Right, but the mat HAS a polarity, correct? So if you decided to put magnets in the bases of your models, you could put them in back to front accidentally and **** the whole thing up, right? Which is why you would used inert ferrous metal, rather than magnetised material for the base, right?

Yes. I can't think of one good reason why you would ever put magnets on the bases. The mat itself is magnetic so as you stated an inert ferrous metal is what is used fo attraction and has no effect on polarity. Using a magnet on a magnet seems in the same category as the hammer or the oven to me.

Wouldn't magnet-to-magnet be significantly stronger than magnet-to-metal?

Like I said, there doesn't seem to be an advantage to the product unless it offers significant clinginess beyond what people are used to. I have hundreds of old Warhammer modes with magnets in the bases, and a set of metal movement trays, and if there's only one figure on a tray a reasonably light nudge will still disrupt its positioning. Since Warhammer makes you rank models up side by side, they tend to keep each other in line. But on an Armada table there's going to be no physical barrier to stop your ship from shifting after a bump.

Well for the most part people are used to nothing so anything is an improvement. Some have made crude attempts with rubber bands or gel tabs but these have little effect. I have extensively play tested this and you aren't trying to lift a cannonball off the ground with a magnet. Think of this as akin to the magnetic seal on a refrigerator door. You want it strong enough to hold it firmly closed but yet also weak enough so that the door may be opened easily. The strength of the magnets is designed to hold firmly through slight nudges and bumps but retain ease of moving ships through maneuvers. It is amazingly effective.

Wouldn't something like nickel foil be good enough? I am sure they sell it in rolls with various thicknesses etc. Ive seen in in thicknesses up to 1.0 mm thick, so all you'd need to do is find a ribbon that was around as wide as needed and then cut squares or whatever to fit the corners, and hot glue them in?

Any progress on this?

Neodymium magnets seem also great as a storage solution. Anyone tried buying a metal box and have ships and squads stick to the walls? I imagine it would make for lightning quick setup times.

I figured if someone used a ferrous metal on the mat then one could add magnets to ships and squadrons. It would work better that way and let unrolling the mat be easier