What do you think was the hardest layout?

[PurpleParrot319]

It's a good debate, but really, all of them were very difficult. I don't think Gator or Zac could've beat these layouts.

[PurpleParrot319]

Ok, I watched the discarded seal run again and I think I might change my vote to this. Two great players, one brutal layout. They were going to run into all 3 guards in this run (which they did) and this prevented them from getting the seal. The Room of the Ancient Warriors just screwed this team over big time. I mean, a guard in a suit that doesn't open any doors at all? Ouch! I know that not all of the rooms would've been entered (ledges and password would've been unnecessary in this run), but still, what a brutal layout with the guard locations it had. If possible, I'd love to pair Zac and Gator together and have them go through this layout. Do you think they would succeed? I'm not sure if they would.

[The Red Jaguars]

Ok, I watched the discarded seal run again and I think I might change my vote to this. Two great players, one brutal layout. They were going to run into all 3 guards in this run (which they did) and this prevented them from getting the seal. The Room of the Ancient Warriors just screwed this team over big time. I mean, a guard in a suit that doesn't open any doors at all? Ouch! I know that not all of the rooms would've been entered (ledges and password would've been unnecessary in this run), but still, what a brutal layout with the guard locations it had. If possible, I'd love to pair Zac and Gator together and have them go through this layout. Do you think they would succeed? I'm not sure if they would.

Yeah, Travis and Elisa were probably one of the best teams in season 3, and still finished a room away from the artifact because the layout was so damn tough. They did everything right in the room including running fasts through all the rooms, try shortcuts, making it back to the platform in the Pit of the Pendulum, etc.

[The Ancient Warrior]

Well, put the poll back up for anyone who wants to re-vote.  Even I have to admit I wouldn't really nominate some of these episodes for "hardest layout" four-and-a-half years later, but hey, I wanted to be consistent with the poll on the old board.

[PurpleParrot319]

Ok, so after much debate, I voted for the Discarded Seal. The two players in this episode were really good, but they just had rotten luck with the temple guards. They had absolutely no chance of winning, and they didn't even have to enter all the rooms. Also, the item was not in the center room. You know something's wrong when the toughest layout doesn't require a team to get the item from the center room.

I think Hans Holbein was doable if the girl just moved faster and didn't have to climb out of the Pit of the Pendulum. Keith was really fast. I'm not sure if the Shrine-Bog door opened, but if it did, he could've gone that way instead of the Password. Also, Keith trying the third suit in the Ancient Warriors when the door was already open was unnecessary. Basically, the players in this run weren't near as perfect as the players from the Discarded Seal. If they were, then my vote might have been different.

[PurpleParrot319]

Also, in Hans Holbein, what if the girl tried the third book in the Crypt? She only tried two of them and the second book opened the Ledges. I wonder if the third book would open the Pit of the Pendulum. This could've saved more time as well.

[Red Jaguars Fan]

I voted for "The Discarded Seal of Ivan the Terrible" mainly because a minimum of nine rooms was needed and the temple guard placement was cruel.

Although I'll admit "The Missing Portrait of Hans Holbein" was difficult, they didn't have a cruel temple guard placement. Besides, they weren't excellent. If Rachel was faster or tried all three books in the Crypt or if Keith didn't try the third armor or miss the Quicksand Bog passage, they would've barely gotten the portrait.

[The Red Jaguars]

I voted for "The Discarded Seal of Ivan the Terrible" mainly because a minimum of nine rooms was needed and the temple guard placement was cruel.

Although I'll admit "The Missing Portrait of Hans Holbein" was difficult, they didn't have a cruel temple guard placement. Besides, they weren't excellent. If Rachel was faster or tried all three books in the Crypt or if Keith didn't try the third armor or miss the Quicksand Bog passage, they would've barely gotten the portrait.

I don't think the Quicksand Bog passage opened from the Shrine at all. You can tell when Keith is trying to plow through the wall that the door is closed. But Rachel should've tried all three books in the Crypt. I still think they wouldn't have gotten the portrait though. They still had the Jester's Court and Tomb of the Headless Kings to complete.

The Discarded Seal of Ivan the Terrible gets my vote though for this one.

