Something of a first but unsolicited I was sent a gaming mat to review. Not sure if this is "a thing" but why not. I'm also available to review vintage Port and , well, anything :-)
Seriously though, it does mean I feel responsible to do a fair job balanced job, but in the end its just my opinion so here goes.
The mat was from GamingMats - who make, well, you get it. This one was a clear ocean area with some waves scaled to Cruel Seas size, ie 1:300, but I think it would work equally well down to 1:1200. After that the waves may be a bit big.
Size is standard 6x4 feet but they make other sizes. Material is PVC 500gsm (grams per square meter) with a printed front and a non slip textured back. The printing on the front has good detail and although we've only used it once it looks hard wearing. I know some people prefer neoprene for gaming mats, but pvc does have it's advantages - easy to clean and generally spill proof and is also usually more affordable.
We got the blue version, but there is also a green tinted one available. Colour wise I think both seem quite good for the Med or Pacific but I would probably want a greyer option if I were planning on playing in the North Sea.
One issue is the mat has been created with a repeated pattern to cover the whole area. This looked a bit strange at first, but in use it rapidly became barely noticed. Anyway we gave it a run out at Asgard Wargames in Middlesbrough, one of our local friendly local games stores (see footnote). Also note that bright red wall - it will get a mention later.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well it laid flat - previous experience with pvc mats has been a bit hit and miss in this, but this one lost its curl in a very short time - quite a positive. The non slip backing worked well in use. The pic above is straight out the box and you can see there is a small amount of curling at the far left but this had straightened by the time we started to play. The pic above also shows the repeated pattern, but as I said in actual use I don't think this will be an issue, particularly if you have islands or similar to break it up.
And here it is in use - sorry the reddish tinge is my poor camera and skills picking up reflected from the red wall, but the mat itself has a matt finish that meant there was less reflected glare from overhead lighting - another plus in play.
So overall not bad at all. Prices in the uk are £39.50 for the 6x4 including delivery, the 4x4 is £29.50, which is also I think quite reasonable.
Useful for Cruel Seas or indeed for other naval games
These are available from GamingMats ebay store
I'm donating the review sample to our local club Hartlepool Wargames Society, where I am sure it will be put to excellent use. Clearly any bottles of Port sent to review will be disposed of in an appropriate manner too :-)
Cheers!
Footnote
I have in the past referred to the excellent facilities at Asgard Wargaming, including their well used but friendly tea making facilities. I was frankly horrified when visiting last night to discover this had been usurped by a "coffee machine" with those fiddly little pod things. Happily the kettle was still available for those of us who like tea, but I'm not at all convinced this is a good omen.
Cheers
Cool
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