by Are you looking for a game mat for Warhammer, Star Wars Legion, Marvel Crisis Protocol, or any other miniature game? There are several companies offering game mats in various materials and sizes. Here’s a quick overview of European manufacturers.
What is a game mat?
Sometimes called a battle mat or game mat, a game mat is a flexible surface with a printed thematic battlefield design, providing the ideal setup for miniature games.
Why choose a mat over a gaming table?
In recent years, game mats have gained popularity over traditional gaming boards. Gaming boards are often rigid, fragile, and cumbersome to transport, taking up unnecessary space and collecting dust in your home.
Game mats, on the other hand, are easy to transport and store—just roll them up! Additionally, some vendors offer double-sided printing on their mats, giving you two gaming surfaces in one: design A on one side and design B on the other.
As for designs, high-quality printing delivers an immersive experience with stunning visuals. Options abound, from arid landscapes and island settings to urban battlefields.
In short, game mats are a smart and effortless solution for anyone seeking an effective gaming surface.
How to choose the right battle mat for you?
When ordering your mat, the seller will typically ask you to specify three things: size, material, and design. Let’s break each one down.
Size
The first step is to choose the dimensions of your mat. Different games require different playing areas. Smaller games like Kill Team (56x76cm), Marvel Crisis Protocol (90x90cm), or A Song of Ice & Fire (120x120cm) need smaller mats. Larger games like Star Wars Legion (90x180cm) or Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar (120x180cm) require bigger ones.
If you play multiple games, consider buying a larger mat and marking it with adhesive tape to suit your needs. Finally, make sure your table is big enough to accommodate the mat—you wouldn’t want to end up gaming on the floor!
Material
The second step is to choose the material for your battle mat. Mats come in three main materials: fabric, vinyl, and neoprene. Here are the pros and cons of each:
Fabric
If you’re looking for an inexpensive option, fabric mats are the way to go. They are lightweight and affordable, but they lack grip on smooth surfaces and tend to wrinkle. This means you’ll need to iron them occasionally and secure them to the table to avoid accidents. Beware of pets, too—a cat’s claws could wreak havoc on a fabric mat, especially if your miniatures are on the table!
Vinyl
This material is similar to tablecloths. Vinyl mats are water-resistant, making them easy to clean. Heavier than fabric mats, they stay in place on the table. However, vinyl reflects light, unlike fabric and neoprene. It can also retain its shape, so if stored rolled up, the edges may curl. To counter this, weigh down the corners before gaming.
Neoprene
Neoprene mats are made from the same material as mousepads: fabric stitched onto a latex base. Unlike vinyl, neoprene mats don’t reflect light and lay flat once unrolled. They grip the table surface better than fabric mats, thanks to their thickness (a few millimeters). On the downside, neoprene mats are heavier, more expensive, and may deteriorate over time (e.g., fraying or shrinking). Despite these minor flaws, neoprene mats are widely regarded as the best option available.
Printed Design
Finally, the most fun part—choosing the design! The design sets the theme for your battlefield. A good battle mat, in my opinion, features non-repetitive patterns, ensuring every square centimeter is unique. If you spot repeated motifs, the design was duplicated—don’t waste money on a lazy designer!
List of battle mat vendors
Many manufacturers sell game mats online. The table below highlights some of them, specifying which materials they offer and whether they provide double-sided printing.
| Manufacturer | Fabric | Vinyl | Neoprene | Double face |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Systems | – | – | ✔️ | – |
| Crank Wargame | – | – | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| DeepCut Studio | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Gamemat | – | – | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Kraken Wargames | – | – | ✔️ | – |
| Playmats | – | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| PWork Wargames | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | – |
| Stratemats | – | – | ✔️ | – |
| Torek | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Urban Matz | – | – | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| War Gen Wargames | – | ✔️ | – | – |
Price comparison
As we have readers from all around Europe, I won’t provide the shipping costs for all countries…(thank you for your understanding). Nevertheless, to help you better estimate the shipping costs, I provided the country of the manufacturer as well as the shipping costs to late Napoleon’s country.
| Manufacturer | Country | Price | Shipping cost to France | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Systems | UK | 35,28€ | 21,16€ | 56,44€ |
| Crank Wargame* | FR | 55,00€ | 10,00€ | 65,00€ |
| DeepCut Studio | Li | 44,90€ | 14,90€ | 59,80€ |
| Gamemat | CZ | 39,00€ | 12,00€ | 51,00€ |
| Kraken Wargames | DE | 47,99€ | 12,95€ | 60,94€ |
| Playmats | PL | 49,00€ | 12,00€ | 61,00€ |
| PWork Wargames | IT | 44,90€ | 12,90€ | 57,80€ |
| Stratemats | FR | 57,90€ | 8,00€ | 65,90€ |
| Torek | FR | 56,00€ | 11,99€ | 67,99€ |
| Urban Matz | CZ | 39,90€ | 11,90€ | 51,80€ |
| War Gen Wargames | DE | N/A | 36,30€ | N/A |
*Crank Wargame is currently closed.
