Have you guys had problems playing with 30k in GW stores?

[chosen40k]

A new store is opening in my area and they gave a cryptic answer when I asked them if they allowed Forge World rulesets. Have you guys experienced problems with Age of Darkness games in GW stores?

[t-dog1996]

It depends on the store manager really. Some, like mine will let you play literally anything so long as GW or Forgeworld made it. However some can be stricter. It would be a mean store manager who wouldn't let you play a 30k game though. I've never encountered one who wouldn't. Indeed some of the managers I've seen encourage it. When you say a cryptic answer, what do you mean? What did they actually say?

[m0nolith]

Did you clarify that you were talking about a Heresy army and not specific FW models, ie, Reaver Titans?

If so, why wouldnt Heresy armies be allowed?

 

Considering the rarity of Heresy armies still, most people would jump at the opportunity to face one.

Finding another full Heresy army to face tho, thats another problem altogether.

[chosen40k]

It depends on the store manager really. Some, like mine will let you play literally anything so long as GW or Forgeworld made it. However some can be stricter. It would be a mean store manager who wouldn't let you play a 30k game though. I've never encountered one who wouldn't. Indeed some of the managers I've seen encourage it. When you say a cryptic answer, what do you mean? What did they actually say?

 

"With us being a Games Workshop store we really tend to focus on the core systems (Age of Sigmar & Warhammer 40,000). Now, that won't stop us from playing some Betrayal of Calth every now and then, or even using the models from that kit in our normal games of Warhammer 40,000. Our primary focus is growing the community, so please come down and join us. :)"

 

The response was welcoming, but I'm worried it's gonna be a "if we don't sell it then you can't play it" policy.

[Marshal Rohr]

To be fair to the store manager that sounds more like 'we're gonna have out hands full running stuff for 40k and AoS so don't expect any 30k mega games' and less 'be gone 30k devil'.

 

Also remember every time someone buys forge world over stuff carried in their store, you are actually taking money out of that guys pocket in terms of his quarterly profit sharing or whatever GW calls it. So it doesn't make sense for a store manager to actively reduce his own paycheck by promoting a system that won't get him paid. Can't really fault the guy for that. If it's a new store and you've already got your models it's not a big deal, but if you're sitting in the corner telling people to buy resin instead I can see why he wouldn't want that.

[chosen40k]

To be fair to the store manager that sounds more like 'we're gonna have out hands full running stuff for 40k and AoS so don't expect any 30k mega games' and less 'be gone 30k devil'.

 

Ahhh I see. Yeah that's fine with us. I just don't want me and my 30k friends to get kicked out for not playing what they're selling.

[t-dog1996]

Yeah I doubt they'll stop you from playing with your 30k army but yeah there won't be any big games of 30k run by the store.

[m0nolith]

Thats a fair point by Marshal Rhor, but that may change soon enough with HH plastics being sold in the stores.

[Marshal Rohr]

Thats a fair point by Marshal Rhor, but that may change soon enough with HH plastics being sold in the stores.

I hope so too. I have a great deal of reticence talking about my models with the guys at the local GW now that I'm more familiar with how the pay structure shakes out. There even a gentlemen a agreement to not use 3rd party bits and bases in store.

[Soldier of Dorn]

I haven't personally experienced anything like that at the last GW I frequented, but I personally only have a little bit of FW stuff in my collection at this point. However, a couple of the regulars are pretty big into FW (there's one guy with a couple thousand points of Death Korps, and the local WB player bought most of his collection shortly before Calth was released) and I've never seen any objections to their stuff. It may be that it's just the manager's discretion, as my guy has not an insignificant amount of Forge World products in his personal collection, in addition to third-party bases and the like, so we might just be on the easy-going end of the spectrum. We've even had other companies' boards being used for a long time too (a couple of FAT mats and a Secret Weapon table.)

[Mechanicus Tech-Support]

I can't say about the stores near you, but the one in my city would allow you to use FW models and rules, I saw a picture of a guys army on the stores FB page, all in MkIII. Mind you this store still runs Bloodbowl games and Necromunda (the staff are really good at helping people that get into it custom make their models) and I've seen a game of Mordhiem being played in there.  

 

I've even asked about 3rd party bits and was told as long as the majority (25/75%'ish split) of the model is GW/FW go ahead but ask first.

 

So I'd say it depends on the staff really. 

[depthcharge12]

'Tis why I patronize LFGS instead.

 

That, and I know they'll never go out of business because magic players must always buy all the cards ;) :P

[Lord Blackwood]

'Tis why I patronize LFGS instead.

That, and I know they'll never go out of business because magic players must always buy all the cards

Sho'nuf

[AfroCampbell]

I was told I couldn't play 30k in my local store, the manager is a bit of an :cuss though sadly :'( 

[Grotsmasha]

It still amazes me that some still see GW and FW as separate companies, GW Stores should be even more on top of this, rather than what that reply indicates.

How that statement reads to me is "You're welcome to play, but don't expect us to help with rules/games/events ".

 

Cheers,

Jono

[noigrim]

No

[Bat33.1]

I was told I couldn't play 30k in my local store, the manager is a bit of an :cuss though sadly :'(

 

Is this in an official GW store? Which country? I'm surprised when they already have a 30k plastic model range, admittedly still small, but it's on the shelf in store so they should be supporting it. Maybe an email to HQ if your manager is being a primadonna as he's there to help you with your GW hobby not to run the store for his benefit.

[AfroCampbell]

I was told I couldn't play 30k in my local store, the manager is a bit of an though sadly :'(

Is this in an official GW store? Which country? I'm surprised when they already have a 30k plastic model range, admittedly still small, but it's on the shelf in store so they should be supporting it. Maybe an email to HQ if your manager is being a primadonna as he's there to help you with your GW hobby not to run the store for his benefit.

its in New Zealand, yes apparently official company, however his reasoning was he doesn't get enough profit out of it which was a little tragic considering the amount of Betrayal at Calth boxes running around now....

