When you think of gaming mousepads, steel probably isn’t the first material that comes to mind. Cloth, glass, hybrid composites — sure. But carbon steel? That’s where the Nephilim Steelpad steps in. Hand-made, unapologetically different, it brings a cold, industrial edge to something we usually treat as disposable gear. The first glide feels alien, almost too smooth, yet strangely addictive. It’s not just another surface — it’s a completely new take on how control and speed can coexist.
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Testing Scenarios
Testing period: 1 month in total
The gaming sleeve was used on and off (depending on humidity, but it’s still recommended).
Break-in period: No break-in period, but the surface becomes smoother/faster once you give it a wet and dry clean, which affects the glide and the pad’s aesthetics.
Mice used: RAWM ES21 Pro, Rapoo VT1 Pro Max, G-Wolves Hati S2 Pro, all with different skate combos.
Games played: QuakeWorld, Battlefield 1 and V, Doom Eternal.
Temperature and humidity: 21–24 degrees, 55–70% humidity
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Why steel?
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The choice of material by 2DudezGaming is indeed interesting: carbon steel and other metals. Wait, not glass? It looks like these guys are not here to copy the others, but to bring something new and refreshing to the already nearly full table of hard e-sports pads.
It seems that their pads (there are a few of them, not just the Nephilim I have) have been carefully designed to harness the unique properties that steel offers, providing speed while maintaining a more balanced stopping power and dynamic build-up, tailored to the skates and skate material. And that is, if true, a game-changer in this industry because most of the glass pads have this “floaty” feeling that has almost no control and very little stopping power. These guys mean to change it.
Unboxing and First Impressions
Packaging
The company is brand new, and I believe some details still need to be worked out. One of which is the packaging — my unit came in a substitute box, my pad was supposed to be sealed in a vacuum plastic bag, and also tucked in a red robe. It would have been all great as it’s recommended to store it in that way, but it seems that the custom clerks had damaged the bag and it came to me damaged, good the pad didn’t suffer.
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Alongside the pad, there is a “secret sauce/clean and seal” puck to recover from any signs of oxidation and corrosion if it happens (it’s steel after all), two sets of moonstone skates (pretty fast but loud), a set of felt skates (very slow), a congratulations letter written by hand (lovely)a short Quick Start Guide on how to handle the pad. So, in the box you will find:
- THE NEPHILIM
- 8 felt skates
- 8 moon stone skates
- 1 Clean & Seal (do not use unless instructed)
In my opinion, the brand should look into safer and better-looking packaging to avoid accidents like mine. Hopefully, they will improve on that soon.
Surface
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A hand-crafted carbon steel surface with some unique design (perhaps unintentionally?) on it, this is what it looks like. It’s pretty cool to the touch (it’s steel after all), the upper part of my unit is a bit darker, smoother, and quieter (not sure if by design though), the bottom one is lighter, a bit louder. The difference is minimal, though. The bottom right corner has your unique number (mine is 19) and the 2DG logo. The surface is not coated, which is a promise of the glide consistency.
The edges are not rounded, but it doesn’t hurt your arm/hand in any way, so no worries. I’d suggest using a gaming sleeve, because it humid days your hand might stick to it, and in colder environments the steel will make you chill. Your experience may vary, but I wanted to inform you beforehand.
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The base is beautiful and incredibly grippy at the same time — it looks like a starry blue sky and was spray-painted using silicone. It holds to the desk like crazy; you can’t just push it around. The spray-painted finish can leave some traces on your desk, but hey, it is silicon, so no worries, that’s how the pad was made.
Friction and Stopping Power
Here’s the kicker — according to 2DG, steel pads offer some unique characteristics due to their metal material, and so far, I have to say that this statement holds. I’ve always complained about the “floaty” or “ice-hockey” feeling of the glass pads (with very few exceptions like Kin X), but this is gone now.
The stopping power is incomparable to glass; it’s actually insane. And the pad also has a very low static friction, which means you can easily start any motion at any point — and that is also a statement from 2DG that holds. The dynamic friction, due to the lack of coating, is fast but moderately fast, I’d say — it’s not crazy fast, it’s something you can easily manage even in Tac FPS.
There’s almost no variation between horizontal and vertical glide on the Nephilim.
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The brand also states that the Nephilim is their fastest pad, as the pad makes smart use of steel’s natural qualities. You get the raw speed, but it doesn’t feel out of control — there’s enough stopping power to keep things balanced. How it builds up and slows down also shifts depending on your skates and the material, which adds a nice dynamic touch. And this is great, and we will talk about it now, but I have to say that I’ve used faster pads, so it’s definitely not the fastest one for me.
