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I've been playing 40k for about a year and a half. In that Short time iv gone thru 3 different stores. Each with there own hell tale tied to it. I started this page to hear about other war gamers hells. Really hoping to swoop horror stories with other war gamer. Also this isnt just about shops alone it can also be about players you might have meet at shops too.

The store owner in my LGS lies to his customers and treats them like idiots. And he wonders why large quantities of his old customers are leaving and speaking badly about him He also fired me (let me go) because I spoke out against his lies to customers, who happened to be my friends.

The 1st Shop i went to was Zombie Planet in Colonie NY. This is the 1st game shop I had ever gone too. I was excited as hell to finally have enough money to get into 40k and start my Chaos Army. When I went in the owner of the Store was playing a computer game and completely ignored the fact i was there. After about 15 minutes of holding a battalion box ( only later to find out is completely us less) he finally as me if i had any question. I said yea and asked about 40k and what i would need to play. With a heavy sigh of disgust he went on about 40k very very vaguely going into it and kept acting like he had some thing better to do. After about 10 minutes of talking he brought up codex. I said with out knowing "its ok i found one on the internet i can use for the time being". The dude flipped gak! He went on about how its people like me are the resin why GW is forced to raise prices.( Again i had a battalion box, termy Lord and a box of plagues in my arms) After 10 minutes of listening to this man blast me i payed for my stuff and left. Sadly i had to go back and get a codex. again it started all over again at 1st he didn't have it and i had to come back. Even tho there was another shop that sold codex literally mile and a half away. So i was forced to wait Finally with codex in hand i thought i was ready to play. But after all this i vowed to never go to Zombie Planet again.

The 2nd shop was Grimfoe games. This shop was a wounder land for gamers. Giant tables full of painted terrain and tons of gamers. Sadly tho almost every person there was out to crush you. I literally had maybe 1 game down with my pretty much useless battalion box and rag tag plagues. Literally it was open session on my ass. Guys with pro lists were coming up and asking to play. After 10 minutes saying hey I have no idea how top play they would be like its ok ill show you. after an hour all my men were dead and i still had NO idea how to play. The owner had to sell the shop sadly and it was converted into a Magic Shop ( I really HATE magic kids. i just wana feed them a swift knee to there face every time i hear them talk about some stupid ass game that they won in 4 turns)

Now fast forward to today. I currently game a shop roughly an hour from my house.

<text removed over language concerns. please don't use that term as an insult on Dakka. Many thanks reds8n >

. I saw a guard player bring 30 guards men 1 Valkyrie 1 Basalisk and a squad of Elite guys( Sorry guard guys no idea what there called) But this dude mid battle flips his basalisk around so its ass is to us and leaves it like that.... I'm not a guard player but having your artillery aiming no were near that battle seems like a bad tactic.

Now fast forward to today. I currently game a shop roughly an hour from my house. All the gamers might be legally slowed. I saw a guard player bring 30 guards men 1 Valkyrie 1 Basalisk and a squad of Elite guys( Sorry guard guys no idea what there called) But this dude mid battle flips his basalisk around so its ass is to us and leaves it like that.... I'm not a guard player but having your artillery aiming no were near that battle seems like a bad tactic.

he probably intended to hit the gas while keeping the brake on so as to poison your troops with exhaust and create a thick fog which you would not be able to see through. brilliant stratagy really.

I see brilliant until i shot it with a predator tank and it blew up killing 3 guards men. Sadly the family's were never told the truth about there sons deaths. They think to this day they died in a freak warp accident were there skulls were split open then rapped by deamons of Chaos.

You do know that downloading codexes and using them is illegal, right?

So what? What're they gonna do, send the copyright police after you? Oooh, scary. If they wanna charge the prices that they charge for their models, I'm sure as hell not gonna abstain from playing with the overpriced models that I bought because I'm unwilling to pay 33 dollars for a paperback book.

Actually yes, it wouldn't surprise me if GW sent the copyright police after someone who was stealing from them.

Darkjediben wrote:So what? What're they gonna do, send the copyright police after you? Oooh, scary. If they wanna charge the prices that they charge for their models, I'm sure as hell not gonna abstain from playing with the overpriced models that I bought because I'm unwilling to pay 33 dollars for a paperback book.

Yes, they are, because there actually are copyright police. They're called the [insert city you live in here] Police Department.

I've been lucky with game stores. The GW I go to is pretty damn good with good staff, who aren't pushy, knowledgeable, and are always great to talk to. At uni, I've got a great game club that's constantly growing and trying out new things. So no reall hell stories to be honest...

coolyo294 wrote:You do know that downloading codexes and using them is illegal, right?

Except in the rare... err, exceptions where it is literally impossible to buy said codex, because it's been converted to a PDF on GW's site. At that point, one should feel free to download that particular codex from GW's site, and use it. ^^

. . . I just like to nitpick, okay!?

But yeah. Copyright infringement is bad, mmkay? And if you do it, it's gonna be bad, mmkay?


As for my local stores, they've been great. The first used to run a large gaming room where I did most of my 40k gaming for years, but they had to close it, then sell it, once they moved the store across town. Probably needed more space. I stopped going there, though, after I was looking for a Devastator box one day, found one there, bought it, got it home, opened it up and went, "Metal parts? What the?" Yeah. I dunno when they stopped making the old Devastator box with one of each weapon, but I found one at my local store earlier this year. Built em anyways and still got em. ^^

As for my local GW store, it's a good place. The staff are nice. They offer help, but even if you ask for help, they're not pushy. They answer questions, chat, paint, and game with customers - when they don't have to manage the cash of course. I'd go there a LOT more often if I didn't have the kind of anxiety/paranoia - they fuel each other - I do now. As it stands, I pretty much go there to buy stuff.

Frogboy14 wrote:The 1st Shop i went to was Zombie Planet in Colonie NY. This is the 1st game shop I had ever gone too. I was excited as hell to finally have enough money to get into 40k and start my Chaos Army. When I went in the owner of the Store was playing a computer game and completely ignored the fact i was there. After about 15 minutes of holding a battalion box ( only later to find out is completely us less) he finally as me if i had any question. I said yea and asked about 40k and what i would need to play. With a heavy sigh of disgust he went on about 40k very very vaguely going into it and kept acting like he had some thing better to do. After about 10 minutes of talking he brought up codex. I said with out knowing "its ok i found one on the internet i can use for the time being". The dude flipped gak! He went on about how its people like me are the resin why GW is forced to raise prices.( Again i had a battalion box, termy Lord and a box of plagues in my arms) After 10 minutes of listening to this man blast me i payed for my stuff and left. Sadly i had to go back and get a codex. again it started all over again at 1st he didn't have it and i had to come back. Even tho there was another shop that sold codex literally mile and a half away. So i was forced to wait Finally with codex in hand i thought i was ready to play. But after all this i vowed to never go to Zombie Planet again.

I'm very surprised that you had problems at Zombie Planet: I live an hour and a half away (Oneonta area) and have gone there multiple times, always happy with my time there. My uncle had a rough time because he got verbally assaulted for opening up a D&D manual and looking at a single page, but I have never had a single issue there: the guys weren't amazingly helpful unless approached, but as I knew what I wanted, I had no complaints. They were quite nice when engaged in conversation and I've found some nice deals there: 4 years ago I found a daemon prince for 30% off (along with many other minis) and the following year I went and got my friend a Shadowblade DE assassin for 3 dollars: current edition. They've done right by me, and if I have had to ask for something they've done everything they could to help. Also, I assume the store right down the road was Flights of Fantasy? Used to be a great store, then they moved closer to ZP and their warhammer supplies began to suck. I remember going in there and getting 8 5th edition chaos knights for about 30 bucks. Again, 5 years ago or so. Right before (or maybe right after) the 6th ed ones came out.

ok 1st off i knew it was illegal but again i just blew well over 180 bucks on GW. I literally just need the codex so i could play that week end. I wasnt trying to tear down the GW machine by finding a site that had my codex ready to read on it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

timetowaste85 wrote:

Frogboy14 wrote:The 1st Shop i went to was Zombie Planet in Colonie NY. This is the 1st game shop I had ever gone too. I was excited as hell to finally have enough money to get into 40k and start my Chaos Army. When I went in the owner of the Store was playing a computer game and completely ignored the fact i was there. After about 15 minutes of holding a battalion box ( only later to find out is completely us less) he finally as me if i had any question. I said yea and asked about 40k and what i would need to play. With a heavy sigh of disgust he went on about 40k very very vaguely going into it and kept acting like he had some thing better to do. After about 10 minutes of talking he brought up codex. I said with out knowing "its ok i found one on the internet i can use for the time being". The dude flipped gak! He went on about how its people like me are the resin why GW is forced to raise prices.( Again i had a battalion box, termy Lord and a box of plagues in my arms) After 10 minutes of listening to this man blast me i payed for my stuff and left. Sadly i had to go back and get a codex. again it started all over again at 1st he didn't have it and i had to come back. Even tho there was another shop that sold codex literally mile and a half away. So i was forced to wait Finally with codex in hand i thought i was ready to play. But after all this i vowed to never go to Zombie Planet again.

I'm very surprised that you had problems at Zombie Planet: I live an hour and a half away (Oneonta area) and have gone there multiple times, always happy with my time there. My uncle had a rough time because he got verbally assaulted for opening up a D&D manual and looking at a single page, but I have never had a single issue there: the guys weren't amazingly helpful unless approached, but as I knew what I wanted, I had no complaints. They were quite nice when engaged in conversation and I've found some nice deals there: 4 years ago I found a daemon prince for 30% off (along with many other minis) and the following year I went and got my friend a Shadowblade DE assassin for 3 dollars: current edition. They've done right by me, and if I have had to ask for something they've done everything they could to help. Also, I assume the store right down the road was Flights of Fantasy? Used to be a great store, then they moved closer to ZP and their warhammer supplies began to suck. I remember going in there and getting 8 5th edition chaos knights for about 30 bucks. Again, 5 years ago or so. Right before (or maybe right after) the 6th ed ones came out.

Yea it was flights and i really didnt hear good things about them. Also where do you go to game cause im in Clifton Park now and i have to drive to Dirt Goblin Games to play and its an hour to drive too/

I remember when I first started back in 2004, my store (GW Wycombe) was perfect. All the staff were great, even including the manager who actually knew how to run a business properly while still joining in with campaigns and gaming when he got the chance. The store also held loads of competitions and giveaways and played in inter-store tournaments.

Then, the employees got chances to be managers to be elsewhere, and the manager moved to a bigger store, the recession hit so giveaways all but stopped. The new employees came and went, and so on. Eventually we ended up with a manager who no one liked. Once we were sitting there painting and talking as you do, when all of a sudden we're told to stop talking because we're talking about videogames and not GW. Within a week of these ridiculous rules me and 4 other people had said we would not be coming back to the store and just left.

However, I recently saw on the store thing that one of the original employees (Sam) is back as manager so it's all good again now. Thank god, as it's one of the rare decent GW stores out there (even if it is extremely small).

I've always been lucky with stores in that I've never had any genuinely bad experiences, but there was this one time I was on a business trip and saw a game store and decided to nip in and check it out. It was pretty heavily slanted towards miniatures, and apparently the owner used it as his personal toy box, because there were random sprues and open boxes scattered all over the (small) store, with him and two of his buddies up by the register working on something.

The only reason it stayed memorable was the fact that their eyes fastened on me as soon as I came through the door, and nobody ever said a thing. I said, 'hey, passing by, saw the store, thought I'd check it out,' but that was me with silence, all eyes staying fastened on me as I did a quick circuit of the shop.

As the door was closing behind me on my way out, somebody finally said something, but I didn't hear what it was and the tone didn't sound all that polite. Maybe they'd just never seen anyone in a necktie before and were afraid I might leave spawnlings around the shop that would spring out and wrap around their throats! :lol:

The local GW store is fine...
A touch small maybe but the manager is a complete legend and the regulars are fun people...

Darkjediben wrote:So what? What're they gonna do, send the copyright police after you? Oooh, scary. If they wanna charge the prices that they charge for their models, I'm sure as hell not gonna abstain from playing with the overpriced models that I bought because I'm unwilling to pay 33 dollars for a paperback book.

Dakka doesn't condone illegal activities. Reported.

Darkjediben wrote:So what? What're they gonna do, send the copyright police after you? Oooh, scary. If they wanna charge the prices that they charge for their models, I'm sure as hell not gonna abstain from playing with the overpriced models that I bought because I'm unwilling to pay 33 dollars for a paperback book.

<MOD>As a warning this time, what will happen is that your account on DakkaDakka will be suspended for a while because you advocated copyright violation.

It's strictly against forum rules.</MOD>

I was lucky in my previous duty station to have an option of gaming stores. Though i never was able to actually game there.

The store that i had issue with though, was one "Castle Games and Gifts." it had a wide array of minis, from WHFB and 40k, PP stuff, and basically every Reaper Mini imaginable. The issue for me wasnt the selection (obviously) or the prices, it was the staff. The owner was a gargantuan human being and not in a good way) who, would with quite labored breathing tell you about connecting a laptop to a treadmill so that he could play Diablo 2, and still "exercise". He had one employee (and only one) with zero social skills, who felt that knee high moccasins were appropriate work attire, along with unwashed hair/body. The result was a small, stuffy store loaded to the gills with gaming stuff and BO.

The other store, nearly across the street, was absolutely fantasic. Clean, well kept. Well circulated air. A HUUUUGE room in the back with up to 12 tables, the walls, minus doors, had 3-5 shelves each loaded with manufactured, and "scratch built" terrain (some of dubious quality, but it was an epic array of terrain). They had regular game nights, league nights, local tournies, and each time i went in there, at least one or 2 of the employees was "showcasing" a different game on a small 2x2 table in the front room. The sheer amount of stuff in the store was great. They covered most all 40k and WHFB armies, AT1943, Wings of War, DnD, and all manner of other, sometimes smaller RPG games (deathwatch, rogue trader, rifts, etc.)

Now, I have GW Wiesbaden, which is OK. I cant comment too much on selection, as it has what i usually need when i go there. My only "complaint" is the language barrier, but hey.. not either one of our faults right?? I'm just a stupid american in a foreign country, and I dont expect them to understand and speak perfect english, though the manager Dennis is pretty good with all that.

Kilkrazy wrote:

Darkjediben wrote:So what? What're they gonna do, send the copyright police after you? Oooh, scary. If they wanna charge the prices that they charge for their models, I'm sure as hell not gonna abstain from playing with the overpriced models that I bought because I'm unwilling to pay 33 dollars for a paperback book.

<MOD>As a warning this time, what will happen is that your account on DakkaDakka will be suspended for a while because you advocated copyright violation.

It's strictly against forum rules.</MOD>

I think he is talking about the 3rd edition one, not the newest, as that is readily availible online.

Would like to take a second and say That this thread is about terrable shops you might have visted. How we got into copy right i have NO idea. I am going to say i bought the codex that i needed. I am also going to say dont steal its bad mhhkay Stealing is bad.

Frogboy14 wrote:ok 1st off i knew it was illegal but again i just blew well over 180 bucks on GW. I literally just need the codex so i could play that week end. I wasnt trying to tear down the GW machine by finding a site that had my codex ready to read on it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

timetowaste85 wrote:

Frogboy14 wrote:The 1st Shop i went to was Zombie Planet in Colonie NY. This is the 1st game shop I had ever gone too. I was excited as hell to finally have enough money to get into 40k and start my Chaos Army. When I went in the owner of the Store was playing a computer game and completely ignored the fact i was there. After about 15 minutes of holding a battalion box ( only later to find out is completely us less) he finally as me if i had any question. I said yea and asked about 40k and what i would need to play. With a heavy sigh of disgust he went on about 40k very very vaguely going into it and kept acting like he had some thing better to do. After about 10 minutes of talking he brought up codex. I said with out knowing "its ok i found one on the internet i can use for the time being". The dude flipped gak! He went on about how its people like me are the resin why GW is forced to raise prices.( Again i had a battalion box, termy Lord and a box of plagues in my arms) After 10 minutes of listening to this man blast me i payed for my stuff and left. Sadly i had to go back and get a codex. again it started all over again at 1st he didn't have it and i had to come back. Even tho there was another shop that sold codex literally mile and a half away. So i was forced to wait Finally with codex in hand i thought i was ready to play. But after all this i vowed to never go to Zombie Planet again.

I'm very surprised that you had problems at Zombie Planet: I live an hour and a half away (Oneonta area) and have gone there multiple times, always happy with my time there. My uncle had a rough time because he got verbally assaulted for opening up a D&D manual and looking at a single page, but I have never had a single issue there: the guys weren't amazingly helpful unless approached, but as I knew what I wanted, I had no complaints. They were quite nice when engaged in conversation and I've found some nice deals there: 4 years ago I found a daemon prince for 30% off (along with many other minis) and the following year I went and got my friend a Shadowblade DE assassin for 3 dollars: current edition. They've done right by me, and if I have had to ask for something they've done everything they could to help. Also, I assume the store right down the road was Flights of Fantasy? Used to be a great store, then they moved closer to ZP and their warhammer supplies began to suck. I remember going in there and getting 8 5th edition chaos knights for about 30 bucks. Again, 5 years ago or so. Right before (or maybe right after) the 6th ed ones came out.

Yea it was flights and i really didnt hear good things about them. Also where do you go to game cause im in Clifton Park now and i have to drive to Dirt Goblin Games to play and its an hour to drive too/

Well, since I have no desire to go back to my store, I just game in my own dining room: it's big enough to support a single 4x6 table with enough room to walk around on all sides. Could also fit one in my living room, if I had a second table. My local store just isn't any good anymore...
Where is Dirt Goblin Games? I'm on the road a lot for work, and I'm always into finding new stores. Do they have any good deals ever?

I've got to say, I must be one of the luckiest bastards in the world to live where I do. I've got 3 absolutely fantastic shops all within a relatively short distance. One's simply 40k, another's expanding from 40k into Warmachine and other games, and the third is all about Privateer Press and Battlefront.

infinite_array wrote:I've got to say, I must be one of the luckiest bastards in the world to live where I do. I've got 3 absolutely fantastic shops all within a relatively short distance. One's simply 40k, another's expanding from 40k into Warmachine and other games, and the third is all about Privateer Press and Battlefront.

Where in the feth is this magical place that you speak of! The closest store to me is about an hour and a half away.

timetowaste85 wrote:

Frogboy14 wrote:ok 1st off i knew it was illegal but again i just blew well over 180 bucks on GW. I literally just need the codex so i could play that week end. I wasnt trying to tear down the GW machine by finding a site that had my codex ready to read on it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

timetowaste85 wrote:

Frogboy14 wrote:The 1st Shop i went to was Zombie Planet in Colonie NY. This is the 1st game shop I had ever gone too. I was excited as hell to finally have enough money to get into 40k and start my Chaos Army. When I went in the owner of the Store was playing a computer game and completely ignored the fact i was there. After about 15 minutes of holding a battalion box ( only later to find out is completely us less) he finally as me if i had any question. I said yea and asked about 40k and what i would need to play. With a heavy sigh of disgust he went on about 40k very very vaguely going into it and kept acting like he had some thing better to do. After about 10 minutes of talking he brought up codex. I said with out knowing "its ok i found one on the internet i can use for the time being". The dude flipped gak! He went on about how its people like me are the resin why GW is forced to raise prices.( Again i had a battalion box, termy Lord and a box of plagues in my arms) After 10 minutes of listening to this man blast me i payed for my stuff and left. Sadly i had to go back and get a codex. again it started all over again at 1st he didn't have it and i had to come back. Even tho there was another shop that sold codex literally mile and a half away. So i was forced to wait Finally with codex in hand i thought i was ready to play. But after all this i vowed to never go to Zombie Planet again.

