Sails Game Mat is too slippery? Issues with ship bases sliding too easily?

Has anyone tried modifications to make the ship model bases less likely to slip on the game mat? I've considered weighting the bases with tungsten or lead, rubber paint on the base or even the mat, or perhaps little stands/spikes on the base to gently grab the mat. Anyone try something like this? Any good results?

Unfortunately I gently bump my model too frequently (with the range ruler, when a finger slightly sticks to the base as I pull away, or even a bit as I place or take away a movement card). These little mistakes cause the ship to move out of place and is exaggerated by the slippery surface of the beautiful game mat. Sadly, after the first use of the Ares Games official Sails Game Mat, we flipped it upside down. We lost the immersion visuals and the guidelines but gained a tacky rubber surface for the ships to sit on. This greatly improved play by keeping the models from sliding so easily! But I want both the visuals AND the tacky interface! Anyone else struggle with this? Anyone find a solution that works?

FWIW, I'm new to Sails of Glory - I discovered the game at GenCon after trying Star Wars: X-wing miniatures and reporting to a friend that I liked X-wing's mechanics but would enjoy a different theme a lot more. He pointed me towards the Ares Games booth where I was immediately hooked on Sails and purchased the Starter Kit. I've since purchased a couple additional ships and the official Sails Game Mat. We've been loving the game but disappointed that the visual side of the mat hasn't improved the slipping ship problem, instead it made it worse. How do I get them to stick!?

Thanks for your suggestions!
-Talon

Hi Andy. Welcome aboard the Anchorage. :salute: Enjoy the wealth of information you'll find here.

Fresh out of the box the SoG game mats are very slippery, but with use they do seem to lose some of that slickness and the ship bases don't skid as much. There have been modifications to the bases in various threads, but that's more for storage purposes then to prevent unwanted movement on the mat. While I've not tried any method to make the base plastic more rough and/or tacky I wonder if fine sand paper on the edge or a thin layer of rubber cement (or its equivalent) at just the edge corners might work? The problem with any glue is it will come off on the mat and attract dust and dirt. Hopefully others will speak up if they've got some ideas to share with you.

Cheers!

I might consider attaching a felt or foam "footing" to the base myself...