Hi, I'm looking for something durable that will roll up if possible though not necessarily a deal breaker. I'd like it to be heavy. I've considered looking around for a 3x3 rubber mat and adhering a photo onto it. The vinyl mats I've seen around are nice and I'm sure durable enough but the curling corners bother me. Any suggestions?

The FFG mats are absolutely ace!

I agree. At first, I thought the one with the Death Star would not be a good one to get. A friend bought it and it looked so good, I ended up buying it off him!

I think the ffg mats are wizard.....

I've got a Gripmat

I would have purchased a FFG starfield mat, but both the LGS and FFG were out of stock.

After playing on it, I prefer its grippy surface to the smoother FFG, Tablewar, and GF9 mats I've played on. Most of my opponents have reacted very positively as well. I did have one opponent who wasn't very happy with how dice rolled on the surface though.

The only downside to the mat, is that it doesn't lay completely flat when you unroll it after it's been rolled for a while. It is not as heavy as the neoprene mats that lay perfectly flat right away. It helps to roll it up with the printed side out so that it tries to curl down onto the table when you unroll it instead of having the edges curl up.

I'll second Gripmat.

Before that, I used a Galeforce-9 mat, which I enjoyed; it rolled slimly and a nice (Frozen Planet) image. However, it's not as grippy as the Gripmat, and seems to quickly show its age with scuffs and scrapes. It IS more grippy than the FFG mats, in my opinion.

Gripmat is a bit thicker, but still rolls nicely into a poster tube (I just bought a $4 37"x 3" cardboard shipping tube from a Postal Annex) and as Arschbombe above states, be sure to roll it with the graphic out so it doesn't roll up on the edges when flat. It has a nice spongy surface, gripping obstacles, tokens, and ship bases really well. When new, it took some getting used to how to slide maneuvering templates into my ships' bases without them sticking, but a combination of getting used to the necessary amount of pressure and a gentle layer of Nerd Grease (read: a few weeks of player forearm and hand sweat) has made it my favorite mat so far.

To be honest, having played on the FFG mats, I really don't like them. The graphics are crisp, they look great, and they have a nice texture, but they areTOO SMOOTH! I don't understand why FFG went with that material, it just doesn't hold pieces in place and makes accurate template application and figure moving very difficult.

The FFG mats (and the Tablewar mats) are neoprene and essentially just nice, giant mouse pads. Mouse pads are generally designed tp provide a smooth surface for a mouse to moved around on. They are heavy and solid and always lay flat. I just hate all the bumping that happens on them.

The GF9 mats are vinyl sheets and work pretty well. I have noticed that they can slide around on the stores gaming tables in a way that the neoprene ones never do.

Took a look at Gripmats. They are nice looking but more costly than other mats, by far. They are selling misprinted mats now at a "discount" which is the industry standard (or slightly below some) of a mat that size. It's a shame as the images and attributes you described all sound perfect.

As of right now, until I can find the mat I'm really looking for, I'll continue to play on my all black office rug just marking off the borders in masking tape. Ugly, hard on the knees and back, but does the job until I can find something I really want to spend my money on. Plus I'm still playing with the basic set, so no rush for a mat until I get a few expansions with my next purchase.

I bought enough poly vinyl from Hobby Lobby to make two 3x3s and squared it using masking tape and a ruler. Compared to the other mats the other local players use I like mine most. 1) Because ships usually tips before slips which is huge for fumble fingers 2) Because I'm smug 3) That mouse pad material is so slippery you can pass someone their ship like those bar scenes where they slid the mug across the entire length of the bar.

If you want vinyl mats, I would recommend Applied Perspective over the Gale Force 9 ones. the GF9s I had scuffed up super fast and never laid completely flat. I gave both of mine away...

Edit: here is a link. Bunch of designs to choose from.

http://www.appliedperspective.com/acrylic/product/3x3-star-field-playmat/

Have you guys ever used the battlefield tile set for X-Wing by FFG? Not keen on Alderaan on the death star but does it allow you to just build a starfield?

The tile set was never released. It was announced, but FFG pulled it back and cancelled it. Rumor has it that the tiles were too slippery to make a good play surface.

FFG mats are fine, but personally I don´t like the thick material (neoprene?) that much, and the art is only average IMO. GF9 mats look better, but as mentioned before they tend to wrap a bit. And they will have scratches pretty soon.

My personal favourites are Deepcut mats, the art is absolutely gorgeous on some of those. I have cloth two versions, they are not so brightly printed as are the vinyl ones, but lighter and easier to transport if you can stand few wrinkles. They need to be lightly rinsed with water though, they were initially very slippery. Probably they had some kind of a printing chemical or something.

Gripmats look nice also.

