I kind of want to get a couple, but I'm not sure I see the reason for having one. My cards are already sleeved. What is a playmat doing to help me in any way?
Its an extra layer of protection for your cards when people spill stuff, and stops your cards from getting stuck to stick tables. Its not a necessity, but its a nice thing to have. I think in some ways it might also show that you're "serious" about playing. Me personally, I'm getting one done in a few weeks time simply because I want one and it'll be my own design to show off me and my online playtesters.
EDH, on the other hand, is more like a monster truck rally. It's more about the spectacle than the race, the games go long, and it's not usually clear who's in the lead until there's only one truck left.*
Single player EDH is like two guys smacking each other with pillows... until one of them pulls out a shotgun.
It's really a luxury... but I love mine.
Not only does it scare my opponents with the Predator Dragon graphic on it, it makes it easy to pick my cards up, and shuffle. I'd recommend one.
Makes things easier to pick up.
Plus I like using the dimensions of my playmat as a way for me to designate "zones" when I try to remind myself of flashback or rebound cards. I could always do it without the playmat but it's nice to just have it anyway.
Makes your side of the board easier to manage ( moving cards from zone to zone), looks nice depending what kind of art your get, some have built in life counters if constantly rotating dice is too troublesome. Overall they're pretty frivolous but are cool to play with, tried one out last FMN and liked it. They're not a huge investment either so by all means pick one up
(Ofc there's also the cleanliness factor which the above posters have already mentioned).
Our LGS doesn't have tables but we play on food court tables at a small (read old, small mall replaced by big new shiny one on the other end of town) mall. Since it is a food court... playing without a mat is out of the question for me. My mat keeps my sleeves nice and clean no matter what sticky stuff is on the table.You can't always see whats there.. old Sprite spill or something similar...
They give you a designated playspace which makes keeping track of cards and zones on your side of the field much easier than doing so on a table with everyone else's stuff.
They keep your cards off the dirty nasty tables.
They make picking up and moving cards around much easier.
I can't really think of anything else. Mostly people use them because they are pretty. I tacked one of my old playmats to my wall and use it as decoration.
If you use the table as a flat surface to align your deck upon while shuffling, the playmat significantly extends the life span of your sleeves. I haven't had a single sleeve breakage since I started using a playmat when Shards of Alara came out (that Windwright Mage playmat is just too damn awesome).
They help keep the people on either side of you from infringing on your space. A playmat says "This space in front of me is MINE. Do NOT put your deckbox, dice, and whatnot in it."
Also, I like making sure that everyone in a five-foot radius knows that I made top 8 at States last year. :-P
They keep my cards and card sleeves clean, look cool, and improve the life of your sleeves. Also makes shuffling easier. I always use my playmat in tournaments, in casual I don't tend to use it but that's because it's just that, casual.
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"Yawgmoth," Freyalise whispered as she set the bomb, "now you will pay for your treachery."
In addition to everything everyone already listed, they keep your sleeves from getting grimy with those black flecks of grime that build up on them. They also guarentee you a spacious battlefiled that people don't start pushing their cards intowhen playing edh.
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Legacy: TES
EDH: Grand Arbiter $tax, Freyalise Stompy, Mimeoplasm Death From the Grave
They help keep the people on either side of you from infringing on your space. A playmat says "This space in front of me is MINE. Do NOT put your deckbox, dice, and whatnot in it."
I am lucky enough to be close to three different stores to play at. Two I prefer to have a playmat with me. The first is really small, and playmats help to designate my portion of the table. Do not unload your 30 fat pack boxes onto my part of the table.
The other store is more of a tabletop game place that has only recently started to cater to Magic players. The tables there are home made, and the top is roughly hewn plywood. Splinters are abound. The playmat becomes less of a place to put my cards on and more of a safe haven to rest my arms on without getting wooden forearm implants.
I like playmats for various reasons.
1) I don't have to lay my arm on a table that is cold, sticky, or anything like that. I have my nice smooth comfy playmat to rest my arms on.
2) As others have said, it sections off a portion of the table that is "yours". It is nice to not have people encroaching upon it.
3) Mine has the knight exemplar art on it, and I am a huge fan of jason chans art.
