A new company on the wargaming scene, Geek Villain, has leapt onto the market with a range of 6 Battlemats in various styles. These are definitely NOT paper, PVC or Neoprene mats, instead they are examples of the ‘fleece-based’ breed that has been missing from the direct UK and European market.
Produced in the UK, these mats are made from a high-quality durable fleece. This material has been proven to allow for a more ‘textured’ image that is remarkably sharp with some well printed, suitably rich colours. Like many fleece mats, these have ‘texture’ on both sides, which helps to prevent the mat from sliding off the average gaming table. Equally, based figures placed upon the mat are less likely to slide around during gameplay. These mats lay flat on most surfaces, whilst being able to be folded and re-folded numerous times without any discernible creasing. The mats also work well when placing hills underneath to achieve a more realistic, undulating terrain look.
The six Battlemats are labelled as one of each of the following on the company’s website: Rocky Grass, Gaslands Mars, Muddy Plains, Blue Sea, Desert and Grass. Each mat weighs just under 500g, making them some of the lightest on the market. The mats are supplied with a plastic zip-lock bag for easy storage and safe transit. Each mat is 6 foot by 4 foot, and is handmade. More importantly, these mats are created in the UK, and so cost less to purchase and import for European customers than those on the much more prolific US market. In addition, this may be one of a very few UK and European-based businesses which offers this type of material to the gamer.
For more information, visit https://geekvillain.co.uk/collections/gaming-mats or the UK and European distributor, North Star Military Figures at www.northstarfigures.com
