Battle Grid Game Mat - 24x36 ULTRA DURABLE POLYMER MATERIAL - Role Playing DnD Map - Reusable Tabletop Square Mats - RPG Dungeons and Dragons Dry Erase Vinyl Tiles - Large Set for Starters and Masters

I've enjoy Melee Mats for a few years now. This starter kit is just that: enough to get started. The material is fantastic; if you address it quickly, the dry erase method works great. If the marker sits too long, it wet erases very well with isopropanol. The accessories are fitting for the task and useful, and size properly to fit inside the tube with everything in place. Everything rolls up well for ease of transport. It's durable, simple, and effective. The tan color allows for good contrast for normal use. The squares help speed up range effects. However, most DMs will quickly outgrow this set. For not much more, Melee Mats offers double-sided mats as well as multiple mat sets that allow for larger maps and scenes that cost only a little more and include most of the same accessories (the set I had did not have the terrain decals, but these are easily drawn in). I just ordered a mat twice this size (albeit also single-sided) and look forward to using it. So, this is a good set, but I would recommend spending a little more from the same brand and getting something even better.

So I have purchased several battle maps over the last few weeks. The Chessex Role Playing mat of the same size, and a much larger map produced by WizDice. I won't go into a full review of those mats but I mention them because this mat has one MAJOR pro over them. it is an actual DRY erase marker map. I was excited to get the Chessex mat but when it came, i did a dry erase test on it with high quality dry erase markers and it stained the map, not bad but you could still see the black shadow despite how much I cleaned it. Wet erase markers worked great on it. The same thing with the WizDice mat, Dry erase gives it problems but the wet erase works great. This Battle Grid map though works perfect with dry and wet erase markers. It has a very thick laminate over the map with a high gloss finish which will allow you to remove dry erase marker just as if you were writing on a white board. It is also a very good looking mat with the compass rose being a nice touch so direction can be added for your players. The only real con with this map is its construction material. What I mean by that is with other mats I have tested, they can all roll very easily, WizDice maps are made from a single vinyl sheet, allowing for easy roll. Chessex is made from vinyl also but a much stiffer construction, still allowing roll. This Battle Grid map CAN roll but it also appears made from a plastic sheeting or something, it can be rolled but it is very stiff and unrolling it you would need to place something heavy over the edges to flatten it out before use. I put heavy books on all 4 corners overnight, and the next morning it was perfectly flat and felt really good. I do not think I will ever roll it again, instead I will store it in a poster frame and hang it on the wall, just removing it for play when needed. Overall I like this mat best over all of the mats I have used. It can take on all markers and cleans the easiest. It is the best looking visually of all the maps and it is a very solid constructed mat that should last a long time. Like I said the only con to this mat is rolling. You can roll it back up for storage but I personally would not.

Works exactly as described, no issues with the construction etc. The only problem I encountered is that unrolling the pad crinkles the plastic coating of the pad permanently. I store it flat to keep from exacerbating this, but the surface isn't flat even after rolling it with a J roller. This isn't a problem for drawing and the plastic is easily cleanable. The problem is a smaller figure can be hard to stand up on it. I have many old lead/tin and pewter metal figures that will take damage if they tumble much and they aren't as stable as they should be. The smallest ones cannot be made to stand without adding a good size base.

I recently purchased this mat not too long ago for weekly D&D games at my work where we introduce newer players to the game and make sure they have the best experience possible learning the game. Our current DM recommended them to me since he's brought his mat and minis for our games and it makes combat so much easier to understand. He won't be able to play with us anymore since he's a new father, so he's passing the torch to me so we can carry on with the games. When I saw it was on Amazon for a fast delivery I was stoked, I couldn't wait to get my hands on my own not just for these games at work but for my own personal campaigns as well - it beats using MS Paint over Discord for sure. So imagine my surprise when it arrives a couple days later as... a dry erase calendar. Yeah, one of those big year planners you get at an office supply store. The warehouse had the correct UPC label on the package, but it was slapped over the calendar's original sticker (photo attached) on the wrong tube. I let Amazon know the item was incorrect, but instead of a human I got a chatbot instead that was quick to shift the issue over to the seller directly. So much for a middleman. So I explained the issue and asked how I could send this back or re-order from them directly as I know this wasn't an issue with Melee Mats but rather Amazon's robot pickers. No way a human would mess something that easy up. Luckily for me, I received a very prompt reply from one of the customer service reps from Melee Mats, Jennifer. She apologized for the mistake despite it being Amazon's fault and sent out a new mat immediately - on a holiday weekend to. So big shoutout to Jennifer L. for being an absolute champion of customer service and reaffirming not only my enjoyment of the products but my trust in Melee Mats as a company as well. Thanks, Jen! This mat's gonna see quite a lot of use in the years to come! tl;dr, Melee Mats are a great choice for a rollable, reusable, dry-erase battle grid for combat or even just town layouts for TTRPGs, and their dedication to customer service is unmatched in an era of chatbots and corporate greed. Highly recommend their mats, and you can see their full stock at their website (wink wonk).

The supports that keep the mat flat are very helpful, and keep you from having to find weighted items to keep the mat flat while using it. The mat erases beautifully but the clear layer began to delaminate from the mat during the first use. Very cheaply made. I would not recommend this item. When I have to replace it (which will be soon) I will spend a little more and something quality that will last. Disappointing. UPDATE: Changed my rating to 5 stars. I contacted these folks and sent some pictures and they immediately said that the mat was defective and sent me another one. Haven't had any issues with the replacement. Good company. I must have just gotten a bad one. Would buy this again now!