It really makes cards easier to pick up (if you need to see what an opponents card does, you dont wan't to be picking at it and possibly damage it), and it protects your cards/sleeves from getting more gunk and grime on them from tables.
I cannot stress enough how it keeps dirt off your cardsleeves.
I used to have a problem where the lgs tables were dirty enough that the dirt actually got into the cardsleeve and onto the card. I switched to exclusively using playmats and haven't looked back. It just helps keep your deck that much nicer.
Plus they feel nice, and make killer mousepads (haven't bought a mousepad in years, just use an extra mat.)
It may be an attempt to look serious, but ironically I don't know any serious players who use them.
PV once said he knew he was up against someone new to the pro tour by them using a playmat, because the real pros don't use them/need them, or something to that effect.
Because conservative bias is a far, far worse thing. Liberal bias doesn't, statistically speaking, make people stupid. Conservative bias (or at least Fox's version of it) does.
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On building a Celestial Kirin Stax EDH:
Also, some tables can be grimy. You can keep your playmat clean.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Not only does it scare my opponents with the Predator Dragon graphic on it, it makes it easy to pick my cards up, and shuffle. I'd recommend one.
Trades.
Decks
RWU Zedruu the Greathearted EDH RWU
Plus I like using the dimensions of my playmat as a way for me to designate "zones" when I try to remind myself of flashback or rebound cards. I could always do it without the playmat but it's nice to just have it anyway.
Plus some of them look good.
RBUThraximundarUBRRUNiv-Mizzet, the FiremindUR
BWGhost Council of OrzhovaWBWUBRGChild of AlaraGRBUW
WBRKaalia of the VastRBWGBSapling of ColfenorGB
(Ofc there's also the cleanliness factor which the above posters have already mentioned).
Reckless Waif; It's the red Delver of Secrets.
Also, at my LGS they eat a lot of food on the play tables. Playmats keep your cards fresh.
How To Keep Your FOIL Cards From Curling: http://youtu.be/QTmubrS8VnI
The Best Deck Boxes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEwgLph_Pjk
The Best Binders: http://youtu.be/H5IauASYWjk
the tables at the LGS I frequent in my college town are really grimey so its nice to protetc your stuff
Also, I like making sure that everyone in a five-foot radius knows that I made top 8 at States last year. :-P
Currently Playing:
Retired
EDH: Grand Arbiter $tax, Freyalise Stompy, Mimeoplasm Death From the Grave
Magic players have made it abundantly clear that their time is worth $0/hour in their opinion, so no sympathy there. -DR jeebus or something
I am lucky enough to be close to three different stores to play at. Two I prefer to have a playmat with me. The first is really small, and playmats help to designate my portion of the table. Do not unload your 30 fat pack boxes onto my part of the table.
The other store is more of a tabletop game place that has only recently started to cater to Magic players. The tables there are home made, and the top is roughly hewn plywood. Splinters are abound. The playmat becomes less of a place to put my cards on and more of a safe haven to rest my arms on without getting wooden forearm implants.
1) I don't have to lay my arm on a table that is cold, sticky, or anything like that. I have my nice smooth comfy playmat to rest my arms on.
2) As others have said, it sections off a portion of the table that is "yours". It is nice to not have people encroaching upon it.
3) Mine has the knight exemplar art on it, and I am a huge fan of jason chans art.
I'm a Lurker.
Where did you order your Angelic Destiny playmat at?
Or in general, where is the cheapest/best place to buy playmats with card art on them?
WBG Karador GBW
R Daretti R
RG Omnath GR
WRG Modern Burn GRW
WB Modern Tokens BW
DCI Rules Advisor as of 5/18/2015
I used to have a problem where the lgs tables were dirty enough that the dirt actually got into the cardsleeve and onto the card. I switched to exclusively using playmats and haven't looked back. It just helps keep your deck that much nicer.
Plus they feel nice, and make killer mousepads (haven't bought a mousepad in years, just use an extra mat.)
It may be an attempt to look serious, but ironically I don't know any serious players who use them.
PV once said he knew he was up against someone new to the pro tour by them using a playmat, because the real pros don't use them/need them, or something to that effect.