I haven't spent a lot of time with this set yet, but so far I really love the character abilities in this one, and the card effects are all soooo thematic. Really enjoying this. I have almost every set, and I would say this is in my top 3 right off the bat.
The mat is good quality. It looks and feels good and has a stitched border. I like that the mat has room for components from the base game and both expansions. The crispness of the artwork on the mat is understandably not as good as on the original board. This is not an issue for me as I am familiar with all the worker spaces on the mat and I prefer the experience and aesthetic of a singular game surface.
It's a great addition for a very fair price in my opinion. It's by no means crucial to have, but it sure makes you smile having the player markers with your factions logo on them. They are also a bit bigger than I expected (which is a good thing!) Very happy with this purchase