Do you use a playmat?

[CrazyCarl]

So, do ya, punk?  I know I turned a few people around because they are awesome and help preserve sleeves.  What do you think?  It looks kind of snobbish, but it works.

[jpmeyer]

If I had an awesome one, I would.

[Kowal]

In December of last year, when I was still playing Ninja Mask, I bought a plain old brown playmat from Troll and Toad for like eight bucks because I was going through sleeves three times every two weeks.  Now I change sleeves once every three weeks or so.

The awesomeness of my playmat comes from the fact that my favorite artist (Rebecca Guay) drew this gorgeous illustration across the entire face of the mat.  The illustration is what, you ask?

Well it's OBVIOUSLY a hot ninja chick wearing a space helmet in mid flight!

[Bram]

Didn't we have this EXACT topic before?

Yes, by the way. Mostly because sometimes tables tend to be rough or dirty, and because it allows me to stake a claim to an area at least the size of my playmat. Scoot over bitch!

Also, I like it when people hassle me about using one.

[Saucemaster]

I am going to save us all some time and tell you exactly what is going to occur in this thread.

Many people will simply answer the question.  Yes, I use a playmat (and I do).  No, I don't.  Then someone who none of us have ever noticed before will use his second or third post ever on TMD to jump in and say that "people who use playmats are arrogant pricks."  They will go on to imply that using a playmat is somehow equivalent to telling your opponent that he is worthless and poor, and that by using one you're actually saying "my cards are worth more than your cards, and that makes me infinitely superior to you in every possible way".

Then a number of us will say something to the effect of "WTF?"  Someone else will chime in and tell us that sleeves are all that we need, and that not only are we insulting our opponent by using a playmat, we're actually insulting the host of the event (implicitly criticizing his/her choice in tables) and table-manufacturers everywhere.  Those of us who just kind of think playmats are... cool... will wonder where the hell this all came from, and one person will overreact and call the playa(mat)-haters "stupid n00bs".  This will confirm the suspicions of all the mat-haters that playmats are in fact actually a symbol of all that is wrong with this format, and that's when you'll see the populist rhetoric begin.  All of us who still just think that playmats are kind of... cool... will start to feel like Republicans, and that will be disconcerting and more than a little annoying.  Eventually the thread will peter out, and we'll all wonder why in the hell people seem to care so much when you just want to use a piece of cloth, maybe even a piece of cloth with a cool space ninja on it (<3 Ben's playmat), to prevent potential game losses for marked sleeves and keep us from having to buy new Gunmetals every week.

EDIT: I just realized that this is a semi-closed forum, yes?  That might change my summary.

[Klep]

I thought I had something to add until Saucy summed up this thread's past, present, and future for us. :\

So for the little it's worth now, yes I <3 my playmat , which I got doodled on by Poole and Tedin at Origins.

[Kowal]

Saucef00...  I'd kind of like to make love to you tonight.

<3

[rvs]

Yes.

[Shades]

No.

[Triple_S]

the last thing we need is Kowal and Saucemaster to breed and create a ShortBus/Meandeck monstrosity-child that cries out "MISE", "TINGS", and "GG" instead of "momma", "dada" while it plays Deathlong and 5/3 at the same time

[Razvan]

In December of last year, when I was still playing Ninja Mask, I bought a plain old brown playmat from Troll and Toad for like eight bucks because I was going through sleeves three times every two weeks.  Now I change sleeves once every three weeks or so.

The awesomeness of my playmat comes from the fact that my favorite artist (Rebecca Guay) drew this gorgeous illustration across the entire face of the mat.  The illustration is what, you ask?

Well it's OBVIOUSLY a hot ninja chick wearing a space helmet in mid flight!

Is there a picture of this somewhere? I am curious now.

[Machinus]

I like playmats, but I don't have one, and I can't buy one where I live. The most important factors in choosing one, for me, would be color (either dark or natural), and cleanliness. My poor gunmetals take it in the rear on the tables here. Does anyone know of a good place online?

[Kowal]

I think I had Jacob upload a picture once upon a time.  If he doesn't still have it, I'll have to hijack someone's scanner or have someone with a camphone take a snapshot of it at Hadley tomorrow.

