I just got mine in the mail. It's an image had it printed on pvc banner and cut to the right sizes. It looks great! What do you guys use as an underground/background for your xwing games?
Show us your playing fields!
The FFG starfield playmat
The surface I use strictly because it's anti-slip and very functional
It has a dual 3x3 box side, allowing for 2 simultaenous standard games to be played, and a single 3x6 side with marks at 3, 4, 5 to allow for epic and custom huge ship scenarios.
This is the old vinyl banner I used to play on:
My friend that got into the game with me built an awesome board for us to play on. It looks heavy but is actually quite portable (maybe around 10-12 lbs). People oogle over it when we take it places.
This is when it was about half way done, but you can see all the stars really well. It was wired with over 200 LED's and runs via USB from a cell phone recharger.
Finished version but the photo is a bit blurry.
A battle in action
My local FLGS has a pair of 3x3 wooden boards with one side painted black with white paint splatters applied carefully. It's durable, not too slippery, easy to set up (No fighting with a starmat to get the folds out), reasonably light weight, and looks pretty good. I'll try to remember to snap a picture next time I'm there.
I built a Death Star Trench based on DegobahDave's Trench Run scenario. It's made from one 8' sheet of insulation styrofoam. After I constructed it, I spray-painted it with a flat black, and then poured a cheap dark gray paint from Wal-Mart over it, spreading it around with a foam brush. The paint caused the surface to have a rough texture, and helps prevent the bases from sliding around. Next I used a razor-blade to cut the Turbo Laser firing arcs (based off of the scenario) and then drew over them with a black Sharpie. I used a ruler to draw the Death Star tiles with the same Sharpie. The entire board is 4'x4' and is quite a hassle to bring to my FLGS, but I manage!
The turrets are constructed from balsa woodblocks and finishing pegs.
I hadn't constructed the turrets before my brother and I played our first game on it. (The Rebels won with a last ditch effort shot from Biggs!)
I'm in the process of painting the reverse side to have a starfield, with 6" of extra room on each edge for space to lay the cards, templates, and other necessary tokens.
Edited by frbfliThe surface I use strictly because it's anti-slip and very functional
It has a dual 3x3 box side, allowing for 2 simultaenous standard games to be played, and a single 3x6 side with marks at 3, 4, 5 to allow for epic and custom huge ship scenarios.
...I think I need more info on this to be properly envious. It appears woven, what material is this? Do you have a few more photos showing off more of it?
I made a Terrestrial Playmat from biege felt (36x36"). Clouds are cotton, smokestacks are spray-painted clouds and LED candles.
The surface I use strictly because it's anti-slip and very functional
How many loom bands did it take to weave that!!
Myself, I play on 2 black mounting boards. They make a nice 4x3 board. I've used a silver sharpie to draw stars on the board and fixed them together with scotch tape so it folds for storage.
The "special" "woven" material is a really mundane "under-rug", something you put under your rug so it doesn't slip.
like this: http://www.amazon.ca/slip-safety-under-rubber-underlay/dp/B004K3G5B6
The "special" "woven" material is a really mundane "under-rug", something you put under your rug so it doesn't slip.
like this: http://www.amazon.ca/slip-safety-under-rubber-underlay/dp/B004K3G5B6
Mu0n is incorrect, the material in question is anything but mundane.
It is a hand-woven material, made from the very best fair trade hevea brasiliensis thread I could find. I spent many years perfecting my technique, but am finally happy with the product. You can PM me if you're interested in me creating something for you, I charge a small fee of 40$ per square foot to cover the cost of materials, my time, and the 18 year old scotch I drink when working on a piece.
I have two mats that I bought and a custom board that I made. One mat is the HCD Starfield Mat and the other is a 3'x3' cut piece of yoga mat. The yoga mat is, by far, my favorite playing surface but the HCD mat looks cool.
The board that I made is used when the table will not accommodate a 3'x3' surface.
Im posting this from my phone. I will add pics later, when I get home.
I own the FFG map. Some friends own other mats.
I also made a Trench Run table:
Our store also made it's own 4x4 tables:
Here is my game board.
When Armada came out, I painted the backside for a 4 x 3 board:
I built a Death Star surface.
It's simple, but it gets the job done.
One of these days I'm going to go back to the basement and construct the add-on trench, but I've over-complicated the plans and I'm procrastinating accordingly.
(More details here: My Tiny Death Star)
I love this thread
I'm cheap. I hit the dollar store for some black anti slip material that normally lines cupboards. Six dollars Cdn got my 5x3 worth. Eventually I'll cut it down to size...
This is the one I use, it's from HC&D Supplies. It looks nice for sure, but it's super-slippery so I'm not crazy about it.
This is one of the new GripMats that a guy at the store has, they were a kickstarter but just recently went into full production. The material is very sticky and bumping/slipping is drastically reduced. Plus they look really nice. I'm a big fan.
The "special" "woven" material is a really mundane "under-rug", something you put under your rug so it doesn't slip.
like this: http://www.amazon.ca/slip-safety-under-rubber-underlay/dp/B004K3G5B6
So a little RIT Dye, and then some white toothbrush paint spatter and you're good... right? I mean, if you wanted to enhance it. Still cheap, easy to roll up and mark on.
I had to dispose of my good'n when I moved. It was simply 2 sheets of foamcore board. One side was painted black and had white paint flicked onto it, the other had some printed Death Star surface glued to it. It folded in half for storage .. and did a wonderful job.
I've been making my own lately, for Armada:
This one's for a friend of mine.
http://i.imgur.com/lR25k5O.jpg
It's a large image. It's a poster board with stickers of glittery stars on it, one side is taped off for use with cards, tokens, dials, etc.
I thought about making one, and then i just bought one. Looks good though.
I play on this. Hand painted, rollable mat. And it's rough, so it's harder to bump things around. There are others by the designer, but this art is Completely unique. JK Space Art in Atlanta, ga.