I’m sure we’ve all seen, or heard of the ‘gaming tables’ online. Either they are the type of table you can buy in some stores designed for ‘traditional games (cards, billiards) or they are one shot tables made by serious gamers who have passion, but who have no desire to make more.
It seemed that true gaming tables for the serious gaming geeks would be a niche item that no-one would be willing to really invest time and money into.
At this years’ Emerald City Comic-Con, I was proven wrong.
My wife and I were attending the convention with the 501’st for the charity photo shoot. It’s long, and tiring, and I often needed to stretch my legs. One of the times I was wandering the booths of comic stores, toy stores and artists, I found an unusual booth by the name of ‘Geek Chic’. Geek Chic hand makes custom furniture, for geeks.
They first appeared that GenCon ’08 with a table they call the Sultan. This is a massive, glorious table for the gamer in all of us. But it is big. Five and a half feet wide, and 9 feet long, it is too big for most rooms. As well, It is an obvious gamers table. Each player has their own desk, drawers, cup holder, dice tower and so on. It also costs as much as a small new car. Nice? Ohhh yes. Practical? Not really.
At ECCC, they introduced their second table. The Emissary. This is the table my wife and I just took delivery of on June 4th.
Geek Chic’s motto is “Emerge Ex Hypogaeo’ or ‘Come out of the Basement’. And they follow this with Gusto.
This is the table. We had it made out of Cherry wood (They also make it in Maple and Walnut). It is quite solid, and beautiful. And Big.
It is 33” tall, 6’8” long, and 4’7” wide. They do make smaller sizes, but I wanted this size for reasons I will mention shortly. It is solid wood, and very heavy. This is a table Geek Spouses would be happy to have in the dining room. A classic (if larger than normal) traditional country table.
But the top comes off…
The top of the table breaks apart into 5 solid leaves revealing the actual play surface. It is 2” deep, well enough to play most games, and miniatures, where the leaves can be placed back for dinner without disturbing the game.
The play area is 4’ x 6’, which is the tournament legal size for most Warhammer and miniature wargames. A must since I do play Warhammer.
Geek Chic calls the play surface the “Layer Cake”. The bottom is a white board for a background, and the top is a thick sheet of acrylic that can be used as a wet/dry erase board. In the middle, my wife and I elected for the 1” square grid printed on a clear lexan. This way you can place other maps under the grid, creating an instant map of anything you wish. Geek Chic includes a nice suction cup to pull up the acrylic sheet so you can swap anything you wish.
They also prototyped, and created for us ‘leaf supports’. When playing RPG’s, people like a nice surface to place their sheets, and dice, and goodies. This allows you to place one of the leaves back onto the table, upside down to create a nice desk surface area that you also won’t lose dice, and minis under.
We also picked up a ‘command stick’ to help move things around on the play surface. All I need now are some toy tanks, and a cry that I will take over the world!
Some of the options you can have on this table include a number of drawers and desks. There is ne at each end, and up to two on the sides of the table. We decided on only drawers on the ends, due to the limited space in our dining room. We included a pair of GM drawers. Players can use the leaf supports for a surface, but the GM cannot in this table. So Geek Chic created a drawer that opens up, and flips out creating a private area for his papers and supplies.
When the table was being made for us, they were also prototyping a new table, called the ‘Spartan’. This would be a table for gamers who like to game standing up. Mainly for Miniature wargaming, they built a ‘rail’ system for it, that would allow people to place different items to the table without the need for drawers. They made desks, a dice tower that clips on, and cup holders. We bought four cup holders.
And this is the new table. We haven’t actually used it yet, since we just received it, but we can’t wait. Turns out, we’re also the first local customers for Geek Chic, since they are based here in the Seattle area! They warned us that they may use us as ‘test subjects’ for some of their ideas. Not a problem, but I fear they’re going to drain my pocket book..
Their website is ‘www.GeekChicHQ.com'. Tell them Darth Vader sent you..
Also, the link a the bottom does not work.
About how much did it cost?
Also, the link a the bottom does not work.
Yikes! Fixed the link, thanks.
The table was a little over $3000 with various options. This is VERY comparable to other places that hand make custom furniture.
2. I just had a nerd-gasm.
I must say that it looks very neat. It's kind of cool to always have your battlemat on hand. I'm lucky I've got some players that lay my mat down and roll it up for me because I don't really care to do it. It's also cool that its a sturdy white board. That might be something worth getting once I've got my own place and some money to toss around.
The real beauty is that the battle mat is three pieces. The whiteboard at the bottom, the acrylic cover that acts as the wet/dry erase surface.. and in the middle anything you want. Even the maps that Wizards has put out. Slide them under the surface, and you can write without damaging them. You can also place maps that don't have the grid lines under the 1" grid, and be able to see right through to it. These guys know their work.
1. Sblock that beast.
2. I just had a nerd-gasm.
:OMG! NERD-GASM!
I was first.
Really makes me wish I had taken woodworking classes in high school.
How well finished is the wood? In some of the close-ups, it looks like the grain is still kind of rough, particularly in the second picture. Other than that, it looks fantastic (too pricey for me, though).
Really makes me wish I had taken woodworking classes in high school.
Woodworking is pretty easy, so long as you have the tools and a suitable workspace. The design aspect takes the most time and patience.