[IronDrake28]

He may not get a profit out of it it you're still buying from the same company, and pushing people away isn't going to generate more sales. I'm glad those kinds of people are rare.

[m0nolith]

I was told I couldn't play 30k in my local store, the manager is a bit of an though sadly :'(

Is this in an official GW store? Which country? I'm surprised when they already have a 30k plastic model range, admittedly still small, but it's on the shelf in store so they should be supporting it. Maybe an email to HQ if your manager is being a primadonna as he's there to help you with your GW hobby not to run the store for his benefit.

its in New Zealand, yes apparently official company, however his reasoning was he doesn't get enough profit out of it which was a little tragic considering the amount of Betrayal at Calth boxes running around now....

I would honestly write to GW and make a complaint.

No joke.

[Marshal Rohr]

He may not get a profit out of it it you're still buying from the same company, and pushing people away isn't going to generate more sales. I'm glad those kinds of people are rare.

For the company as a whole, sure. But think in the context of the single man store outfits and the guy running them. He doesn't have a crew to help out and he can't hire more staff to run a lot of events. His job may be to sell games, but his job isn't a game if that makes sense. He's gotta support himself by keeping his job.

[m0nolith]

 

He may not get a profit out of it it you're still buying from the same company, and pushing people away isn't going to generate more sales. I'm glad those kinds of people are rare.

For the company as a whole, sure. But think in the context of the single man store outfits and the guy running them. He doesn't have a crew to help out and he can't hire more staff to run a lot of events. His job may be to sell games, but his job isn't a game if that makes sense. He's gotta support himself by keeping his job.

 

There is an internal mental metric that quantifies what is fair and what is not, in this case the fact that he only wants proper 40k things in the store he was put in charge of.

If he wants to keep out other games that are not made by GW, well thats fair and it makes sense since its a GW store and GW wants to sell GW products.

However if he wants to keep out other GW products simply because they are not sold at that store specifically, well thats not fair due to two reasons.

 

One, he does not own the store because its not a franchise, so he was appointed. He's in charge of the store but he doesn't have dictatorial power over every single going on in that store, instead he has a mandate to push more GW product and one of the best way to do that is by providing a playing area, and FW is certainly a GW product.

 

Two, I dont buy that argument that he is going to lose his job if he allowed Heresy games to be played in his store because it entirely based on anecdotal supposition. We assume how much money hes going to lose not based on any statistical analysis of sales generated vs sales lost based entirely on how often we see a game of 30k on the table. 

But if thats all we have to go with, then thats what we'll use. From my perspective 30k is still so rare that im going to argue the stores proper 40k sales figures wont even drop a little due to the target audience that is 30k, the more experienced 40k player who is looking for an alternative and another system. Those players tend to ether have ether enough disposable income to buy both 40k and 30k, or they are vets that dont play 40k any more and have come back to 30k, and I could also argue that the latter type of player could be drawn back into playing 40k again simply by being in the store again.

The only way I could see proper 40k sales going down due to Heresy is because of the plastic Heresy boxes being sold in the store, which isnt a problem for the manager sales total.

 

TLDR; Sorry, but Afro's store manager is just being a douche bag.

[Vazzy]

One of the GWs didn't allow us to play 30k at all at one point, but as soon as Calth came out we were told we were more than welcome to come. I won't lie, it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but the new manager is pretty cool so I can't complain too much.

[Perry]

I support GW Managers who enforce a no FW policy.

 

Reason why?

 

It affects their sales. These guys are sales people first, hobbyists second. Their continued employment depends on how much product goes through their tills, unfortunately FW does not.

 

When people see a premium product like FW models that on average cost more than GW models people will want some, they might deside to buy a Spartan or Lightning fighter instead of a Plastic Land Raider or Storm Talon. This harms a stores sales.

 

The whole reason for GW to allow gamers to play instore is to advertise the 40k, AoS hobby, not FW models.

 

You could use the argument that GW owe people the right to use GW tables to game, but I disagree. GW have a huge range of products to promote home or store gaming, they even sell gaming boards. A GW store will always be a one stop shop for everything you need for your hobby needs, being able to play 40k there is just a bonus

[Bat33.1]

I support GW Managers who enforce a no FW policy.

Reason why?

It affects their sales. These guys are sales people first, hobbyists second. Their continued employment depends on how much product goes through their tills, unfortunately FW does not.

When people see a premium product like FW models that on average cost more than GW models people will want some, they might deside to buy a Spartan or Lightning fighter instead of a Plastic Land Raider or Storm Talon. This harms a stores sales.

The whole reason for GW to allow gamers to play instore is to advertise the 40k, AoS hobby, not FW models.

You could use the argument that GW owe people the right to use GW tables to game, but I disagree. GW have a huge range of products to promote home or store gaming, they even sell gaming boards. A GW store will always be a one stop shop for everything you need for your hobby needs, being able to play 40k there is just a bonus

I think this is wrong on a few counts.

 

Forge World is GW product and it's been stated time and again by GW that this is so, how many other companies products are shown in White Dwarf weekly? Well Forge World products are quite often in WD with a two page spread, along with staffers FW armies.

So customers can already look at Forge World product in store they just can't order it.

 

Secondly, I guess you've heard of the Internet? ;) Well any GW customer that cares to look can link directly to Forge World from the GW main site and look at all the pretty 30k stuff with multiple angle pictures and order online.

 

Finally two mates are GW managers and company policy does not allow the banning of GW or FW product from the stores unless you'd like to apply for another job once a complaint goes to HQ.