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There are some seriously kick-arse battlefields which people have put a TONNE of effort in to that I have seen over the years. Some of the stuff people construct just strikes me with sheer awe.

But what if you don't have the space, time, or finances for a big fancy table?

This was the dilema i had a while ago. Studying and working full time and planning a wedding meant that there was no way i'd be able to make my own modular board, and the GW option is just WAYYY too expensive for me.
Luckily i happened to accidentally stumble upon something called Teraflex gaming mats by Zuzzy miniatures.
For those not familiar with the product, they make flexible rubber molded battlefields that can be rolled up and stored when you're not using them, and best of all are REALLY Reasonably priced.

I was lucky enough to have a birthday coming up, so with the money I got i bought one of these mats, which ended up costing me $100 for a 6' x4' mat by the time freight came in to it, which cost the same at the mat as i'm allll the way in Australia and the product comes from the states. It took about 6 weeks to show up after being made and sent (these things are made to order) and i was CHUFFED!

Now just this past week i picked up a couple of 6' timber planks and 3 sheets of 2'x4' mdf sheets for just $30 all up from a hardware store.

Now all that is left to do is give it a wash of black paint and some dry brushing and bobs-your-uncle, a battlefield ready for whenever (and wherever) i need it that, thanks to the wood planks, can be put onto just about any flat surface, including my meager 4 seater ikea dining table.

A few shots included for anyone interested.

I just wanted to share my excitement with you guys and gals... haha

PS. I know, i need to make more terrain - that's next on the list

Looks quite effective, and definitely a good time or money saver.

with shipping prices those Zuzzy mats are to expensive. You can make your own latex gaming mat for about 15$ total.

A.

 Redfinger wrote:
with shipping prices those Zuzzy mats are to expensive. You can make your own latex gaming mat for about 15$ total.

A.

Shipping is bad because of the size of the things.
Plus many people would lack the know how of how to make one of these themselves, especially at this size, so i think a fair bit more should be considered rather than the $15 DIY cost you mentioned.

I mainly made the post because i have yet to come across that is the same quality, detail and convenience as one of these mats for a similar price and thought those who are time strapped may find it of use.
Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

chuloopa wrote:
Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

Gladly.

Currently in the us the Zuzzy mats are about 53 dollars plus 17 for shipping for a 4x6. In the end you are paying almost $70, hardly affordable when compared to the alternative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtRMoIZfPPg

Now the price he quotes in there is closer to 50$ for the first mat. Should you decide to do multiple mats your price begins to drop down. For me, I did mine for under $15 when I went garage sale hunting. I came across several tubes of paintable latex calk for about $5, I think I bought the duck cloth for about $12. As far as skill goes, the video is pretty simple and what I would consider novice. As for myself, I have about 6 mats in different sizes, textures and colors. And as a tip to save money, dont buy a tarp, buy "Duck Cloth" instead, it is not nearly as expensive.

You have a cool idea, but you could have got it done for a lot less money.

A.

 Redfinger wrote:

chuloopa wrote:
Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

Gladly.

A.

Hahaha - you seem quite happy refuting a point.

Sorry for getting back to you late - that's a really cool video - but as i mentioned, the main point, in regards to cost, was that when compared to something that is ready made it's cheaper.
Also, while the video you shared is pretty awesome and somewhat straight forward, it's not exactly great for those with a tight schedule. Plus, while you can get a variety of textures, it would be difficult to replicate a ruined city or flagstones in a DIY if you didn't either make a stamp of some variety, or sit there sculpting the mat as it dried.

For me, and i'm sure many others, it's about making the most of what meager time you have for the hobby, especially when you work full time, study, and have a family.

Don't get me wrong, your method would be fantastic if I had the few hours to put into sourcing and prepping the materials and doing it myself.

I just mainly wanted to share how chuffed i was with the mat, which i thought was a good deal