As my bank statements can attest, I’m not against splashing the cash on Magic: The Gathering merch. My shelves are filled with brands like DragonShield and UltraPro, and card sleeves with art of my Commanders are pretty much non-negotiable at this point. While I might not be rocking anything close to Power Nine level, I’d still like to avoid sticky tables or rogue beverage condensation dealing damage to my precious cards. So, sleeves and card storage are a totally justifiable expense – at least in my mind. Yet, somehow, a playmat has always been a harder sell.
Playmats are used by players across all of the best card games, but are they really even necessary? When I have newer decks that are left languishing in cardboard boxes, why would I drop $50 on what is, at its core, a glorified mouse mat? Well, it turns out that all it took to change my mind was a trip to MagicCon Amsterdam and a glimpse at MTG artist Daria Aksenova’s adorably chaotic World of Trash collection. Like some kind of garbage-diving siren, Daria’s opossum playmat called me back to the Artist Alley again and again until I finally gave in.
Did buyer’s remorse set in as soon as the high of the con passed? No, actually. Not only is my new playmat really high quality and incredibly stinkin’ cute, it’s made each game of Magic I’ve had since feel a little more special and pretty much entirely eliminated any confusion my opponent might have around my (messy) board set-up. I’m officially a playmat convert, and judging by the influx of early Prime Day MTG deals, the next addition to my collection could be just around the corner.
We’re not due to see the majority of this year’s Prime Day board game deals until next week but you can already get up to 50% off playmats at Amazon. No matter what your preferred aesthetic is or what part of the color pie you’re trying to coordinate with, there are plenty of options to choose from. Even beyond the land of Prime, there are some great savings to be found at other retailers like Etsy and Walmart.
Looking to get ahead on other savings this July? Don't miss our guide to the upcoming Prime Day board game deals, or these Prime Day 3D printer deals. If you fancy moving your games from the tabletop to your handheld, swing by our Prime Day Steam Deck deals page.
