Battle Mat or Flip Mat? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Battle Mat or Flip Mat? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
andinel
10-04-06, 08:52 PM I'm starting a campaign, and I want to know what is more useful, a generic battle mat with a 1 inch grid or a flip mat that folds up (as made by Steel Sqwire.)

Could you help me?
Tempest Stormwind
10-04-06, 09:03 PM What I use is a sheet of transparent plastic, with a series of gridlines scored into the underside. I place a map under this (I still have to print the maps if need be) and it works just fine. If I need details that aren't on the map, it's plastic and I have dry-erase markers.

I haven't heard of a flip-mat, but checking out that site, I'd still stick to what I've got. Far more versatile, and likely cheaper in the long run.
Artector
10-04-06, 09:05 PM I prefer Grids, it meshes easily.

I've seen people with dry-erase friendly mats that work well.
Androlphas
10-04-06, 09:30 PM Flip Maps and Tact-Tiles (http://www.bc-products.net/) have my vote.
Chrono Nexus
10-04-06, 09:32 PM Battle Mat or Flip Mat?
Neither.
Whiteboard, markers, and a tape measure.
Lorderl
10-04-06, 09:35 PM "What I use is a sheet of transparent plastic, with a series of gridlines scored into the underside"

Hey Tempest, where you pick this up from?

ERL
Cincinnati
10-04-06, 09:45 PM I considered getting a flip-mat, but I took a look at one of them at a shop and it seems to me like it would be hard to get to lay completely flat. It does fold up to a small size so it doesn't lay flat very well. I went with the Chessex battle mat because it seemed more durable, it laid flat and it had a larger area.
Tempest Stormwind
10-04-06, 09:56 PM "What I use is a sheet of transparent plastic, with a series of gridlines scored into the underside"

Hey Tempest, where you pick this up from?

ERLYou can get them at some art stores or at Home Depots (or related construction-supply stores). Look for warehouse-type stores or specialty shops -- or, if you're still in school, ask your shop class / industrial arts / construction technologies / whatever the buzzword is teacher where they go to order supplies, since plastic sheets are a common component in many junior high and high school shops. The gridlines were manually added with a T-square and an X-acto knife.

Mine's relatively thin -- too thin for most of the construction stores, actually. I got it by calling in a favor with a friend (how I get most of my cool stuff; I'm practically a favor-run barter system incarnate).
Lorderl
10-04-06, 10:29 PM Thx Tempest

Oh I forgot to at least add to the current thread. I use a battle mat that is larger than normal, I believe there are 2 sizes, well for the little extra that the large cost I think it really worth it, also its double sided, Squares and hexes

ERL
fatal error
10-04-06, 11:59 PM I use a similar thing to Tempest, except it's a piece of dry-erasable wall board that I etched a grid into. Not quite as good as clear plastic, since the grid is on the writing surface, but it works just fine, and it's cheap.
metalmorphosis
10-05-06, 09:25 AM Neither.
Whiteboard, markers, and a tape measure.
Amen brother!
fatal error
10-05-06, 10:18 AM It seems like threatened areas and attacks of opportunity could get messy using tape measures. People trying to warp their movement to not suffer AoOs yet still get where they want to go, plus the fact that you'd have to constantly remeasure threatened areas, right?

How do you overcome this, or does it turn out to not be much of a problem?
Chrono Nexus
10-05-06, 11:21 AM How do you overcome this, or does it turn out to not be much of a problem?
My players don't make an issue out of aao's and the such, but, if someone does try to get away with that, I use a quarter to see if the mini is really more than 5" away.

The only problems not having a grid in my games poses is that it screws with flanking a little bit. For instance, only six characters can flank another same-sized creature on the same plane at a time. It does make areas of effect far easier to handle though.
pana1999yote
10-05-06, 11:34 AM I like the Flip Mat. It's portable, inexpensive, and has both squares and hexes. You can write on it with dry or wet-erase markers (I've heard even permanent markers, but I won't be trying that. As far as folding, just bend the folds in the opposite direction a few times, and it lays flat.
CryoSilver
10-05-06, 02:43 PM I've used a few different mats/tables in my time.