However, performance turned out to be more sensitive to the environment than I thought. In colder temps, the pad loses a bit of its initial drag and starts feeling almost as fast as some fast glass pads. When it’s warmer, there’s a touch more friction, but it’s still a pretty small difference.
Skates Compatibility (mods)
I’ve tested a lot of skates with the Nephilim, and I will list them in order from the fastest ones to the slowest ones. Here we go:
- Silver Fox Magic Ice dots — very airy but with decent control
- Silver Fox Gray dots — a bit floaty
- G-Wolves dots — fast and controlled
- TJExclusives Plastix dots — very good control, still decent speed, you almost feel the pad texture with them, a bit loud
- 2DG Moon Stone dots — loud, fast, too little control
- Ninjutso dots — pretty controlled but loud
- Silver Fox pink dots — really controlled
- And last but not least, 2DG felt skates — they make this pad into a mud swamp, incredible control and stopping power, hard to microadjust, and the initial friction is very high
It’s also worth mentioning that 2DG offers some magnet mods that work with this pad. They offer three sizes and strengths of magnets you can place in or on your mouse, however you want. It looks like a new way to find that sweet spot between friction and speed, a new way to train your muscle memory.
Maintenance
When you open it, follow these steps:
- Remove the pad from the box and carefully inspect it for any damage. If you notice any issues, please contact the brand immediately — my bag was damaged and I received immediate support.
- Place the pad on a flat surface. Use a microfiber cloth and a metal-safe cleaner (stainless steel cleaners work well). Do not use anything with oxidizing agents such as vinegar, ammonia, or rubbing alcohol. Clean the pad thoroughly to achieve a smooth, even surface.
- Enjoy your new 2DG THE NEPHILIM.
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There’s no strict upkeep routine required for daily maintenance. Simply treat the pad as you would glass or other smooth surfaces. Before each session, take a moment to visually inspect and feel the pad. Wipe it down to ensure it’s clean, then get to work. I always do it because I’m a perfectionist, and even some fingerprint stains bug me — unfortunately, they do happen once you keep touching the pad, and it leaves ugly marks on it. Fortunately, a good cleaning helps every time. If the pad was coated, the would not be the thing, but 2DG wisely chose it to be like this, and I’m glad they did it because the performance should be very consistent over the years (provided it doesn’t get corroded).
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Also, always store the pad in vacuum-sealed bags when not in use. This keeps it in the same condition as when you last played. Be sure the bag is properly sealed during storage.
Closing Thoughts
This pad has two main goals: delivering the lowest static friction surface I’ve ever created, while never compromising on stopping power. And I have to say that it has delivered.
There’s no break-in period, the performance is very consistent, and the variety of skates that interact so well with it makes it a totally new experience — now, you can stop buying all these expensive pads. Just buy one like the Nephilim and only apply different skates to get a new feeling. It should be like 10x cheaper in total?
And the mods (magnets) or felt skates make it a small revolution in my opinion. Imagine you get a very hard pad, with slow, like mud control? Yep, it’s here.
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Performance was stellar: I felt great in fast-paced games: target switching was on point, tracking was flawless, and flicking was there too. In slower games, precision was where I needed it; flick also worked well, and the results were good, too. Mind you, I used different mice and skates for different games, but that’s the point here.
There are still things I’d like to be improved, like better packaging, perhaps rounded edges of the pad. I also heard that DIY repair attempts prove ineffective — require professional service. But honestly, these can be fixed fast and pretty easily. What will stay is the performance, consistency, and versatility of this pad. And that is something that I don’t think any of the glass pad brands have achieved yet.
Let’s get into the steel then!
Bullet Points
- very unique experience due to carbon steel and other metal components
- very steel, industrial look
- incredibly durable and shatter-proof
- significant stopping power, independent of the skates you use
- Spray-finished backing is tough to move across the desk
- out of the box, it’s fast, but once you clean it and dry it, it gets to another level
- still, this pad is very dependent on the skates you use because…
- … it can be swift or very slow, that’s why it’s so unique
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- Felt skates turn this pad into a 6mm, clothy mud-fest. It can be that slow, which is incredible
- Do not use alcohol or vinegar to clean it; only metal cleaners, and store it in a vacuum box when not in use
- Once you finish the wet cleaning, clean it dry as well to avoid stains caused by your fingertips
- fingertips still can happen, though, which may ruin the aesthetics of the pad
- edges are not rounded
- The top of the pad is a tad smoother and quieter
- The packaging should be better
Get this pad from the 2DG site and use the code “airman” for 10% off
Disclaimer
This review is not a paid endorsement. I want to ensure transparency and let you know that I am not receiving any compensation, monetary or otherwise, for evaluating or discussing this tech product.
