printed mat opinions?

[SpiralngCadavr]

So, I've seen a few shots of tables with deployment zones and whatnot printed on them, and considering setup always takes a while, I was interested in them.

From people have used them, what are your opinions? Are they that useful, worth it, etc.? If there are more than one company that makes them, is there a better one?

 

Thanks!

[Myyrä]

The cheapest option by far is to have the play mat printed as a vinyl banner in a printing shop of your choosing. I have some pictures suitable for printing I can share if you want to. They don't have deployment zones, but adding them isn't that difficult either.

[silicon_dioxide]

I have one from playmats.eu which is excellent. The mats have bright colors, nice designs, and the deployment lines save a ton of time, not only during setup, but while playing (the center-lines are marked). The material of mine is what they call Black-Flat, which is just a type of vinyl. But it seems pretty durable, although I haven't had it for more than a few months, so time will tell. The only issue with them, is that they are based in Poland, so the shipping fees are kinda high. Get a double sided one, it isn't much more than a single sided one.

 

[Bengt]

I haven't tried their mats, but matsbymars.com do Malifaux deployment lines etc and is US based.

[thebarbalag]

I have a mat from Mats by Mars, and their work is well worth the price. While I don't love the color choices on some of them, the quality is high, and they have the best price point, I think, in the game.

I also have a neoprene map from Ebeneezer's Emporium, and I adore it. It's very stylistic, but that style is designed to fit Malifaux, so it works for me. I personally prefer neoprene to vinyl. The cost is higher, so, you have to decide if it's worth it to you.

Both have the lines for deployment, center, and all other applicable markings on them, though the EE mat is a little more clever with the center circle markings, which is fun.

[Shadowopal]

I would add a +1 for Mats by Mars. They have a nice variety of mats and the Malifaux markings can be overlaid on any of them. The vinyl is spill proof. I got a shoulder carrier from them and roll up 5 mats and carry them with no problem. Plus they are willing to do custom.  Mats if their schedule allows. Good guys too. 

[Guildenstern]

Just from what I've seen, Mats by Mars are very nice and they seem competitive.

I have a pretty standard vinyl(?) RPG squares/hexes mat I use at home. Oh and a piece of canvas. (DIY for the win!) Should really dye my canvas and add some fabric paint.... hmm....

[SpiralngCadavr]

Thanks all, for the info. On DIY, yeah, I'd have done that but I seem to reach a point in every terrain project where the excitement about a board has worn off and then it ends up in a pile while I paint more minis.

EE's does look very nice, but the customization on Mats by Mars sounds really solid. Do they allow you to send in your own print res files?

[Yvarre]

I'd like to see such mats as a tournament standard.  They save so much time in setup and in game, and they really help you keep the strats more of a secret because you have to measure key distances way less.  In casual play, they can sometimes ruin the ambience when the lines are too obvious, but for competitive play having the lines clearly denoted helps with so much.  It'd even be good to have things like placement for squat markers noted because I've had so many games where setting that strat up is a pain in the ass cause of terrain and what not, and it cuts into play time.

[Shadowopal]

37 minutes ago, SpiralngCadavr said:

Thanks all, for the info. On DIY, yeah, I'd have done that but I seem to reach a point in every terrain project where the excitement about a board has worn off and then it ends up in a pile while I paint more minis.

EE's does look very nice, but the customization on Mats by Mars sounds really solid. Do they allow you to send in your own print res files?

Pretty sure they will.  Contact them and ask. 

[SpiralngCadavr]

Checked around and they do... well, now time to decide what landscape I want...

[Shadowopal]

1 hour ago, Yvarre said:

I'd like to see such mats as a tournament standard.  They save so much time in setup and in game, and they really help you keep the strats more of a secret because you have to measure key distances way less.  In casual play, they can sometimes ruin the ambience when the lines are too obvious, but for competitive play having the lines clearly denoted helps with so much.  It'd even be good to have things like placement for squat markers noted because I've had so many games where setting that strat up is a pain in the ass cause of terrain and what not, and it cuts into play time.

Yep.  AdeptiCon is using this method. Makes things flow smoothly. 

[trapthem]

 

[Nexus]

I  love my first 'Mats by Mars' mat, and intend to get another soon.   Like really soon.    Like, I'm loading up their page right now to order it.

[SpiralngCadavr]

I went with Mats by Mars' ruined cobblestone, thanks, all, for the input!

[Reagusmage]

On 19/04/2016 at 9:03 PM, silicon_dioxide said:

I have one from playmats.eu which is excellent. The mats have bright colors, nice designs, and the deployment lines save a ton of time, not only during setup, but while playing (the center-lines are marked). The material of mine is what they call Black-Flat, which is just a type of vinyl. But it seems pretty durable, although I haven't had it for more than a few months, so time will tell. The only issue with them, is that they are based in Poland, so the shipping fees are kinda high. Get a double sided one, it isn't much more than a single sided one.

 

Hey, how long did it take for yours to ship after ordering? I purchased one on the 29th April, and have been fobbed off about when it will be shipped, with the last email saying "12th May", but still nothing and no replies to emails....

[silicon_dioxide]

I'm not sure, it was a xmas gift. But I believe it took a few weeks. My wife mentioned it took forever to arrive.  They are located in Poland so it is possible that it is caught up in customs. 

 

[Reagusmage]

No, they haven't even sent the thing out yet :/ Thats whats concerning me, telling me they'd send it 8-9th, then 12th - And today no emails, and no response from them

Would recommend avoiding them as they seem to be a bit dodgy when it comes to shipping and customer service...

[silicon_dioxide]

It's too bad you are having a bad experience. I don't have any connection to the company, other than I have one of their mats. But I like it enough that I would buy from them again. Hopefully you'll find some resolution to your problem. 

[-Loki-]

Can't beleive I missed this thread. I've got one from playmats.eu using their double sided option. One side is their 'dark island' mat which has a nice swampy type look, the other size is their 'victorian pavement' mat. Both sides have the M2E objectives and deployment lines marked. They don't do what mats by mars does, where they overlay white lines over the mat. Playmats blends them in. In the Dark Island, you can see dark lines. Basically it's a very thin, dark line with a slight shadow around it. On the pavement mat, they actually used different patterned pavers to distinguish the different areas. Makes it less jarring when playing, but still noticeable when you want to make sure you're within a border.

[godswearhats]

Another option is Sparkle Party Death Mats. This is my buddy's endeavor, just getting off the ground (full disclosure: I'm helping him with the website which is why I keep a link in my signature!). The mats are printed on durable rollable canvas, and come with all the Gaining Grounds 2016 lines on them. He has three designs, with more on the way.