Which battlemat to get?
- Thread starter msd
- Start date
haiiro
First Post
That's a pretty broad question. 
I've tried the Chessex erasable mats, and wasn't that impressed -- they're decent, but some colors (red, orange) are very hard to get off. They make an uber-huge one -- in the neighborhood of 4' x 6' -- which is nice: you can cover the whole gaming table, and use it for quick maps as they come up.
I wound up going with big sheets of graph paper gridded in 1" squares. This lets me be more creative with what I draw on the map, and best of all I can roll them up when I'm done and re-use them. I like to bring the PCs back to the same locations, but throw other changes into the mix -- and this is a much bigger pain in the butt with an erasable battle mat.
I've tried the Chessex erasable mats, and wasn't that impressed -- they're decent, but some colors (red, orange) are very hard to get off. They make an uber-huge one -- in the neighborhood of 4' x 6' -- which is nice: you can cover the whole gaming table, and use it for quick maps as they come up.
I wound up going with big sheets of graph paper gridded in 1" squares. This lets me be more creative with what I draw on the map, and best of all I can roll them up when I'm done and re-use them. I like to bring the PCs back to the same locations, but throw other changes into the mix -- and this is a much bigger pain in the butt with an erasable battle mat.
Steel_Wind
Legend
Megamat - tan.
They have an ever newer one - larger than that.
I'd avoid the crystal mat. It's not a bad product, and the transpareny can be nice if you have a specific reason to use it, but the vinyl padding and color of the megamat is - over all - more useful.
We've used a Megamat at virtually every game session for 7 years now - great purchase and I highly recommend it.
Clean it up after a session with water or a cheapo windex. Don't let the colors sit too long as they tend to get a little fixed in by the sun.
Other that that -I think its an oustanding product. No gaming circle should be without one.
They have an ever newer one - larger than that.
I'd avoid the crystal mat. It's not a bad product, and the transpareny can be nice if you have a specific reason to use it, but the vinyl padding and color of the megamat is - over all - more useful.
We've used a Megamat at virtually every game session for 7 years now - great purchase and I highly recommend it.
Clean it up after a session with water or a cheapo windex. Don't let the colors sit too long as they tend to get a little fixed in by the sun.
Other that that -I think its an oustanding product. No gaming circle should be without one.
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Dark Jezter
First Post
Tact-Tiles
http://www.bc-products.net/Index.html
These are great. My group of some 17+ years just started using them (based on a bunch of glowing ENWorld reviews) and were instantly and unanimously sold. Dry-erase, modular, solid, wonderful. If you're willing to spend the money, these are a great way to go. I'll be purchasing another set soon.
http://www.bc-products.net/Index.html
These are great. My group of some 17+ years just started using them (based on a bunch of glowing ENWorld reviews) and were instantly and unanimously sold. Dry-erase, modular, solid, wonderful. If you're willing to spend the money, these are a great way to go. I'll be purchasing another set soon.
Jeremy757
First Post
I don't know what everyones dependency on grids and squares are. Using miniatures is much easier without them.
On that thought, you can do what I do and go down to your local hobby or art supply store and buy a sheet of dry erase poster board. It cost about $2 and lasts a long time as long as you don't abuse it. In the last 3 years my group has only had to buy 2 sheets. They don't have grids, which I consider a plus. just get out your rulers and 1" = 5'. draw your encounter on the poster. play out the encounter. wipe it off. that easy.
REAL MEN DONT NEED GRIDS
On that thought, you can do what I do and go down to your local hobby or art supply store and buy a sheet of dry erase poster board. It cost about $2 and lasts a long time as long as you don't abuse it. In the last 3 years my group has only had to buy 2 sheets. They don't have grids, which I consider a plus. just get out your rulers and 1" = 5'. draw your encounter on the poster. play out the encounter. wipe it off. that easy.
REAL MEN DONT NEED GRIDS
CalicoDave
Explorer
My group also uses the Chessex wet erase battlemat that's 36"x48" and it works well. One advantage to this is that the 8.5" x 11" engineering paper with 1/4" squares has almost exactly the same number of squares as the battlemat (it may be off by one or two rows/columns) so you know that if you draw out your map on the engineering paper it will fit on the battlemat.
I think that if I were buying new I would get some of the tac-tiles that others have listed.
D.
I think that if I were buying new I would get some of the tac-tiles that others have listed.
D.
Tact-Tiles are stunning. I have always used battlemats and I was very reluctant to try anything else out. My wife got me Tact-Tiles for Christmas and wow... I'll never go back 
.
As far as the tiles themselves. They are extremely sturdy (I think over 1/4 of an inch thick), easy to store and clean, and just overall much handier and useful then I had expexted. The ability to dynamically move things around as needed (or just to use 1 or 2 for tiny encounters) gives you so much freedom.
I ended up with the large set and small set... but I rarely need anything beyond the large set alone.
.As far as the tiles themselves. They are extremely sturdy (I think over 1/4 of an inch thick), easy to store and clean, and just overall much handier and useful then I had expexted. The ability to dynamically move things around as needed (or just to use 1 or 2 for tiny encounters) gives you so much freedom.
I ended up with the large set and small set... but I rarely need anything beyond the large set alone.
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