[JTH1]

For sake's arguement I'll throw out one more. "The Mystical Spell Book of the Imperial Wizard"

Season 3 for one so clearly no walk in the park, had to scale down to do The Ledges. Both the Chamber and King's Storeroom opened so they had to climb back up regardless and temple guard placement again. Many people remember this run for the first player looking for the key in the Dark Forest when he just had to plow through the wall. Though I think the kid heard Kirk say "Find the Key" repeatedly and throw him off.

[Purple Parrots Fan]

I also voted for "The Discarded Seal of Ivan the Terrible." For all the same reasons as everyone else. Travis and Elisa were fast and did everything right, but they still lost. There were few shortcuts and the temple guard placement was horrible. My runner up choice would definitely be "The Missing Portrait of Hans Holbein." And what a coincidence that those 2 episodes were filmed on the same day.

[PurpleParrot319]

I say "The Leopard-Skin Cloak of Annie Oakley" deserves an honorable mention as well. Possibly the best Purple Parrot duo of all time and the temple guard in the King's Storeroom basically gave all PP fans the middle finger just one room away from the Cloak. Not only that, but the Cloak was in the center room. Chandra went through 9 rooms in like two minutes before that guard caught her. That guard and the one in the Laser Light Room were impossible to avoid. I wonder what the end result would be if Chandra went into the Ledges first (I say the third guard was in there). Nick may have had a chance at getting the Cloak, but that'd probably be it. What a tough layout with BS guard placement.

[Purple Parrots Fan]

I say "The Leopard-Skin Cloak of Annie Oakley" deserves an honorable mention as well. Possibly the best Purple Parrot duo of all time and the temple guard in the King's Storeroom basically gave all PP fans the middle finger just one room away from the Cloak. Not only that, but the Cloak was in the center room. Chandra went through 9 rooms in like two minutes before that guard caught her. That guard and the one in the Laser Light Room were impossible to avoid. I wonder what the end result would be if Chandra went into the Ledges first (I say the third guard was in there). Nick may have had a chance at getting the Cloak, but that'd probably be it. What a tough layout with BS guard placement.

It was Chandra's own fault for not taking any shortcuts. The layout wasn't that hard at all. She added 2 extra rooms to her path. But the one room away temple guard was a pretty cheap move.

[PurpleParrot319]

I also voted for "The Discarded Seal of Ivan the Terrible." For all the same reasons as everyone else. Travis and Elisa were fast and did everything right, but they still lost. There were few shortcuts and the temple guard placement was horrible. My runner up choice would definitely be "The Missing Portrait of Hans Holbein." And what a coincidence that those 2 episodes were filmed on the same day.

You know, I think the hardest layouts this show ever had were all filmed on the same day.

The Golden Spider Web of Robert the Bruce is almost the exact same layout as The Missing Portrait of Hans Holbein, except The Spider Web ended in triple guard capture (and they would've gotten further if Jeremy wasn't an idiot and passed the half pendant in the pit).

We all know about The Discarded Seal of Ivan the Terrible.

The Dried Apple Half of William Tell looked insanely difficult as well. This Green Monkey team just wasn't fit enough for this kind of layout.

We also know about The Missing Portrait.

The only layout that wasn't very hard on that day was The Mysterious Manuscript of Mary Shelley.

Talk about a tough day.

[The Dark Enforcer]

A whole lot of cruel designs up in the list and on honorable mention. Those season 3 producers were just downright despicable sometimes

[PurpleParrot319]

You know, I wonder why some of the poll choices are up there. I mean, Golden Goblet, Red Sash, and Ivory Elephant (which somehow got a vote ). The rest of the choices deserve to be in this poll. Marble Armrest should've been in there.

I'm going to give you my top 5 hardest layouts.

1. Discarded Seal (hardest)
2. Hans Holbein
3. Marble Armrest of Xerxes
4. Belle Boyd
5. Dried Apple Half

Wow, all five of these are season 3 runs, and there are other hard layouts from this season as well. These include Golden Spider Web, Bent Shaving Pan, Smashed Printing Plate, and Useless Map. Just missing my cut in 6th is Ponce De Leon, a season 1 run.