I'm personally a big fan of the last grid I made: It was a 36"*48" sheet of paper with .75" squares (I use Legos, so smaller squares are alright) spray-epoxied to a sheet of Lexan on each side to preserve it. It was a little bulky to move around, but was big enough for anything we had to do.
Darth K'Trava
10-05-06, 06:14 PM We use Tact-Tiles. Used to use the whiteboard from Wal-Mart with the grid done with a ruler and pen until the dry erase cleaner rubbed off most of them and then the frame of the board started falling apart. Tact-Tiles was alot more convenient to carry to a game session than the whiteboard was.
MindWandererB
10-05-06, 07:29 PM Considering Tact-Tiles are both quite expensive (~$50) and out of print at the moment, the flip-mat seems to be the best bet. It does indeed lay flat, it folds up, it's wet/dry erase, it's only $10 ($7.50 at Art's), and the backside has either hexes or a pre-rendered town or forest path, your choice.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
andinel 10-04-06, 08:52 PM	I'm starting a campaign, and I want to know what is more useful, a generic battle mat with a 1 inch grid or a flip mat that folds up (as made by Steel Sqwire.) Could you help me?
Tempest Stormwind 10-04-06, 09:03 PM	What I use is a sheet of transparent plastic, with a series of gridlines scored into the underside. I place a map under this (I still have to print the maps if need be) and it works just fine. If I need details that aren't on the map, it's plastic and I have dry-erase markers. I haven't heard of a flip-mat, but checking out that site, I'd still stick to what I've got. Far more versatile, and likely cheaper in the long run.
Artector 10-04-06, 09:05 PM	I prefer Grids, it meshes easily. I've seen people with dry-erase friendly mats that work well.
Androlphas 10-04-06, 09:30 PM	Flip Maps and Tact-Tiles (http://www.bc-products.net/) have my vote.
Chrono Nexus 10-04-06, 09:32 PM	Battle Mat or Flip Mat? Neither. Whiteboard, markers, and a tape measure.
Lorderl 10-04-06, 09:35 PM	"What I use is a sheet of transparent plastic, with a series of gridlines scored into the underside" Hey Tempest, where you pick this up from? ERL
Cincinnati 10-04-06, 09:45 PM	I considered getting a flip-mat, but I took a look at one of them at a shop and it seems to me like it would be hard to get to lay completely flat. It does fold up to a small size so it doesn't lay flat very well. I went with the Chessex battle mat because it seemed more durable, it laid flat and it had a larger area.
Tempest Stormwind 10-04-06, 09:56 PM	"What I use is a sheet of transparent plastic, with a series of gridlines scored into the underside" Hey Tempest, where you pick this up from? ERLYou can get them at some art stores or at Home Depots (or related construction-supply stores). Look for warehouse-type stores or specialty shops -- or, if you're still in school, ask your shop class / industrial arts / construction technologies / whatever the buzzword is teacher where they go to order supplies, since plastic sheets are a common component in many junior high and high school shops. The gridlines were manually added with a T-square and an X-acto knife. Mine's relatively thin -- too thin for most of the construction stores, actually. I got it by calling in a favor with a friend (how I get most of my cool stuff; I'm practically a favor-run barter system incarnate).
Lorderl 10-04-06, 10:29 PM	Thx Tempest Oh I forgot to at least add to the current thread. I use a battle mat that is larger than normal, I believe there are 2 sizes, well for the little extra that the large cost I think it really worth it, also its double sided, Squares and hexes ERL
fatal error 10-04-06, 11:59 PM	I use a similar thing to Tempest, except it's a piece of dry-erasable wall board that I etched a grid into. Not quite as good as clear plastic, since the grid is on the writing surface, but it works just fine, and it's cheap.
metalmorphosis 10-05-06, 09:25 AM	Neither. Whiteboard, markers, and a tape measure. Amen brother!
fatal error 10-05-06, 10:18 AM	It seems like threatened areas and attacks of opportunity could get messy using tape measures. People trying to warp their movement to not suffer AoOs yet still get where they want to go, plus the fact that you'd have to constantly remeasure threatened areas, right? How do you overcome this, or does it turn out to not be much of a problem?
Chrono Nexus 10-05-06, 11:21 AM	How do you overcome this, or does it turn out to not be much of a problem? My players don't make an issue out of aao's and the such, but, if someone does try to get away with that, I use a quarter to see if the mini is really more than 5" away. The only problems not having a grid in my games poses is that it screws with flanking a little bit. For instance, only six characters can flank another same-sized creature on the same plane at a time. It does make areas of effect far easier to handle though.
pana1999yote 10-05-06, 11:34 AM	I like the Flip Mat. It's portable, inexpensive, and has both squares and hexes. You can write on it with dry or wet-erase markers (I've heard even permanent markers, but I won't be trying that. As far as folding, just bend the folds in the opposite direction a few times, and it lays flat.
CryoSilver 10-05-06, 02:43 PM	I've used a few different mats/tables in my time. I'm personally a big fan of the last grid I made: It was a 36"*48" sheet of paper with .75" squares (I use Legos, so smaller squares are alright) spray-epoxied to a sheet of Lexan on each side to preserve it. It was a little bulky to move around, but was big enough for anything we had to do.
Darth K'Trava 10-05-06, 06:14 PM	We use Tact-Tiles. Used to use the whiteboard from Wal-Mart with the grid done with a ruler and pen until the dry erase cleaner rubbed off most of them and then the frame of the board started falling apart. Tact-Tiles was alot more convenient to carry to a game session than the whiteboard was.
MindWandererB 10-05-06, 07:29 PM	Considering Tact-Tiles are both quite expensive (~$50) and out of print at the moment, the flip-mat seems to be the best bet. It does indeed lay flat, it folds up, it's wet/dry erase, it's only $10 ($7.50 at Art's), and the backside has either hexes or a pre-rendered town or forest path, your choice.