[Jacob Orlove]

I think I had Jacob upload a picture once upon a time.  If he doesn't still have it, I'll have to hijack someone's scanner or have someone with a camphone take a snapshot of it at Hadley tomorrow.

You had Bram upload that picture, I believe. I certainly don't have it.

[Mykeatog]

I like my playmat; I often leave it at home, and (as I don't like signitures on my cards) I keep in clean of sharpie.

[CF]

I have a Battlegrounds one I use normally and a Magic one that has some artist sketches (Oath, Welder and Lotus by their respective artists so far - the theme is "decent t1 cards" ;o) etc I use occasionally.

--
Chris

[CrazyCarl]

Pretty much all of the online stores I've browsed in the past few months have carried playmats and almost definately for the larger ones (SCG, Troll and Toad, etc).

Sorry, I was just curious ;x.  I shoulda made a poll.

[rvs]

Pretty much all of the online stores I've browsed in the past few months have carried playmats and almost definately for the larger ones (SCG, Troll and Toad, etc).

Sorry, I was just curious ;x.  I shoulda made a poll.

Aha! Much to learn you still have!

[Bram]

You had Bram upload that picture, I believe. I certainly don't have it.

As the description of your playmat sort of piqued my curiousity, I think it's safe to assume it wasn't me either. (though, taking some of my more recent inexplicable memory gaps into account, this is by no means conclusive)

[The Atog Lord]

Kowal does, in fact, have an awesome playmat.

I have a playmat that Myketog gave me (mad props!). I had Quinton Hoover draw a dragon on it. I need to remember to bring it to the next big event.

[Machinus]

Pretty much all of the online stores I've browsed in the past few months have carried playmats and almost definately for the larger ones (SCG, Troll and Toad, etc).

I looked at several sites and I can't find one anywhere. Can anyone help me out?

[Bram]

They have them at the site of Khalsa Brain Games (who produce them**). Site: no idea. Google is tech
I got mine from Cardhaus.com.



**= or at least, design them. I imagine they're produced in various sweatshops across the globe.

[kl0wn]

People who use playmats are elitist bastards who think their cards are better than everyone else's.

On top of that, it's insulting to the T.O. or store owner because you're questioning his table cleaning abilities.

I hate you all. This site is full of elitists that stifle innovation.

[Bram]

You forgot to mention how lousy our skillz are compared to Standard players.

[Komatteru]

People who use playmats are elitist bastards who think their cards are better than everyone else's.

On top of that, it's insulting to the T.O. or store owner because you're questioning his table cleaning abilities.

I hate you all. This site is full of elitists that stifle innovation.

You mean we're not all a bunch of elitist bastards who think we and our cards are that much better than everyone else's?  I thought that was part of being a TMDer (just ask anyone who's not)...oh, wait a minute...

Anyway, I have a playmat.  It's spiffy.  People always ask me where I got it; it like impressed them or something.  I like it because it makes people think I'm good.  This way when I scrub out, I can blame bad luck or something and everyone will believe me.  

[ctthespian]

People who use playmats are elitist bastards who think their cards are better than everyone else's.

On top of that, it's insulting to the T.O. or store owner because you're questioning his table cleaning abilities.

I hate you all. This site is full of elitists that stifle innovation.

You mean we're not all a bunch of elitist bastards who think we and our cards are that much better than everyone else's?  I thought that was part of being a TMDer (just ask anyone who's not)...oh, wait a minute...

Anyway, I have a playmat.  It's spiffy.  People always ask me where I got it; it like impressed them or something.  I like it because it makes people think I'm good.  This way when I scrub out, I can blame bad luck or something and everyone will believe me.  

A funny story realating to this sentiment.  At Gencon Ray "IAmFishMan" Robillard was getting playmats signed for prizes at Waterbury.  He actually piled all the playmats on top of each other and said in jest, "I'm so good that my cards can't even be on the same level as yours!"  It was hillarious at the time.  BTW I use 1 of the said playmats after winning it at Waterbury.

-Keith

[Mykeatog]

Holy Shit that is funny.

Ray is beyond hilarious.

[DavidHernandez]

Yes.

My mat has an elf drawn on it covering about one fourth of the area (drawn by Christopher Rush). Then the other corner of the same side has artwork by Richard Garfield.

Dave.