TerrainGuy Game Mats

[Conquistador]

Choices, choices, choices, choices...

I am looking for a "rural" setting mat (I have a town mat) for Northern Mexico/New Mexico/Alta California games and trying to decide which mat would be most multi-functional for those styles of terrain.

1)  Brown-Green mats ("...more brown than green...ideal for semi-arid areas")

2)  Dryland mats ("...arid, but not true desert.")

3)  Desert maps ("For gaming in true desert environments.")

"When in doubt ask on TMP and LAF" seems like good advice.

Input, anyone?

Gracias,

Glenn

[FifteensAway]

Glenn,

I'd go with the brown-green.  Even the desert has a lot of greenery and when it blooms - wow!  For drier games you can always add on smaller terrain pieces to 'brown' it up more.

FifteensAway Casting Off

[Malamute]

Tough call, I think it depends on your buildings. Lots of adobe houses means I would go for semi arid or arid mat with sparse vegetation.
I don't think lots of grass looks right with adobe?

[ushistoryprof]

I live in the High Desert area of So Cal and work in the San Fernando Valley, for both areas the brown green would do very well.  If you want the Mojave Desert look stay with the true desert map but most of Southern Cal down to San Diego would be your brown-green.
Prof
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http://worldhistoryprof.blogspot.com/

[Conquistador]

Okay, my gut instincts were semi-arid because:

1)  I grew up in Los Angeles, spent several years of college in Loma Linda/Riverside area (inland from LA,) and had lots of years in Sacramento's Central Valley in the Air Force

2)  If you have a presidio/large village/Rancho you need some kind of moisture to support most farming/herding activities

3)  You can add "dry" terrain pieces to "desertify" things if needed as was suggested

Still willing to hear arguments for other options of course.

Gracias,

Glenn

[sepoy1857]

I prefer these: http://www.terrainmat.com/

[Conquistador]

Sepoy1857,

I have a seascape from them.  I was aware of them.  Nice mat but Shipping from the UK versus shipping from the USA has to be computed into the price too.

Gracias,

Glenn