Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Previously only available as part of the complete starter box, the Ex Illis game board is now available for purchase (as well as at their own store). It's a modular detailed board, but most importantly it is flat (rather than having hills that you always have to have) and isn't the cost of a black market kidney.

It's total cost is $9 more than the Realm of Battle Board extension.

Now Kyoto has one of these and could probably answer more specific questions, but for those who want a for a portable modular game board but also want to have money left over to buy terrain to put on the game board, I think this should make a good alternative to the anti-imagination piece of crap GW makes.

I have had one for some time now (got a demo version a friend's local shop had) and it is very nice. It is small (about 3 ft by 4 ft - each tile is 9" square) but you can keep adding to it. I picked mine up for a great price and I plan on using the tiles to make display boards for my armies for tournaments and other events.

Looks quite nice. The site doesn't give any sizes, so I assume we'd need to buy two of these to get a full 4x6 tabletop surface (is this correct?)

Also, there can we get the really nice and tall hill sitting on the corner in the pics?

Now if only there was a UK stockist!

looks like it could be great for Malifaux

Personally, I love GW's gameboard (not sure why it is any more anti-imagination than this one or any other), but can't stomach the price point.

While I'm not really a fan of Ex-Illis models, I have to admit that this gameboard is pretty nice-looking as well and is considerably easier on the wallet.

I'd love to hear what Kyoto or anyone else who owns it thinks of the quality (construction) of the board and how it looks in person.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Previously only available as part of the complete starter box, the Ex Illis game board is now available for purchase (as well as at their own store). It's a modular detailed board, but most importantly it is flat (rather than having hills that you always have to have) and isn't the cost of a black market kidney.

It's total cost is $9 more than the Realm of Battle Board extension.

HBMC, I don't know how anyone could seriously use that unrealistic board for a serious game, everyone knows that when you dig 6" into the ground you hit the skull layer. Omiting something that well-established in the science of skull tetonics makes me wonder if the sculpter has ever even seen ground.

Now Kyoto has one of these and could probably answer more specific questions, but for those who want a for a portable modular game board but also want to have money left over to buy terrain to put on the game board, I think this should make a good alternative to the anti-imagination piece of crap GW makes.

I do

News to me.

But yeah, I'd buy this over realms of skulls any day.

Sarigar wrote:Looks quite nice. The site doesn't give any sizes, so I assume we'd need to buy two of these to get a full 4x6 tabletop surface (is this correct?)

Also, there can we get the really nice and tall hill sitting on the corner in the pics?

I did some digging and found that each tile is 9"x9" Link

So, 20 tiles would let you set up a 4 Tile x 5 Tile board (36"x45").

you wouldn't be able to make a standard sized 4'x6' board (48 is not evenly divisible by 9). However, if you didn't mind a slightly narrower table, you could buy 2 sets and make a 45"x72".

...damn. Making it as cost prohibitive as GW's.

What I'd like to know is are these tiles as high as the Realm of Battle tiles? If so, a bigger playing area for me they be.

Prophecy07 wrote:...damn. Making it as cost prohibitive as GW's.

no not at all seeing as GW want's $290 for a board that is smaller then this one is

Looks nice, but I'm already in the process of planning and building my own...

That being said, it does look a bit easier to store. Hrmh.

TyraelVladinhurst wrote:

Prophecy07 wrote:...damn. Making it as cost prohibitive as GW's.

no not at all seeing as GW want's $290 for a board that is smaller then this one is

Eh. I can pay 200 + tax for one that is the wrong size and shape, or 290 for the official GW one.

You're still wrong; they're both cost-prohibitive.

Prophecy07 wrote:...damn. Making it as cost prohibitive as GW's.

Hardly. It's $200 less than the GW one for one set. Two would still be significantly cheaper.

And wrong size? By 3"? Wow...

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Prophecy07 wrote:...damn. Making it as cost prohibitive as GW's.

Hardly. It's $200 less than the GW one for one set. Two would still be significantly cheaper.

And wrong size? By 3"? Wow...

thank you for backing me H.B.M.C.

If your comparing size then it's not significantly cheaper. If you do out the math the Ex-Illis board comes out to be 6.17 cents per square inch and realm of battle is 8.39 cents psi. Meaning this board is 26% cheaper then GW's overpriced one. GW's is more likely to be of higher quality and I much rather snap together 6 tiles then trying to snap 40 tiles together.

Having 40 tiles not move while gaming can be hard. Plus GW has that nice nylon bag!

They are both expensive and both look about as nice to me. The Ex Illis one is cheaper though and flat which is nice. GW does have the exact correct size though..... guess it just depends what you are looking for.

Is the Ex illis one snap together or do they just lie next to each other?

Or you could pay $52.61 for this one from Zuzzy. It's 4'x6' and rolls up. And they have several variations.

That is pretty nice. Zuzzy does some nice work.

Or make your own out of mdf, and get some power tools into the bargain for the same price...

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/110161-.html?m=2

I have a ROB board. I like it and got a good deal on it (well, it still cost a lot, but still). I'm thinking about getting a zuzzy matt too though, to paint like a desert since I have my ROB flocked with grass and stuff.

Kid_Kyoto wrote:


But yeah, I'd buy this over realms of skulls any day.

I don't know skulls don't bother me...... you can always flock over them or cover them with sand and glue.

Ehh, warpcrafter bought me over on that zuzzy board. It's cheaper, rolls up (though paint may chip off) just seems like a nicer deal to me, atleast. But in all respects, I would settle for any of these boards than a black kitchen table..

That Zuzzy mat is nice, I just don't like the prospect of having to paint it. There are several different mats/game boards out there right now that look so much better than the Realm of Battle. ROB was a neat idea, before the price hit and it was around $100 more than they had first advertised it to be.

Have a look at Total Systems Scenic, in UK: they do boards in 12"x12" or 24"x24", ready painted/flocked, with varieties including hills/ponds/rivers/roads/tracks/fields etc.
A 6'x4' board works out about £120 max, but patently with such a variety in tile size and type you can be more flexible.

OH MY GOD THAT IS SO fething SWEET.

If you are looking for a basic mat to place other terrain on top of, Zuzzy looks like it is by far the best option, unless you just want a simple green felt roll up table cover.

I have a green battle mat that is flocked, and it is great for woodland or field types of games. But you also come away with the "green knuckless" syndrome after playing for a while; and it doesn't look as good with a bunch of urban battlefield style terrain on top.

The Zuzzy wounded city mat looks great (at least in pictures), and I bet it would not be hard to paint and ink. I would probably stay away from the verdant field, because like me, you can always buy a green mat cheaper; unless you want it to be significantly different in some way. The despoiled reaches looks good, and too I could see it being a little more challenging to paint, depending on how detailed you want to go with it.

I'm not really impressed by the Ex Illis Gameboard or the Realm of Battle - If you're going to make a modular game board, the biggest advantage is that it allows you to create negative terrain like trenches or rivers. Otherwise you might as well just buy a Zuzzy battlemat for a quarter of the price.

I like the look of these

http://www.terrainmat.com/

Meh. Got my Realm of Battle, and I really like the hills on it. They're a good size compared to usual stuff, allowing pieces of terrain to be placed upon them, which in turn gives you a more impressive board to play over.

And as for this one....not sure I'd part with cash for a flat piece of plastic, when I can nip down the road and get flat bits of wood for a lot cheaper?