When it comes to battle mats, size matters.
I have some battle mats, made from cloth, that can be unrolled to cover the table. I’ve not used them yet as they’re too big to be the easy answer to any TTRPG skirmish, and I’ve had no wargaming during the C19-era.
I have some cartography tiles that can push together to form clever designs. They’re of little use individually because the theatre of the mind is generally good enough for combat in small spaces.
Loke’s The Wilderness Books Of Battle Mats is a successful attempt to get the best of both worlds; size and modularity.
It’s worth stressing the S in “Books”. You get two in this set; they’re similar, but not the same.
Designed for 28mm scale minis, the usual size for RPGs, the books use 1″ grids, and each page is 12″x12″. That means you can open one of the ring-bound books up, it’ll lay flat, and you’ll have a 1 foot by 2 feet play area. It also means you can push the second, very similar book into place and have 2 feet by 2 feet battle area.
That’s why the two books are similar, but not the same; they’re designed to be extensions of each other while also each being standalone.
You can’t buy the books yet. The retail release date is the 31st and there’s a countdown on Loke’s page, along with a pre-order button. You can also pre-order from the likes of Wayland Games.
The books are from the Kickstarter of the same name, which began shipping in September 2021, so you may have seen them in the wild. That campaign launched in February last year, so it feels like a safely steered crowdfunding effort by Loke gives you an idea of the complexity of a project like this and why it might be wise to pre-order. Loke may think it’s already sold to a large chunk of the market, and I’m not sure how many more copies of this physically impressive double-book boxset have been made.
The map review
I’ve used these already, sometimes as photography backdrops but also because I’ve quickly needed to chart a tabletop skirmish. If I’ve a battle planned where I want grids, then I tend to have the map ready, but the strength of the Wilderness Books are for the unexpected encounters.
I’ve the luxury of having a few battle maps, though. If I could only have one set, then I think this set would be a strong contender. They’re just so adaptable and ranging.
“Wilderness” is pretty broad, and we’re not just talking grass and roads here; there are sandy, ruins, mountains, cold, caves and even water.
I’m confident I won’t use the water pages much, but I’m equally sure I’ll be very pleased I had them for that one time in 2025 when they get a use.
The open flat and stay flat behaviour of the books, thanks to their ringed-middle, is paramount to me using them at all. The laminated pages are the boon that makes them extra special. You can write on these, scary as that seems, and then wipe the (right kind) marker off. As a result, you can whisk up customised 2 feet by 2 feet tabletop battlegrounds in seconds with the Wilderness Books. Literal seconds.
Loke may be known to you as a brand, the company wins awards for their battle maps, so it’s no surprise to know that the illustration on the cartography is top-notch! No, it’s not boutique; it’s not the same as finding someone who does this as a hobby, runs a Patreon and decided that month to do an HD version of a frost dragon’s temple as an art project. Loke’s designs are intended to be as universal as possible, as re-usable as possible, and therefore (unlike the frost dragon) lean towards the generic. It’s the right call.
The card is robust, without being too heavy, thank goodness, and this means you can line up the books with other not-Loke battle maps. There won’t be much of an annoying lip along with the seal, nor are you ever likely to worry about tearing the maps as you lay them down.
Overall
The Wilderness Books Of Battle Mats are another successful project from Loke, albeit within their particular niche.
My only struggle? Finding a shelf large enough for the combo!
Disclaimer: My copy of Loke’s The Wilderness Books was provided for review. I got them free. Photographs taken in shitty light; I live in Scotland.
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