Neoprene Mat 4x6' Boneblight Marsh (120x180cm)

A marsh as a battlefield

The Boneblight Marsh subject plays on still water, muddy banks and clumps of dried reeds: a setting in which a dark story tells itself well and which at the same time offers natural guiding lines for the movement of units. The darker tones of the base also let brightly painted figures stand out, because they are not fighting them for attention.

Why neoprene and not paper

The mat has a structure similar to a mouse pad: a springy rubber layer underneath, a printed textile on top. The practical difference compared with a paper or vinyl poster is fundamental. The material does not curl, it straightens itself out within a few minutes of coming out of the tube and no sharp creases are left in it. A figure that falls over bounces into something soft, so it does not snap off a spear or a banner, and dice do not slide across the whole table over the surface.

A size that has a reason

One hundred twenty by one hundred eighty centimeters corresponds to four by six feet, that is the most widespread size of playing area for battles between larger units. It is exactly what most rule sets assume when laying out deployment zones and objectives. Store the mat rolled with the print facing outward around a thick tube rather than folded; it is cleaned with a damp cloth and a little detergent, and never in a washing machine, where the print could be damaged.

Combining it with terrain

A printed surface is not enough on its own: a gaming table only comes to life when there are three-dimensional pieces standing on it. With a marsh subject, dead trees, wooden walkways, islands of reeds and low veils of mist from teased-out cotton wool all work. Keep to the colors of the base as you do so; terrain noticeably richer than the print looks as if it had been brought in from another scene.

Choose the light over the table on the warmer side, because cool fluorescent lights draw gray out of a dark green.