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Made in us
Loud-Voiced Agitator



San Diego

So I was in Washington DC this past weekend and thought hey there are a bunch of GW stores up here I got my stuff and it would be nice to play against a fully painted army in a GW store. I used to live in the area and remember not being able to play if my army wasn't based and painted. So at that time I just went to another local gaming store. So anyways I decided to go to the GW in Fair Oaks hoping to find a game. Once I arrived all I saw were two tables to play on and 4 white primed fantasy armies (i hate white prime it's so ugly). So i watched a bit not knowing anything really about fantasy I looked at the calender of events and saw something for 40k the next day so I left. The following day I went back hoping for a game again. It was a big game with about 8 players aside. I choose to keep all my raiders in reserve because they don't last very long out in the open. Needless to say I sat and observed the first couple turns. I noticed that a guy in his mid to upper twenties was the team captain for the "bad" guys. He ran Eldar and tried to fire I think some bright lances off of his Falcons so he measures and rolls until a younger teenager calls him out on his range. He fired 48 instead of 36. That was the first incident. Second I saw another player nudging his IG up on the table but I refrained. For the next thirty minutes or so I waited and watched, all i heard for the most part was arguing about certain special rules for their characters and ranges on weapons and what not. About half way through the second turn before I deployed I just left. There was no way I was going to play in all that. That was a horrible experience and will never go to another GW store. Completely dissapointed oh well. Finally back home where a real game store is.

Bolter Fire is my worst nightmare  
   
Made in us
Long-Range Ultramarine Land Speeder Pilot



Whitebear lake Minnesota.

I here you ive been in 2 gw stores and they both just had 2 tables one of the stores had bigger tables at least. and its just a crappy place to play thats why i go to battle bunkers and local stores screw GW stores there crappy to be in for long. and every time i go to the chicago one looking for Lotr models or 40K all i here is "hey you should start fantesy" .

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Made in us
Major






far away from Battle Creek, Michigan

Blame it on the staff. They're not good for much else than pushing AoBR boxes.

PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties.

Elena Ceausescu says: Look, and that they are calling genocide.

 
   
Made in us
Long-Range Ultramarine Land Speeder Pilot



Whitebear lake Minnesota.

i dont blame the staff i blame whoever decided to put a gw store in such tiny buildings and i also blame managers but not the normal staff.

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Made in gb
Regular Dakkanaut






we have quite a big GW store and whenever someone cheats etc theres always a staff member watching the game so ours is pretty good.


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Made in gb
Fully-charged Electropriest





Somewhere.

The Derby one is decent, especially recently. So long as you go on Thursday veterans night at least. There are usually four or so boards, occasionally more if we can be arsed to clear of the demo board, and it's generally pretty decent.
   
Made in us
Loud-Voiced Agitator



San Diego

The staff was nowhere near the game. Busy doing who knows.... I guess I can't blame people for trying to take advantage of the chaos of big games. Just kidding it's horrible to cheat and really you're going to try and tell me you think you are the only eldar player of 12? I doubt that.

Bolter Fire is my worst nightmare  
   
Made in us
Long-Range Black Templar Land Speeder Pilot




Chicago

I actually like the Chicago bunker. First off, it's fething huge. They bought the mattress place next door and turned the whole room into nothing but new tables. Most of the regulars are ok (except the kid who think's he's hot stuff and always gets rolled) and the staff are nice people.

It doesn't mean I buy anything from there (prices... god) but it's a pleasant place to have a game.

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Made in us
Fixture of Dakka






Arlington, Texas

Big public games NEVER work. I've at most gotten through a turn and a half of a public Apocalypse game. You have to realize that for every rules question two people run into playing, that's multiplied exponentially by the number of players on either side. GW stores aren't ideal to play in by any means, but they're ok if you get a decent opponent on one table by yourself. I refuse to play unless I know I'm on the same terms as my would-be opponent, but only at GW stores.

Worship me. 
   
Made in gb
Furious Fire Dragon





my GW store is fantastic, though we have eight tables and usually around fifteen + guys around on vets night. Though I dont really play pick up games, as i only turn up on veterans night which usually means only the regulars turn up.

I dont go down on saturdays for this exact reason, kids annoy me.

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Made in us
Hacking Shang Jí





Fayetteville

GW stores aren't really designed to play in. They're designed to create new hobbyists and move merchandise. The bunkers are the big play venues, but most areas can't support those.

The Imperial Navy, A Galatic Force for Good. 
   
Made in gb
Mutilatin' Mad Dok






Cherry Hill, NJ

Arschbombe wrote:GW stores aren't really designed to play in. They're designed to create new hobbyists and move merchandise. The bunkers are the big play venues, but most areas can't support those.


