Hex grid Board for use in Champions??

[tiermanm]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knew a place/website that sells a Board with Hex grid that could be used in a Champions game. MY group desperately needs one to help with visualization. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Ian Mackinder]

There are several game mats available with varying sizes and types of grids (including hexagonal). A bit pricey ($50+, I think), but sizable and reasonably sturdy - either thick vinyl with differing grids on each side; or fabric base on one side, plastic surface the other. You can even use whiteboard markers on some of them without hassles.

Thick paper sheets with hexagonal grid printed on one side also exist. Cheaper and less durable, probably.

Try your FLGS if you haven't already - if they don't actually have this stuff in stock, they MAY be both willing and able to order it in. Otherwise, searching and ordering online may be your best bet.

[Teflon Billy]

Are there any programs that would generate a good quality pdf of hex's of user choosable size to user chooseable paper size?

Because you could then generate a pdf of hex's onto a standard piece of large format paper, go to kinko's or staples have it printed and then laminated.

TB

[Wolf]

Chessex: http://www.chessex.com/mats/Battlemats_&_Megamats.htm

http://paizo.com/store/gameAids/gamingMats/chessex/battlemats

http://www.gatheringground.com/store/showproduct.asp?client=0E2BFEC7FCF24392ACA35CC7391 6E09B&sesid=&perpage=20

http://www.legendgames.org/acatalog/Battle_Mats.html for those of you overseas.

That should do ya good for on line battlemats.

[quozaxx]

I only use AutoREALM

http://www.gryc.ws/autorealm.htm

[Lord Liaden]

This webpage (http://www.herogames.com/freeStuff.htm?category=Maps) from the "Free Stuff" section of this website contains file downloads of printable blank hex maps, in several sizes and formats.

[TikiGawd]

Are there any programs that would generate a good quality pdf of hex's of user choosable size to user chooseable paper size?

Yep! Clickity-click (http://www.incompetech.com/graphpaper/hexagonal/)!

Oh and, uh... Hi, everybody!
:D

[KA.]

One other piece of advice.
Whatever you get, buy a sheet of thin plexiglass at the hardware store and cover your mat with it.
Then you can use dry-erase markers to draw buildings, streets, walls, etc, without hurting your mat.
I know some of them say you can write on them, but they are expensive and plexiglass is cheap.
It also does not mind having a coke spilled on it. :)

KA.

[Pariah]

Our host, Lord Mhoram, found a cool solution to the problem at Home Depot as well. In the bathroom area, they have smooth white paneling that's used for inside showers and stuff. As it turns out, the shiny white surface is effectively identical to the surface of a white dry erase board. So he bought two panels of the stuff, and we use that as our game board. We measure game inches with a yardstick (1" = 1 hex), we use nickels with our characters' names/symbols on them for the heroes, other coins for the villains (pennies for mooks, quarters for tough guys, gold dollars for the Boss, etc.), and just draw the map in dry erase marker. It works very well.

[Cybertooth]

Chessex: http://www.chessex.com/mats/Battlemats_&_Megamats.htm

http://paizo.com/store/gameAids/gamingMats/chessex/battlemats

http://www.gatheringground.com/store/showproduct.asp?client=0E2BFEC7FCF24392ACA35CC7391 6E09B&sesid=&perpage=20

http://www.legendgames.org/acatalog/Battle_Mats.html for those of you overseas.

That should do ya good for on line battlemats.


I highly recommend the Chessex's mats.

I've owned my Megamat since the early 80's and it's still in great shape! The only problem is that if mark you on it you need to clean up it fairly quickly, more than a day and the mark is there to stay or at least a faded image of the mark (especially "reds").

[Zac]

Anyone have an ideas for an online play by post game? I am looking for something I can save on my PC and send copies of every phase or so. The characters can then plot out there moves, I will update the master, and then send it out again.

I have a few old battlemats. Be very cautious, some pens say "dry erase" but end of becoming semi-permenante IF you leave the ink on to long. I highly recommend putting some sort of cover (like plexiglass) over you maps.

I have printed out maps in the past onto cardstock, put special effects on them and laminated em. That way when a 3' darkness goes down I just drop down the battle chit. I also made up a ton of extras (cars, lamp posts, fire hydrants, etc) that the players/villians could use easily. Bricks starting getting free weapons all over the place (manhole cover, car, light pole, etc) and others get free cover (car, mailbox, fire hydant, etc).

[pinecone]

I use a chessex mat, it's lasted for years. I bought the "megamat" as "damaged' (a tiny flaw on the edge" for 1/2 price, and a small one at full price about 5 years later. I've never had a problem, but I clean it imeadiatly, and avoid red ink.

I also use paper counters, I bought them for 1.00$ a sheet 20 plus years ago, and have never run out! They are blank so each char is done in color pencil...

[Spence]

I use a chessex mat, it's lasted for years. I bought the "megamat" as "damaged' (a tiny flaw on the edge" for 1/2 price, and a small one at full price about 5 years later. I've never had a problem, but I clean it imeadiatly, and avoid red ink.

