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So my return to 40k after a 30 year absence continues...

I'm now looking at a gaming mat to protect my table, and to and to make things look nice. My table however is more than 6 feet long and touch over 3 feet wide. Most matts I've seen, especially the rubber "mouse mat" ones I think I'm after, seem to be 4 feet wide. So does anyone have any experience of what it's like to game with a rubber matt hanging over the edge of a table? Does it end up getting in the way and being tugged thereby messing up what's on the table top? Or is it heavy enough to work just fine?

My only other gaming mat is PVC, which I'm not terribly keen on so I can't try it out.

Any comments? Or are there 6' x 3' rubber gaming mats that I'm not finding?

6x3s do exist, but are rare - http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/274-terrain-scenery#/dimensions-3ft_x_6ft

Heavy enough to work absolutely fine. Don't worry about it. Also consider it's only 6" hangover.

Deep Cut Studios may produce some 6'x3' mats (because the silly FFG games recently are designed for 3' tables).

You might be better off with two 3x3s, or using tiles such as GW's latest offering or TableScape.

I would imagine that it would easily be shifted and scooted out of position by players leaning over the table to measure or move minis.
If it's only ever going to be used for this table, it should be fairly easy to lay it down and quickly cut off the over-hang with scissors or an exacto/utility knife.

I'd found those mats on Wayland Games' site but they're all out of stock. Ordering from Deep Cut direct is pretty pricey due to shipping. Are there any other stockists?

 Elbows wrote:
Heavy enough to work absolutely fine. Don't worry about it. Also consider it's only 6" hangover.

That's good to know, I can see me doing just going for that option.

 Elbows wrote:
Deep Cut Studios may produce some 6'x3' mats (because the silly FFG games recently are designed for 3' tables).

I'm mostly an X-Wing player Well I'm meant to be mostly a roleplayer, but mistakes have been made, and after a very enjoyable first game of 40k the other night appear to be continuing


Automatically Appended Next Post:

beast_gts wrote:
You might be better off with two 3x3s, or using tiles such as GW's latest offering or TableScape.

I had forgotten about that, my first reaction was something along the lines of "£50 for a few bits of card and some plastic walls, grump". But, it would fit on my table without any accident inducing overhang or possibly disastrous Stanley Knifing, and it's about the same price as a matt, so I can think of me getting some free scenery for the price. But I think I'll block up the windows, LOS rules....

It's "only" 5'6" long, is that a touch small? What's 40k like on a "table" that size?

Also it's got a shipping date of the 7th of October, is that when it will be available in GW stores?

I used to have a 6 inch overhang before I redid my tabletop. It was perfectly playable and had no issues with the mat sliding around.

 Uther wrote:
Ordering from Deep Cut direct is pretty pricey due to shipping. Are there any other stockists?

Their retailers list

 Uther wrote:
It's "only" 5'6" long, is that a touch small? What's 40k like on a "table" that size?

Fine - we play 1,000 > 1,500 point games on the 4x4s in the local GW store.

 Uther wrote:
Also it's got a shipping date of the 7th of October, is that when it will be available in GW stores?

Yes.

While we're at it...when ordering a mat - always order bigger, rather than smaller. You can always use less mat, but you can't magically invent more.

ZERO reason to buy a 6x3 unless you're using it for tournament games which require that size. If you get a 6x4 you'll always have room to do a bigger table, take it to the local club, etc. For many wargames 6x4 is a pretty standard size.

 Elbows wrote:
While we're at it...when ordering a mat - always order bigger, rather than smaller. You can always use less mat, but you can't magically invent more.

ZERO reason to buy a 6x3 unless you're using it for tournament games which require that size. If you get a 6x4 you'll always have room to do a bigger table, take it to the local club, etc. For many wargames 6x4 is a pretty standard size.

Good points well made.

I've gone for a 4ft wide "grass" rubber mat, thanks for the opinions that the overhang wasn't a problem and all of the suggestions. It was actually a little bit more than the GW cardboard option, but I think it'll have life outside of 40k at somepoint.

Buy a 6x4 mat and razor blade. Problem solved.

 deviantduck wrote:
Buy a 6x4 mat and razor blade. Problem solved.

Or a 4' wide board to sit on your table (which is what I do)

 Huron black heart wrote:

 deviantduck wrote:
Buy a 6x4 mat and razor blade. Problem solved.

Or a 4' wide board to sit on your table (which is what I do)

The mat I'm going for has stitching around the edge, it seemed pretty solid, which is a plus, so I'd rather not cut it.

I used to use a board when I had a table that wasn't wide enough for X-Wing. But now the point of the mat is to protect my new table (do GW even make metal miniatures anymore? A spiky metal miniature could dig an impressive hole.) so I'm not going to drop a big flat bit of wood on top of it. Though I do have a big flat bit of wood. So gaming might trump table and it might come into use

Put a tablecloth on before putting board down. Simples.

 JohnnyHell wrote:
Put a tablecloth on before putting board down. Simples.

This.
My wife wouldn't be too pleased with me if I didn't.

for like... 10 bucks you can buy a sheet of 8 x 4 masonite from a hardware store (lowes / home depot in america). Have the store cut it into 4 2 x 4 sections. Store the sections behind a couch or something and when you play lay them over your 3 x 6 table to create a 4 x 6 play surface. Add a mat and your good to go.

It's cheap, easy enough to store, and very simple to do.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboard-Tempered-Panel-Common-3-16-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-155-in-x-47-7-in-x-95-7-in-832780/202404545

We have a 5x3 table and a 4x4 mat (whoops):
http://www.waylandgames.co.uk/neo-tokyo/35559-4ft-x-4ft-neo-tokyo-theme-mousepad-game-mat
The print is a slightly skewed, and that lines up nicely when twisted on the table, adding more length but hanging off a bit weirdly.
Being the heavier mouse-mat type, it grips and does not drag around on the table.

kaotkbliss wrote:
I would imagine that it would easily be shifted and scooted out of position by players leaning over the table to measure or move minis.
If it's only ever going to be used for this table, it should be fairly easy to lay it down and quickly cut off the over-hang with scissors or an exacto/utility knife.

If you get a mousepad material map you'll have no issues with that at all. They're pretty hard to shift around on the table actually.

I have a 33"x33" Card table I use for my 4x4 mat. I ended up getting some Foamcore boards (4 - 2X2) and place them on the table with the mat on top, works pretty well. As long as no one leans on a corner/overhang. It is solid to hold all the models and books.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-FOAMULAR-150-2-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-10-Scored-Squared-Edge-Insulation-Sheathing-45W/100320352

 Uther wrote:
I'd found those mats on Wayland Games' site but they're all out of stock. Ordering from Deep Cut direct is pretty pricey due to shipping. Are there any other stockists?

Any mats that are out of stock are labelled as available to order: restock expected. These mats can take a week or two to arrive but we do send them out as quickly as we can once they arrive in stock.

I hope this information helps

~Sam