I disagree entirely. I can not walk into a GW without the staff trying to get me to come in and get a game on their gaming night. It probably has to do with making me spend more time in the store so I think about buying more stuff, but they still focus on gaming to some extent.



 
   
Made in us
Ground Crew




Houston, Tx

Well the GW closest to me has 7 tables and has been known to host 3 apoc 30k per side battles at once. Sometimes during 40k in 40 minutes the red shirts bring in more tables and have room for 30ish people and 15 tables in the store. The one on the other end of town is even bigger...
   
Made in us
Guardsman with Flashlight




Providence, RI

Well, at least you have GW stores nearby. The Northeastern US has turned into a desert for them I guess, and my local gaming stores only run two-three tables one day a week. I could drive down to the Cape but that's a hell of a commute for a game. Going home to Chicago for a few months this summer, any suggestions on where to play? I live near 79th and Harlem.

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Killer Klaivex






Forever alone

My FLGS, the only place you can buy GW stuff down here in Hobart, is wonderful. They're ignoring the next price increase because they make enough money from the non-GW merchandise and co-owned bookstore downstairs to keep prices at the current level. They're good chaps.

People are like dice, a certain Frenchman said that. You throw yourself in the direction of your own choosing. People are free because they can do that. Everyone's circumstances are different, but no matter how small the choice, at the very least, you can throw yourself. It's not chance or fate. It's the choice you made. 
   
Made in us
Wicked Warp Spider





The Webway Gate in California

The GW I go to in Glendale is small with standing room only. They have six tables but two are taken up by displays. Customers are always bupping into the players it like being on a standing room only bus. They didn't even have the codex I wanted. I went to an independent game store in Pasadena that I remembered from long ago and it was twice as big and had more then enough WH models and books. They have about eight tables with chairs so you can sit and play. The gaming area and retail are are seperate so they have to mix. I think one of the problem with GW stores is being in a mall with small store. I think the mall thing is purely monetary as the more people the see you it easier to catch someone even as a casual gamer.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009/05/28 07:21:12


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Made in us
Slippery Scout Biker





No offense, but I noting that most of the positive reviews of GW stores (with two notable exceptions) are from UK guys. Are these stores in the UK, or are you over here? I'm curious, because I'm wondering if there's a difference in store philosophy in the US.

As for the Chicago Bunker, I visited, and the paint counter is nice, the staff was friendly, but the tables were substandard for what I'd expect at one of these places and there was a bumper crop of Rugrats. What is the deal with the 12 year-olds there? Their parents should keep them away from that drug pusher of a salesman at the register....

"Are you sure you just want the box set and the blister Little Timmy? I bet you have another $20 bill in your wallet that says 'overpriced primer and crazy glue' on it!"

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Horrific Howling Banshee





Australia

Actually, the GW store in the big city near mine, it has four tables, one Fantasy, one LOTR and two tables pushed together for 40k, the store is set out well and the staff are nice. They have open boxes of the starter games open for people that want to learn to play and generally its a really great place.

   
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Devastating Dark Reaper





UK, Wherever I lay my hat

It's probably because the GW stores over here (The UK. I really hate the dakka flag thing) we have stores on the high street instead of in malls or shopping centers. So we have bigger stores and more room. I'm a little hesitant to say it but people are a bit more polite, for example people coming up to you mid game and asking question after question doesn't happen that much. Usually people are content to just watch and ask a couple of questions with permission of course.

The one thing that was a little annoying was when my local GW moved. It was technically bigger but they mixed the shop and the gaming tables together instead of the idea at the old shop where the tables were up a few steps at the back.

But anyway over in The US of A you guys have the battle bunkers which do sound awesome. I wish we had something similar over here like more warhammer worlds.

You've just got to love the Space Elves

Inquisition themed guard? ...One day in the far far future.
 
   
Made in us
Agile Revenant Titan




Florida

I used to travel to the DC on business nearly once a quarter. I'd bring my 40K army with me and used to get in some games up there.

The Springfield store was ok but I preferred to play at the Potomic Mills location. There were a good bunch of players there and made for some memorable games.

Being from NC as well, one of the big draws for me at a GW store was pulling ideas regarding terrain and viewing some incredible armies. Sure, there are some unpainted ones in there, but there were also some fantastic looking armies as well.

After getting ideas about terrain, I built terrain to my liking for gaming up at our local FLGS.

Now, if you can get a chance, it's worth checking out the Baltimore Bunker. I can't say how the local gaming is, but the number of beautiful tables there is mind boggling. That is where I am a bit envious for those living in the area with such a great location to game at.

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Frothing Warhound of Chaos




Perth, Australia

My gaming experiences in GW stores have generally been positive ones, including my very first game of Mordheim when it was about to be released. The games are (or were) always supervised by staff and they always have a couple of painted armies for each system for people to play. My only criticism is the stores are too small and they are always packed, especially on school holidays and friday nights.
   