I also use paper counters, I bought them for 1.00$ a sheet 20 plus years ago, and have never run out! They are blank so each char is done in color pencil...

I second (third?, fourth?) the Chessex mats. I have bounced around various different versions but always grag my mats back out. The initial purchase may seem expensive, but I have one mat that has seen over 15 years use and is still going strong.

[Grimble]

Chessex is all I've ever used. They are awesome.;)

[CTaylor]

You know my problem with the hex grids is that they're all too small. 1" hexes are just not big enough for most miniatures so you look gargantuan on the map. A 10 foot wide hall (for instance) is pretty darn wide, but it's 1 1/2 hexes wide and you look cramped with minatures in that area.

There was a company that made puzzle-piece shaped tiles you could interlock and make a map with, they made a regular graph grid and said they were working on the hex patent... then they went out of business.

[Spence]

You know my problem with the hex grids is that they're all too small. 1" hexes are just not big enough for most miniatures so you look gargantuan on the map. A 10 foot wide hall (for instance) is pretty darn wide, but it's 1 1/2 hexes wide and you look cramped with minatures in that area.

There was a company that made puzzle-piece shaped tiles you could interlock and make a map with, they made a regular graph grid and said they were working on the hex patent... then they went out of business.

Most mini's look crappy (to me anyway) on a game table. You can never find anything that resembles what you need so you either have to do the "this isn't what it looks like (show players picture)" or scrap being original and use the mini makers concepts. I prefer to use either paper fold-up mini's, counters or dice to mark location. All those fit right in on the map.

Of course if you insist on using lead just get a mat with larger hex's. 1.5" or 2.0". Just draw to the map hex's and then you have tons of room.

Another thing I like to do is change hex size. Since Hero scale is 2 meters per hex, I just shift to 1 meter per hex and double up ranges. This will throw things off a bit, but not too much. Nothing that ever bothered me.

of course YMMV ;)

[Querysphinx]

You know my problem with the hex grids is that they're all too small. 1" hexes are just not big enough for most miniatures so you look gargantuan on the map. A 10 foot wide hall (for instance) is pretty darn wide, but it's 1 1/2 hexes wide and you look cramped with minatures in that area.

There was a company that made puzzle-piece shaped tiles you could interlock and make a map with, they made a regular graph grid and said they were working on the hex patent... then they went out of business.

I used to use a hex map where 1hex = 1 meter. It looks about right with standard minis.

[SteveZilla]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knew a place/website that sells a Board with Hex grid that could be used in a Champions game. MY group desperately needs one to help with visualization. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Chessex is good, but...


Red, orange, yellow, brown, and purple wet-erase markers will stain the Chessex battlemats. Nothing will get the stains out (including acetone, which will erase the battlemat itself, but not the stains. Strange but true). Stick with the cool colors -- green, blue, and black.


This message brought to you by the Bunny, proud owner of four Chessex battlemats, three of which are irreparably stained! :cheers:

One cool thing showed up on these boards a few years ago, made by one of the posters here.

Check out this post (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=903839&postcount=56) and this post (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=913420&postcount=102).

[Spence]

Chessex is good, but...


Oh ya...forgot about that....

Watch the colors and be sure to wipe right after play..:D

[mattingly]

1" hexes are just not big enough for most miniatures
Chessex also sells 1.5" hex maps.

[Wolf]

Chessex also sells 1.5" hex maps.

I use the 1.5" and just count things in "hexes"... all movement, range, etc is taken from 1" (Hero)= 1 hex (1.5").

[mattingly]

I use the 1.5" and just count things in "hexes"... all movement, range, etc is taken from 1" (Hero)= 1 hex (1.5").
Same here. It spreads the map out a little, so HeroClix figures can stand in a hex, or two paper minis can occupy the same hex.

[Wolf]

Same here. It spreads the map out a little, so HeroClix figures can stand in a hex, or two paper minis can occupy the same hex.

True 'dat. I've even got a Metal Yardstick that has 1.5" sections numbered (with range penalty noted) 1- whatever number it ends at. Makes things much easier, and no one has to convert anything... My players love it.

[DJ Blackrock]

If you can get your hands on a few sets of the game Heroscape, it'd give you a 3d representation of height and cover and whatnot. There's even a Marvel comics set, for more modern day stuff.

I bought it simply because it was Hex based.

[mvoncannon]

Who makes those hex plates? How much? Where?

[SteveZilla]

Who makes those hex plates? How much? Where?

If you mean hex plates like this:

30765

Then The Mad GM (http://www.herogames.com/forums/member.php?u=480&vmid=1208#vmessage1208) is the one to call.

[CTaylor]

Heroscape's hexes are big too, they work better for scale on most minitures. The only problem is that it takes 5-10 minutes to set up a map and you can go into serious expense buying enough to make a major scene.

[mvoncannon]

If you mean hex plates like this:

30765

Then The Mad GM (http://www.herogames.com/forums/member.php?u=480&vmid=1208#vmessage1208) is the one to call.

Yup. Them are it. Thanks.