My kids made a playmat and that's what I've used for a longtime, but I'm thinking about getting a FFG playmat.
I don't like some of the mats I've seen on YouTube where the mat is so busy with asteroids and stuff that it's hard to tell what's going on, but I think I'd like SOMETHING on the mat besides just stars.
What do you guys think?
Ensor and Bespin are both great looking FFg maps.
https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/223622-playmat-question/?hl=playmat
is a recent thread about playmats you might find useful.
In it, there is this post from Segmentvs:
"The material is important to consider. I have a vinyl one from gale force nine. It is slippy on the table meaning it is easy to move the whole mat on accident. Bumping is more pronounced. The surface scratches from the bases fairly easy.
I bought the endor ds2 from FFG and it is far superior. Bumping is still an issue, but much less than the vinyl one."
Which appeared the day after I bought 2 from gale force 9. Segmentvs is correct, the whole mat moves too easily and it scratches. Looks nice, but I don't recommend them.
I think Bespin is the prettiest. Photos on the Bespin mat look better than those taken on any of the other mats.
My next mat is probably going to be one of these: http://warmats.com/ .
I vouch for the FFG mats. I bought the first Death Star one and also have the Bespin one. If you join them together it looks like the Death Star is about to blow Bespin up. hehehe
I used to recommend gripmat but from what I've seen they can't seem to get their production right and it can be hit and miss with them with colour streaks or faded colours, however if you can get one that turned out okay, they are awesome. Very "grippy".
Grip mats. The only downside is that they spoil you. They are so forgiving that when you play on one of the slippery FFG ones it'll be bump city.
FFG mats lose a little of their slip with time, in my opinion. Or maybe mine is deffective ...
In any case, I'll add my vote to the Bespin one. It's too gorgeous to pass up.
I love my kraken mat.
I have the space sector 6 and the printing quality and details are really outstanding. The grip on the table is always the best I have ever played on. The only slight downside, the grip of the ships is good, but not best. I have played on mats with better grip for your ships. Though I have not played a lot on that mat so far, so maybe it gets somewhat more grippy once you played a little more on it.
It's Bespin. Absolutely Bespin
Bespin is by far my favorite, but we don't really have to choose just one do we?
All four FFG mats are utterly gorgeous.
one i photoshopped up my self
I have 3 of the FFG mats. The only one I don't have is the starfield. The Bespin and Endor mats are gorgeous to play on. I typically rotate which mat I bring to play on and they have been getting grippier as they are used, or I am just more aware of not bumping ships.
+1 for the purple bases, as they blend in really nicely with the Endor mat.
Edited by shadowswalkerI have 3 of the FFG mats. The only one I don't have is the starfield. The Bespin and Endor mats are gorgeous to play on. I typically rotate which mat I bring to play on and they have been getting grippier as they are used, or I am just more aware of not bumping ships.
+1 for the purple bases, as they blend in really nicely with the Endor mat.
You need the starfield one to pair up with one of the others for Epic or Armada
The magnetic maps from http://warmats.com/ are the best you can get. Say goodbye to incidental movements.
I have 2 FFG starfield maps. I am not a huge fan of the location-specific maps, since they're location specific. I prefer the flexibility to have my battles take place anywhere. That said, if FFG were to offer alternate starfield maps, with, say, nebulae or other interesting features in the background, I'd probably grab one right quick.
The magnetic maps from http://warmats.com/ are the best you can get. Say goodbye to incidental movements
Definitely. They are amazing.
Grip mats. The only downside is that they spoil you. They are so forgiving that when you play on one of the slippery FFG ones it'll be bump city.
GripMat. Like cherry-flavored Pez, there's just no question. (Be a good fight, though.)
For casual games, yoga mats -- even with their beading -- are better than all of the mouse-pad mats, including the official ones. (I'd call the inventors of the mouse-pad mats for X-Wing scammers ... except that I bought two of them before realizing how crappy they are, so I'm clearly too dumb to make that judgment.)
Of maps that I own that are event specific so I can't tell someone to get it, the jakku map from the stele open is the prettiest map I own.
My favorite is that Steele open one
But I'll never see one in the rubbery flesh.
Next is death star 1, then bespin.
Love the FFG mats. Bespin is my favourite, Endor is a very close second.
I own Death Star 2/Endor, Death Star / Yavin, and plain star field. That is my order of like. That Jakku looks awesome though.
Textured neoprene by RubberSheetRoll. Advertised dimensions are 36"x36" but they don't cut it exact so make sure at checkout that you leave a note saying that it can't be any less than 36" square. You'll have to trim the excess yourself since it comes slightly oversized and the edges aren't completely straight, but it's the best mat I've ever played on.
It's for industrial applications, but I think it has the ideal amount of grip for this game.
I have the 1/32" thick one, which was $16.79 + shipping when I ordered it in December 2015. Looks like it's more now, but the 1/16 is $19.44.
Since it's so dark, ripples that are too small to feel or even affect your ships will show (purely cosmetic), but I suspect the thicker sheets wouldn't ripple as easily. You can re-flatten with heat.
Also its texture holds fine particles well, so if you care for it to look pristine, you're going to have to wipe it down with something that doesn't shed (no paper towels).
It ships in a tube that is great for storing and carrying it around.
Obviously if you're looking for artwork, this won't work for you, but I personally prefer a plain mat.
http://www.rubbersheetroll.com/neoprene-rubber-textured.html
[EDIT] I've had one for about a year now.
When I ordered, I called to make sure that the advertised 36" square dimensions were a guaranteed minimum and that the blade kerf wouldn't affect it, to which they replied that it wouldn't be a problem.
Turns out it's about 3/8" shy of 36" with jagged edges on both sides in one direction, negating the benefits of being almost a couple inches oversized in the other direction.
It also came a month and a half late because they kept forgetting to send it.
I do like the texture - it's very grippy. After being stored rolled up for a few months, it has no problems returning to laying flat.
It used to be about $16 USD, but tripled in price presumably due to demand, though now I think you have to call for prices.
Due to the undersize issue, I wouldn't recommend. I might also prefer a slightly softer rubber, but either way its playability sure beats those virtually frictionless giant mouse pad playmats.
Edited by mattcs90
Bespin for sure
Of maps that I own that are event specific so I can't tell someone to get it, the jakku map from the stele open is the prettiest map I own.
I hate that map. The scale is wrong. With the horizon in view the way it is, that SSD is like 600 miles long, and it's all I can think about when I see it.
+1 for the magnetic warmats.