Matts, Armoured Car and Bone Reapers

I decided a few weeks ago that it was about time I got myself some larger matts - to play larger games of 40K or AoS or... other games!? (But I was mostly considering 40k and AoS at the time) I debated endlessly about whether to get 4'x6' matts or 44"x60" matts (the newer 'standard' for 40K and AoS). Both are too big for the current table in the game room and would require some sort of table-topper. While 44"x60" is the current standard for 40K and AoS, I feel like 4'x6' has been the gold standard of gaming for a long, long time... and I wasn't just buying them to play AoS and 40K!

I still have the two slabs of ~4'x5' 3/4" MDF that made up the 5'x8' table that used to occupy the game room. I could set up one of those on the current table and it should perfectly fit one of the newer 44"x60" matts. I COULD set both up over top of the current table... and that would fit one of the 4'x6' matts, with plenty of space around the sides to set books and dice and reinforcements and dead troops... but it would take up SO MUCH of the room. I'd probably have to remove all the chairs!

Ultimately, for convenience sake, I went with the smaller matts... but then I had to decide where to order them from. 

Last year I'd ordered a few smaller matts from FLG in the United States, but upon their arrival I was dinged with $50 of brokerage and taxes!? So I needed to find a source within Canada. There are a few places, but WOW to they ever charge a LOT for shipping. In the end I went with a place I've never ordered from before called Kingdom of Titans out of Quebec as they ship orders over $195 for free anywhere in Canada!! 

While I was at it... I picked up a few more things... 

All the goodies that arrived today! Two matts, a Bolt action Sd.Kfa 222 armoured car and Kainan's Reapers ("used" - assembled, but not painted!) 

Kainan's Reapers is the only Warhammer Underworlds warband that I don't have out of the 16 warbands they've printed cards for in the Warbands of Embergard set (which was briefly listed as available to order last week, but now is "temporarily unavailable" again... but my FLGS ordered some while they were available and are apparently on their way!) 

The matts ALMOST fit on the table.. there's about an inch overhanging on either side... I could probably just play with them like this!? 

on the slab of MDF... GAH there is'a quarter of an inch overhang on the other sides with these!? Ah well... 

I went with "Desert Planet" and "Red Planet"... I figured the desert one would be great for AoS and 40K and would work for historical each settings in the desert - as I have a lot of collections that would fight in arid regions... The Red Planet... I wanted something a little different that the boring standard grassy fields - something that would be fun and otherworldly for 40K and could also be used for Aqshy - the setting for the current narrative campaign book for Age of Sigmar. 

Also... I have a PILE of old Rafm Space: 1889 miniatures that I still dream of painting and organizing to play battles with, either in 1889... OR I had silly ideas of playing a Space: 1914 campaign - taking the setting of Space: 1889 and fast-forwarding it to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 and playing a fight for the colonies on Mars with European troops and Martian colonial troops!? 

That Desert Planet one, though... it is... VIBRANT yellow!! 

Part of me does wish I'd ordered a grassy one now that could have been used for... well... anywhere other than North Africa that I have Bolt Action forces for!? 

apparently the newer Bolt Action kits include order dice, which is handy... 

Although I did check the other day, and I'm probably good for dice... (on the Warlord Games website, in an article about tournaments using third edition, they suggested capping things at 1250 points and 18-20 order dice!) 

Now I have to decide if I'm going to paint that Sd.kfz 222 in a standard German Grey for use with my earlier war stuff - to invade France in 1940... OR paint it in sand colours to field in North Africa!? 

(probably going with Sand for North Africa...) 

Game Matts

I've been wanting to get a few game matts for a LONG time... I first encountered them at the first 40K tournament I went to... like... SIX years ago... I've kind of wanted to get a few ever since. It was agreed upoon that I should get them after the Game Room was renovated.. It's been renovated for over two years now... It was time... 

HOWEVER... 

WHAT SIZE TO GET!? 

Six years ago I would have said 4'x6' without even thinking about it... (initially I didn't really consider matts... because I had a 5'x8' table and terrain tiles I'd made that could cover it completely!? My table isn't QUITE that big now, though... though I kept the two large chunks of MDF that made up the table to make into a tabletopper of sorts... I doubt I'll ever play a game THAT BIG again... I'm not even sure I have the patience for something that would be played on 4'x6' - Warhammer Games aren't even played on 4x6 anymore, the suggested size is 44"x60"!? But I don't even LOVE playing games that big... Do I get 2'x2' for small skirmishes...? or 3'x3'...? There are games I have that suggest both sizes... or 22"x30" - the size used for Warcry and Kill Team and Age of Sigmar: Spearhead...!?

In the end I settled on 44"x30"... it's the size recommended for 1000-1500 point Warhammer games... any games that are meant to be played on 3'x3' or 2'x2' can easily be played on with with little modification... They should fill a good chunk of the table for fairly large skirmishes or role-playing game encounters, but leave plenty of space for dice trays, character sheets, quick reference charts, books, reinforcements and dead... 

I ended up ordering three from FLG matts... I liked the pattern. I settled on a Grassland, Desert and Cobblestone... I was thinking about getting a Martian and/or Snow matt as well... but thought maybe I should just start with the three and see if I DO use them and maybe order more later... 

The parcel arrived while I was out.. I was a little disapointed to arrive home to see a box that was not nearly as long and skinny as I'd imagined... I had hoped they'd be shipped rolled up properly... 

Not-so-much... they were folded in the packaging they were sold in... and those were folded into a box... 

So...  they're pretty wrinkled... 

This one's called "Prairie"

"Civic Cobblestone"

Honsetly... those cobbles are a LOT larger than I'd imagined... 

I'll get over it... 

maybe... 

eventually... 

"Badlands 2"

I'm sure once they're flat... IF they're ever flat... they'll be really nice! 

I was further soured on the whole experience by the $59CAD I had to pay for taxes, duties, and fees on an order that only cost $210CAD (of which $35CAD was shipping!?). Now I don't mind paying taxes... I like roads... and firefighters... and other public services... but the fucking $45 "brokerage fee" UPS charged seemed like a much. Fuckers... Canada Post charged $9.95 for that service... But no, keep telling me that privatization and "competition" will mean basic services will be cheaper for me... 

So all that along with the wrinkled matts... I think I might look elsewhere for a snow or martian surface matt - or if I decide I need a different size... 

Anyway... 

Luckily I have NO SHORTAGE of heavy books, so hopefully a few days of this might sort out SOME of the wrinkles... If we get sunny days again, I could try leaving them outside for a bit... We are fully into fall it seems, today, and things are very grey indeed... 

Really want these to be flat NOW so I can get on with PLAYING Devilry Afoot or continue on with the Five Men in Normandy campaign...