'Mat-O-War' mats

[cram]

I'm thinking of getting a 'Mat-O-War. I have been looking at the 2m by 2.5m size, but not all of my games will require a mat of so large a scale. If I were gaming a battle on an area of say 6ft by 4ft will the excess hang down each side of the table, much like a tablecloth would, or is it to thick to allow this?
Thanks in advance for any help.

Marc.

[petercooman123]

A quick google shows that it doesn't really 'fall' like a tablecloth:

http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/800x/17f82f742ffe127f42dca9de82fb58b1/j/a/japsvsusmarines001_2.jpg

http://theveilsedge.blogspot.be/2011/02/gaming-table-project-mat-o-war-gaming.html


From what i can see on those pictures it's a bit like the old railway stuff, backed by hard paper.

So the question is, if you lean against it when it 'overhangs', would it get creased or will it stay ok?

Ps: i have been on the lookout for something that would overhang my table, and went with a fleece throw, does the job brilliantly and only cost me 10€:

[petercooman123]

Also note this from the review:

"The mat arrived last Friday and my initial findings are good, it's about 2mm thick and slightly rigid, you're not going to be able to drape this over piles of books to make hills, but likewise it will provide a stable gaming surface that won't ruck up every time you move something."

Don't know if that interests you, but i know lots of folks who still use the books/anything under cloth way to make hilly terrain.

[Dolmot]

It's quite stiff, and there's no paper. It's pure fibre like thick felt, car carpet or insulation fabric. It won't exactly defy gravity but in a typical case it will bend and hang down in one direction only like in the linked pics. You can add some shaping but it must be quite gentle. Because it's fairly stiff, you can have some gaps or sharp edges underneath and they will be smoothed out so that light miniatures may still stand on "empty space". However, if you want it to hug your underlying terrain shape tightly, it's a good idea to build a few strategic rock formation pieces to add weight to any tight curves. And because it won't really fold or stretch, some shapes are not doable, especially small round hills requiring multi-directional curves in a small space.

I have a recollection of someone saying that with heavy physical beating it can be softened slightly, but I haven't had much success with that. It lasts forever, though, and can be toned nicely with paint as there are no loose fibres to come off. Pretty much all of my scenic pics are taken on the same mat, either in a brownish or a greenish spot depending on the theme. It has its limits but it's extremely reliable and durable too. However, if you're looking for tablecloth-like behaviour, choose something else instead.

[petercooman123]

It's quite stiff, and there's no paper. It's pure fibre like thick felt, car carpet or insulation fabric.

I meant that the old railway stuff looked like it was backed with thick brown paper 

I used to have a mat like that

[cram]

Thanks guys.

I'm not looking to put books under it to create hills and such. Just hoping its no so stiff as to allow the excess to hang down the edges of the table.

[Dolmot]

About 10-15 cm of excess is likely to remain almost level. After that it'll start to hang. You can try clip-on tablecloth weights for slightly sharper a bend. With plenty of weight and/or softening effort you may get a proper fold in the corners for four-sided hanging but not that well right out of the box.

Meanwhile, I noticed this in the linked blog's comments:

Hi - interested to see you using mat-o-war. I've experimented and found that if you wash and rinse 4/5 times using lots and lots of fabric softener the material becomes very pilable - so can drape it over books etc I've taken photos to show how pliable if anybody would like to see them - John

Sounds interesting. I may try that with my spare mat. Not with the one already painted and flocked, though...

[cram]

Thanks for the help guys. 

[Mike D. Mc Brice]

The one I once had was very stiff. If you want something soft try to get a GW/ Citadel mat, they are very nice.

[Connectamabob]

Ps: i have been on the lookout for something that would overhang my table, and went with a fleece throw, does the job brilliantly and only cost me 10€

Ooooh, that does seem like a great idea. Economical, looks great on it's own, and you can probably tart it up a lot by using fake-fur-as-grass techniques.

[petercooman123]

Yup, and when you're not playing, it keeps you warm 



I'm so happy with it that i bought a pitch black fleece with shorter 'hair' to play x wing on!

Some other pics: