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Sorry if this doesn't belong here but I have heard rumors that if you want to play at GW stores they don't let you play with non GW figures, they only let you play with citadel minis. Is this true? Has anyone ever had this problem. The reason I ask is cos I really want a Wargames Factory Shock Troops army ... Thanks guys

Speak to the store. They're probably a little flexible. After all, you can't buy thier stuff if you aren't in thier store!

Then again, they may request that at least some of the army is composed of thier minis.

Most GWs won't let you play with non-GW stock and as far as I am aware, this is a dictact from HQ.

That being said, you may come across a flexible store manager who isn't a complete GW drone. Best to ask.

You have to bear in mind that GW allow gaming in their stores because it is an excellent way of advertising their product and attracting newcomers.

Yes, you can only play with GW minis (or conversions that are at least 50% GW) in a Games Workshop store. Or in most of them at least.

It´s logical really. The stores are annother kind of advertisement, and why would they want to advertise for competitors?

If you want to use non-GW models in order to play you better look for a non-GW FLGS.

Right...so an Ig army comprising of em4 troopers of wargames factory shock troops with GW tanks and spare bitz shud be ok. But your right its best to ask...the local guy seems nice

I have seen games played with all sorts of stuff. The non-obvious, especially if well done, and converted with something specifically GWish looking never get any problems that I have seen. But you are more likely to get away with playing a bunch of GW legs glued to bases as a viable army-under-construction than you are to bring some clearly different range as a "counts-as". Plastic green army men =/= ogryns for IG, but an Ogryn head on a plastic green army man does from what I saw at one event, but it was well made and painted to table standard and included a GW bit, so it got by just fine.

TheGiantPeanut wrote:Right...so an Ig army comprising of em4 troopers of wargames factory shock troops with GW tanks and spare bitz shud be ok. But your right its best to ask...the local guy seems nice

I doubt it. I don't think they would tolerate the WGF figures. I have heard of GW stores allowing a GW IG army that used pig iron heads to play but that's about the limit to which they will stretch.

Yer, I have an IG army with PI heads. But I stopped cos GW stuff is so godd damn expesive. £15 for 10 guardsmen...what happened to the £18 for 20?! Personally I think their prices are too high...no wonder why other wargames are so popular!

filbert wrote:That being said, you may come across a flexible store manager who isn't a complete GW drone. Best to ask.

Given the various accounts from ex-staff I think a manager being 'flexible' in that regard might find himself in hot water with senior staff or at least when he next gets a visit from his area manager.

Yeah most GW store policies are pretty tight on that one. I know a GW store that will not allow scratch builds of FW items, much less another companies product.

They didn't allow FW?
FW is at least part of GW right?

My store is the store that, "does it contain GW/FW bits?"

Howard A Treesong wrote:
Given the various accounts from ex-staff I think a manager being 'flexible' in that regard might find himself in hot water with senior staff or at least when he next gets a visit from his area manager.

More's the pity. Another reason for not frequenting GW stores though.

Retrias wrote:They didn't allow FW?
FW is at least part of GW right?

My store is the store that, "does it contain GW/FW bits?"

Yes, they do allow FW.

I was actually booted from my local GW (first infraction, first time PLAYING A GW GAME AT A STORE in my life) for having 4 non-GW bloodbowl players out of 16 (a game that they don't even have on shelves). Yes, booted. They take their little army men seriously... >_>

This event, combined with getting a stern talking to by the store manager when myself and 2 of my friends were the only customers in the store and referred to the then-impending Dark Eldar as "space slavers and space rapists" (keeping in mind we're in our mid-twenties, not mid-teens - the last time I had a stern talking to was when I still lived with my parents 8 years ago) is why I don't go to the local GW much anymore and I certainly don't buy anything there. What happened to free speech and free opinions? It wasn't like we said it to the stray 7 year old that occasionally finds his way into the store...

tl;dr - There's no way you'll get away with a WGF shocktrooper IG army.

XD I suppose you guys are right... I will stick with mates and gaming clubs then, any1 know how strict gaming clubs are on this?

grizgrin wrote:I know a GW store that will not allow scratch builds of FW items, much less another companies product.

Methinks there is something more to this than has been stated. All GW stores allow Forgeworld miniatures and scratch builds that are actual scratch builds and not simply conversions based on another company's product.

TheGiantPeanut wrote:XD I suppose you guys are right... I will stick with mates and gaming clubs then, any1 know how strict gaming clubs are on this?

if the club is not run inside a GW, i would think that they should be pretty reasonable... as long as there is coherency, and the ability to tell whats what, should be ok.

GW shop = their house, their rules.

I called the Westheimer GW in Houston, TX, and was told that scratchbuilds of FW items were not allowed as it wasn't fair to the people who spent the cash for the real deal. You call them and see what they say.

Breotan wrote:

grizgrin wrote:I know a GW store that will not allow scratch builds of FW items, much less another companies product.

Methinks there is something more to this than has been stated. All GW stores allow Forgeworld miniatures and scratch builds that are actual scratch builds and not simply conversions based on another company's product.

I think the key is not to draw attention to it. Of course, the official law will be 'no non-GW models' but I've used converted bits, as well as entirely non GW soldiers regularly in my local GW and haven't been kicked out.

I suppose it depends whether the staff member in your store is a GW jobsworth or not, the ones more laid back should be ok.

A friend of mine was booted from a GW because his Dwarf army was all old OOP GW figures. Go figure.

grizgrin wrote:I called the Westheimer GW in Houston, TX, and was told that scratchbuilds of FW items were not allowed as it wasn't fair to the people who spent the cash for the real deal. You call them and see what they say.

Not fair..., and what about the recongition of talent and skills, to be able to mae a scratch build that looks at least 80% like the FW model?...

Damn its not like anyone with 3 Brain cells don't know that those Marines bikes are horrible, and so that you have a DUTY as a hobbyist to find an alternative!

So its not for 5 Models of Bikers in a 2k5 pts game that would make anything...

Stupid stay stupid i gues...

I allready din't have a high opinion of GW stores in general...,this won't help it to get better i gues...

Wow a though crossed my mind..., they would absolutly piss themselfs if i come with my Lego and skeleton bits made Heavy Knight,count as Greater Brass Scorpion...,mmh...could be fun to see!

Slayer le boucher wrote:Not fair..., and what about the recongition of talent and skills, to be able to mae a scratch build that looks at least 80% like the FW model?...

Bring a fully cooked steak dinner into your local steakhouse, or a home-made Big Mac into a McDonald's, and call it 'unfair' when they kick you out.

The same applies here.


I mean, I'll take any opportunity to rag on GW, but only if the reason is legitimate. This isn't one of those times.

I am gonna have to agree with H.B.M.C, the real reason they have those boards there is as an advertisement. Thanks for the info guys

snurl wrote:A friend of mine was booted from a GW because his Dwarf army was all old OOP GW figures. Go figure.

That happened to one of my friends with his old Squat army. A phone call to corporate later saw the whole store staff cleaned out.

snurl wrote:A friend of mine was booted from a GW because his Dwarf army was all old OOP GW figures. Go figure.

I would be interested to know what kind of attitude he had though while in the store?

I wonder because at various times in store I have used:
Nigh on 20 year old empire models
Range of '3rd party' heads, jump packs, shoulder pads, guns
Entirely non GW models (actually a bunch of more than 30 of them on the tabletop!)

One of these was when the regional manager was in the store.

I didn't make an issue about it, when That Obnoxious Loud Mouth Kid™ picked up one of these, and proclaimed in his loudest voice possible, "What are these then????"
I said they were an OOP line, GW didn't make them any more, and winked at the store guy who just grinned.

Of course GW has to have an 'official' line about this kind of stuff, they have to. But I view it kind of like how everyone used to copy music cassettes. Technically it was illegal, but as long as you didn't walk around shouting "I've copied my cassette tapes, its my right to do so" then you would probably be ok

The keys here are proportion and propriety.

Proportion.
Is your army mostly GW? If so, you can get away with a few non GW items. I've played at GW stores in the past with armies containing a few non GW figs and a non GW vehicle. However GW stuff was the majority and the non GW stuff had GW bits, so no one noticed or cared.
If this is your situation, you'll be fine. If most of your stuff is non-GW, you'll probably be asked to go elsewhere.

Propriety.
Be respectfull and keep your mouith shut about the non-GW stuff in your army. If you don't ask/tell, most times management won't know or care, and if it isn't broght to mgt's attention, they won't feel the necessity of kicking your butt out.

So to the OP, your mostly EM4/WF army will likely not be kosher at your local GW. Sorry.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Slayer le boucher wrote:Not fair..., and what about the recongition of talent and skills, to be able to mae a scratch build that looks at least 80% like the FW model?...

Bring a fully cooked steak dinner into your local steakhouse, or a home-made Big Mac into a McDonald's, and call it 'unfair' when they kick you out.

The same applies here.


I mean, I'll take any opportunity to rag on GW, but only if the reason is legitimate. This isn't one of those times.

QFT, this is one GW policy/management decision that I support.