JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="home-banner home-banner-matrix">
    <div class="matrix-links">
        <a href="#">One</a>
        <a href="#">Two</a>
        <a href="#">Three</a>
        <a href="#">Four</a>
        <a href="#">Five</a>
        <a href="#">Six</a>
        <a href="#">Seven</a>
        <a href="#">Eight</a>
        <a href="#">Nine</a>
        <a href="#">One</a>
        <a href="#">Two</a>
        <a href="#">Three</a>
        <a href="#">Four</a>
        <a href="#">Five</a>
        <a href="#">Six</a>
        <a href="#">Seven</a>
        <a href="#">Eight</a>
        <a href="#">Nine</a>
    </div>
</div>

<p>Ideally, hovering over each area will highlight the honeycomb shape</p>

CSS

.home-banner {
    position: relative;
    color: #fff;
    text-align: center;
}

.home-banner-matrix {
    position: relative;
    height: 372px;
    background: #000 url(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/104402909/home-img-matrix.jpg) no-repeat 50% 50%;
}
.matrix-links {
    width: 805px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    padding: 67px 0 0 30px;
}

.matrix-links > a {
    position: relative;
    display: block;
    width: 158px;
    height: 92px;
    z-index: 0;
    float: left;
    margin: 0 0 45px 1px;
    text-decoration: none;
    color: #fff;
    line-height: 92px;
    font-size: 14px;
}

.matrix-links > a:nth-of-type(6) {
    margin-left: 81px;
}

.matrix-links > a:hover {
    text-decoration: none;
    background: rgba(255,255,0,.1);
    color: #C7612C;
}

.matrix-links > a:hover:before {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    top: 100%;
    left: 0;
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    border-width: 44px 79px 0;
    border-color: rgba(255,255,0,.1) transparent transparent transparent;
    border-style: solid;
    z-index: -1;
}

.matrix-links > a:hover:after {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    bottom: 100%;
    left: 0;
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    border-width: 0 79px 44px;
    border-color: transparent transparent rgba(255,255,0,.1) transparent;
    border-style: solid;
    z-index: -1;
}