I'm very surprised that you had problems at Zombie Planet: I live an hour and a half away (Oneonta area) and have gone there multiple times, always happy with my time there. My uncle had a rough time because he got verbally assaulted for opening up a D&D manual and looking at a single page, but I have never had a single issue there: the guys weren't amazingly helpful unless approached, but as I knew what I wanted, I had no complaints. They were quite nice when engaged in conversation and I've found some nice deals there: 4 years ago I found a daemon prince for 30% off (along with many other minis) and the following year I went and got my friend a Shadowblade DE assassin for 3 dollars: current edition. They've done right by me, and if I have had to ask for something they've done everything they could to help. Also, I assume the store right down the road was Flights of Fantasy? Used to be a great store, then they moved closer to ZP and their warhammer supplies began to suck. I remember going in there and getting 8 5th edition chaos knights for about 30 bucks. Again, 5 years ago or so. Right before (or maybe right after) the 6th ed ones came out.

Yea it was flights and i really didnt hear good things about them. Also where do you go to game cause im in Clifton Park now and i have to drive to Dirt Goblin Games to play and its an hour to drive too/

Well, since I have no desire to go back to my store, I just game in my own dining room: it's big enough to support a single 4x6 table with enough room to walk around on all sides. Could also fit one in my living room, if I had a second table. My local store just isn't any good anymore...
Where is Dirt Goblin Games? I'm on the road a lot for work, and I'm always into finding new stores. Do they have any good deals ever?

Dirty goblin is on exite 18 in glensfalls. And there pretty good have to give them a call and ask abouy any deals but normally 40k is friday and sat friday they have apco games and sat is normaly torns


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Guys also remember its not just shop but players too we can tell storys about. Like that overly weird kid who talks to his models. Our th dude who wants pro list printed on 8 1/2 by 11 paper just do fun game.

I once went to a 40k inter-store doubles tournament with my mate Sam, anyway we ended up playing against this kid with orcs and a slightly older kid with marines. The problems came when the kid with the orks decided he was going to roll every single dice separately (do you know how many attacks orks get?). Eventually his friend just told us they gave up as apparently he'd just paired up with the kid a couple of days ago and so he was fed up with this too.

I also hate all those little kids that decide to fly their tanks around the battlefield (with sound effects) whenever they die, it's ridiculous!

Now, I'm not saying we need to ban kids from the hobby, maybe just kids who have drank any energy drink in the past few years.

/rant

God damn i would have shoot him. Sadly I have come in contact with ass hole dice dudes. This one guy would just start throwing dice and stuff and be like O that was my marines our that was my tank. He never said what he was rolling for before he rolled. Wanted to slap him.

we have some annoying kids here too.


fortunantly they play correctly, they just like to ask annoying questions or say annoying things.


lasy monday we decided to play munchkin because everyone had brought a different gaming system(I had 40k, another guy had FoW, and another wanted to play War at Sea ) for wargaming.

then the kids showed up. we then drew up a Pukachu monster. they went on with that one for the entire night

Any time I hear the story of 'omg all the stores around here are terrible I've had to leave so many because they suck' I just can't help but think - the one consistent thing about all your dysfunctional relationships is you.

What a dick!

Please keep Rule Number One in mind. Thanks, Manchu

If there is anyone in the CA bay area they can come to our club.

we meet on Mon and Wed at just about anytime after 3:30 at the Hobbytown USA in Petaluma. we also play FoW and BFG too(got a campaign going)

pretty relaxed group thats cool with most stuff(forge world and alternative models are completely allowed)



don't mind the new kids, they are just newbies. Us older, more mature, gamers are always there.


there is also 10% off all GW and Battlefront products on the days we meet