Deep Cut Studios’ Cityscape Mat Hits The Tabletop
August 20, 2016 by brennon
Deep Cut Studios have put together another Cityscape Mat which has been designed for Dropzone Commander, inspired by the big city boards that they create...
As you can see there is both a 6x4 version and a 4x4 available for you to pick up which adds a little bit more of the city onto the tabletop for you to fight for.
As you can see it has a few nice features allowing you to see where buildings should/could be placed. It also features and underpass which you would be able to use as a way of hiding units, literally, as you take them off the table.
What do you think?
"As you can see there is both a 6x4 version and a 4x4 available for you to pick up..."
Im not too sure about the under pass tbh. It might lead to some odd LOS shenanigans accounting for 2D features in what is quite a 3D game. I would probably just ignore it.
Other than that quibble it is a nice mat and I have been thinking of picking up their other mat, so now I have options!
I prefer city maps on the diagonal for various games – creates more interesting sightlines etc. – how does that effect DZC or is this layout preferable?
Agree about the underpass – mixing 3D elements on a 2D map will cause issues. I guess that’s not so much of an issue for DZC if it’s just considered ‘ground-level’
A lot of scenarios involve corner development so you do fight across the board diagonally. Others are conventional edge deployment so you get it both ways.
@Coxjul – from an aesthetic point of view I agree with you, but tables do tend to be laid out with buildings square to the board edges. I know cover is important in most games, but I’m not sure of a game in which it’s more intrinsic than DZC, and setting up the buildings this way ensures tournament style games are relatively fair and relatively quick to understand (i.e. you don’t need to spend time debating what rules different things have, etc.)
I don’t like the 2D underpass either, but apart from that the board looks really nice.
If anyone knows, I’d love to know how many different DZC mats there are to choose from these days. I’ve never looked into buying one so I’m not really sure what’s on offer or from whom.
Also, does anyone know if these kinds of mats are convertable? i.e. Can you flock them, paint them, weather them, etc.? They look fine, don’t get me wrong, but I’m just wondering if it’s possible to personalise them.
I think FAT mats do some, there are a few options out there.
Mats are very flexible and intended for easy storage so converting them would be awkward unless you are willing to glue them to a board or something. I’m not sure about the texture on the pvc mats, but the cloth or mousepad material would not take glue or paint very well I think.
They are designed to be something you unroll and throw down as-is rather than to be the basis for a permanent board build.
Thanks @ugleb – yeah, although I don’t have a mat, I think they’ve been a really good development for the wargaming hobby, as a lot of them look great, and I like playing on the texture. Not being able to convert them isn’t a criticism of the products, I was just wondering if it would be possible to take one that does _almost_ what I’d want it to do and then change it up a bit.
I like the underpass; I’d rather have the option to use it in a more “abstract” game than not at all. You can use a house rule that a unit using the lower level cannot end its move under the overpass.
nice would be great if the do a second to make more variety to a table.
Actually this is the second. There’s another one over on their site already.
nice.