Also...
NERD-GASM! 
How well finished is the wood? In some of the close-ups, it looks like the grain is still kind of rough, particularly in the second picture. Other than that, it looks fantastic (too pricey for me, though).
Really makes me wish I had taken woodworking classes in high school.
The wood is VERY well finished. What you see is a result of the type of wood used, in this case, Cherry (As well as my poor photography skills). It is smooth to the touch, and a delight for the eyes.
Epic table is Epic.
That actually looks very cool. Compact and versatile, with all the features you need and none you don't. 3K isn't bad, but perhaps a bit much, and I bet the shipping costs for trans-continental UPS would be obscene. I'll have to save this link and check back later.
I may try to build one myself, as I enjoy woodworking and have made some furniture in the past. I've actually been thinking of building a coffee table for several years now.
Also:
Epic table is Epic.
That actually looks very cool. Compact and versatile, with all the features you need and none you don't. 3K isn't bad, but perhaps a bit much, and I bet the shipping costs for trans-continental UPS would be obscene. I'll have to save this link and check back later.
I may try to build one myself, as I enjoy woodworking and have made some furniture in the past. I've actually been thinking of building a coffee table for several years now.
Also:
Shipping I understand is expensive (I live 30 mins away from the company, so I'm lucky), but they deliver the table themselves. White glove service for set up.
I think the best part is how completely unassuming the table is until you bust it open. You could invite people over for dinner and they'd never know there was an epic battle in progress underneath their plates.
OH NO! The minis come alive when you aren't looking!
... wow. I don't think I even would have room for that thing. But it's very impressive... Makes me kinda wish I wasn't a broke college student living in a tiny house.
If I had one, I would find space for it.
You should stick a world map under the grid when you aren't gaming as a conversation starter. :D
I've thought about it.
But, uh, cupholders? ;)
With the number of times I've had drinks spill, getting character sheets, maps, books, dice, and other assorted oddities wet and sticky, I think cup-holders are an excellent idea.
I'm only going to bold this. I'm not going to say anything else.
@ Shalamar: Warhammer/mass minis on table? I guess this fits the bill...just not mine
. Gotta' use the folding tables, cut plexi, grid, and, in addition, graduate to the computer desk/end tables/etc when big combat, mass, small unit, or PC tactical endeavors moving/"spill over" normal fare (traditional maps, grid, tiles, whatever you use normally). I mean, it's badass, no doubt, but the dimensions and committment are pretty fierce (for me & mine), especially when I have my bro, g/f, friends over, all w/ their own dice, at least 1 PHB/ea, drinks, and a hotplate/ea as well. Oh, and the lofty position of DM somehow regresses magically @ the end of the night to janitor/butler later...
ie) Space is @ a premium.
Curious, what's the sticker price on this fixed, RPG wet dream platform (it has transcended "table" into the upper echelons of deified status)? Cherrywood too? Classy. My God, that's fine. Everything but the kitchen sink.
Still though...
It's a dandy of a table, really. Not sure if that's jealousy or rage boiling in me.
@ Shalamar: Warhammer/mass minis on table? I guess this fits the bill...just not mine
I mean, it's badass, no doubt, but the dimensions and committment are pretty fierce (for me & mine), especially when I have my bro, g/f, friends over, all w/ their own dice, at least 1 PHB/ea, drinks, and a hotplate/ea as well. Oh, and the lofty position of DM somehow regresses magically @ the end of the night to janitor/butler later...
ie) Space is @ a premium.
Curious, what's the sticker price on this fixed, RPG wet dream platform (it has transcended "table" into the upper echelons of deified status)? Cherrywood too? Classy. My God, that's fine. Everything but the kitchen sink.
Still though...
That is sooo cool!My brother loves woodworking - maybe he could make me something like that for my birthday or Christas (obviously not as big). That really is a possibility.
What a great idea - i couldn't believe it when i saw it
That is amazing
At first i thought it was cool you had a table specifically for gaming - then it was opened up and i saw the grid.
The only thing that would make it any more cooler would be if it had some carvings (gargoyles, dragons, etc) and some DnD related carvings in the wood.
That's beautiful man...
Now I have something else to save up for lol.
They also have various shelves/drawers for cards and comics. You can mix and match however you want. It all looks great and would fit any decor in your home. I am very seriously thinking of saving for something but I don't know yet.
I met them at a comic book convention. I am trying to decide if I want to save up for the table. I really like the Sultan but it's way out of my price range. I would rather get a new car than spend that kind of money on a sweet game table.
I think I might've met this operation @ Gencon '08 (bout 2/3 back in the Convention Hall, left of the t-shirt metropolis). Different table on the showroom floor, and by different I mean mammoth sized physical & financial specs. Think he quoted something like 5 large. Work of art, but damn...$$$
I would love to own/use one, but the garden variety middle class gamer, IDK, I guess I've got my sights set a little too high. Still, dare to dream, right?
I am very seriously thinking of saving for something but I don't know yet.
I know, right there w/ you. Especially in this 'econ. I guess smart money is on the car...to get me to work...to make more $...to keep gaming.
Life's harsh realities come once more w/ all the mercy of a collapsing building on my modest ;) ambitions and desires of ubermensch gaming.