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Sister Vastly Superior





Japan

I had the Arundel Mills store and the Glen Burnie battle bunker nearby and had no trouble from either of them. The massive apocalypse battles in the Bunker would get kind of crazy but it was still overall fun. The Battle Bunker is the best though, FW crack more or less on deman, plenty of playing and painting room and they had so many models on display.

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Made in ca
Sister Vastly Superior






Canada

I can't say I've gamed in GW stores up here. Every one I've been in has pretty much been the 3 4x4 table setup, which seems to work great for running games from the starter boxes. For normal gaming though, I find them small, but that could just be because I'm used to the 4x8's the FLGS' in town use.

As to the folks who do game there, well, the staff are a mixed bag as you usually find in retail, some are great and some aren't. The folks I've seen playing have been reasonably polite, so, from the outside at least, the GW stores look alright.

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Made in us
Loud-Voiced Agitator



San Diego

Around the 4th of July I will probably check out the battle bunker. I still would like to see it but i didn't have the time to drive an hour or so out there.

Bolter Fire is my worst nightmare  
   
Made in us
Nasty Nob






Joplin, Missouri

The only store I've been to was the Battle Bunker in Memphis (RIP). I played there once and it was a great experience. They were just wrapping up the table for the Storm of Chaos campaign and the table they built was just awesome. The staff seemed nice enough. They did suggestive sell, but it was not any worse than any retail experience I've had. The display cabinets were very nice and the playing area was very tidy and offered plenty of space.

It's just too bad it was in the middle of an industrial park, but that's what happens when the Battle Bunker is attached to a distribution center in one of the US's largest distribution areas.

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Ruthless Rafkin






Glen Burnie, MD

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:Big public games NEVER work. I've at most gotten through a turn and a half of a public Apocalypse game. You have to realize that for every rules question two people run into playing, that's multiplied exponentially by the number of players on either side.


QFT. I've vowed never to be involved in a large game ever again unless it's with people I know have experience and know the rules.

The last big game I was involved in had a person quoting rules from third edition, which degenerated into bitter rules arguements the entire time. We kept losing our turn due to him argueing minor points the entire time, and turns were timed to keep the game flowing on all the tables.



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Manhunter




Eastern PA

GW stores would be 100 times better if they changed one thing:

if i need help with something, i will come as YOU!. dont bug me.

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Long-Range Black Templar Land Speeder Pilot




Chicago

Corum wrote:No offense, but I noting that most of the positive reviews of GW stores (with two notable exceptions) are from UK guys. Are these stores in the UK, or are you over here? I'm curious, because I'm wondering if there's a difference in store philosophy in the US.

As for the Chicago Bunker, I visited, and the paint counter is nice, the staff was friendly, but the tables were substandard for what I'd expect at one of these places and there was a bumper crop of Rugrats. What is the deal with the 12 year-olds there? Their parents should keep them away from that drug pusher of a salesman at the register....

"Are you sure you just want the box set and the blister Little Timmy? I bet you have another $20 bill in your wallet that says 'overpriced primer and crazy glue' on it!"


Well first off, you must have visited before they added the other room, because those tables are absolutely incredible. Lots of city tables with movable terrain and stuff like burst pipes and puddles of mysterious goo, even stuff like castles and WHFB temples. Sweet stuff.

As far as the children go, I don't have a fething clue. One day I go in there and I'm the youngest in the store (18). Other days I feel like I stumbled onto a 4th grade field trip. The kids are annoyed as hell, but if you go after dinnertime they'll probably be gone. Also, one sold me a Chaos Land Raider for $20, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.

There's only one guy on the staff that I can really take or leave, and the rest of them are genuinely nice, helpful people. Especially because they don't pull that "hey why don't you buy some primer too" crap with me.

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Sanctjud wrote:It's not just lame... it's Twilight Blood Angels Nipples Lame.
 
   
Made in us
Sneaky Kommando





New York City

Napalm wrote:The Battle Bunker is the best though, FW crack more or less on deman, plenty of playing and painting room and they had so many models on display.


The Glen Burnie Battle Bunker is my regular store. I have to say, I'm always excited to head there to play, paint, or generally spend time there. Granted, I don't spend any money there (I would if they were a non-GW entity) but I always have a good time, thanks to the people who hang out there. Monday nights are usualyl my favorite, since those are the vet nights when the big names come out to paint and model.


Otherwise, if I see a GW store in a mall or something, I usually just walk past. I don't want to waste my time or energy.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2009/05/28 19:46:39


   
Made in gb
Storm Trooper with Maglight





West Sussex, UK

The one in Crawley is alright, bit small but they run quite a few apoc games. Only problem is with one of the staff members, otherwise all good.

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