Wargaming Battle Mat, 48"x72" - Terrain for Warhammer 40K, Dungeons and Dragons, Tabletop RPG, Miniatures & Strategy Games - Durable Vinyl Map

This was purchased for playing Star Trek Attack Wing (STAW). What people recommend for games like STAW and Star Wars X-Wing (STXW) is a 3ftx3ft star map which is padded like a yoga mat (slip resistant bottom) to prevent movement of game pieces. When you search for game mats on Amazon (as of 6/20/17) you can find mats similar to this without a slip resistant bottom for around $25-30, and if you want the slip resistant bottom it will cost you $75-80. The slip resistant bottom is a must, but I just didn't want to spend more... so I took a chance. It was scary as hell buying an non-reviewed item which is why I'm reviewing this for you. The reason I picked this mat is because it comes in multiple sizes. I got this one in the 48" square size. The reason is because you get more flexibility of game play with a mat larger that "36 square (some of STAW's "miniatures" like the Borg Cube are huge and take up a ton of space). It came rolled, in a long rectangular box - totally adequate. The nylon like material is similar to what you would see hanging at an outdoor bar (which I believe is the metaphor they use in the items description), with small waffle like stitching for texture (similar to Seersucker weave which I was excited to see because that should prevent tearing). The print quality I am happy with, they are not going to be able to make it pristine because of the texturing, but it is a great trade of both because of the non-rip quality it adds as well as adding an extra non-slip feature to the surface of the canvas. Once you lay it out and put some books on it, it flattens out pretty quick. Now you have to deal with the slipping issue, because like other mats of this style it does not have a nonslip bottom. I went to a lumber supplier and had them cut me a 40# square of Sanded Plywood (1/4" thick soft wood). They will not cut angles at most hardware stores line Lowes or Home Depot, so I took the piece home and cut off the corners to match the size and shape of the felt top of my poker table. The mat was wrapped over the wood, with the excess material stapled and duct taped to the back. I am incredibly happy with the finished product. It looks incredible, it plays incredible. By stapling it to wood I lost the ability to roll it up and transport it easily but I knew that going in. The total cost for all the materials and alterations was under $50. It looks so good, even my buddies who do not play STAW request I leave it on the table when we play poker. It's a great mat!

I actually bought the mat since a friend had purchased the moss mat and I liked it quite a bit. Below are some of my thoughts: Pattern: Part of the reason I chose the cobblestone mat was because of the random cobblestone pattern. I feel like some other designs are too rigid with their placement and lack variety so I really enjoyed the way the graphics were setup. I do wish there would be a mat with be some sort of combination city to grassland design. Maybe sections of cobblestone surrounded by grassland or cobblestone that fades to grassland. Material: I think the material seems quite durable and pliable. I've not had any concerns with tearing, ripples, bumps or other defects to date. I was worried the finish might have some slight glare but with soft lighting I've not had any issues. The material while durable, is also fairly thin so the mat rolls up tight and is easy to carry around. Size: While I didn't measure the size, it seemed to perfectly fit the 4' x 8' table we had setup. Other: Since I used this fresh out of the package, I did have some rolling issues but my friend's mat has been laying flat for sometime and doesn't require anything to tape it down. It also doesn't slide around the table which is a good thing and terrain can be easily positioned on it. Overall I think this is a great quality mat in regards to durability and graphics. Generally to find a mat similar to this you're probably looking at double the price.

very guality product

Lot of haters in the reviews. No it is not dry erase safe. No it's not very thick, it's as thick as a standard banner if you've ever felt the vinyl they use for that you're familiar with the thickness. What it is is half the price of the others. One reviewer mentioned how the grid was off and had pictures. The first thing I did was measure the grid and it was spot on so that issue has since been fixed. There is a little glare from the light. If you have a destructive cat keep this away, that little jerk will absolutely tear up your $40 battle mat into useless rags. Hasn't happened to me yet I just know how my lil guy is. It's huge. Not sure if that's not apparent. It's 4x6' so it's the size of a small rug. It arrives in a tube rolled up to prevent creasing. In all I'm very happy to have spent half as much on a mat that fits the bill just fine. Sure I'd love one of the $80 ones but this gives me $40 more to spend on more maps or minis. Unless you're a real stickler for quality products you'll be happy enough with the compromise. I am.

When I ordered this I was concerned the vinyl might be thin and flimsy. I considered ordering a neoprene mat but they are double or more the price and my budget is limited when it comes to gaming supplies. So I went ahead and gave this a shot and I'm glad I did. While I'd love to pick up a nice, thick neoprene mat one of these days, this thing is great for now. I haven't had it long or had a chance to do much gaming yet but upon examination I'm confident that with minimal, common sense care it will not tear or crease or otherwise be damaged during normal use. The mat came rolled up but was easily unrolled and flattened. The material appears to be quite durable and it is heavy enough that once unrolled it flattens out pretty quickly. Just a few minutes with a book on each corner to hold it down and the mat stays flattened out on its own. For the price, I highly recommend it.

Warning, you might need a bigger table. Had to move from my 6ftx6ft table to a 7ftx7ft. DM and players need their own space, but we love long ranging combat that makes you plan for longer encounters.

With 10th Edition Warhammer coming out, me and my buddy spent a lot of time and money getting our armies, rules, and game pieces ready to play our first game. However, the average game of 40k is played on 60 X 44 tables so finding a gaming mat that wasn't over $100 was a challenge. I'd much rather be spending that kind of money on models than table decorations, and since we just bought the box set, we weren't looking to make many more huge purchases. But this mat only being around $47 was such a steal and right in my budget. And while it's not 10/10 material, it is still a nice mat for its price. Considering my other options were more than double the price, I'd take this one any day.

PROS: It looks ok. It works for my gaming. It looks quite durable. It see it is listed as a "toy." Realize that humans over 60 years old can also use this item for wargamming hobbies. CONS: There is no cushion on the mat. It is shiny. I do not know if it would fade in sunlight.