professionally made AoS maps of its era. Its clean visuals combined with simple but well-embedded game rules has led it to age gracefully, even when played over a decade later.

The day has finally come where I review Ninjas on Battle.net! Formerly known as Ninjas in Pyjamas, NoB achieves an interesting contrast of being possibly the most informal AoS map ever developed, while simultaneously pioneering clever mechanics that have since been picked up on by commercial titles.

Its playerbase will describe the map as "silly, but fun", which echoes the relative unimportance of balance, the absurd abilities, and the plentiful references to gaming-related pop-culture.

Advent of the Zenith is comfortably one of the best-known AoS maps in Warcraft III. It stands out in many ways as a memorable experience, partly due to innovative hero design, and partly due to its immersive theme and custom graphics.

In light of last week's interview, I've decided to take a slight detour from our usual menu to review a concept AoS called Elemental Wars.

This was never made into a playable map, but is unique in several ways that I feel are worth discussing. The concept was originally posted here on wc3c.net, but I'll run through the main points below anyway.

MountainStruggle is one of those old maps where relatively simple scripting plus creative thinking produced some interesting results. The game is 5v5, and is themed around two opposing nations which are separated by a giant mountain. The lanes defy usual conventions by weaving their way over and under the mountain's ridge, resulting in a rather unique layout.

Arise, arise! Fighters of Terpentin! Lane-pushing games are best known as 5v5 matchups, but over the years there have been plenty of maps trying out different configurations.

Terpentin is one of the better-executed 3v3v3 maps: consisting of three AI teams, with 3 player-controlled heroes on each. While nothing special in terms of graphics or hero design, its offers a large variety of map objectives, which are tricky to prioritise.

Battle Tanks (N-a-z-g-u-l, aka Bob666, 2005) is a very interesting specimen of lane-pushing game. It's quite distinct from most AoS maps, and has enjoyed a large following for many years. The game is still being updated by Exodus and the Btanks team, and the most recent update was Feb 2014.

The basic premise of Battle Tanks is familiar: it's a 5v5 matchup with three lanes, and the primary objective to destroy the enemy base. Less familiar will be that the full map is visible to everyone at all times (no reconnaissance meta), and that the game is symmetric!

Instead of picking heroes

With the release of the Warcraft III expansion pack "The Frozen Throne" and its improved map editor, many budding developers began releasing their own versions of Eul's popular Defense of the Ancients. Eul too was working on a official sequel, under the name Thirst for Gamma (Eul and Song, 2004).

The map's development ended up running for only a month. Being one of the most popular maps Battle.net had ever seen, a DotA sequel commanded high expectations, but when early Thirst for Gamma versions were made public before the map was anywhere near a playable state, players left disappointed, and