So its all been about the studio lately, but a friend came up from Hobart to pick up my Old School Tactical collection and I decided to try out my studio as a games room!
Prevously a full sized 7x5’ tables was a thing of my dreams until the Cigar Box soft mat option came along. A big permanent table is not feasible in my life, but a flexibly topped 4x3’ > 6x4’ > 5x7’ table in stages, is. The secret is, the tops are all either neoprene rolls or CB soft mats that can store away easily. I have 8 CB mats, foulded up in a single 3’ long plastic container.
I prefer CB mats for terrain games as they can take foam hills underneath for the most natural and flexible terrain look, but neoprene and cloth are better for “smooth” surface games like ships, space or air. City games can go either way (and have).
The gentle roll of a hill, so easy to achieve with CB mats, so vexing in other forms.
I also game in many scales, making terrain creation problematic.
Most scales can be accomodated on one mat or another from 15mm…..
…..to 20mm…..
….to 6 or 10mm……
…..and back up to 28mm or larger.
The big (?!) open space allows me to make my 7x5’ table top for the Cigar Box mats. Everything was not as smooth as I would have liked as the table top covers were made for my downstairs work table, but with a quick trip to the hardware store, I fixed the little hiccups.
In the “small” room, the old computer and camera storage space that was also my painting room and library, I have a small table. A sweet little thing, it struggles to take anything bigger than Seven Wonders Duel, Combat Commander or a Tiny Epic, but it’s small footprint gives me plenty of floor space and it’s a nice photo prop.
Step 1.
I place a table top-brace fitted, 12mm 1200x900 MDF panel on top. This gives me a solid base for any 3x3’ X Wing or Wings of Glory mats with “wings” to put collateral. This still fits in the small room. Optionally a small part of a Cigar Box can be used also.
Hellboy can rock it up on as little as a 2x3’ board.
As can these guys.
Step 2.
Over this I can put two more panels the same size, interlocked and braced over the smaller panel so there is no movement. This makes a solid 6x4’ top which accomodates my larger neoprene, cloth and vinyl mats and my 4x4’ Deep Cut. Importantly, it can be leaned on, which is a reality. This can fit in the small room, but it’s pushing it. In the larger room it is easily accommodated. Again, the bulk of a Cigar Box can be used if wanted, allowing for different takes on the same mat.
For smaller scale big games, a 6x4’ segment of a Cigar Box mat is plenty. It is amazing how diffent a CB mat can feel with a 1’ shift. On this mat, the printed-on river can be side lined (literally) or centred as a dominating feature.
Step 3.
Over this, the sturdy little table can take five, 1500x450, 6mm panels. These take my biggest 5x7’ Cigar Box mats. I place a velour blanket over the lot, which helps smooth out the bumps and adds grip. My styrofoam hills are well anchored on this both ways. This will not fit in the small room, but does in the studio and packs up in minutes. Another option is to assemble this in my downstairs store room over an old work table which actually allows me to have two 7x5 games going at once!.
For when 4’ wide will just not do.
I have never before had all four useful table sizes, so easily packed away.
I am truly inspired to game more and to paint the figures and terrain needed. Having all of my hobby creation elements in one room (some downstairs storage needed), but the option to play in any of four rooms (the dining room has a 3x3’ capable round table), has finally given me the push I needed.