FFG mats are fine, but personally I don´t like the thick material (neoprene?) that much, and the art is only average IMO.

I saw the pictures and didn't think the FFG mats were that interesting...until I saw them in person. I was used to the GF9, but think the Death Star mat is better after seeing it.

As for playing surface, I found it easier to just get bumpers for my bases. I spent $4 online to get some little rubber nubs that are used for kitchen cabinet doors. These things make even glass a decent play surface. Why spend large amounts of money on special mats when you can just make any table surface better?

As for playing surface, I found it easier to just get bumpers for my bases. I spent $4 online to get some little rubber nubs that are used for kitchen cabinet doors. These things make even glass a decent play surface. Why spend large amounts of money on special mats when you can just make any table surface better?

The mats are mainly for the visual effect IMO, they don´t really solve the issue of the slippery and/or too light bases. I use washer/coins for extra weight and smear little bit of silicone to the bottom of the bases. Works nice on any surface.

FFG mats are fine, but personally I don´t like the thick material (neoprene?) that much, and the art is only average IMO.

I saw the pictures and didn't think the FFG mats were that interesting...until I saw them in person. I was used to the GF9, but think the Death Star mat is better after seeing it.

As for playing surface, I found it easier to just get bumpers for my bases. I spent $4 online to get some little rubber nubs that are used for kitchen cabinet doors. These things make even glass a decent play surface. Why spend large amounts of money on special mats when you can just make any table surface better?

I haven't really ran into a problem with miniatures slipping and stuff...yet. But if/when I do I may take a closer look at these guys depending on my level of interest in the game.Looks like it fixes all of your problems, though a little DIY for your bases is required. One of the major attractions of this game for me was the lack of having to do anything to play it other than purchase the pieces. The old gamer in me is starting to resurface and I find myself wondering what particular shade of blue would look cool for the Falcon's engine glow or some other nonsense. The irony.

As for the FFG mats I like the idea of a thicker mat, especially if it doesn't curl or get beat up as easily. The GF9 mats are lovely and if you go through Miniature Market they're cheaper than the FFG mats.

FFG Pros: thick, durable. Cons: slightly more expensive, only 2 maps (starfield..boring but ok I suppose, Deathstar (might get monotonous always fighting in front of it).

GF9 Pros: Really nice prints, vinyl, affordable. Cons: scars up easily, curls up.

As much as I hate it I think the durable, yet boring and pricey FFG starfield mat may be where I'm leaning towards. I might want to check into that magnet war mats place. It could make other mats viable if slip resistance wasn't a factor.

The magnetic mat seems nice, but expensive for what it does. You have to buy the mat and then buy magnets for all your minis. Then, your opponent also has to have magnets. I bought the little nubs for $5 and don't have as much of a problem with bumping and moving things. It works on all mats, including other people's mats.

The magnetic mat seems nice, but expensive for what it does. You have to buy the mat and then buy magnets for all your minis. Then, your opponent also has to have magnets. I bought the little nubs for $5 and don't have as much of a problem with bumping and moving things. It works on all mats, including other people's mats.

In case anyone was interested I came across these mats lately. They are a bit pricey but they're made of felt. So if you weight down your stands and use these it could go a long way towards slippage issues. Corseneng Fabric Gaming Mats

I have the star field one by FFG while my friend has a vinyl one printed with asteroids, stars and other space 'stuff'. Of the two I like moving on the vinyl one better. A little blue tack keeps the bases from sliding.

It's a little distracting playing on the vinyl mat though. The printed asteroids are similar in color and size to the ones supplied by FFG. More than once I based a move on what I thought was an obstacle!

One fix I want to try is adding weight to the base. A larger fender washer should add enough heft to stabilise most small base ships.

I like the fat mats and the FFG ones... The fat mats are like the FFG ones but bigger/thicker/pricier. I like the neoprene backed ones because they lay flat and don't curl up.. wish somebody would make a double sided one!!

Not impressed with the FFG mats or any of the "mouse-pad" types. I have the Gale Force 9 Frozen Planet mat also and while is does show some wear with use, it grips and rolls much nicer than others.

There is a friend here who makes mats. He made 5 or 6 so far, excellent and high print quality. Here is a picture:

I have a self-printed mat, but I unfortunately used an image that was not high enough resolution to keep it from being a little grainy. But it only cost me about $12 for the 3'x3' and $18 for the 3'x6' one. So for the price of one "cheaper" mat, I got two. I also have glued squares of mouse pads to the bottoms of most of my bases, so they are both weighted better and don't slip/slide on the vinyl or neoprene mats. Who doesn't have a few extra mouse pads lying around the house...but make sure they are the right thickness... .

I use a Micro Arts Studio 3'x3' battle mat.(Mousepad like material and 2/3rds the cost of the FFG one).